If you could only keep three, which three would you keep?
It depends. At this time, I am re-reading and studying these.
Centered Riding - Sally Swift
The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse Manege Patterns - Charles Dekunffy
2023 Instructors Edition Dressage Illustrated
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Horses are Made to be horses from Franz Mairinger.
The book was written after his death by his students.
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For dressage “The Way to Perfect Horsemanship” by Udo Burger.
The others are “Common Sense Horsemanship” by Vladimir Littauer and “Riding and Schooling Horses” by Harry Chamberlin.
I also really need “Horse Brain-Human Brain” by Janet Jones.
With those 4 books I could probably figure out what to do when I encounter a problem with a riding horse.
Of course there are very many other good books!
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Centered Riding - Sally Swift
Divide and Conquer - Francoise Lemaire de Ruffeiu
Its Not Just About the Ribbons - Jane Savoie
Riding Through Winter - Beth Jenkins
(sorry, that’s 4…)
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“The Complete Training of Horse and Rider” by Alois Podhajsky
"The Classical Seat’ by Sylvia Loch
“The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse” by Charles de Kunffy
And another very useful book- “Advanced Techniques of Riding”: The Official Instruction Handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation
None of which are more useful than a well educated instructor.
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My Horses, My Teachers by Alois Podhajsky
Sport Horse Conformation: Evaluating Athletic Potential in Dressage, Jumping and Event Prospects by Christian Schacht
Nature, Nurture and Horses: A Journal of Four Dressage Horses in Training - From Birth through the First Year of Training by Paul Belasik
Gymnasium of the horse, by gustav steinbrecht. thats my number 1 book…!!
Gustav Steinbrecht’s “Gymnasium des Pferdes” is one of the great milestones of equestrian literature, alongside Xenophon, Pluvinel, Newcastle, and De la Gueriniere. It forms a connection and transition between two eras. One the one hand, it is the culmination point of the equestrian literature of the late 18th century and 19th century that, under the influence of the Industrial Revolution, tried to explain equine biomechanics by comparing the horse’s body to a mechanical device. On the other hand, it forms the theoretical foundation for the German army training manual (Heeresdienstvorschrift) and its successor, the “Richtlinien fuer Reiten und Fahren” of the German National Federation. The “Gymnasium of the Horse” belongs on every dressage rider’s bookshelf. It’s the kind of book that cannot be glanced through casually, but that needs to be studied, because every word is chosen deliberately, and every sentence is full of knowledge and meaning. It’s a book that needs to be re-read regularly, because with each new reading you will discover something new, and your understanding will evolve and deepen with each reading. It is a true classic, because it is universally accepted and admired, not only in Germany, but also in the rest of the dressage world, and it contains so much wisdom, so much invaluable advice that even 130 years later it has lost nothing of its relevance. Steinbrecht formulates rules, principles, and guidelines for horse training more concisely and more sharply than almost any other author. His book has really stood the test of time.
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Podhajsky’s Complete Training of Horse & Rider
Xenophon’s On Horsemanship
Guess I’ve just got 2 
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