Dressage: A Study of the Fine Points of Riding

by Henry Wynmalen

Tips and points of horse riding.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Sandy Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was used as our dressage text book when I attended riding school after high-school. I recently reread it and was amazed how much this man's views had influenced my riding. Even though it's a technical book, it is written in a clear, easy to understand manner. Some people have commented that the book is old- fashioned and out of date. I think these people are missing the point. The pictures do look dated (They were taken during the 30s), but the basics remain the same. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve his horse's performance or his own horsemanship. A true classic!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inarguably for a small audience, this estimable work is a classic in dressage literature and so widely admired that I first found reference to it in an article in a 2017 issue of Western Horseman magazine interviewing a legendary cowhorse trainer who said this was the best book on horsemanship he'd ever read.

If you are enthusiastic about riding horses and eager to improve you and your equine partner's riding and communication skills, this is an invaluable reference. Even if you're completely disinterested in formal dressage training (I'm a Western-style trail rider) you'll profit tremendously from reading Wynmalen's classic treatise on dressage.

[M.D. Fryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago while I was riding and showing dressage and jumping. I found the book well written and even though I do not ride at this time, I believe that any rider of any discipline would highly benefit from this read.

Years ago, where I lived at the time, I found much of the trainers to cap out at second level. The trainer I worked with at the time was educated by a woman who studied under Nuno Oliveira. Despite the differences in methods, I found that what I read and what my trainer focused on was easily cohesive.
This book is great and for those who find it dated, well, that very well maybe. I find the old school to be the best.