Book Review

by Christine Pearson

Published by Kenilworth Press and priced at £18.95

"Dressage with Kyra" achieves the feat of explaining difficult concepts and complicated manoeuvres in a simple, but never simplistic, fashion.

The first three chapters of the book deal with introductory matters such as the history of dressage and the rider's position, and the importance of the trainer. It is interesting that the very first chapter, however, is about communication and the need for the rider to create his own language with the horse by teaching him to react in a certain way to a number of signals. Not the most obvious place to start, you think, but it sets the tone for the book and demonstrates from the beginning the importance which Ms Kyrklund gives to what she calls the two-way system of understanding.

From the early chapters Ms Kyrklund goes on to talk about the ABC - the three most basic signals which she wants a horse to learn. These are the forward driving aid, the restraining aid and the turning aid. From there she gradually builds on this information, taking the rider through straightness, flexion and leg-yielding, turns on the forehand and rein back, collected lateral work, flying changes, improving the gaits, zig zig half passes, pirouettes and so through to piaffe and passage.

I found the book particularly helpful in the early chapters (perhaps in part because they conform to my own level of riding!) because they are accompanied by exceptionally clear line drawings illustrating the position of both horse and rider. Many books use these but I have seen few that accomplish their aim as effectively. In addition they are often placed in the form of a table which sets out very simply what the particular movement is designed to achieve for horse and rider, what the horse will need to do and what the rider will need to do. In the later chapters, although the line drawings continue to an extent, greater use is made of photographs perhaps because more advanced movements do not lend themselves so readily to the table layout.

Another very useful feature of the book is the way in which Ms Kyrklund explains errors. Many writers describe what is wrong with a movement but perhaps less often describe the common errors which riders make and which have probably lead to the error. I found myself thinking on several occasions "that's exactly what happens to me and so that's why it happens!"

I think that anyone who is interested in dressage, whether as rider or trainer and at whatever level, will find something to interest them in this clear and helpful book.