The training of horses has undergone perpetual modifications over centuries and many riders have tried it for themselves.

The experiences and teachings of the Old Masters have survived the test of time. The proverb goes, 'all roads lead to Rome', but the truth is that the fundamentals of classical training are irreplaceable.
That's because it is only when one respects a horse's natural tendencies, and maintains and supports them when training him, that a horse and rider can truly become one. And only then can we train our horses with free will, without pain, and ethically.

Nowadays, breeders are treating us with better and better horses, who have an extraordinary potential for performance. Dressage-bred horses have impulsive, expressive movements. They have far better conformation than they did, for instance, twenty years ago. A harmonious, uphill outline, a good back, an excellent neck attachment and a light poll, as well as character-related qualities, lead to a clearly improved rideability. But that is precisely where the greatest danger in training a talented young horse lies. These young prospects need as much time for their physical and mental development as nature prescribes. Joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles are only able to cope with the demands placed on them by a rider's weight when they are formed correctly.

As trainers, we are now responsible for supporting and developing these qualities with our riding ability. However, can we honestly say that the knowledge and ability of riders has risen to a higher level, in line with the improvement in the horses' quality?
Or, rather, is riding going in the wrong direction – a direction which leads either to over-demanding or, through self-proclaimed experts, to an 'alternative' way of riding which is regularly characterised by a misunderstanding of love for the animal?

Classical Sales Warendorf wishes to contribute in paving the way to better riding, and to make the most of the horses' quality and natural talents through a sustained, but above all proven, classical training.

Key words which constantly appear in classical training are relaxation, balance and the preservation of the purity and rhythm in all three basic paces – walk, trot and canter.

Inner and outer relaxation are the primary criteria for a successful and comfortable horse. The back, as the part of the horse's body where movement is created, plays a decisive role. Only a horse who allows movement through the back is able to accept willingly the rider's aids, or indeed to permit them. Horses were not born as carrying animals: they must tense their backs in a positive manner to cope with the rider's weight. If unable to do this, then the horse develops the wrong kind of tension and becomes tight. The consequences range from deterioration of the walk, to a non-diagonal trot, to the loss of a three-beat canter.

Maturing horses must, then, be ridden to an optimal balance every day, according to their age and development. Furthermore, they need riders and trainers with enough experience and 'feel' for each horse's individual needs. Real horsemen and horsewomen can spot talent in young horses even if it is only shown for very brief moments. They do not need endless diagonals in extended trot. After all, as the German Guidelines for Riding and Driving teach, 'the medium trot carries the proof of the training performed'.

Even the most talented horses need a systematic training. Sometimes, they might even need more time than most, until they truly mature on both a physical and a mental level. An early, excessive exploitation of their natural talent often causes irreversible damage to the horses' health and psyche.

Relaxation, balance and harmony in the way a horse moves all lead to us being able to allow our horses to 'dance' in full accord with their partners, the riders.

We want to get a bit closer to this aim!