The Rider Forms the Horse: Function and Development of the Muscles of the Riding by Udo Bürger and Otto Zietzschmann

In this book, first published in 1939, the authors Udo Bürger and Otto Zietzschmann set out clearly and precisely the requirements for the successful training and long and healthy life of the riding horse. The authors explain the physiological facts which are the foundation of the teaching of riding and discuss important factors in the training of the horse and how to recognize and rectify training problems.

Olympic champion and former German national trainer, Klaus Balkenhol and Dr. of veterinary medicine, Gerd Heuschmann who runs a veterinary clinic in Warendorf and often lectures and contributes to specialist journals on this subject, as well as other prominent figures in the equestrian world, set out why this book is just as important to today's riders and horsemen as when it was written. According to Klaus Balkenhol, average horses can be made into top horses through correct training and an understanding of the links between muscular function and the construction of the skeleton working in combination during the different phases of training. From the point of view of the veterinary practitioner, correct and well-thought-through riding remains the best way to prevent all injuries to the horse. Dr. Gerd Heuschmann considers this book to be compulsory reading for all competition and amateur riders of every equestrian discipline who feel responsible for their horses, and for trainers, judges and veterinary practitioners.