Book Tag: Horse and Rider

Carolynn over at A Glowing Ember had posted a book tag
that I thought was a fun idea and might get my mind off
my stolen camera.

*Here are the rules:
1)Grab the nearest book.
2)Open the book to page 56.
3)Find the fifth sentence.
4)Post the text of the next two to five sentences.
5)Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book or the intellectual one,
Pick the Closest.
6)Tag five people to do the same.

So, this is the book I have beside me right now.
The Complete Training of Horse and Rider
In the Principles of Classical Horsemanship
by Alois Podhajsky
Former Director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna

And this from page 56:
"As a sculptor would first shape his future work of art from
rough stone with swift and strong blows of the chisel and, as it progresses, work on the details with ever more delicate strokes in order to produce the finished article in all it's beauty, so must the aids of the rider become more and more refined as the training proceeds. The rider must always remember this and be careful not to be carried away by impatience or temper and destroy with rough aids what he has built up in his previous work. Following the parable of the sculptor it would be the same as if, by a careless or coarse stroke of the chisel, he destroyed his otherwise satisfactorly emerging work.

Forward is the essence of training. The rider's legs from the thigh downwards must be in touch with the horse's body. The lower legs on the girth or immediately behind it will make the horse's hind legs step more under his body and make him go forward with energy. The effect of the legs must become more and more refined in the course
of training."

And you all know how I just can't help not including some blog school in my posts, so I'm including a little review, too:

"In my opinion this is one of the finest horsemanship novels ever written. Podhajsky's book is not an easy-reading "how to ride" book. This is a technical manual for serious riders.
The book is divided into six chapters. Some readers may find this book to be long or boring due to its eloquent vocabulary. For people with little time I would recommend reading small sections at a time. The author includes so many details that the reader should reflect on what is being learned and not just rush through it.

I especially like how it's set up in two different chapters, one on "the training of the horse" and the other "the training of the rider." By breaking apart the two concepts, a rider is able to first read what the horse should be doing and then what they should be doing at the same time. Other chapters are about the principles of riding, definitions and key concepts, saddles and bridles, and the Spanish Riding School."
This is an interesting excerpt taken from the book, about proper seat while riding:
Horse and Rider


Ok, so put away your notebooks class. I am choosing 5 blogs to tag for this book challenge, but I'd also love it if the rest of you would leave a comment and tell me what you're reading right now. I'm always up for a good book and I'm very interested in what books you're enjoying (or not, whatever the case may be. lol!)

I Tag:
Pony Girl
Nuzzling Muzzles
Wrensong Farm
Melanie
Laura

Happy Reading!!