About the art of riding

About the art of riding (ancient Greek: Ἱππαρχικὸς ἢ περὶ ἱππικῆς) is a ca.350 BC. Riding instruction written by Xenophon .

Xenophon's principles on the training of horses and riders are still valid today. Xenophon urged to see the horse as a partner and to treat it accordingly. The horse had to be treated well, because you had to be able to rely on it one hundred percent in war and emergency situations. Xenophon strictly rejected violence when handling the horse; For him, reward was the most important training aid.

The riding apprenticeship deals with the training for war (both of the rider and the horse), but many principles can be applied one to one to the present day.

literature

• Klaus Widdra (Ed.): Xenophon - Reitkunst . Schondorf am Ammersee: Wu-Wei-Verlag 2007. ISBN 3-930953-28-5
• Richard Keller (Ed.): Xenophon - About the art of riding. The rider colonel . With a foreword by Christine Stückelberger . Rüschlikon: Müller 2010. ISBN 978-3-27501724-9
• Kai Brodersen (Ed.): Xenophon - Ross and Reiter . Greek / German. Berlin: de Gruyter 2018. (Tusculum). ISBN 978-3-11-059562-8