Product Details
Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods

Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods
By Britta Schoffmann

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Product Description

This beautifully illustrated new biography of dressage superstar Klaus Balkenhol delivers both an engaging personal history of the man and an education on his mission to uphold the classical tradition in dressage. Intertwined with fascinating personal anecdotes and stories of Balkenhol's most famous mounts, the book shares Balkenhol's practical tips for choosing the right horse, adjusting the training scale to accommodate different rides, and correcting specific upper-level training problems. The photographs throughout highlight Balkenhol's impressive record at the highest levels of world competition, including two Olympic golds and an individual bronze, along with innumerable German, European, and World Cup wins. A look ahead to Balkenhol's future plans, which include coaching the U.S. Olympic dressage team, confirm his dedication to the best possible training for horses and riders.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #395612 in Books
  • Published on: 2007-11-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 160 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Those with a passion for dressage won't want to miss this volume. If you believe that the more you know, the better you will be in the competitive arena, this is a must-read."  —Ride!

About the Author

Britta Schöffmann is a journalist, a riding instructor, a competition judge, a Grand Prix rider, and the recipient of a German gold riding badge. She is the author of several books on riding published in German.

Customer Reviews

Lots of selling of Balkenhol3
The book is well written and an easy read, however, a lot of space is used to boost Klaus Balkenhol which should not be needed. He is already well known and respected. I think this can happen when the author is a friend to Balkenhol or too much of an admirer. I would have liked more of his training methods, more horse facts. The overall impression though is that the book has its place in the flood of horse books, and that Balkenhol's love for horses, and respect for them, comes through very well.
Carina Gerken Christiansen

Long Awaited!5
This book is a combination of Mr. Balkenhol's life story and his training methods. It's not a step 1, 2, 3 book. How his philosophy on training evolved over his lifetime with specific examples is fascinating. The book has a unique format, the top half of each page is his philosophy and examples and the bottom of each page is his life biography. I highly recommend this book for both the advanced and the beginning rider.

Classical training at its best!5
This is really three to this book. The first is Mr. Balkenhol's biography, the second is his training methods, and the third concerns the duties of riders and coaches.

In his biography, the author presents a fascinating story of Mr. Balkenhol's childhood, his riding career as a mounted policeman, to his rise to the top of the international scene and coach of the US dressage team. Throughout this part of the book, Mr. Balkenhol also talks about the different horses he has ridden and what they have taught him.

In the second part of the book, Mr. Balkenhol also discusses his specific training methods for the upper-level movements of piaffe, passage, and one-tempi changes. In the third part of the book, Mr. Balkenhol discusses what makes a good riding coach. He offers advice on what a rider should get from a good coach.