Sharing Knowledge
Since more than 400 years before the birth of Christ, men have sought to share their knowledge of horsemanship through the written word. This was first done in manuscript form. One can find numerous English translations of the earliest extant manuscript on horsemanship which was written by a Greek general and historian by the name of Xenophon. There are citations to even earlier works.
Then came the invention of the printing press. We can now find thousands of books written about the care and training of horses as well as equipment and riding techniques. As I've read numerous books, I have tried to compile a database of some significant quotations by their authors.
You may visit the Topic List to view nearly 100 different topics. The list of topics is admittedly arbitrary since many of the quotations could fall into various categories. Click on any topic to read quotations from various authors along with the author's name and the work where the quotation may be found. In some cases, the quotation is cited in a publication by another author. Along with the quotation, you may find a link to a broader review of the work as well as a link to where you can purchase a copy of the complete text.
You may notice that many quotations appear similar. This should be seen as evidence that much of what we do with horses should not vary with the disciple we practice or the saddle in which we ride. Other quotations may appear to present opposing points of view. This is natural since many tools may be used to get the same job done. For example, a box wrench, an open–end wrench, a crescent wrench, or maybe even a pair of pliers may be used to tighten a bolt. As in this example, however, one tool may work better than another in a given situation. The more tools we possess, the better the chance we will have the best tool for the job at hand.
While I may not wholeheartedly agree with everything quoted, I think the quotes are worth contemplating. It is my hope that reading these quotations will encourage you to broaden your studies and your understanding of the horse. As I broaden my own knowledge, I hope to add more quotations.