"Equestrian art is the perfect understanding between the rider and his horse"

from Reflections on Equestrian Art, by Nuno Oliveira, p 17-19

[The horse] is the ideal companion for man, who loves him and finds in his company something rarefied and transcendent. […]

Equestrian art is the perfect understanding between the rider and his horse. This harmony allows the horse to work without any contraction in his joints or in his muscles, permitting him to carry out all movements with mental and physical enjoyment as well as with suppleness and rhythm. The horse is then a partner, rather than a slave who is forced to obey a rigid master by constraint.

To practice equestrian art is to establish a conversation on a higher level with the horse; a dialogue of courtesy and finesse. The rider obtains the collaboration of the horse by the slightest hint of demand, and the spectator can then see the sublime beauty of this communion. He will be touched by the grace and the form, and captivated as if he were hearing the most grandiose music. […]

The true rider feels for, and above all loves, his horse. He has worked progressively, remembering to help the horse to have stronger muscles, and to fortify its body, while at the same time developing the horse’s brain and making it more sensitive.

It is at this point that a conversation on a higher plane becomes established which the horse will never forget, even if separated for a long time from his rider. He will reply to this conversation easily the day he is reunited with his pedagogue.