This volume is populated with reproductions of paintings and frescos from the period and illustrations from the surveyed texts. A fascinating read, belonging in any serious rider's library.

Horses and horsemen played central roles in modern European warfare from the Renaissance to the Great War of 1914-1918, not only determining victory in battle, but also affecting the rise and fall of kingdoms and nations. When Shakespeare's Richard III cried, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" he attested to the importance of the warhorse in history and embedded the image of the warhorse in the cultural memory of the West. In Riding to Arms: A History of Horsemanship and Mounted Warfare, Charles Caramello examines the evolution of horsemanship—the training of horses and riders—and its relationship to the evolution of mounted warfare over four centuries. He explains how theories of horsemanship, navigating between art and utility, eventually settled on formal manège equitation merged with outdoor hunting equitation as the ideal combination for modern cavalry. He also addresses how the evolution of firepower and the advent of mechanized warfare eventually led to the end of horse cavalry. Riding to Arms tracks the history of horsemanship and cavalry through scores of primary texts ranging from Federico Grisone's Rules of Riding (1550) to Lt.-Colonel E.G. French's Good-Bye to Boot and Saddle (1951). It offers not only a history of horsemen, horse soldiers, and horses, but also a survey of the seminal texts that shaped that history.

New things are forgotten old things - this rediscovery of the past is especially important in horsemanship and equestrian sports. Despite advances in sciences and technology, the physiologies and psychologies of the two principal agents, the equid and the human, have undergone relatively few changes since horse domestication. The studies collected in this volume outline such essential and recurring challenges in equestrianism as gender issues, equine identification, the use of hyperflexion and groundwork in training, as well as many others, from prehistory to this day.

This book, is the anticipated English translation of "MEILENSTEINE OSTERREICHISCHER REITKUNST" Find out how Austria came to be the safe hold of such a wealth of equestrian tradition: Dr. Werner Poscharnigg eloquently answers this question by chronicling the development of the classical practices in this region of Europe. Austrian Art of Riding traces the contributions of pivotal Austrian horsemen through 500 years of elegance and ease in the equestrian art. Over 140 illustrations--many previously unpublished or little-known--along with inaccessible documents reveal the development of a culture of the thinking rider imbued with careful, loving training that results in a healthy, durable high school horse. Equestrians world-wide who admire fine horsemanship and seek the subtle, passionate, masterful handling of the horse, will find the methods they pursue here, in Austrian horsemanship as they have been for centuries. "Dr. Werner Poscharnigg's stunningly produced Austrian Art of Riding is special for....the incredible illustrations which show good balance in both man and horse in different situations and....a shining pride of achievement, commitment of endeavour and desire for perfection." - Sylvia Loch "Austrian Art of Riding is a major contribution to the understanding of classical riding principles...The Austro-Hungarian classical training method is without fear of force, artifice and cruelty. Instead, it is a monument to impeccable trust between horse and rider. The ennobled horse becomes able to move better than he ever could have had he been left alone in nature. Through correct riding, the rider is elevated in character and his virtues are multiplied." - Charles de Kunffy "Austrian Art of Riding...leads the reader on an exciting journey through the Cultural History of Austria, illuminating five centuries of equestrian advances. The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, the European cradle and sanctuary of classical riding since the Baroque era is masterfully documented in text and illustrations. Historical events are harmoniously melded with the equestrian milestones of the Riding Masters of the past." - Karl Mikolka Dr.Werner Poscharnigg's writing is appreciated the world over for its eloquent style, polished language and reliable expertise. This learned horseman, speaking from personal experience and accurate research, takes us on a pleasurable reading journey rich in detailed information. He makes his home near Graz, in Southern Austria.

This volume provides a unique introduction to the most topical issues, advances, and challenges in medieval horse history. Medievalists who have a long-standing interest in horse history, as well as those seeking to widen their understanding of horses in medieval society will find here informed and comprehensive treatment of chapters from disciplines as diverse as archaeology, legal, economic and military history, urban and rural history, art and literature. The themes range from case studies of saddles and bridles, to hippiatric treatises, to the medieval origins of dressage literary studies. It shows the ubiquitous – and often ambiguous – role of the horse in medieval culture, where it was simultaneously a treasured animal and a means of transport, a military machine and a loyal companion. The contributors, many of whom have practical knowledge of horses, are drawn from established and budding scholars working in their areas of expertise.

This book presents a new perspective on the Italian Renaissance court by examining the circulation, collection and exchange of art objects.

Postwar Italian Art History Today brings fresh critical consideration to the parameters and impact of Italian art and visual culture studies of the past several decades. Taking its cue from the thirty-year anniversary of curator Germano Celant's landmark exhibition at PS1 in New York – The Knot – this volume presents innovative case studies and emphasizes new methodologies deployed in the study of postwar Italian art as a means to evaluate the current state of the field. Included are fifteen essays that each examine, from a different viewpoint, the issues, concerns, and questions driving postwar Italian art history. The editors and contributors call for a systematic reconsideration of the artistic origins of postwar Italian art, the terminology that is used to describe the work produced, and key personalities and institutions that promoted and supported the development and marketing of this art in Italy and abroad.