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Classical riding is a centuries-old art form that emphasizes correct biomechanics, gentleness, and harmony between horse and rider. A practice nearly 2,000 years old, classical riding strives to improve the horse and rider, bringing both into alignment for effortless communication and graceful movement.
Keep reading to learn more about the tradition of classical riding and discover a practice grounded in harmony and empathy for the horse.
The Origins of Classical Riding
"Xenophon was the first one to claim that horses can become only more beautiful with correct training, never uglier... If the horse becomes uglier in the course of his work, it is the unmistakable proof of a wrong dressage training"
— Alois Podhajsky
Classical riding's roots stretch back to the 14th century BC in Ancient Sumer. However, many consider the true origins of classic riding to be Greece in the 4th century BC. Greek historian and soldier Xenophon's text On Horsemanship detailed gentle training methods and a guide on improving the horse's condition for battle. The ideas showcased in On Horsemanship became the basis for classical riding.
Despite being over 2,000 years old, many of Xenophon’s methods are still used today. He described exercises like transitions, circling, and hill work to build a horse’s strength and responsiveness. Although the Greeks rode bareback, the rider position he detailed is still employed today.
This form of riding slowly transformed into a dressage-like discipline that worked to improve both horse and rider. However, it was not until the 18th century that classical dressage as it is known today began taking shape with Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere, a master horseman from the riding school of Versailles.
De la Gueriniere explained how to use exercises to straighten the horse and emphasized basic dressage foundations. At the time, many did not believe that horses could feel pain; however, de la Gueriniere trained with a kindness and compassion that was uncommon at the time.
During the 18th century and prior, many of the lateral movements we know today were used to maneuver horses on the battlefield. Pirouettes, leg yields, and caprioles were evasive movements used in combat. Haunches-in protected the horse's head during an approach while shoulder-in was used to retreat.
However, the 19th century brought about more accurate artillery and less need for cavalry at the front lines. The masses abandoned classical riding for racing and hunting.
As riding became more recreational, the principles of classical riding fell out of popularity. However, a devoted few kept these traditions alive, and masters like Alois Podhajsky, Nuno de Oliveira, and Philippe Karl helped to modernize and preserve classical riding’s legacy, teaching that horsemanship is about kindness, partnership, and the betterment of the horse.
Classical Riding vs. Dressage
"The biggest enemy to the partnership of dressage is impatience
and the human nature to dominate other creatures"
— Walter Zettl
When people hear 'classical riding" they tend to picture dressage competitions, the Olympics, and dancing horses. However, classical riding and dressage are not the same. Classical riding is a philosophy for riding and improving horses while dressage is a discipline that encompasses many different training methods.
Dressage (a French word meaning "training") evolved from early classical riding. The two share distinct similarities such as the use of an enclosed arena and schooling figures to improve the horse. However, today many dressage riders do not abide by classical principles and resort to force and gadgetry to create the look of a correctly moving horse and harmonious partnership.
Today it is not uncommon to see forceful use of the reins and spurs in the dressage arena contrary to the teachings of Xenophon, Podhajsky, and Karl. Horses often have their mouths agape and noses behind vertical. These practices are not in line with classical riding's goals of fostering harmony, connection, and longevity.
Despite being used primarily with dressage horses, classical riding is an approach applicable across disciplines, rooted in respectful, kind training that focuses on communication between horse and rider. It's not about riding prespecified dressage tests for a score but about the mental and physical development of horse and rider through a time-tested systemic training program.
The Goals of Classical Riding
"The goal of all dressage riding should be to bring the horse and rider together in harmony...a oneness of balance, purpose, and athletic expression"
— Walter Zettl
Even though classical riding began over 2,000 years ago, the primary goals remain unchanged: to teach the rider to sit effectively, create a partnership grounded in kindness and communication, and develop the horse’s physical fitness for a long, healthy life.
Improving the Horse
"Classical Dressage is correct for the horse, correct for you,
and correct for that moment in time”
— Sylvia Loch
The development of the horse is at the forefront of classical riding. In Xenophon's time, horses needed to be athletic, responsive, and conditioned for the rigors of battle. Today, the classical principles give us a correct framework that leads us to stronger, fitter, and more long-lasting partners. Classical riding strengthens the horse through biomechanically conscious suppling, straightening, and collected work.
Suppling and Straigtening
"Ride your horse forward and make him straight”
— Gustav Steinbrecht
Like people, horses have a dominant side, often resulting in crookedness. Classical riding addresses these imbalances through a systemic program that strengthens and straightens the horse.
Think of it as yoga for horses: stretching, strengthening, and balancing to prevent overuse injuries and stiffness that can lead to lameness over time. A supple, straight horse is also a balanced one, enabling them to move athletically and comfortably under their rider.
Key exercises to supple and straighten a horse include:
Circling
Leg Yield
Shoulder In
Travers
Collected Work
“Collection is not compression: it is the balance where
everything is easy for the horse to do”
— Dominique Barbier
Horses naturally carry more weight on their delicate front legs, and adding the weight of a rider increases that load, which can eventually wear down the horse’s tendons, joints, and back.
Classical training aims to shift some of this weight onto the horse’s stronger hind legs, sparing the front legs and improving overall balance and resilience. Instead of gradually wearing out, horses trained classically for many years get more sound and physically adept.
Collected work is the pinnacle of classical riding, helping the horse develop powerful hindquarters that support the rider’s weight while maintaining lightness and grace.
Exercises that build this carrying power include:
Collected Canter
Passage
Piaffe
Levade
The Training Pyramid
"As a result of the appropriate gymnastics and training of the horse, the appearance and the movements of the horse will be more beautiful"
— Alois Podhajsky
The training pyramid is a classical rider's roadmap to transforming a horse's movement and responsiveness over years of dedicated practice. The program provides a blueprint to educate the horse on how to move under their rider with elegance and suspension.
The Training Pyramid is comprised of three distinct phases:
Foundation: Early training focuses on relaxation, rhythm, and responsiveness, incorporating gentle turns, circles, and direction changes. Here, the horse learns to follow the rider’s cues with calmness and consistency.
Impulsion and Straightness: As the horse gains confidence, the training adds impulsion and lateral work, enhancing power, fluidity, and responsiveness to the rider’s aids.
Collection: In the final phase, the horse achieves collection, mastering advanced movements like pirouette, passage, and piaffe. The result is a graceful, powerful partnership where horse and rider move as one.
Through these stages, classical riding builds a partnership rooted in balance, strength, and mutual trust, allowing horses to thrive both physically and mentally.
Improving the Rider
"You're not working on the horse, you're working on yourself"
— Ray Hunt
At the renowned Spanish Riding School in Vienna, riders spend hours refining their skills on the lunge line. Watching these masters is mesmerizing—the fluidity, the near-invisible aids, the effortless communication between horse and rider. They dedicate themselves to developing a quiet, supple, and effective seat that allows them to move as one with their horse.
While the focus of classical riding is often on the horse’s development, the masters understood that a horse can’t perform its best unless the rider is positioned to reduce the burden on the horse’s back.
The Classical Seat
"I do not approve of a seat which is as though the man were on a chair,
but rather as though he were standing with his legs apart"
— Xenophon
Achieving a classical seat is a lifelong pursuit that requires study, dedication, and practice. Entire books have been written about the classical seat (The Classical Seat by Sylvia Loch is a great one!)
A few key principles of the classical seat include:
Alignment: Head-hip-heel alignment—a straight line can be drawn from the ear through the hip down to the back of the ankle.
Three-Point Contact: The seat has a three-point contact, with the seat bones and crotch evenly balanced.
Focus and Posture: The rider’s head stays upright, eyes looking forward in the direction of movement.
Leg Position: Toes point straight, with maximum thigh contact on the saddle.
Soft Hands: Hands remain soft and resist pulling back on the horse’s mouth.
A well-balanced classical seat means that if the horse were to vanish suddenly, the rider would land squarely on their feet, demonstrating true independence and balance. This position gives the rider stability and allows them to follow the horse’s movements seamlessly.
Invisible Aiding
"The rider should reduce his action to the minimum and give
the horse freedom in his movements"
— Etienne Beudant
The classical seat allows riders the position and balance needed to make cueing the horse effortless and invisible. When watching a well-trained classical rider at work one should not see the rider doing anything at all.
The use of the training pyramid brings the horse in tune with the rider's aids so that a subtle shift in weight or tiny movement with the rein is all that is needed to communicate. Steady legs and quiet hands taking a gentle contact with the mouth are distinctions of the style.
Today, excessive force when cueing the horse is becoming more commonplace. Riders that overuse the legs or hand cause tension in their horse that later leads to soreness and injury.
The classical way allows the horse to move freely on their own with minimal interference from the rider, putting their natural beauty on full display. Because the horse doesn't have to fight forceful aids, they can move with relaxation and willingness, allowing them to work joyfully.
Preserving the Artform
"To practice equestrian art is to establish a conversation on a higher level with the horse: a dialogue of courtesy and finesse"
— Nuno Oliveira
Even though the term "classical riding" conjures images of ancient maestros and dressage riding, the practice is for all. Classical riding is for everyone who wants to work in harmony with their horse, preserve their horse for a long, active life, and grow their horse's natural athleticism.
Classical riding does not require a fancy horse or dressage tack. It is not about riding dressage tests or staying in an enclosed space. As more riders turn towards flashy tack promising short-cuts in training and ask their horses to work in ways that are contrary to their biomechanic makeup a renewed emphasis on classical riding is more important than ever.
Classical riding is more than just a sport: it is an art form rooted in history and tradition. And like all great art forms it must be studied to perfect and passed down to stay alive.
If you are interested in gaining a deeper connection with your horse, training with kindness and empathy, and bettering yourself as a rider while bringing out your horse's inner elegance, give classical riding a try.
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