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The Royal Art of Riding DVD
The Royal Art of Riding
This highly artistic DVD is a stylized history of the elegant form of riding that became Classical Equitation, leading to the development of the classical riding schools with Iberian-based horses, including the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Quoting Zenophon, de Pluvinel and Robichon de la Guérinière, the history of this sensitive and artistic approach to riding is highlighted in costumed staged exhibitions. This is a beautiful film and shows interesting training and maneuvers, including backward cantering.
Riding - an art, a sport, or just a convenient way of getting from one place to another? Throughout history, man has repeatedly attempted to combine his aptitude with those of the powerful and nimble horse. “Centaur,” the mythological beings - half-human, half-horse - as the idealistic image of the symbiosis of two so very different creatures. Since ancient times, the techniques of horsemanship have been honed into an art form. But until fairly recently, riding as an elegant and artistic pastime was mainly a privilege of the nobility - of kings and princes.
This film - shot at original historic locations throughout Europe with romantic castles and beautiful landscapes - recreates the atmosphere of the great epoch of courtly equitation. Representatives of such ancient horse breeds as the Arabian, Andalusian and Knabstrupper demonstrate their talents as virtuoso four-legged ballet dancers.
Accompany us on a journey to historic locations, where long-forgotten images are brought alive again. Follow us back to an age in which riding wasn’t regarded as a sport, but primarily as an art form - “The Art Of Kings.”
Filmed in Spain, Germany and Denmark in the stables of the Danish Royal Family. The music is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Denmark. The movie got international awards as one of the best films about equitation.