Horses Are Made To Be Horses: Personal Philosophy Of Horsemanship
Reference Vintage Australiana Equestrian Sports Personal & Professional Development Hobbies & Lifestyle Animal Training Animal Psychology
Franz Mairinger’s 1983 first-edition classic, Horses Are Made To Be Horses, is the timeless reference every serious rider, trainer, and horse-lover wants on the shelf. Written by the Austrian-born Olympic gold-medalist who later coached Australia’s eventing teams to glory, this 167-page hardcover distills a lifetime of international competition into a clear, humane philosophy: work with the horse’s mind, not against it. Rigby’s quality 1983 printing, complete with illustrated dust-jacket, captures Mairinger’s teachings in crisp, collectible form—no later reprint can match the tactile feel and vintage appeal of this original Australian release.
Inside, Mairinger moves beyond mere technique, exploring the psychology, welfare and education of the horse in concise, jargon-free chapters that still read fresh forty years on. Readers discover why lightness, patience and correct basic work produce safer, happier horses—lessons that today’s natural-horsemanship movement continues to echo. Generous line drawings clarify everything from lunging geometry to flying-changes, making the book as practical in the barn as it is inspiring by the fireside.
Collectors prize the 1983 edition for its scarcity; riders value it for its sanity. This copy is clean, tight, and unmarked—no ex-library stamps, no inscriptions, no smoke or musty odor—ready to slip straight into an equestrian library or gift box. Whether you’re hunting a nostalgic piece of Australian sporting history or a concise master-class in classical horsemanship, Horses Are Made To Be Horses delivers enduring wisdom on every glossy page.
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