French riding master Philippe Karl writes about training horses from a very personal perspective, documenting the training and development of the Lusitano stallion, Odin, according to traditional French classical principles, from young horse all the way up to high school. Through this case study, he teaches readers the requirements of balance, including collection and conformation; the philosophy of Academic Equitation. The book covers:Description of horses' inborn natural crookedness, exercises for how to correct it, and the implications for the training of the horse. The requirements of balance: collection and conformation The philosophy of Academic Equitation: the language of the aids-seat, hands, legs Exercises for lateral flexibility: work on single and two tracks Work at the canter: counter-canter, flying lead changes, tempi-changes Canter pirouettes: preparation and development Collection: piaffe, passage, pesade