TRAINING OF A REMOUNT HORSE IN NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP AND IN HORSEBACK ARCHERY

Aristotle Herc. Kalentzis, Publications Flora G. Papadopoulou, Athens 2010

Aristotle, Flora and the Hellenic Horseback Archery Society have entered the pan-Hellenic Union of Traditional Equestrian Associations, referring to ‘the Equestrian’ matters and in the hearts of all of us with such a success, so that we have to honor them with the …‘phyllovolia’, as our ancient ancestors were welcoming their Olympic Game winners. The first one with his exemplary work which fulfills a big gap in the Hellenic bibliography and the second one with her excellent presentation of this manual, which hasn’t got anything to envy from any ‘overseas’ publication.

I, breathlessly, read the 21 texts-chapters of the book, I admired the rare and correct illustration and I was surprised by the advanced contents. I imagine my feelings will be shared by the ‘horse-lovers’ of this country, even and the ‘know-all’s’, who will discover with terror that their knowledge is not sufficient. Already from the 1st chapter [Horseback Archery], the author who doesn’t only honor Hellas, provides unknown evidence of this ‘martial’ sport which is originating from the ancient times as also the horseback targeted throw of the javelin, but didn’t have the honor to find ‘followers’ in the neo-Hellenic equestrian ‘culture’, which is more or less ‘jumped-up’ thanks to the tireless attempts of our neo-Hellenic ‘horse-tyrants’ … The ‘Horse’s well-being’-perhaps this should have been the Chapter 1 instead of the Chapter 2 – teases with humor the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ and other commercial rubbish of the horses’ ‘decoration’, which have no relevance with the horse’s well-being, the Chapter 3 [The Horse and Riding] analyses valuable historical, evolutional and zoogeographical elements re the Hellenic horse, with a ‘minor foible’ or ‘typing’ error in the name of ‘Voucephalas’ and not ‘Voucephalus’, term which unfortunately was erroneously adopted by our teachers. The Chapters 4-11 with their outstanding practicality are a precious reference for any kind of horse-rider and not only for the horseback archer, the [Body Language] [Chapt.12] explains possibly better than Mrs. Tellington - Jones [“The Touch that Teaches”] the great importance of conquering the heart or if you want the trust of our zoological cousin, before the ‘First Approach’ [Chapt.13] or the ‘Lounging’ [Chapt.14].

In the building of a deeper relation with the horse and the peak of this relation [Chapt.15-16] most precious information are contained which are very useful even to the beginner horse-rider of any horse-sport, even if I lightly…disagree with the conclusion that ‘Communication with Nature…<is> an…aristocratic and antidemocratic process’-at least according to the author. This because I simply believe firmly that there hasn’t existed nor there will exist, in the future, a more ‘democratic’ activity than the equestrian activity, where men and women, stallions and mares [un]rivalry in equal terms athletically, with one only exception, another equally Hellenic sport, that of the ‘Taurokathapsia’ the ancient bull-touching acrobatic sport of the Minoan era. Finally the Chapt.16-21 is a bible of knowledge for any horse-rider who will turn to horse-back archery. Of course I wholly disagree with the exaggeration of the author’s report to the undersigned, with exception the photo of an outstanding stallion of the Argaian origin who ‘communicates’ with the rider while passing a cascade.

Th.G. Antikas, Horse-Doctor                                                                                  Pydna, 29th of May, 2010