{"product_id":"balancing-act","title":"Balancing Act","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn his startling, best-selling book, Tug of War, Dr. Gerd Heuschmann burst into the dressage world. His book demonstrated with words and photographs the disturbing effects of hyperflexion (Rollkur), a technique commonly used in training dressage horses. Balancing Act: The Horse in Sport – An Irreconcilable Conflict? is Dr. Heuschmann’s long-awaited follow-up to his first thought-provoking book. In it he explores what it means to be a “responsible rider,” and asks whether, in today’s society, it is possible for riders in any horse sport to put the good of the horse first and foremost—most pointedly above ambition and fame. With illustrations on the anatomy of the horse and how the equine physique is impacted by various riding techniques, as well as further proof that—although some steps have been taken to prevent the use of forceful and cruel techniques in the training of top horses—many sport horses still perform in pain and discomfort, this book is sure to follow in its best-selling predecessor’s footsteps. Dr. Heuschmann’s arguments are based in his experience as a veterinarian and his knowledge of the working equine’s body. They’re certain to ring true with every serious rider who also claims to be an avid horse lover. Dr. Gerd Heuschmann trained as a Bereiter (master rider) in Germany before qualifying for veterinary study at Munich University. There he specialized in equine orthopedics for two years before accepting a post as the head of the breeding department at the German FN, which he eventually left to start his own practice in Warendorf. He has been an active member of the “hyperflexion” (previously referred to as Rollkur) debate, weighing in at the 2005 USDF National Symposium and the 2006 FEI Veterinary and Dressage Committees’ Workshop. \u003cbr\u003eAlong with Klaus Balkenhol and other prominent figures in the dressage community, Dr. Heuschmann is a founding member of “Xenophon,” an organization dedicated to “fighting hard against serious mistakes in equestrian sport” (www.xenophon-classical-riding.org).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dover Saddlery","offers":[{"title":"N\/a","offer_id":47970464858337,"sku":"0003482000000","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.doversaddlery.com\/products\/balancing-act","provider":"Dover Saddlery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}