Philippe Karl - Classical Dressage Trainer
Philippe Karl, undisputedly a grand master in the discipline of Dressage and also one of the greatest all round horsemen of our times. His intuitive and incomparable approach in schooling the young horse encompasses both physical and psychological objectives in educating the horse to the rider’s hand. These techniques are displayed in ’The School of Aids’ the first of a truly inspirational and compelling four part DVD set.
To chart the credentials of this remarkable man, one must go back to 1968 when he finally turned his back on medical studies to dedicate himself to working with horses. For the next three years he studied breeding at the Centre d’ Enseignement Zootechnique and later at the national stud Haras National du Pin, and in 1971 gains the prestigious National Riding Instructor Certificate.
The new year of 1972 finds Philippe Karl as head of department in the riding section at the Centre d’ Enseignment, a position he will hold for the next seven years. It is of note that during these years of constant study and long hours, he still manages to regularly compete in eventing and show jumping.
Talent and creativity are difficult birds to keep in captivity, and so it was that in 1980 he left to set up his own stables. During the next five years a germ of an idea was sown, but it would take another twenty plus years to reach fruition. An invitation from General Pierre Durand to join the Ecole Nationale d’ Equitation proves impossible to resist, and in 1985 Philippe Karl becomes an Ecuyer at the Cadre Noir in Saumur, France. For the next thirteen years he tirelessly dedicates his skill and talent in creating historical scenes and presentations in the gala shows of the Cadre Noir, in France and across Europe. In 1998 he leaves the national riding school to dedicate himself to the clinics he has set up in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the U.S.A. In 2004, four decades after making that first commitment, Philippe Karl realised a dream, a concept, a destiny if you will, in establishing ‘The School of Legerete’. At his stables and clinics across Europe, student instructors are taught a total creed, the very essence of horse and rider brought together in mind and body under the teachings of this remarkable man.
Philippe Karl is one of the most outspoken critics of modern dressage today, having his roots firmly in Classical Riding and the philosophies of the old masters such as La Gueriniere and Baucher. His new book Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage explores the subject in detail revealing disturbing facts about the physical, anatomical and mental effects on the horse.