Gallop to Freedom

When Cavalia—the amazing equestrian-themed “spectacular ” melding costumes and theatrics with stunt riding and haute école—first took North America by storm in 2003 few people knew who Frédéric Pignon and Magali Delgado were. But the whole world was soon abuzz with talk of the magical display these two remarkable individuals provided their audience—whether horse-crazy or layperson none could walk away unaffected by the powerful connection they demonstrated with their unparalleled cast of beautiful horses.

Now in this remarkable book Frédéric—a specialist in liberty and ground work—and Magali—a talented dressage rider at the Grand Prix level—combine efforts and share the secrets of the breathtaking relationships they have cultivated over the course of their lives with horses. They tell the story of Templado—the gorgeous but rebellious stallion who demanded they question all they had learned as horsemen and look at in a whole new light what it means to train horses. It was this tempestuous character that taught them that the process of building a relationship with a horse can be on more equal footing than most would dream possible.

It is with this life-altering lesson in mind that Frédéric and Magali now explain their Six Golden Principles. These include how you can become a “safe haven”—the most important being in your horse’s life—while ensuring he gets the leadership he craves and deserves. And how to establish acceptable limits of behavior as well as respect without ever succumbing to anger or using force. They describe how to read horse behavior so you can better understand and communicate with your equine partner as an “individual.” Plus you’ll see what it means to be patient and “give your horse a say” in his own training—and just how rewarding the results can be.