Riding by Torchlight

Riding by Torchlight, A Grass Roots Advocacy for Classical Horsemanship from Arena to Savannah is a collection of editorials and stories written during the tumultuous recent history of modern dressage. Susannah West Cord covers a wide range of topics from rehabilitating a retired racehorse, to the Rollkur controversy haunting the competitive world of dressage, to thoughtful essays on classical horsemanship.

Riding By Torchlight is eclectic, thought-provoking, entertaining, intensely personal and introspective. Cord’s writing is alternately philosophical, humorous, adventurous, moving, fierce and inspiring. With heartfelt tributes to extraordinary horses and scathing commentary on the vagaries of the ruling equestrian bodies, this collection of essays is a look inside the heart and mind of a devoted horsewoman trying to make sense of a swiftly changing equestrian landscape with seemingly shape-shifting principles and beliefs. Cord’s work carries a torch for a classical horsemanship developed over the centuries by trial and error, while shining a light on its countless applications and benefits with humor and devotion.