Nuno Oliveira Quotes

Portugal, Horse Trainer
June 23, 1925 – February, 2, 1989.

Nuno Oliveira was a Portuguese equestrian, horse trainer and dressage instructor. His teachings have inspired riders and trainers all over the world to adopt the 'baroque' or 'classical' style of working with the horse; an art which goes back hundreds of years and encompasses the fundamentals which most 'modern' disciplines can be traced back to.

Also known as Dressage Rider

The hands have to be like concrete when the horse resists and like butter when he yields.

Nuno Oliveira
- Hands
- Resist
- Yield
Training a horse is above all feeling and trying, according to what you feel, to help the horse and not to force him.

Nuno Oliveira
- Trying
- Feeling
- Horse

The secret in riding is to do few things right. The more one does, the less one succeeds. The less one does, the more one succeeds.

Nuno Oliveira
- Secret
- Succeed
- Riding
When the rider demands the piaffe, he has to halt the horse a few strides before the latter wants to stop of his own accord.

Nuno Oliveira
- Stop
- Rider
- Strides
Equestrian art is the perfect understanding and harmony between horse and rider.

Nuno Oliveira
- Horse
- Harmony
- Rider
Make it a habit to praise the horse when the horse yields.

Nuno Oliveira
- Horse
- Praise
- Yields
Every time the rider forgets to regulate the cadence, the horse begins to take control.

Nuno Oliveira
- Control
- Horse
- Cadence
A horse will never tire of a rider who possesses both tact and sensitivity because he will never be pushed beyond his possibilities.

Nuno Oliveira

Every rein aid must be preceded by an action of the torso. Otherwise you only address the horse's head.

Nuno Oliveira
- Action
- Torso
- Rein
Don't lose sight of the fact that hip and legs drive the horse forward and the hands merely channel this power by gentle rein aids.

Nuno Oliveira
- Hands
- Drive
- Legs