Dressage in the Fourth Dimension [Hardcover]

Sherry L. Ackerman (Author), Linda Kohanov (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Dressage is often seen as the most formal and controlled of the equine sports, following an ancient, standardized training progression. For philosopher and dressage instructor Dr. Sherry Ackerman, dressage is much more. It — along with riding in general — can be a transformational art and an avenue for reflection, exploration, and self-knowledge through which a rider can experience liberation from the individual, egoistic self.

This second, revised edition of Dressage in the Fourth Dimension is a pioneer work in awakening “dressage consciousness.” Drawing on such diverse sources as sacred geometry, ancient Western and Eastern philosophies, and esoteric spirituality, Ackerman seeks to heal humanity’s alienation from nature through riding. She points us toward the liberation from societal conditioning and normative thinking, and, ultimately, from our own egos. Her concept of the fourth dimension requires us to leave the analytic, objective mind behind and enter into the mystery of inspiration.

A short, unique, thought-provoking work that has enjoyed a word-of-mouth reputation among horse people for years, Dressage in the Fourth Dimension will challenge riders’ assumptions about their horses and themselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Enlightening, educational, and self-reflecting, Dressage in the Fourth Dimension is a must-read.”
— Pamela J.G. Au, author of Zen and the Horse

“Ackerman’s prose is both graceful and dense, offering in each concentrated chapter not just one or two quotable gems but several dozen worthy of posting at the barn or recording in your journal, quotes that will inspire hours of contemplation and conversation.”
— from the foreword by Linda Kohanov, author of The Tao of Equus

“Dressage in the Fourth Dimension offers us an important piece for building a complete picture of the horse. Sherry Ackerman convincingly articulates the weighty main message of this book: horses have the ability to either liberate us or hurt us. Sherry offers the reader an abundance of valuable, coherent, and considered thinking, inspiring and encouraging us to follow the path of liberation with our horses. She also describes empathetically, on different levels, how we humans can approach the horse in a holistic way, mindful of the cultural, natural, and symbolic aspects the horse shows us.”
— Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, author of Dancing with Horses and What Horses Reveal

“Sherry Ackerman sees the art of dressage as a means to directly experience oneness. The true language of oneness is poetry, yet Ackerman’s writing remains grounded in her experience with the horse. The time for this book is now!”
— Tom Nagel, author of Zen and Horseback Riding

“Dressage in the Fourth Dimension is a groundbreaking publication. It’s the first book to address the spiritual side of riding, the Zen aspect of dressage as a path to self-realization....Sherry Ackerman’s book can help the rider find his or her way through the pitfalls of ego and frustration to become a more well-rounded, more balanced rider and a better human being, who gets more enjoyment out of riding and out of life.”
— Dr. Thomas Ritter, Ritter Dressage

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: New World Library; 2nd edition (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577316231
• ISBN-13: 978-1577316237
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I moved to a back-to-the-earth farm in Central Vermont during the heyday of the American cultural revolution. I was part of the generation of students confronted with the Vietnam War, racial tension, second wave feminism, and runaway capitalism. Fritjof Capra hadn't yet written The Turning Point and I wasn't sure that there was much hope in sight. Things seemed pretty incongruous.

I had tried working at a straight job, with a brand new Ph.D. hanging after my name, but I learned that nine to five wasn't going to cut it for me. I needed a life--I mean, a real life, one in which I lived, not just worked. The only thing that seemed coherent was Nature--the land, animals, the seasons and mountains. I was in love with mountains. The time was ripe for back-to-the Earth communes, and a lot of my peers were heading to places like California, Colorado, and New Mexico. I was attracted to the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and the Green Mountains of Vermont. So, I flipped a coin and Vermont won the flip. The Good Life is my story. I packed my meager belongings and headed to the North Woods.

Things fell in place, like they tend to do when you're in the Flow, and I landed at an old, run-down, 150-acre farm smack dab in the middle of the Green Mountain State. For the next 22 years, I called a 200 year-old farmhouse, located eleven miles out on a minimally maintained gravel road, home. A lot happened for me there. I got married, had two children, and forged my way into an equestrian career that has given me an incredibly good life. And, of course, I taught philosophy--which I can't seem to outrun--at an area university. But, those things are really the least of it. They were just the outer garments of a more important inner journey that took place. What really happened for me there was transformation--deep, lasting, and significant. The woman who walked off that place 22 years later was a whole different person than the one who had gone there in 1974.

I had learned what real sustainability meant. And, I had learned how to live a truly sustainable lifestyle. So, when the markets fell in 2008--with the subsequent waves of foreclosures, layoffs, and monetary devaluation, I was insulated. The lifestyle that I had cultivated over the past 35 years was sustainable: voluntarily simple and purposeful. My fertile, organic gardens, animal husbandry skills, and practice of living simply on the land provided me with freedom from anxiety and tension and an opportunity to live harmoniously in an increasingly complicated world. I had a Good Life.

America is at a crossroads--where there is an opportunity for people to take their lives into their own hands and live in a simpler, less routinized, more socially sensible manner. Good Lives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average dressage book, April 15, 2009

By 

J. A. Ballou - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dressage in the Fourth Dimension (Hardcover)

This slim book could easily be mistaken for the latest essential dressage manual. However-- and rather unfortunately-- most typical dressage riders might steer away from it. Such is the conundrum of modern day classical training. Too many folks are looking for another "how-to" or quick fix or step-by-step guide to riding. This far-reaching book is none of those. Rather, it is the beacon of light during a dark time of modern training. I would go so far as to say it is a way of life. Without this transformational treatise, riders are simply going through motions-- they are not actually riding. To ride well, one must ponder deeper questions of what it means to connect, to exist, to balance, and on many levels what it means to be human in the horse-human relationship. This book will change your life. Buy it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, December 3, 2008

By 

Jordan Hanson (Mt. Shasta, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dressage in the Fourth Dimension (Hardcover)

If you want to understand dressage at its deepest level and pull it together to create a pure bond with your horse, this is the book for you. While reading this book, I was able to visualize moving in harmony with my horse; not inhibiting his movement, but flowing together. My goals have always been to increase my knowledge and connection with my horse, but never at his expense. "Dressage in the Fourth Dimension," shares the beauty that can be attained when you understand that the process is more important than the goal. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to other young riders as well.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ride to insight, November 28, 2008

By 

Horse N About "rasp" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dressage in the Fourth Dimension (Hardcover)

This lovely book has a simplicity and a charm just in holding it. Wrapped within its petite covers, however, is a huge insight into the spirit of any true horse person. I had to read the book slowly and carefully...as every chapter needed to be savored and digested before i read on.
I found the chapters clear but not simple...each one allows for personal growth and insight. This is NOT a "how-to-ride book", but, for me, more a "how to spiritually connect with the horse" as a partner, and as means to meet the challenge of recognizing and overcoming my own moral weaknesses and so help the horse blossom. Sherry Ackerman's words have become a means of finding gratitude in each ride.
This would not be a book, i feel, for just an average rider or horse enthusiast. It would be perfect for the horse person on that elusive journey to find more than a show ribbon and a purpose beyond a ride for everyday exercise or training. It has allowed me insight into the minds of the greatest masters past and present who talk of riding as an art to be cultivated, and the horse as an animal of unique greatness to nurtured, respected and allowed to become even more beautiful with a well trained rider aboard.
The book requires patience and thoughtful reflection, but is a gentle and satisfying read.
So why the 4 stars? I intend to re-read the book. Since i am not a scholar or philosopher, but a seeker, i need to leave room for the pieces i did not fully comprehend on the first read. They will deserve a star, too.