Time Travel Through the Classical Canon: Xenophon Press, Emotional Mastery & the Future of Horsemanship with Richard Williams EP 47
✨ “The horse lives in the present. If you want to be a good horse person, you need to become more like the horse.” – Richard Williams
✨ “Horsemanship is a physical meditation. The horse is a three-dimensional mirror.” – Richard Williams
From preserving rare classical manuscripts to exploring the emotional and civilizing power of horsemanship, Richard Williams — publisher of Xenophon Press — joins Rupert Isaacson for a deep dive into why the old masters still matter.
In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert and Richard trace the arc of classical equestrian knowledge from Xenophon through the Renaissance academies, La Guérinière, Steinbrecht, Baucher, and Nuno Oliveira — right up to the modern therapeutic and rehabilitative applications of classical riding.
Richard shares how he came to acquire Xenophon Press, why publishing these works is an act of stewardship rather than profit, and how editing and translating classical texts became a form of "time travel." The conversation moves from Renaissance schools that trained diplomats through horsemanship, to emotional regulation in the saddle, to the role horses may play in addiction recovery and mental health today.
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🎟️ Xenophon Press Discount Code: 7greatCUSTOMER (7% off) https://xenophonpress.com
📚 All Books Mentioned: https://longridehome.com/books
🎟️ Xenophon Press Discount Code: 7greatCUSTOMER (7% off) https://xenophonpress.com
This is not simply a conversation about dressage. It is about humility, mastery, emotional regulation, leadership, and the civilizing influence of the horse.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Richard’s journey into purchasing Xenophon Press and preserving classical texts ([00:03:00])
- How publishing classical works became a form of “time travel” across centuries ([00:06:00])
- Why Renaissance academies trained diplomats through horsemanship, fencing, and mathematics ([00:32:00])
- How stallions in the academies helped civilize young aristocrats ([00:35:00])
- The link between classical riding and emotional regulation ([00:49:00])
- Why breathing and “feel” anchor the rider in the present moment ([00:54:00])
- The four conditions of horsemanship: ignoring, opposing, yielding, harmonizing ([01:00:00])
- Why therapeutic riding is embodied practice — not a gimmick ([01:11:00])
- How classical training benefits the horse physically and mentally ([01:16:00])
- A recommended reading pathway through the classical canon ([01:18:00])
🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:
- Rupert describing Xenophon Press as a modern Library of Alexandria ([00:01:30])
- Richard’s story of his brother being launched into a manure pile by a pony ([00:37:00])
- The insight that horses sort for emotional maturity ([00:39:00])
- Discussion of how leaders historically were judged by how they rode ([00:43:00])
- The idea that horsemanship teaches recovery from imbalance — not avoidance of it ([01:02:00])
- Riding as a practice of embodied mindfulness and humility ([00:50:00])
- Exploring the potential of horses in addiction recovery work ([01:15:00])
📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:
- Xenophon
- Giovanni Battista Tomassini – The Italian Tradition of Equestrian Art
- François Robichon de La Guérinière – École de Cavalerie
- Gustav Steinbrecht – Gymnasium of the Horse
- François Baucher
- Nuno Oliveira
- Dom Diogo de Bragança – Dressage in the French Tradition
- Alois Podhajsky – The Complete Training of Horse and Rider
- Sally Swift – Centered Riding
- Renaissance Schools of Horsemanship in Naples
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Website: https://rupertisaacson.com
Website: https://rupertisaacson.com
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