Alois Podhajsky was born in Mostar, Bosnia, and was an officer in the Austrian Army, rising to the rank of Colonel. In 1939, Podhajsky became chief of the Academy of Classical Horsemanship, better known as the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1572, the school's main focus was the training of Lipizzaner horses in the art of classical dressage. Podhajsky was director of the school throughout World War II and continued in the position until his retirement in 1965. Following his retirement, he continued to teach classical horsemanship, and wrote a number of books on the topic, including The Art of Dressage: Basic Principles of Riding and Judging, Riding Teacher, Lipizzaners, My Horses, My Teachers, and The Complete Training of Horse and Rider in the Principles of Classical Horsemanship.