5 comments about Centered Riding (A Trafalgar Square Farm Book).

1. Anyone that wants to ride well and really desires to stay out of their horses way will enjoy and benfit from the principles Sally teaches. Her methods also have a positive crossover effect on one's posture in everyday life. This DVD and/or book will benefit Western and English riders as a "Balanced Seat" is the universal prerequisite to good riding. I had borrowed the book years ago and recently bought the DVD for my library. Because I work alone and do not have access to many qualified trainers and clinics; books and DVDs are my teachers. The DVD is good for quick "see how". The sound and picture quality of the DVD was good. I do think however, the book provides much more insight and detail. If you are a "high achiever" into detail I would get the book first. As your balance improves your horse will thank you and as we all know "if your horse ain't happy...no one's happy!"



2. I have been meaning to buy this book for years and finally I did. I love it! a great aide to posture (not just for riding) and her visualisation techniques make it really easy to understand. Helps greatly with my riding. Highly recommended!



3. This is the best book I have ever read to help me have a better seat on a horse. If I don't have the proper seat and balance, it is imposssible for me to do my best on a horse or get the most out of them. This is my number one MUST HAVE equine book. No matter what your riding discipline, you will benefit from this book.



4. Many of the best classic horse books have information that is hard to translate in to action a novice can use on her own horse. This book has instructions in it that you can take to the barn with you and help yourself improve.
   
   The book is worth far more than any single riding lesson, so is a bargain, even at more than full price.
   
   To me the most useful advice is about soft eyes vs. hard eyes. Amazing what your horse can sense!



5. This book was delivered to the wrong address and I never received it. I have paid for it, but no book. I don't know if it was supposed to be signed for at the delivery site, or if it was just left in the mailbox or at the door. Regardless, I never signed for it, or received it.

5 comments about Chosen by a Horse.

1. I'm a lifetime horse owner, lover of horses and books. I wish I could tell this woman that her horses are not about her. She also needs to realize that a good writer doesn't feed off of sentimental groupthink.



2. The author,Susan Richards, had plenty of reasons not to trust people anymore - - a childhood marked by abandonment and a failed marriage. While already owning three horses, through the goodness of her heart, she adopted another horse who was also abandoned and who hadn't been fed for a year. The horse, Lay Me Down, had plenty of reasons not to trust anymore just like the author, but somewhere in the depths of her "horsiness", she put her complete trust in her new "Mom". The story was achingly beautiful with many tender moments of the integration of her small "herd" and it was also filled with the wonder and love of Lay Me Down as she journeyed back to a recovery that was marked ultimately by an unforeseen tragedy. She was truly and utterly Susan's horse much more than her other three. Through the heart lessons learned from this magnificent horse, Susan found herself feeling better about herself and had even gone out on a few dates. This is a story of hope and redemption and shows that every act of love you put out there returns to you a hundred fold. It speaks of the intelligence of all creatures and how no matter how old or jaded we become, we still should leave our hearts open for love comes to us softly sometimes - - on gentle hooves.



3. I could fully appreciate the author's love for this rescued horse named "Lay Me Down", as I could her description of her other horses and their pesonalities. This is a love story, pure and simple, between a woman and her horse(s). Although I don't own a horse, I could tell a similar love story about my rescue dogs. Athough the author's human relationships did not work out that well, there is always hope and, then, there are horses (or dogs) who can be our best friends.



4. Chosen by a Horse is such a wonderful story. It is easy to read...and captivating. I truly love the way Ms. Richards writes. Chosen by a Horse is the story of the spirit of love and goodness that the spirit of this horse embodies....and it is the story of Mrs. Richards. We learn of her hardships, disappointments, and ultimately her survival. What a great story. However, it is also a sad story. If you can't bear to read about the death of a wonderful creature, then don't read it....but I loved this horse so much.



5. This book is a gorgeous story and I loved it, and I couldn't put it down! If you are a lover of horses you will love this book. My husband read this book also and thought it was more of a girly book, but he liked it as well. Definetly a tear jerker, but a GREAT BOOK! Wish I could find more books that hang onto my heart the way this one has, def a good book and a keeper on my book shelf!

5 comments about How to Think Like A Horse: The Essential Handbook for Understanding Why Horses Do What They Do.

1. I grew up with horses, but have not had them in about 20 years. As I am ready to get back to being a horse owner, and I recently purchased 3 horses, I needed a few reminders on handling and caring for horses. Ms. Hill's book was just what I needed! I would recommend this book for anyone who is new to horses, or needs a refresher on caring for horses. It really gave me some good insight, and I am now going on 2 months of being a happy horse owner (more importantly, my horses are happy because I have been consistent in their training, and feeding schedules).



2. Disappointing. Reading the book was more like being stuck in a long conversation with a know-it-all egomaniac who "knows what they know and that's it". I know now what to do for zippy and zingo, but as for every other horse in the world I will have to read an different book. The author missed the mark.. There is some good information , but nothing really insightful that isn't already in every other book. The author spends too much time referring to her own horse and that seems to be where all her experience lies, just with her own 2 horses. I am not really interested in zippy and zinger or whoever, I am interested in MY horse and I am trying to find specific information to understand why he is behaving in a certain way and how I can see his point of view and act accordingly. There is a whole wasted chapter on training. Training a horse is much more complex than what can be explained in only one chapter and definitely wasn't the next step here. Training is an entire book in itself and what was taught here in no way prepares you to train your horse. The author identifies some behavior problems but doesn't really offer any good solutions to manage them or help you get inside your horses head. She list many problems and states probable causes such as boredom and poor training however she doesn't really provide many solutions. I wasn't the one who trained him so now what, kill the horse and start over? If he's bored am i supposed to put on a friggin puppet show or what?



3. As a person who has loved, worked with, trained, ridden, lived with horses for over 50 years I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately I did not find it useful. In fact, I am afraid that novice horsemen will use this book as a baseline for equestrian behavior. I found her knowledge limited to personal experience, maybe she needs to get around or to read some research. I question her observations and interpretations of those observations. There are many issues in this book that I could take exception to but I will just talk about one. To suggest that a horse does not learn and their behavior is only rote or instinctual is very misleading. I've watched horses remove their halters, untie their leads, open gates, open snaps to get to the feed-room, and direct me to issues that they thought I should see such as empty water or feed barrels. Perhaps the author just has dumb horses but I suspect not. I hope that any novice horseman will expand their reading to other books as well so that they can get a more rounded view of equestrian behavior.



4. We bought this book for our eight year old granddaughter, who is beginning to really get into horses. Her parents report that this book will be an invaluable resource to return to time and again for answers to questions about getting comfortable with horses. That's what we were hoping, so success!



5. Cherry Hill is a wonderfully clear writer, putting you at ease as you go through her book on horse behavior. As a non-horse person (lifelong city life), but a writer of westerns, she has helped me to write confidently about horses in my own stories. I have read other books where the pictures were better than the writing. Cherry's writing is just as good as the many great pictures in the book. You cannot go wrong with this book. I will be hunting for her other books on horses, too, now that I know what a good writer she is.
   
   Kathleen Pacheco
   Elizabeth, NJ
   KPacheco2@AOL.com

5 comments about Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship: Establishing Respect and Control for English and Western Riders.

1. Clinton Anderson's methods really work. It can take a little while to get some of his methods down right so that the horse understands what you're asking of it, but once you do it makes things so much easier! I've taken a completely unbroke mare who was very skittish and have brought her to a point where she is mostly calm and is started under saddle. I love how Clinton teaches the horse to respect a person's space and helps us stay safer.



2. Excellant resource for horse training. Follow these methods - all of them. they really work.



3. I love this book. I purchased it several years ago when I found myself with a horse who was a bit more than I knew how to handle. The clear instructions, the great photos, and the trouble-shooting section that accompany each technique make this one of the most effective horse-training guides out there. I have referred many people to this book and have read it many times. I have a feeling it will be helping me out as long as I'm training horses.



4. This book was fantastic. Every exercise is clearly described, step by step. Each new skill builds on the ones before, and there are good pictures to illustrate the maneuvers. My favorite thing about this book is that there is a section for EVERY exercise that tells you common handler mistakes and common horse mistakes. It's frustrating when an exercise you're trying doesn't work and you don't know why!
   
   This book is written in very simple, straightforward terms. It's very well organized, and easy to understand--and best of all the exercises WORK.
   
   Anyone who has a horse should have this book!



5. I am half way through this book. So far, I love it. It is easy to follow the techniques described and photos are an added advantage for me. I have spent some time around horses when I was younger, however, I haven't had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with horses in about 15 years. I now have a few acres and am finally starting my re-kindled love for horses. I love this book and would recommend it to any horse lover at any experience level.

5 comments about Equine Science.

1. I bought this book for my 17 year old daughter to supplement her equine mentorship program for homeschooling. What an outstanding textbook. Very well organized and attractive photos. Can easily be used for about 8th grade through 12th grade. The only downside is that there are no answers to the questions at the end of the chapters and no teacher's guide. This is definitely a textbook format and we both love the book. I have been homeschooling for 16 years and this is one of the best I have seen in a long time. You won't be sorry you bought it.



2. the book that i received was the exact book that i ordered. it was in perfect condition and nothing was wrong with it.



3. I found this book very informative. Although it is not extremely detailed, I thought that the author provided sufficient detail to make it worth the time to read, especially as a reference book.



4. I chose this book for an introduction to equine science class I teach at the university level. I think that it is an excellent book for those students with little background with horses; however, I hear from more advanced horse-people that they enjoy the book, READ IT (!), and they are glad to have it as a reference book on their bookshelves. In my opinion, any college text that isn't destined to be sold back to the bookstore is a good choice.



5. I had this book for a college class and it is terrible. I found it to be very, very vague on it's topics and just barely skims the surface. The diagrams are drawings, and they are not very good for the representation. If you want to learn about equine science, this is not the book.

5 comments about Natural Horse-Man-Ship: Six Keys to a Natural Horse-Human Relationship.

1. This book is just the starting place for a incredible journey.
   I've read it and re read it over the past 6 years, countless times.
   Each time I read it I get it, a bit more. And I want to know more.
   Its one of my go to references, because generally when something is broken
   in the relationship with one of my horses, its something simple and fundamental.
   
   It has to be more than a great read on great concepts.
   You have to act on it to develop feel, focus, timing and balance.
   And doing so changes how you interact with your horse.



2. I am in the beginning stages with horses. I found this book to be very helpful. It illustrates training techniques in pictures and describes each technique in text. The book gets you in-tune with your horse. I like the idea that is emphasized in relation to playing with your horse and working on yourself. Makes sense. I would recommend this book to other horse lovers.



3. Hi. I am a Parelli fanatic and the truth is that Pat's philosophy was first shared in his book. While he markets his Levels Packs and Liberty and Horse Behavior Set on his site, the core of the program is this book. It has all the sayings and acronyms that are really helpful to remember when working with your horse. If you watch his programs, he's always quoting from his book.
   
   Pat gives us real insight into how horses think. The knowledge he offers has changed my and my horse's life profoundly. My tips for beginners include finding Parelli-friendly people in your area to learn with. Most likely one of them has some of his DVDs that you can watch at a movie night. The Savvy Club is very useful too.
   
   I am blown away by this book - Pat is fulfilling his goal: the change the world for horses and their humans.



4. I really liked this one for its practical step by step tips. It was written I think before some of his videos. So the ground work he details in the book is pre the "7 Games" that he now markets. But it is mostly the same thing. This is the closest to a "how to" you can find on his ideas. It is often repetitive, but sometimes reading the same concept several times helps it sink in better, so I don't mind. I am reading this one, have watched some of his videos and I also use the ideas by Mark Rashid. Mark is a little less invasive with horses. I think both of these trainers have great ideas I'm using in my own horsemanship.



5. I bought this book six months ago and I would not recommend it unless you have purchased the dvd's from the Parelli Natural Horsemanship. The book is very hard to understand/make sense of unless you have viewed the DVD's. Had I known this I would have applied the money I spent towards the DVD's. I have since borrowed the DVD's from a friend and feel that once I am through the course I will better understand the book.

5 comments about The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd.

1. This is a great read. My husband is a beginner in the horse world and this book really helped him understand the nature and beauty of this wonderful animal. Joe Camp has a sense of humor that is so funny! I can't say enough about this book!! Loved it.



2. If you aren't a horse person and picked up this book, you would be tempted to believe what's in there. It's mostly just the author's opinions, and alot of it isn't based on fact, such as the author claims that wild horses live twice as long as domestic horses--not true. If you research this topic (I did because I knew it wasn't true), you will find his statement is false. I found alot of untrue things about horses in this book. If you read it just from the perspective that it's just an opinion, okay, but as far as the author being some authority on horses, he's not, so don't take what he says as fact.



3. I highly recommend this book to all horse owners. As a relatively "new" horse owner this book opened my eyes to the gut reactions I was having to the " I have been around horses all my life crowd" wisdom . This book gives you the confidence to stand up for your horse. It is a way of thinking and believing that is for the horse, by the horse and ultimatley forges a partnership like no other.



4. Joe Camp took the time to use logic..rather than accepting others views on how to deal with horses. A must read for every horse owner.



5. This is a must read for anyone who loves horses.
   This book has led me to rethink long standing traditional equine practices, such as using metal shoes, and learning how metal shoes impeades the horse's circulation and comprimises his immune system.
   
   There is a really good resourse section at the back of the book and Joe Camp does a nice job pointing out the differences between the various resourse materials.

5 comments about Horses, 3rd Edition: A Guide to Selection, Care, and Enjoyment.

1. I bought this book to use for a horse class at a local college. My first warning is the binding! It doesn't take long, or too many times of opening the book before the glue comes undone and sections of the book fall out. I tried my best to be delicate to avoid this from happening but, it still came apart.
   Some of the information is written in a confusing manner and some things are not entirely up to date. The non-updated information is not abundant and one can still learn plenty of information by reading this book.
   The book does cover everything from the possible cost to the mechanics of a horse, and many other things. It is a good book to have if you're new to horses. But, I would only buy it if you can find a cheap price on it. Simply because of the binding falling apart.



2. i needed this book for a class, it came and i am happy with it. it has helpful information and is a good reference for horses



3. Very informative and helpful for a new owner or beginner. It is a textbook worth having.



4. I was expecting a book about the care, feeding, breeding and perhaps some history on the various horse breeds, and I was expecting photos. The care feeding and breeding information is there, but not much on the breeds, and what VERY FEW photos or drawings are included are ALL in black and white. The ONLY color picture is on the cover. This is probably why they don't let you see much from the Look Inside because people might not buy this book after they got to flip through it. I believe the information is helpful but it is sorely lacking in illustrations. We will keep it, but I would not reccomend it to anyone unless they are looking for a dry college text, or possibly an informational reference. It isn't a "fun" book by any means. My family is dissapointed.



5. This is a required text for Equine Science course at our local community college and it covers A LOT of info. Highly recommend as a horse Bible. It is very thick so I wish I had purchased the hard cover for easier handling.

5 comments about Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: Designing and Managing Your Equine Facilities.

1. This is one of the books by Cherry Hill I just got. Both are excellent for horsekeepers, especially new horsekeepers. They are full of relevant, useful information, well-organized and presented clearly.
   
   Amazon had both available, new, at good prices, and they were both delivered quickly.



2. Cherry Hill has written a number of books but this one may become a classic. If you are planning on keeping your horse at home or just want to learn about all the factors involved before you buy a horse then read this book.
   This is used as a text for Stable Management classes in the Equine Business management department at the University where I teach. I also use it for the adult education evening classes.



3. An excellent book with many suggestions for keeping horses on small acreage. The diagrams, photos, helpful suggestions, and plain language make this a winner. The authors also include helpful recommendations that go beyond the dimensions of fields inclduing practical tips and realities of being horseowners. Even if you are just THINKING about potentially keeping horses on your property, this is an excellent resource to help you make an informed decision.



4. Anyone considering keeping horses in the backyard MUST read this book first. It will make all the difference in the success of your venture.



5. I specifically bought this book to research stables for horses on small acreage. In reality, it covers many basics of actual horsekeeping (just like the name says!) and care. Nutrition, blanketing, wrapping, worming, etc. This wasn't information I was looking for, but it was very good, accurate, and practical, and I think many would find the information very useful. I did think the more 'nuts and bolts' information of setting up a stable was good. Especially things like water sources, siting the stable, fencing, types of stables, manure disposal. Was personally hoping for more architectural info, but a solid good horsekeeping book nonetheless.

5 comments about Horses For Dummies.

1. Love it, love it. I have known about some of this, but this book explains WHY it is done this way. Thanks



2. This is a very good book for beginner riders!! It arrived in a timely manner and the condition was perfect. I would buy from this seller again!



3. This is a GREAT book!!!!! I have been riding for years and years and love to step back and resolify the basics!!! This book is awesome for that and I even learned more that I did not know!!!!! This book is beyond a 5 star!!!



4. My wife and I have her horses on our property. I began to realize I would be "up the creek" if something happened and she wasn't here, so I decided to read this book. I know feel competent to handle procedure, and have it on our book shelf if I need it for a reference. I was surprised that I enjoyed the reading, and learning about these beasts. I am a much more confident beginning horse person now.



5. AFTER BUYING A 10 YR OLD MARE FOR OUR DAUGHTER, I FOUND THIS BOOK VERY USEFUL. A GOOD CHOICE FOR THE FIRST TIME HORSE OWNER.