3 comments about Training the Young Horse.

1. I highly respect Pippa Funnel, and this book is just wonderful. I have a young horse that I'm schooling and it helped me to understand just how important the basics are for a young horse, and how to go about introducing them to certain things. I especially found the jumping section very helpful. This book has big, glossy colour pictures throughout, and very easy to understand instructions which explain how to go about each new schooling exercise. It also shows what not to do, which is why I gave this book 4 stars and not 3. Showing what's wrong and the outcome of what could happen if approached wrong really sold this book to me, because there are many books out there which tell you what to do, but not how to recover when anything goes wrong.



2. There are a lot of pretty pictures in this book, with the occassional good piece of advice. However, to title the book "Training the Young Horse," you are allowing your readers to expect to get information about how to train a young horse. This book has as much information as a letter to the editor would. It's a joke.



3. How can you not be a fan of Rolex Grand Slam winner, Pippa Funnell - an inspiration to all riders. As you'll discover in this book, she's down to earth and modest about her success. She admits to being "a bit soppy with my horses"; but what that translates to is a genuine respect for the horse and a true understanding of partnership. Similar to the book by Jennie Loriston-Clarke, "The Young Horse, Breaking and Training" (see my review), this book covers a lot of material, but nonetheless provides a structured program for training the youngster and an excellent starting point for future reading into specific areas. It also gives trouble shooting advice for when things don't go as planned and is well illustrated with photographs. An enjoyable read, I highly recommend.

No comments about Breyer Spirit of the Horse 2009 Calendar.

No comments about Mules Is Different: Everything You Wanted to Know about Longears, and More.

No comments about Driving a Harness Horse.

3 comments about Getting to Yes: Clicker Training for Improved Horsemanship.

1. Let me start off by saying I've been clicker training horses for years. I am by no means an expert. I collect all the clicker books I can, especially when the topic is horses.
   
   PROS
   I love seeing a new title on horse clicker training! There is so much you can do with horses using a little positive reinforcement. It's probably the most under appreciated method in the equine world.
   
   Photos are nice and the book is full-color. At 300 pages there is a lot of content.
   
   It does try to cover basics, some common groundwork issues, and under saddle.
   
   CONS
   The thing I like about clicker training is that it's based on logical, repeatable science. So, logic-lover than I am, I was a little bothered by a few unclear parts of the book that bordered on being incorrect or confusing.
   
   A few examples:
   
   -- A target is NOT a lure. A lure is the reinforce, eg. a carrot in the hand. A target is an object you've associated with a behavior alread, eg. some object that you've trained to have a value/association triggering the 'touch' behavior. There is a whole lot more done with lures in dog training, so if you want to understand lures vs targeting check out some of the dog clickertraining sites.
   
   -- It's confusing to say an "aid is a guide" in the aids section. In the glossary: "aids can be differentiated from cues in that when one speaks of cues, one expects a correlation between one cue and one well defined response." I don't know what she means by that, but it doesn't make any sense. An aid is a horse-logical cue. For example by pulling a horse's head to the left (left rein aid), it's natural for the horse to turn his neck and then whole body left. A cue can be *anything* horse logical or not. You could yell "spaghetti" and he'd turn his head to the left -- that would be a cue. (Hope that makes better sense?) I suggest people google "cues versus aids" online and you'll find lots of great articles explaining this important difference.
   
   - Author says a half-pass cannot be cued which is incorrect. Watch some of the unmounted horse freestyle videos for examples of complex actions that are put on cue. Go to YouTube & search for freestyles.
   
   - in Ch 8 leading is explained as the horse targeting the human. That is incorrect : the "target" behavior is defined by 'animal touches object'. But when you lead you *don't* want him bumping into you all the time. A better leading exercise is another author's "Why Would You Leave Me" exercise (Alexandra Kurland). You could start leading by holding a target and asking him to touch it while he walks alongside, but that's not how author explains the exercise.
   
   - In Ch 10 about lounging: she suggests using a lead rope. Take a 10 or 15' lead rope, subtract a few feet out to hold onto, and now your circle is about 16-25 feet in diameter. That's really too small to effectively work in all gaits. In some sections she is running alongside of the horse on a smaller circle. Perhaps ground driving would be a better way to do this exercise?
   
   I don't agree with insisting people use pressure to teach leading (backing up, etc). You can if you want to, but the whole BEAUTY of clicker training is you don't need to! Horses are smarter than we give them credit for; they can cue off our body langauge. It's so liberating to free myself from having to lift or tug the lead rope. I can walk along with my horse on 100% *slack* rope. He moves forward when I move, not because I applied pressure to a rope. When I step back, he steps back. If lead rope vanishes, he still follows and backs up. Clicker training is far more powerful than people give it credit for.
   
   I'm also concerned that there isn't enough in the way of safety/horse handling. For example there isn't any explanation of what to do if a horse kicks. How do you know if it's an aggressive kick, an accidental kick with flies in the way, or a misunderstanding when someone cued for foot lifting in a clumsy way? When a horse gets frustrated, people may not realize the horse may get a little excited. Some horses may already have bad habits from before, and in a fit of frustration he may pin his ears or in a few rare cases threaten to rear. When delivering the food reward, how does one avoid being nipped by a horse who has never been taught manners? If this book is geared towards novices who haven't mastered horse language/feel yet, how will they know when to work behind protective contact (eg a stall door)? Please -- safety first!
   
   Sorry to be nit-picky. It's just that there are so few books about this topic. A curious person may only pick up one book, and if they are given confusing information they may not give clicker training a second chance.



2. Are you sceptic of clicker training? Curious? Or already hooked? Regardless of who you are, chances are good you'll enjoy this book. Even if you're not convinced that clicker training is right for you, you'll probably get lots of new ideas on how to train your horse.
   
   There are many books on riding, but good books about groundwork are less plentiful. Getting to Yes is such a book. Sharon Foley explains the scientific background for clicker training, describes how to get started, and goes on to give detailed advice on how to prepare a horse for riding. She has a flair for explaining things in a clear way which makes her instructions easy to follow, even for us who haven't had much experience in horse training.
   
   The author's aim is a fine dressage horse, but her method is applicable for all horses. I for one prefer trail riding, but even ambling through the woods I sure would like my horse to be light, soft, and responsive. After reading Getting to Yes, I feel - for the first time ever - that I actually might be able to develop these qualities in my horse. Not because this one book instantly turned me into a good trainer, far from it, but because the text is so inspiring and helps me understand what steps to take, in what order.



3. Getting to Yes is brilliant! Absolutely, brilliant...think about the title...imagine being able to say "yes" to the horse. To be able to really communicate with another creature. This book shows you how you can create a communication system that will allow you to speak horse. And, at the same time teach your horse to speak your unique version of human. Each one of use moves and is slightly different. Consider the possibility for confusion for an animal finely tuned to read subtle differences in posture and even breathing. In Getting to Yes, Sharon Foley has successfully brought together the old masters, recent training based on thinking and acting like a horse and the idea of recognizing and answering the questions from the horse with a "yes". Everyone decides for themselves whether or not to use a clicker or simply to recognize the horse for his unique desire to try. The steps and the illustrations are here for you to see and to follow, simply and easily! ANYONE can do this! This book is especially for the person who may be familiar with clicker training other species. Horses are just not dogs. They are your true mirror;you have the opportunity to share, to participate in and to experience a potentially world-changing shift in thought. This is book truly a gift.

No comments about 2009 Cowgirls Calendar.

1 comments about Essential Oils for Horses: A Source Book for Practitioners and Owners.

1. For anyone wanting to learn about essential oils for horses, this is the book. Easy to read and packed with tons of very detailed information.

No comments about Henriquet on Dressage.

5 comments about Common Sense Dressage: An Illustrated Guide.

1. I love this book and it's no non-sense common sense approach to training dressage horses. This book starts out teaching the basics from the ground up. This book is a must for any rider, and not just the dressage rider, although I agree that some concepts are a tad too advanced for beginners. Common Sense Dressage will bring your overall riding skills to the next level.



2. Although the material was useful, I found the organization and presentation a bit confusing for the novice.



3. This book is an excellent one for any student of dressage. It might be a wee bit complicated for the absolute beginner to riding, but for most who have had some training it's appropriate. The book has a ton of excellent diagrams and illustrations, many showing the view from above so that the desired position of the horse is clearly shown. There are a number of exercises in each chapter which allow the rider to work on various elements on their own as well as with a trainer.

   Chapters include: The Horse - How it Functions; Lungeing; The Work in Hand; The Basic Work in All Three Gaits; Activating the Hindquarters; Competition; Special Exercises for Problems; Canter Work; Collection, Extension and In-Between; Piaffe; and Passage. There is also an index which allows you to refer to specific topics.

   All in all this is a valuable addition to the library of any equestrian interested in this branch of the discipline, and one I will be sharing with my trainer. Don't hesitate to buy it!




4. This is an excellent book for individuals with some basis in dressage as well as a basic understanding of horses and their movement. The many diagrams included with the text are clear, concise and explain how to apply leg, seat and rein aides correctly for most dressage movements. There is also a chapter explaining the timing of the rider's movements for transitions between gaits as well as information to help understand how to move with the horse at the various gaits, including sitting trot. Even with a regular trainer I find this book invaluable and have bought it for several friends as gifts. They also have appreciated the detailed yet simple to understand descriptions of the movements. I especially like the multiple drills that are offered with each movement to help learn the proper execution of the exercises.



5. I found some of the information in this book to be very helpful. However, I did find her to be a bit snobbish. I also ride and train in Vienna, Austria, but I do not feel that makes me any better than any other rider in the world. It also does not give Ms. O'Connor the right to tell people to use words like "brav" when working with a horse (especially if they don't know what it means). What is important is that people are comfortable and speak with words and in tones that are comfortable for them.

4 comments about The Legendary California Hackamore & Stock Horse.

1. This book is excellent for both the novice and veteran horseperson. There are a few mistakes that the editor didn't catch (some spelling errors of people mentioned in the text), but overall a very attractive and informative book. This book has a deep personal meaning for me because in the late 1970's I was fortunate to have been a "student" of Bobby's at his ranch in Pleasant Grove, CA. Even as a young girl I admired Bobby's talent with horses and one should especially take note of how he uses his hands when he rides. As a horseperson I also tried to immitate his light touch on a horses' mouth. It's very fitting that the cover photograph is a picture of Bobby's hands!



2. This is the finest book I have seen produced that catalogs the greats of the Hackamore and Stock horse industry. Its got them all. The photos are stunning and the description of this kind of training is first class. Great book!



3. Bobby Ingersoll has written not only the perfect training manual for starting young horses, but a beautifully illustrated and informative coffee table book as well. He has given credit to the talented artists who braid these hackamores and what is unfortunately becoming a lost art. His soft and gentle style of starting the young colt through feel rather than demanding submission through force will benefit everyone who truly loves horses and strives to be a real horseman. His tribute to the true horsemen and horsewomen of past and present makes you want to just stand up and cheer. Bravo, Bobby Ingersoll!



4. Beautiful!! Beautiful!!
   
   
   The Mexican Traditions on starting green horses has been handed down from generation to generation. The Jaquima came first, with it the colt was taught to handle himself to perfection and bridling is the last step.
   
   Training horses is a serious business..., the Bible of training colt with Hackamore is Ed Connell book, but if you want to tune some details of your training with the hackamore, this it is the book that you need.
   
   The legendary California Hackamore and the stocke Horse is another great book with enormous tips and knowledge, beautiful pictures!!.
   
   Right Now I'm looking for the Benny Guitron DVD, the Master on training horses with Jaquima.
   
   El Vaquero Mexicano "El Charro" ---- The American Cowboy "The Gentleman".
   
   ¡Hermoso! ¡Hermoso!
   
   Al Hakma --- Jaquima --- Hackamore
   
   Las tradiciones mexicanas en iniciar caballos verdes son de generación en generación dentro de la tradicion oral. El Jaquima vino primero, el potro educado para llegar a la perfección por ultimo se embridaba.
   
   El entrenamiento de caballos es un negocio serio..., la biblia del entrenamiento de potros con Jaquima, es libro del Ed Connell, pero si usted desea afinar algunos detalles de su entrenamiento con la Jaquima, esto es el libro que usted necesita.
   
   Ahora estoy buscando el benny Guitron DVD, el amo en caballos del entrenamiento con Jaquima.
   
   "The Legendary California Hackamore and the stock horse", es otro gran libro con enormes consejos y conocimientos asi como hermosas fotografias!!.
   
   EL Vaquero Mexicano es "EL Charro" --- El vaquero Americano es "El Caballero".