5 comments about The Rider's Fitness Program.

1. Most of the riding fitness books I've seen have been very basic and rather generic. This is a real comprehensive weight training program targeted at equestrian athletes. You will need access to gym equipment to carry it out, however. I really appreciate seeing riders treated as the genuine athletes they are!



2. Has some good exercises that you can perform without going to the gym. However it does rely heavily on a lot of high end gym equipment. Still worth while to help build muscle and help increase flexibility.



3. The exercises in this book are very good for a rider but also for the non rider as focus on balance and the core of your body. Easy to follow and explained well.



4. Very helpful, great to have a resource focused on the rider!



5. I got this book from the libary and I like it enough that I am here to muy it.
   I am and old hand at working out..I have belonged to gyms , had personal trainers..and gone to every " class " you can think of.
   This book takes the best of all of that and offers it in a interesting format.
   I didn't like the mix of workouts that could be done at home with equipment that is only found in a gym..but I compensated for that by making do with my weight bench ,swiss ball, bands and weights. I made a tilt board out of wood and a piece of 4" plastic pipe cut in half..that worked..for an incline board for the ab exercises I use the ball, and hang onto my weight bench. For the foam to stand on , I got a foam foot rest from and office supply store. With a little imaganation I have been able to modify the exercises that require going to the gym,and am able to do them at home.
   I have been riding for 6 yrs and these exercises do seem to be helping me become a better rider.
   I will be entering the Nov ammie WP show arena next season and need any edge I can get..

2 comments about Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racecourse to Riding Horse.

1. If you are contemplating adopting or purchasing a race horse, this is the book for you. It covers every topic of transitioning a race horse into a dependable riding partner. It's a step by step training manual that will ease the process for you and your horse. Off the track horses are wonderful mounts; you just need to know how to treat them. This book explains it all. It is written by the expert in the field. Pick it up today!



2. Anyone who owns, rides, trains, vets, plans to own, or shoes an off-track thoroughbred (OTTB) simply must read and own this book. It is potentially the best thing that has ever happened to the retired race horse in the U.S. and Canada.
   
   Here we get all the information that we so much need: What's different about the OTTB's training needs? What has the horse experienced in the past, from weaning to racing? How do this horse's metabolism, temperament, physiology, emotional psychology, and work ethic differ from those of the non-race breeds? How can we help an OTTB transition into new careers? What feed and turnout routine is optimal, and what are the tolerances for variation? Which types of conformation in OTTB's lend themselves to which riding disciplines?
   
   I so wish I'd had access to this book when I purchased my OTTB 8 years ago. It would have saved us both many hours of mutual confusion and fright. Every single sentence of this book rings true to my own experience and all the best literature I've read on the subject of retraining a retired race horse. They are different! Emotionally sensitive, eager to please, often having been deprived of true herd membership by their previous lifestyles, the OTTB's are a conundrum to many ordinary training regimens including natural horsemanship techniques.
   
   This book lays out the entire life of the average TB racehorse, from birth to retirement to rehab to new beginnings. Written by a racehorse trainer who is the daughter of a racehorse trainer, it is not critical of the racing industry but it is knowledgeable of the special needs these horses develop. A true love of the OTTB informs every page, and author Anna Morgan Ford now operates a retraining facility called New Vocations, so she knows both sides of the racehorse's life, from track training to second career choice. You will find answers to every important question here, and references to further reading and resources are generally provided.
   
   The photos are gorgeous and you'll get to see OTTB's in all kinds of activities from dressage, eventing, and show-jumping to pole-bending and cutting. I got teary-eyed many times at the actually inspirational content: yes, the OTTB does every post-racing equine job imaginable, and yes, these wonderful horses will make willing partners in whatever job you give them, if you approach them with sensitivity and engage their willing and enormous hearts.
   
   I'm so happy this book appeared. I really believe that the OTTB is going to benefit from it: more knowledge, more good sense, more successful adoptions and purchases, more great training and health advice, equals a lot of horses saved from slaughter and a lot of joy. If you have ever dreamed of owning a retired race-horse, this is the one book you must read: your lovely future horse will thank you many times with his whole great big heart and soul.

5 comments about Classical Schooling with the Horse in Mind: Gentle Gymnastic Training Techniques.

1. Anja Beran has created a beautiful and comprehensive Classical Schooling Book. Refreshing, professional and with the horses wellbeing in mind. The book reflects her quiet, systematic, consistent and truly classical approach to riding. Her Piaffe shows her refined Portuguese background just as well in the beautiful photos as in real life. A true joy and a must for any rider!



2. I was so disappointed in this book that I returned it, which I have never done before. The philosophy of humane treatment of the dressage horse is great, and the anatomical analysis is good, but I really wanted training techniques and there was little of that in my opinion in this book. I bought Dr. Gerd Heuschmann's "Tug Of War: Classical Versus 'Modern' Dressage" and that is great -- has the philosophy and the anatomy that I need to take good care of and strengthen and improve my horse in training, and it was less expensive. I still need to find a good training manual.



3. Love this book! This book clearly shows how how Dressage SHOULD be ridden. This book along with Anja's video "Elegant Dressage Training" show how a correctly trained horse should look. I have become a great fan of Anja and keep her beautiful images of the horse and rider in mind when training my own. She is a great inspiration to me!



4. A "how-to" book on classical training of the horse and rider.
   This is the most amazing book on classical training/riding and the result of the author's 19 years of experience. Ms Beran first trained with the French Ecuyer Marc de Broissia for 16 years and was a friend of Manuel de Oliveira for over 19 years. This book motivates you to look for the mistakes within yourself - to be hard with yourself and gentle with your horse. This book is intended to open your eyes and help you to find the truth and your ability of being able to feel perfect harmony between rider and horse in all movements. Classical equestrianism is also summed up as "the ability to train horses in such a way that they follow the rider's will with contentment and self-confidence" also "the ability to train the horse according to its individual physical and mental potential". The illustrations are superb and an absolute must-have book for those interested in classical riding and training. The anatomy section helps the reader/trainer understand the how and why of what happens during the horse's movements. Absolutely stunning.Classical Schooling with the Horse in Mind: Gentle Gymnastic Training Techniques



5. First read Dr. Heuschmann's "Tug of War" and then Ms. Beran's "Classical Schooling". Then think. Then get on your horse. Please: in that order.

5 comments about Getting in Touch: Understand and Influence Your Horse's Personality.

1. This book was a waste of my time and the paper it was written on. It goes into great detail on how the shape of a horse's head, size and position of facial features, and hair swirls on the head influence a horse's behavior and mental processes. This is nothing more then equine phrenology and physiognomy both of which were dicredited in humans by the midpart of the 20th century. In the case study section, Linda Tellington-Jones carefully noted several cases where one set of features completely contradicted another. As for her so-called 'statistical basis' for this approach, no real data was presented and I doubt very much if it was a true double-blind experiment. If you want a book on equine behavior, get something else this was awful. The TTouch training section was a very short section at the end so if you want this book for that, get something else. The only even slightly redeeming quality to this book was the beautiful pictures of horses. It would make a pretty good reference book for an artist as there are many good closeup photos of various horse head features. As for learning how to train a horse or get any insight into equine behavior, this book was a complete non-starter and you'd be wasting your time purchasing it.



2. I initially purchased this book 4 years ago. We were in the process of looking for a horse, but had no experience. Our first purchase was based on what the sellers stated about him...ie. "calm, easy to ride." Turned out they were not very truthful. In this book, you will soooooo much valuable information on how to find the type of horse your looking for based on physical attributes of the animal. Did you know the number and placement of swirls on a horses head and body can affect his temperament? Using Linda's physical evaluations has enabled us to buy, not one, but 3 PERFECT horses for our family. I still consider myself "green" when it comes to horses, but after a lot of practice, I am extremely confident in my ability to judge temperament, and conformation. Just a few months ago, I helped a friend who has much more experience find the perfect friend. She swears I'm some sort of horse whisperer, but unfortunately I'm not. I've just taken my time and learned to look at the horse from top to bottom. This book has saved me so much money and heartache by helping me eliminate animals who would be too much for me. This is a book for new and experienced people. If you already have an animal who's presenting a challenge, this book can help you understand how your horse thinks and can help you change his/her personality by introducing T-touch methods to help improve your horses overall well being. I now have two copies because I took my first copy everywhere with me and misplaced it. This book is THAT good!



3. If you are considering buying this book make sure you read all the reviews to ensure that you go in with your eyes wide open. Linda Tellington-Jones could be described either as airey-fairey mystic snake oil salewoman or unconventional horse woman. I guess it depends on your point of view.
   
   The book itself is rather amusing, and if you buy it with a bit of a spirit of adventure - much like buy a ouija board for a bit of a laugh then you won't be disappointed.
   
   The vast majority of the book looks at typing horse personalities by their physical features. This assumes that either a horse is affected by their physical features i.e. they may be more spooky because they have little eyes and can't actually see very well OR that a horse somehow manages to affect it's features through personality i.e a suspicious horse will have a screwed up little mouth because he makes screwed up little faces all the time ...
   
   Of course the problem with this is ... well... we know what happens when people make these assumptions about other people. "Everyone with a big nose is obsessed with money" or "all fat people are jolly". It just doesn't work like that.
   
   If you want a bit of fun, it can while away an hour or two comparing horse's pictures and their actual personalities and deciding whether they match the book's description.
   
   At the end of the book there are some TTouch massage type movements - as always you can't just have a description of the movement it's got to have some fancy name like 'bearpaw' or something.
   
   There is also a description of ground exercises - the most useful part of the book actually - in the last 5 pages. The dressage whip is called a 'wand' and they explain why and there is also a page explaining why they use a stallion chain on all their horses (I'm not convinced by that bit actually)...
   
   If you are after some serious science or even practical horsemanship, give this book a miss. If you don't mind the odd wander in wonderland and a bit of entertainment give it a go.



4. This book is not about doing TTouch on your horse. There is only a tiny section in the back about that. So why is it called 'Getting in TTouch'? There needs to be a summary paragraph on Amazon so people don't buy this book expecting it to be something it is not. I want my money back.
   
   This book is about reading your horse's personality from things like headshape and hair swirls.



5. I have to say that I've used TTouch on all my animals. Years ago when this was first being intoduced my ex-husband and I took our palamino quarterhorse, who had been 30 day wonder trained before we got her, to a private session. Imagine a freaked out mare, head held high, dancing and spooking at everything. Thats what Sugar was like. By the time we sold her she was steady and trusting again in large part due to what we learned at that session. It was absolutly amazing. I'm not saying this works overnight. Like anything good it takes time. Since then I have used it on everything ( and I do mean everything ) from dogs to my daughters snakes. And I have never seen it NOT bring an animals stress level down. I can't say enough about this. By the way that was 15 years ago. That should tell you something also. This has stood the test of time and been tried by thousands of people. Try it, you have nothing to lose. Better yet try it with you using the Centered Riding principle(Sally Swift) and I bet you get result that blow your socks off.

3 comments about Training Your Foal.

1. This was a great book for a first time foal owner. I could see how it would be useful to the "old pro" as well. Very informative, with tips and hints from birth to backing. I will be sure to keep it on hand over the next few years!



2. This book gave good information and was easy to read. This is definitely more of a book for beginners though. I wanted to get a bunch of ideas for lessons to do, and I did, but a lot of times I felt like the book just kept going on and on explaining the same thing in ten different ways. I would have liked the explaining of how and why you do each type of lesson to be more short and to the point. But all in all, I would have still bought the book because it did have a lot of good information.



3. I bought this book for my daughter. She lost her older hunter horse and decided she didnt want another made horse. She could never replace him so she wanted a foal and to raise it herself. Well Bella is only 7 months old and a handful but by using this and one other book she has already taught her to lead. Just a few minutes for a couple of days and using these techniques she has had small successes. this is one of the better books that I could find for it was easy to understand the directions and pictures. It is one of the better books to purchase if you plan on raising a baby too. John Lyons is other book that is a great one for guidance.

5 comments about 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider.

1. I used it teaching beginner lessons. It really helped me come up with new and creative exercises for the kids to do. You replace the jumps for rails on the ground for students that do not jump yet. I love it and use the exercises in this book all the time.



2. Brilliant diagrams, excellent keys, simply mapped out and laid out information for difficult and also the easiest of dressage manoevres. It's bound at the top for a vertical flip, with a hole punched down near the bottom so you can hang the book on a nail on your bulletin board or at home and keep it open while you study it. It has handy hints how to achieve positions and gives you ideas to improve certain flaws. It is by far the best book on jumping exercises I have read so far that is dedicated purely to jumping exercises.
   
   Just about EVERY page has another full A4 riding arena on it showing the pattern where the horse is going, it shows crossbars and it shows trotting poles, verticals, gymnastics and where to place them, it shows where you should be directing your horse and what way to approach with an excellent use of diagrams and patterns which have a key right next to it so the design remains uncluttered and simple to read. It even gives you cheap alternatives to make some jumps yourselves and offers quick solutions. A best buy for anyone serious about jumping - or even dressage - to keep their horse supple and to keep their horse (and themselves!) from boredom. Brilliant.



3. The best how to book on ground poles and jumping that I have experienced. It's a great tool by an expert to keep your horses (young and old) interested as well as the rider thinking. Linda laid out the book very well. Good illustrations and great explanations accompany each exercise. The ground pole exercises are very helpful to use between jumping lessons. This one is a book to keep and give as a gift to a riding friend!



4. This book has so much info on different exercises and each exercises has little hits about when to use this exercise and what to watch out for while riding it.



5. This book breaks the demands or jumping down into a logical progression of skills until it takes the insecure beginning rider into a confident partner to the jumping horse. If these lessons are followed correctly, it can also take a training level horse into a skilled show jumper. This book is a must for anyone interested int he discipline of jumping.

5 comments about Getting the Most from Riding Lessons (Horse-Wise Guide).

1. I love this book, it has helped me post on a trot. (Seemed impossible at first :)
   
   It gives lots of good tips from basics to jumping. Learn how to keep yourself safe. Learn good technique. If you're taking riding lessons, this is a definite must-read.



2. Riding lessons are expensive, so it's important to get the most bang for the buck. This book will help. Mike Smith explains the basics of riding clearly, and offers some classic "what to do if...?" scenarios one is certain to encounter while interacting with horses. In addition, the photographs are very helpful in illustrating topics like posting the trot and dismounting properly and safely. I have found that this book helps me review specific material covered in an actual lesson, and also gives me ideas for further discussion with my teacher. Mike Smith's writing style is straightforward and enthusiastic. Highly recommended for beginning riders of all ages, and one of the best books I've seen for a riding student. This book covers English riding only.



3. I love this book, I have been taking lessons for about a year and a half, and I bought this book after about 6months of lessons. It clearly explains so many things, I constantly refer to it. I think that all new riders should read this book before even going to their first lesson, to give a clear explaination of horse lingo, positions and care. I think this has been the most constant resource that I have used to explain things that my instructor and I are having trouble with.



4. Mike taught me to ride as an adult student at Woodland Horse Center in Maryland back in the 1980's. I'll never forget his patience, humor, and innate "horse sense." I've since moved to Wellington, Florida (a major equestrian and polo center), for reasons I thought were mostly unrelated to horses. I haven't ridden in many years. So there I was in a store looking for a book to help my son Will Tedesco, who at [...] and maybe 40 pounds is just beginning to ride. Imagine my surprise to come across this book, which I hadn't known existed! At 50, I'm once again feeling that old tug to get back on a horse, and I'm sure Mike's sensible advice will again stand me in good stead. Unlike most of his readers, however, I'll be able to hear his voice inside my head reminding me to "steer!"



5. I realize many techniques of English riding are transferable to Western, but, as a Western rider trying to improve my seat and aids, I found this book frustrating and unhelpful.

5 comments about The Well Adjusted Horse: Equine Chiropractic Methods You Can Do.

1. Great little book, packed with info and diagrams that all work towards solving problems before they become major issues. VERY easy to read and refer to. Highly recommended diagnosis book!



2. This is an absolutely must have for all horse owners! As an equine massage therapist, I found it extremely beneficial for understanding how massage and chiropractics can help and influence each other. As a horse owner, it helped me to understand when to call the "other" alternative healer for advice and help. It is written in a witty, easy to understand, comprehensive manner. I strongly recommend this book.



3. OK but don't expect to be able to SAFELY adjust your horse or pony after reading this book only.



4. I am an Equine Physical Therapist. I frequently encounter chiropractic issues in my horses and have had to rely on waiting for someone else to come out and assess/ treat the horse. I thought I could do alot of this myself but I needed more detailed instruction. Although I do not consider myself a replacement for the chiropractor, I believe I can treat quite a few of these problems without the long wait. This book is extremely useful but I would not recommend trying the techniques without an extensive anatomy background. I have a Masters in Physical Therapy and have done human therapy for years--- this enables me to apply those techniques to this instructional manual.
   This is a great book with the correct background knowledge.



5. Dr. Kamen gives a lot of useful anatomical overview and techniques for equine chiropractic, but the book is laced with attempts at humor that are distracting for the serious horse owner looking for good information. If you can pick through the antecdotes and get down to the "meat" of the book, it will prove worthwhile, but this is not for the serious student of horse anatomy and chiropractic.

5 comments about The Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book.

1. I have ridden and trained horses for over thirty years and I was very impressed with this book! It breaks up common myths about saddles, saddle fit and horses. What if your horse's bad attitude was from back pain? What if it was a simple saddle repair that put you both back on the road to sound and safe riding? This book takes the saddle literally from the ground up from the styles and construction of the tree to the leather that ultimately goes over the top. It describes: seat styles, stirrup position and how it affects you ability to effectively communicate with your horse, bars and how important they are to a correct fit, Seat size and how to measure they way the saddle maker intended not they way the saddle shops do, how to test and measure your current saddle and horse for a correct fit and some reccomendations for changes to make to enhance that fit for both you and your horse. Really this is one of the best books currently on the market for saddle information. There are some refrences to English saddle and fit for comparison between the western saddle and the english saddle. If you want to break the myths and solve some mysteries about how and why, then I would suggest this book!



2. I've kept a copy of this book in my permanent library. It is an excellent reference for English saddle fit issues for both horse and rider. Covers a wide variety of saddle styles, pros and cons, etc. How to evaluate the soundness of saddle trees on used saddles. Common conformational issues and how they impact fit. Even pads and fittings get are covered. Just a wonderful, all-around go-to source.



3. I purchased the book because I was looking for a new horse and was concerned about conformation of the wither because the saddle slips forward onto the shoulder of my current horse. Not only did I find the answer to this problem but I learnt much more including the influence of saddle design on the rider's position. Highly recommended for those interested in English-style riding.



4. It's frustrating to buy a book that appears to be exactly what you need only to discover that it is at best marginally relevant to the issue at hand. Imagine buying a "Dog and Cat Home Veterinary Manual" and then finding that it only has information on cats -- and you only have dogs. It's similar here. I wanted help fitting a western saddle and only that information that is applicable to both western and english (e.g., ideas such as "keep the shoulders free to move") was helpful -- and I had to pick through piles and piles of irrelevant info to find it.
   
   By not specifying "english saddles only," the author implies that it's a general saddle-fit book. That, necessarily, would include western saddles. However, I believe that she has a "western saddle fit" book and I am considering the purchase of that because I suspect that this book -- if I had been trying to fit an english saddle -- would have been just the ticket....
   
   So, if you're trying to fit an english saddle, this is probably the book for you. If it's a western you're considering, look elsewhere.



5. I bought this book after hearing the author speak. I am a mixed animal vet, but by no means a horse person, and didn't get much on saddle fit in vet school so I thought it was worth a read. The background information and the step by step evaluation of both horse conformation as well as saddle fit and pads were excellent. I use the information from this book all the time now and have helped many horses in the process. I recommend this book to anyone who has a saddle or is going to buy a saddle.

1 comments about Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul II: Tales of Passion, Achievement and Devotion (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. Another great book of stories about horses & how they have affected the lives of the humans that care for them!