5 comments about The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book: Enlightened and Revolutionary Solutions for the 21st Century.

1. This is Linda's most comprehensive book so far. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves horses. It may seem a little overwhelming to the uninitiated, but is well worth the effort of sticking with it. Your horse(s) will thank you. It might be helpful to enlist the help of a TTEAM Practitioner or to attend any one of the clinics/trainings held worldwide or to practice with other people who are learning this method. It can be much more fun that way!



2. This book should be on the shelf of every caring & responsible horse owner. I will refer to it again & again, as it is chock full of invaluable information that I can use with my horses.



3. If you could only buy one horse-related book in your whole LIFE - this is THE book! Not only is it NICE to look at, and a TREMENDOUS resource for an equestrian, but you can feel how much love went into it. Linda told us she and her editor have been working on this book for like 30 years - and this is the most comprehensive horse book I have EVER read.. and I've read my share!



4. The author provides practical instruction with excellent detailed explanations of doing bodywork and "movement work" on horses. These methods work in amazing ways. I have used these techniques on sick and stressed horses and seen results every time. It is hard to describe some of these techniques in print, the videos by the author are an excellent aid and the actual clinics put on by the author and her disciples are life-changing experiences. It is important to understand that this is not massage, it is essentially energy-healing and should be approached with an open mind. The author has several books but has included the best parts of several books in this one, so I would recommend starting with this one and buying other books as specific questions come up. I have also purchased one of the books about Ttouch for companion animals, as there are some real differences. It is critical to read this book as it is intended; don't try to read it cover to cover, read about a couple of techniques, try them, then reread the instructions as a way to absorb the information. I learn something new every time I reread and practice. The details are more important than you would think. Linda Tellington-Jones travels all over the world giving trainings on this subject and there is a good reason.



5. I breed, train, raise and sell TWH. I also am a practioner of Equine Massage. This book has given me wonderful results in my communication and training of my horses. It is now my #1 gift-giving book for friends who are committed to working seriously with their horses. It is easy to understand, concise, values my limited time. M

5 comments about Starting & Running Your Own Horse Business.

1. This book is a great guide for management on a cost-effective basis. Excellent! Great for the beginner to understand and very informative.
   I bought it for my daughter and she could understand what running a horse business would entail. A great way to learn for a youngster that has no idea of what they are saying when they say they want to run their own business. All aspects of a business are looked at in a basic way.Starting & Running Your Own Horse Business



2. I found this book to be very helpful in planning my stable for public use. It has given me good ideas on planning, marketing and various programs to consider. It's also given me a good start on planning my budget for this project. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to move past the horse boarding only business.



3. It should really have more important information, such as a summery of costs, tips on picking the perfect horse fo lessons, hiring staff, stuff that you REALLY need to know about starting your own business. Other then that, it's really a great and imformative book.



4. The book covered a good range of topics. I found several new ideas well worth using in starting our business. The book was definately well worth buying!



5. I found this book to be an extremely fun read. I firmly believe that the foundation to any successful business is marketing because if people don't know your business then you have no clients. This book gives some creative ideas to advertise your business along with some fun money-maker activities to plan. However, it is not a very complete guide to starting and running a horse business because there is a lot more to think about when starting a business than colors and horse shows. This is why I find the title to be a bit misleading. I bought this book along with "Business Planner and Bookkeeper for the Horse Enterprise" and found the two books to be an extremely helpful pair. As with any business though, one or two books can not teach you how to be successful. To anyone who is serious about starting a business, I recommend reading as many books as possible about running a business, not just this one.

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.

No comments about Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage: A Search for a Classical Alternative.

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.

5 comments about Angel Horses: Divine Messengers of Hope.

1. Excellent horse stories about the human/horse connection. Good reading on how horses can mirror our emotions.



2. This book comprises a collection of 38 short essays, all submitted by different authors, about the special ways in which horses have impacted their lives. The essays are divided into four categories. "Love and Dreams" focuses on how a the love of horses can affect people; "Healing and Health" contains stories about lessons learned from equine health troubles, as well as ways in which horses have taught people about their own health; "Courage and Endurance" collects stories about equine heroes and horses that have inspired the people around them; and finally "Spiritual Connection and the Afterlife" explores the spiritual and religious experiences humans have had in connection with horses. After each essay the authors pose a question or two for the reader, designed to prompt reflection on how the story may relate to your own life. At the end of each section is a short, fictional "Ask Zeke" page, where the authors have posed a question to their friend's horse, Zeke, and then composed an reply as if Zeke himself were answering. The stories are a mixed bag of themes, and some impacted me more than others. If you aren't a particularly religious person, you may find a couple of the more supernaturally-oriented stories a little harder to relate to, but on the whole the essays presented here are heartfelt and touching. My favorite pieces were "Emily's Song," about a withdrawn, lonely young girl who finally comes out of her shell in order to help and even lonelier, more withdrawn pony, and "Miracles are Something to Believe In," written by a 12-year-old girl who's pony Lilly saved her life by, counter-intuitively enough, falling on her in a freak accident. The book is a quick and easy read, suitable for horse lovers of all ages, and well worth the time. "Angel Horses" would be a great gift for any horse lover, or a nice treat for yourself.



3. This was an inspiring book for a horse lover and Christian. Everything was as advertised.



4. This is a beautiful, inspirational collection of real life stories of the love, lessons learned and spirtiual connections that people have with horses.
   Each story is sensitively told in the own words of the horse's owner/or the person who has the story to tell.
   The book's major focus is on the spirituality and sensitivity of the horse and just how deep that goes in these beautiful creatures.
   A gentle plea for people to open their hearts and minds to the wisdom and love horses have to offer at all stages of their lives.
   I found the book to be touching and refreshing.



5. Moving, heart-tugging, heart-warming, encouraging. This book hits all of those emotions! A great gift for the animal Lover--especially of horses (of course!!) Short stories make it easy to pick up and put down for a busy schedule too.

5 comments about 101 Arena Exercises: A Ringside Guide for Horse & Rider.

1. This is a great arena book with work plans to help the rider plan lessons etc. easy to understand and well displayed for while you are riding in you arena. hang it up and you can refer to it with ease. Great way of planning you lessons and helpful ideas to extend your riding.



2. this is a great book for learning all the little things you need to know or for working on all those things you should know
   what a great book awesome diagrams and simple explanations any one can use this book would be a great tool for instructors



3. This book is great for riders who can easily walk trot and lope/canter and depart on a correct lead.
   
   This is somewhat of a "crossover" book--dressage and western with exercises that are great for horse and rider, but which my not be popular with di-hard dressage or western only trainers. The exercises would be difficult in many cases for the rider using a true forward seat hunt saddle unless the stirrups were legthened A LOT.
   
   Very handy for a rider working at home without regular lessons.



4. Cherry Hill has come up with some neat little exercise books to offer you training ideas. But she has some outdated ideas on horse training. Compare the advice you get in her book "The Formative Years" with some of the more enlightened trainers published in the last 20 years.



5. The number of excellent reviews for this book reflect the application to riders of all levels and disciplines. The most valuable aspect of this book is that it encourages the rider to formulate a plan for their schooling sessions and make a conscious decision not to do the same thing day in day out - something we are all guilty of on occasion. Make your schooling sessions more fun for you and your horse with this informative guide.

5 comments about Founder: Prevention and Cure the Natural Way.

1. I have many books on founder and laminitis- Having a pony that has had and got founder again it really helped me with the right path and makes total sense. Excited to see the results as she is already walking better now.



2. Some good information here but some of it has been outdated, particularly with the research by Kathryn Watts (safergrass.org) - that free choice hay herein recommended may be making things worse. Other information pertinent to the discussion is alluded to but you have to pay again for this as it is in other publications by the same author.



3. A must read for the intelligent & caring horse owner. Paying attention to this "perspective" of horse management is the best way to express how interested you are in the welfare of your horse.



4. He tells you in body of the book that he will provide information at the end that he forgot to provide!!



5. I have not yet received this book although it was ordered on the 15th June.
   What has happened?

5 comments about That Winning Feeling!: Program Your Mind for Peak Performance.

1. This is a must-read for any equestrian who needs to train mind as much as body. It is written with humor, clarity and an insider's understanding of how learning to give the proper mental aids to our brain is even harder than mastering the proper cues our legs and hands give the horse.



2. This is the first book I ever bought on how to use your mind when riding - in fact, I own TWO copies, for some unknown reason. They have different covers, and a slightly different subtitle, so that may be what threw me. The inside of my older book is all marked up with highlighter, and it's a familiar friend.
   
   Jane Savoie, if you are not familiar with her, is an Olympic competitor. It takes strong mental focus, and lots of determination to reach that kind of a goal. She wasn't a talented rider when she started her quest, nor did she have the best horses, but she didn't allow that to stop her.
   
   Instead she chose to learn how to leverage every opportunity - even if that was just the opportunity to watch a top rider.
   
   Jane learned that the things you say to yourself are absolutely vital to your attitude - and that your attitude is vital to your success. You can learn to use it to your advantage, or you can allow it to use you. You can be the master - or the slave.
   
   Jane gives many, many examples of people who used their mind to overcome all kinds of hardships, and she also gives many exercises to use to help you do just that.
   
   You don't need to be "talented", and you don't need "the best" horse/tack/support team/etc - all you need is the desire to do the best you possibly can with what you have available.?"Talent" is highly over-rated. It's not the most talented rider that wins; it's the most DRIVEN one.
   
   This book has helped me immensely with my riding, by showing me examples of people overcoming things that "should" have completely stopped their riding careers, and by giving me practical exercises to help me create an awesome relationship with my horse. I highly recommend that you give it a read, mark it up, take notes, and see what it will do for you.
   
   Happy Trails!
   Patricia Reszetylo
   AcceleratedLearning4Equestrians.



3. That Winning Feeling is not about getting blue ribbons or pushing your horse despite how the horse may feel. It is about doing your personal best in your own personal situation. In her introduction Jane Savoie states it clearly: "To win--let us understand--is not necessarily limited to bringing home the blue ribbon. It is developing your potential and using it for a purpose that makes you happy. It is leaving your all-too-familiar comfort zone and striving for more than you thought you could achieve. It is putting forth the kind of effort that makes you proud to sign your name to your work." And, in the last 30 pages of the book when she does speak specifically about competitions, the author says: "After the performance, you can always feel victorious about your personal milestones. Perhaps this was the first show where your horse didn't buck at the canter depart. ... Ot maybe this is the first competition where you didn't feel nauseated before your ride. ... Don't let anyone--least of all yourself--dictate any limits. The joys of competition with your partner are to be fully experienced and savored." Thus, this book is about helping you do your best with your partner, your horse. It is not about winning blue ribbons or achieving Olympic status. It is a realistic, down-to-earth, practical and effective psychocybernetic approach for helping achieve you and your horse's best no matter what your goals are.



4. I am not a dressage rider, yet I found this book to be completley inspiring! It taught me so many things that myself nor my trainer could ever instill in me. 2 years ago I was a Multi National champion on my horse HL Karavan+/ and I truly believe that this book lead me there. before a class I would read selected passages from my trainer, and I went in the ring with a sense of accomplishment even before the class was finished. I would reccomend this book to any athlete who has ever doubted his or her abilities. I can not express what Jane Savoie's writing has done to improve my sportsmanship, and riding skills.



5. I found this book borderline offensive. It typifies for me the mindset of so many competitive dressage riders for whom the horse, however much they say they "love" him, is no more than a fancy piece of sports equipment. "Winning" is everything, or so it seems. Dressage is supposed to be about the horse, not the rider. Certainly not about "winning." What has happened to this sport? How have we become so terribly lost? I regret the popularity of this kind of "dressage" writing and it makes me wish more riders knew there is another world of riding out there, where the horse is the best and only judge of our riding, and competitive kudos or "doing a movement" are not the measure of success.

5 comments about Ultimate Horse Barns.

1. This pictorial gem makes a great gift for the horse-lover in your life. The photographs are absolutely breathtaking.



2. This book has some pretty great pictures! Definitely a great gift for any horse lover that dreams of having their own barn.



3. I live, breathe horses. Ever since the age of 2, when I rode my first horse I have been as they say "horse crazy". I ride horses alot for 4-H and for my school's Equestrian Team and when I saw this book in my Horse Illistrated Magazine and instintly wanted to get it. I looked online for it and found it on its original website, but I didn't want to pay the full price. I searched around an found the best deal here on Amazon.com I read the book cover to cover and still constintally (sp?) look at it. Its a dream of mine to open my own horse barn someday and this book has been a real instiration and a enjoyable book for me!



4. As a lover of horses and pictoral books on design, I have been looking for this type of book on horse barns for quite some time. This book contains a well thought out range of historic and new equine related buildings that have been beautifully photographed. The descriptive passages relating to each property give a very personal and charming look at the development, building process and use of the buildings. My interest in the book was primarily in the photographs which are not over powered by the text. I have purchased a number of other books on the subject but they do not compare to the quality of this publication. For horse lovers, would be barn builders and lovers of unique architecture, I highly recommend "Ultimate Horse Barns".



5. And I thought that people spent a lot of money on houses. Then again, with horses of the caliber being housed here, I suppose the cost of the Ultimate Horse Barns being shown here isn't significant after all. You could build nearly any of them for say $4 to $5 million. Needless to say these are not little sheds just to keep the horse out of the rain.
   
   The buildings included here range from new construction to buildings that are well over a hundred years old. Many of these buildings are part of institutions such as the University of Vermont, the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto. Some belonged to the rich and famous, such as Vanderbilt. Some are working horse farms, but with a specialty in breeding or training high end horses.
   
   Note though that these are working barns. There are horses here, horses being groomes, trained, or like 'Bailey' on page 125 looking out of his stall as if to say, 'OK, it's morning, where's my breakfast.'