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Every horse person strives to grow in ability and understanding over time whether in the saddle, on the ground, or in the stable; whether in ways that are small or those that are significant. This effort, when done right, lasts a lifetime, and along the way requires the addition of knowledge and experience gleaned from numerous others. Where does one find leadership within the equine industry? How does one know to whom to turn for information? Does riding require an instructor, a trainer, a coach? Can you get by with part-time guidance? Can you effectively learn on your own, with just the occasional directive, and still find personal or competitive success?With this book, renowned clinician and international team coach Eric Smiley intends to fill the gap when it comes to these questions and others, providing a reliable resource and educational companion for any aspiring equestrian. Smiley addresses fundamental topics pertinent to riders, with philosophical discussion and practical exercises applicable to all levels. Along the way he strives to educate them on being taught, and perhaps, one day, becoming the teachers.His aim is to bring together the mind of the rider with the mind of the horse, while highlighting the key component in their synergy: understanding. How that understanding is acquired, retained, and put to use is the key to success.
Jane Savoie's books have changed the way people ride. She was the first to promote mental training tools and techniques as integral to competitive riding success, and her cross-training concepts for the horse-how to use dressage fundamentals for every equestrian sport-have been called 'not just a read, but a must read for every hunter-jumper rider' by George Morris, former Chef d'Equipe of the US Show Jumping Team.
Now Savoie has created a book specifically for equestrian sports with a jumping component-hunter, jumper, equitation, and eventing. In Dressage Between the Jumps, she breaks down the six most common problem areas she sees when horses jump: 'whoa' and 'go'; rhythm; suppleness through the poll, neck, body, back, and hindquarters; contact and connection; collection; and flying changes. Then she fills the rider's toolbox with targeted exercises on the flat-simple solutions to the nagging problems that prevent riders and horses from doing their best over all kinds of obstacles. Her excellent lessons gradually incorporate ground poles and low fences to build skills without stressing the horse's body.
Throughout, top riders share their own stories and insight, demonstrating numerous ways dressage exercises helped solve real problems over fences. With incredible clarity and her trademark enthusiasm, Savoie arms readers with knowledge, confidence, and problem-solving prowess that will result not only in clear rounds, but a happier horse, ready and willing to perform in partnership.
This book is the closest most of us will come to spending an extended period of time in the Klimke stable.Ingrid Klimke details her personal programme of bringing a horse along through the stages of progressive development and, in doing so, explains her training philosophy. She provides guidelines and exercise to ensure success without stress at each milestone.It's a wonderful insight into how Klimke customises the work to suit the individual horse. The result is surely a joyful partnership between rider and horse that will go the distance.
An easy-to-implement framework proven to grow rider confidence, tested by the world’s leading equestrian athletes.
Without confidence, achievement in competition is unattainable. When confidence is lacking in any sport, equestrian included, chances are your career will be short. Renowned performance coach John Haime has written the book to counter this challenge, providing the mental tools riders need to be better under pressure of all kinds and consistently succeed.
Haime invites readers to dive into three clear and informative areas of exploration:
Throughout, those who have reached the highest levels on horseback in a number of disciplines share their stories, including Michael Jung, Beezie Madden, McLain Ward, Laura Tomlinson, Harry Meade, Oliver Townend, and Beth Underhill. These Olympians, champions, and medallists explain what they do in the saddle and how their techniques for performing under world-class pressure might help other riders develop a similar kind of confidence.
Perhaps even more valuable are the struggles these top competitors share, giving readers the rare opportunity to see how even “the best of the best” are human, too. The way riders develop confidence in their equestrian lives is transferable to everything they do: a confident rider can be a confident businessperson, confident worker, confident spouse, confident parent, and confident friend. In this way, Ride Big!™ instills a skill of worth and promise that extends far beyond the show ring.
Whilst the horse world is rich in descriptions that tell us what horse and rider should look like, we lack good information about exactly how to produce the desired results. Good horsemen ride well without knowing how they do it, and without understanding why you are not like them and cannot do it too.
During 23 years of research it has been Mary Wanless's personal mission to expose the secrets of horsemanship, breaking down riding skills into 'bite-size chunks' and finding ways of describing them that work for average riders. By using the learning strategies given here the rider should discover how to connect with the horse in a way that makes sense to him and enables him to carry himself well, in self-carriage. At the same time the techniques aim to offer the rider security, stability and effectiveness in the saddle.
This title sets out to simplify Ride With Your Mind methods and to provide a basic tool-kit for the acquisition of a truly independent seat in walk, trot and through transitions, on straight lines, turns and circles - and, importantly, how to make corrections when things don't go exactly to plan.
Mary explains how to use the hands, legs and body correctly, and gives the ingredients for perfect contact. In each section, the instruction is backed up by practical self-tests and exercises to ensure success, and there are ideas for troubleshooting during the learning process and in the future.
Christoph Hess, a Fédération Equestre International (FEI) 'I' Judge in both dressage and eventing, is highly respected around the world as a teacher of riding and the development of the horse according to classical principles. Here he collects some of his very best riding and training tips along with well-honed insight related to the topics that he finds most often challenge equestrians and their equine partners.
Ride Better with Christoph Hess provides thoughtful, easy-to-apply advice when dealing with issues with the gaits, in particular the walk and canter; high-headedness or the horse that is 'too light' in the poll; inconsistency of performance; leaning on the bit; falling out; lack of straightness; and much more. In addition, Hess breaks out particular skills and movements that often need specialised attention when in the dressage or jumping ring, and when going cross-country.
Throughout Hess emphasises that a rider must always strive to improve, for the simple reason that you can always do better for your horse. While competitive and training goals do, of course, bring a certain satisfaction, it is having an equine partner who is contented in his work and happy in your company that rewards most. This lesson, and all Hess's tips and solutions, are invaluable to equestrians of every level - everyone can walk away from this book a better rider.
It is no secret that speed, stamina, jumping ability, and athletic prowess depend on the horse's physical ability to perform. However, the world has seen many ‘great' athletic bodies, human and horse, fail to reach their true potential, while others, perhaps thought to be less great in form and function, reach the pinnacle of their sport or discipline. In the world of human athletes, we might claim hard work, ‘grit', or ‘heart' as the force greater than muscle that propels them to the top. But the horse doesn't have performance goals in the way we do, so what is it that motivates one racehorse to leave the rest of the field behind to cross the finish line first? In these pages, Kerry explains how it is possible - initially by using an Emotional Conformation Profile - to determine if a horse has what it takes inside him to make what he has on the outside great. Can your racing prospect handle distance? Does your event horse have the ‘finish' to clear that last enormous cross-country obstacle when his legs are tired? Is your horse capable of maintaining focus in the face of large crowds and multiple distractions? More importantly, he tells you how to develop specific training protocols towards given goals, thus enabling a horse to perform at his very best.