"To think that the rise and fall of athlete performance on a given day can be explained by random luck or fate is a mistake." - Robert Schinke. Most equestrians wish to improve their mental game. Whilst many books have been written dealing with practical aspects of training, Dr Robert Schinke has concentrated his attentions on the psychological aspect of sport training in general and equestrianism in particular. Following on from his popular book, "Focused Riding", Schinke offers the reader a wider repertoire of skills to aid the motivational approach to riding. In this book, chapters are devoted to sport confidence, optimism, emotional management, practicing techniques and performance perspectives. The author delves deep into the behaviour of equestrians, providing practical techniques that will be of use to every rider from the aspiring national competitor to the recreational rider, and his or her coach. Since writing his popular book "Focused Riding", Dr Robert Schinke has devoted much time and study to the many aspects of mental sports coaching. In his own words: "My views have both refined and altered with time.Now I propose that anyone wishing to integrate sport psychology techniques look for answers using a wider repertoire of skills. " "If you read this book and integrate its suggestions, your mental game will improve dramatically!" Dr Schinke promises. "The end result will be improved equestrian performance beyond what you ever anticipated."

A modern and revised approach to riding safely in all environments, Ride Safe is the foundation for any horse and rider to be safe when riding out and about in all environments including on the road, along bridelways and warming up at competitions. Ride Safe provides a comprehensive understanding with practical examples, tips and guidance towards the Ride Safe Award assessment; ideal for all riders from occasional recreational riders to elite equestrians.

Through Rider Biomechanics one gains a complete understanding of the biomechanics of the rider via a new understanding of fascia, - the fabric of the body that links muscles into functional chains, rather like strings of sausages. Within both human and equine bodies these form 'lines of pull', affecting posture, movement, stability and mobility. Through clear 'how to' descriptions, coupled with copious illustrations, the reader learns how to rebalance the tension within and between one's own 'lines of pull'. The ultimate task is to use this developing awareness to rebalance the tension in the horse's 'line of pull', gaining much more influence over his carriage and movement. The secrets of talented riders are laid bare.

This full colour book by a professional horse physiotherapist is a complete introduction to horse massage. It is a book for everyone who wants to help their horses relax and regenerate after competitions or long rides: horses are very prone to muscular injuries and most owners are keen to keep them in good condition, free from unnecessary discomfort. - Introduction - The Horse's Body - Getting Horses Fit - How Massage Can Help - Massage Techniques - Stretching - Problem Areas - * Step-by-step massage techniques and easy-to-learn stretching exercises and other techniques put the subject into perspective. * "Treatment after competition" chapter explains how horses can be relaxed after exertion. * Complimentary to Hotline To Your Horse, which focuses much more on pure massage and the physiology of the horse.

Accomplished coach Islay Auty explains how to develop your teaching technique to bring out the best in your pupils, be they top-flight competitors or recreational riders. The text explains how modern coaching techniques can be applied to equestrian sport and, as such, the books is more about the skills of coaching than how to teach the actual skills of riding. It focuses on topics such as motivation, inspiring confidence, personal development, communication, awareness and judgement, psychology, and how people learn. The author examines the particular issues involved with teaching children, pleasure riders, and competitors at all levels - and brings her text to life with thought-provoking scenarios. Deals with modern coaching techniques and how they can be applied to the equestrian environment Written for riding teachers who wish to enhance their teaching skills, especially those who are newly qualified or still studying for their teaching certificate. Excellent background reading for those seeking to achieve the UK Coaching Certificate in Equestrian Sport. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Minion Pro'} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Minion Pro'} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Minion Pro'}

This book gives an illustrated introduction to side-saddle riding. It includes: type of horse/pony; types saddle and saddle fitting; side-saddle girths and stirrups; what to wear; mounting and dismounting; the rider's position; the rider's aids; and, jumping and competitions.

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.

In Advanced Dressage Training, Grand Prix rider/trainer Angela Niemeyer Eastwood outlines the hows and whys of advanced training in a practical, logical fashion, with the aim of helping you to create harmonious partnerships with your horses. Dressage has moved beyond the basics of just riding and training a horse, and now encompasses many complementary disciplines, including psychology. This has always been part of the most successful athletes' repertoires and is now acknowledged as being one of the main contributory factors to excellence in any sport. Technical skills need to go hand in hand with mental commitment, discipline, dedication and resilience. Mindsets can be changed - what is needed is knowledge, support, imagination and perseverance. This book introduces the idea that aids are just that: they let the horse know what the rider wants. When this is understood, the horse should be allowed to do whatever has been asked of him - alone and unaided - until something else is required or the horse needs a reminder. The pursuit of excellence - not perfection - is what dressage is all about. Advanced Dressage Training offers advice and encouragement towards the improvement and development of you and your horse as an advanced partnership, taking you towards excellence in the process.

Pony Care: A complete guide to buying and caring for your first pony will appeal to both owners and their parents. It has been cleverly written by Alison Pocklington, who has previously been awarded the Horse and Hound Groom of the Year and published the very successful first book, The Essential Guide to Professional Horse Care and Grooming. Now, as the mum of a horse-mad child and riding instructor to many, Alison is only too aware of the pitfalls of finding the right horse or pony to match the rider. This great little book offers sound practical and in-depth advice, tips and guides to get horse and pony ownership off on the right foot. Most children who learn to ride dream of owning their own pony. Pony Care offers parents an in-depth guide for what is actually involved in successfully buying, owning and caring for a pony. With advice on finding the right pony, buying the necessary equipment, livery options, daily care, feeding, shoeing, health, exercise and, when the time comes, how to go about selling the pony. Common mistakes can be made when there is a lack of knowledge or experience, in seeking the wrong advice or being in too much of a hurry. Alison Pocklington shares a wealth of experience complete with tips and checklists. 'This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone who has had the tireless and repetitive call to buy from their pony-mad child.' - Lucinda Green MBE

What can be done with a horse that's hard to bridle, won't stand for a new farrier, or kicks while being ridden? Why would a sweet horse suddenly turn mean? How can an owner calm a horse that becomes a nervous wreck at shows? And what should be done if a gelding attacks a mare?
Anyone who has spent much time around horses knows that horses can be shy, frightened, anxious, uncooperative, and even aggressive. But that does not mean that the horse owner should accept unwanted behavior. In The Horse Behavior Problem Solver, equine behavior expert Jessica Jahiel offers proven solutions to common horse behavior problems.
Jahiel explains how a horse thinks, how it learns, and why it acts the way it does. She identifies the types of bad habits that are the result of the horse being mishandled by humans. And she helps owners and riders understand that what may look like bad behavior to a human is actually, from the horse's point of view, a perfectly reasonable response. The trick is for the human to realize which behaviors are instinctive and which are learned. At the same time, people need to learn what can be done to prevent bad habits from forming and how to discourage or eliminate a horse's existing patterns of unwanted behavior.
For this eminently readable handbook, Jahiel has adopted a friendly question-and-answer format. Each question includes a detailed real-life case study. The author then identifies the source of the trouble and offers the owner or rider practical, proven techniques that can help solve the problem.
This book is truly comprehensive. First, Jahiel explains how to establish a healthy human-horse relationship. Then, she moves on to the problems, ranging from horses that don't like to be groomed or handled, to horses that regard a visit from the vet as a traumatic experience. And because the situations presented in this book are common to all horses and horselovers, Jahiel's advice is applicable to every breed of horse, and to Western as well as English riders.

At last a book that demystifies the communication system between rider and horse. Equestrian sports physiologist Eckart Meyners, and Hannes Muller, head instructor for the German National Riding School, show how good riding is a three-dimensional dialogue. Beginning with a thorough explanation of the classical training scale and a six-step program to build balance and rhythm, Meyners and Muller go on to three basic riding techniques -the flexing technique, the bending technique, and the half-halt technique, which they believe to be the foundation for all training. These are the primary skills for riding in dialogue with a horse. Throughout, exercises are provided to refine technique and work through the training scale, finally achieving the skill level necessary for horse and rider to work in collection.

Following the highly acclaimed Kottas on Dressage, this book offers advice on the correct way to introduce work on the paces, exercises and movements, together with in-depth analysis of common problems and the ways to correct them. The author makes the points that many errors, so easily attributed to the horse, are rooted in faulty posture or aiding on the rider's part, and emphasises throughout the importance of focusing on these issues at all stages of training. Constant emphasis is also placed on the need to be mindful of the horse's mental and physical ability to copy with what is being asked of him - there are reminders throughout that, often, the best way to achieve progress is to take a step back and ensure the building blocks are in place that will facilitate the next step forward. The need to consider various aspects of conformation is also stressed - not all horses are perfect specimens, and the overall training of any horse will be enhanced if due consideration is given to individual considerations. Dressage Solutions takes the reader through many stages of training, from ensuring that the basic paces are correct, through introducing the lateral exercises, developing the canter, rein-back, piaffe and passage, to a final chapter that explains some of the long-established movements of the High School. This is a journey that will provide much food for thought, and a great deal of invaluable advice, for all riders who have progress and their horse's well-being at heart. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Minion Pro'}

Do you, day after day, make a promise to train yourself and your horse to be better at something, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time? Don't worry, what really matters is the quality of the training you do manage to fit in. It really is possible to carry out good quality, progressive training with a horse in only 3 minutes a day. Educator and horse trainer Vanessa Bee's 'light bulb moment' was when she realised that if a training session had a realistic goal, every horse achieved the goal in under three minutes. This led her to create techniques appropriate for use in brief digestible lessons that produce significant gains in short sessions. This refreshing book offers 35 ground exercises, 24 ridden exercises, and 25 'real-world' exercises that will get you out and about with a safe, sane, well-trained horse.

Heart to Heart with Your Horse is about how to be a better coach for yourself and your horse, so you can learn how to bring out the best in both of you. It will help you to learn more about yourself and what is important to you about riding and being with horses. It offers coaching tips, practical exercises, information and ideas that will enable you to improve your relationship with your horse, enjoy yourself more, gain more confidence and find the encouragement and support you need to progress.

An integral part of competing in equestrian sports is having to face the performance anxiety that presents itself at competitions. In this work, author Daniel Stewart explains that the pressure, stress, nerves, distraction, and anxiety come hand in hand with doing what we love to do. It also reminds us that competing in equestrian events is a real sport, and riders are forced to deal with the competitive nature of showing. Stewart explains that, while riders love to do what they do, this love is sometimes lost in the panic of showing and performing. Stewart then walks the rider through specific tools and tricks to manage and overcome the stress, fear, and anxiety, and shows how to embrace and enjoy every minute of performing with your equine partner. From 'Plan the Ride, and Ride the Plan', to overall mental training, this must-have book is a fantastic tool for any competitor to overcome their show jitters and do their best at every competition, while feeling confident and happy throughout the experience.

This new edition of the existing title The BHS Training Manual for the PTT incorporating the UKCC Level 2 ISBN 978-1-905693-26-9, has been revised and expanded to cover the latest syllabus which now consists of six units - two practical and four theory. Comprehensive information is included on the techniques, knowledge and understanding required for the BHS PTT exam, making it the definitive course companion. This training manual describes the level of practical and theoretical knowledge required for each unit of the exam; how candidates should train to ensure competence in every aspect of the syllabus; successful exam techniques (what to expect and how to present yourself); exam procedure for the practical and oral sections with valuable test questions and model answers; and what the assessors are looking for.