Horses are fascinating and perceptive creatures. Developing a thorough understanding of how a horse interprets the world around them and deliberately being self-aware as a rider, are the essential skills to a successful and fulfilling partnership. In The Psychology of Horsemanship, well-known equestrian author and horse expert, Claire Lilley, shares her passion and knowledge about horses and riders developed from over forty years' experience in the equestrian world, and more recently several years in the mental health profession. Divided into three sections, the book covers: Equine psychology - the horses's senses, primary responses and emotion; Training psychology - the rider's communication, training and learning from past experiences; Relational psychology - the goals, the development and the challenges faced in successful horsemanship. With high-quality photographs, diagrams and extended real-life examples, this book explores the application of psychology to the world of horses and how the understanding and evolvement of the horse-rider relationship impacts on both mental and physical development.

Mike Tucker was born into a life of farming and horses. His passion and hard work enabled him to progress from international groom to successful international event rider, top level Eventing official and television commentator. The pinnacle of Mike's career as a commentator was covering Nick Skelton's Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 for the BBC. In `The Man Behind the Mike' we learn about Mike's family history and the connection with the Badminton Estate where his grandfather farmed; The Beaufort Pony Club, a huge influence in his life with many top level riders being members; a visit to Australia, staying with the Roycroft family, which proved to be a pivotal moment in his efforts to become a successful event rider; and about Mike's second place at Badminton, which laid the foundations of his credibility as a rider and commentator. The `voice behind the microphone' had the experience and knowledge to commentate with authority and to command respect from the listening public at venues of not just horse trials but also show jumping, dressage, and shows in general. The wealth of experience and lifetime involvement in the world of equestrian sport has enabled him to travel all over the world meeting many different people and sharing his expertise. We are told many funny, revealing, fascinating and sometimes sad anecdotes of his experiences of the successes and failures along the way and we are given a true insight into the real stories behind the headlines, and `The Man Behind the Mike'.

If you want to progress up from novice and need some help with the more advanced novice and elementary movements you will find this book really helpful. Kottas looks at each of the horses paces and gives a clear guide to what is required and most importantly how to achieve this. There are some excellent illustrations which clearly show everything from the rider's aids to the flexion required from the horse. The book also includes some stunning photographs which again are very easy to understand. There are also sections on lateral movements, changes of lead and piaffe and passage for those with greater ambitions.

In this long-awaited follow-up to the highly praised Cobs Can! Omar Rabia introduces the idea of a systematic, progressive series of exercises designed to develop suppleness, collection, obedience and ride-ability in cobs. He discusses the prerequisites of starting this journey and the reasoning behind working cobs in-hand before ridden work is commenced. While the exercises are set out in a progressive order, each exercise offers particular benefits and works on 'target areas', so you can choose exercises that will most benefit your cob before moving onto others in the series. Progression within each exercise is explained so that riders know when to move onto the next step within the exercise.

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.

From learning how to jump obstacles with a horse in Modern Pentathlon to competing in triathlons in France, this is an action packed autobiography of someone sharing her dream to become a world champion in the difficult sport years of apartheid. Dr Sibis Mouton speaks to us from the heart as she ranges through her childhood, her family, her travels around the world and her internal journeys, heart aches and victories. Life experiences like swimming with the dolphins in the Miami Keys or photographing the famous Masai Mara Migration in Kenya are given deeper spiritual significance, taking us with the author on a mystical journey to discover the meaning and purpose of life. This is an uplifting and inspiring story demonstrating that life is indeed a miracle to be enjoyed and treasured.

On horsemanship deals with the selection, care and training of horses in general. Military training and the duties of the cavalry commander are dealt with in the Hipparchicus.Written in about 350 BC, the treatises of Xenophon were considered the earliest extant works on horsemanship in any literature.

Have you got what it takes to make a successful career from teaching riding? Would you like to know how to make yourself indispensable to your clients? Ross Algar offers first-hand advice on how to establish yourself in this field of work and then how to move up the ranks. He explains how to deal with almost every type of client (children, teenagers, and more mature riders), whether they be competition riders or pleasure riders, confident or nervous riders, and whatever their chosen discipline. He tells you how best to assist your clients with their immediate goals and long-term aims, and how to conduct yourself professionally at all times. With essential advice for practically every teaching situation, this is an equine career training book like no other.

Learn to Ride is a 96 page child's workbook written with an emphasis on safety and fun. It is a book recommended for Horse Camps and private instruction to assist in teaching 6-12 year old children beginning horsemanship.

This is an ideal training guide with simple explanations of the different jumping exercises used by world-class horse riding celebrities. The contributors are all Olympic riders or trainers at the very top of eventing. Their achievements include World, European and Olympic medals, Badminton and numerous Burghley Horse Trial wins. This book features sequential photographs and notes as to when to use the exercises, when not to, and how to fix common problems. It includes photographs of the celebrity riders and their training philosophies.

Some horses drive their riders to distraction by simply not moving under the saddle, and nothing the rider does seems to stimulate them. This book discusses the possible causes for a lack of motivation--from physical problems or incorrect feeding to permanent under- or over-demand of the horse--and it outlines solutions that can recover a seemingly hopeless situation. It shows how, with discipline and creativity, it is possible to turn an idle creature into a motivated competition or leisure horse.

Riding skills guru Mary Wanless looks at a series of common rider faults or problems and, through words and photos, explains how to correct them. Each fault or problem is demonstrated by a different rider - some working at basic level, others advanced. Mary gives each rider a lesson, taking them through the (often subtle) changes they have to make, and recording their progress with specially taken photographs. Readers can witness the changes taking place and understand through Mary's gifted teaching, how to make the necessary shift to improve their own riding skills.The 'before' and 'after' pictures show not only the improvements in the rider's position and effectiveness but also in their horse's way of going, for the two are interconnected. Among the topics for in-depth discussion are rider position, muscle tone and stabilisation; how our minds and bodies learn new techniques or change old habits; rider asymmetry; mental attitudes; lateral work; advanced work; and faults such as tipping forward, leaning back, hollowing the back, rounding the back, and pulling on the inside rein.

Drawing on the theories of the old masters of dressage, Lessons in Lightness:
The Art of Educating the Horse shows how both horse and rider can greatly benefit from traditional dressage techniques and exercises. Written by a veteran horse trainer with more than thirty years of experience, this is the only book that takes the core elements of classical dressage and applies them as the basis for good general horsemanship today.
With this step-by-step program, both horse and rider learn from each other. The rider is taught to focus on subtle nuances of communication, while the horse develops gymnastically so he can respond correctly to the aids. Once the horse masters the basic exercises, the rider not only has a very rideable horse, but also one that can perform and advance in almost any discipline for which it is suited--from dressage and show jumping to Western pleasure and performance riding.
An exploration into the horse's physiological and psychological state is the basis for building that strong bond most riders yearn to achieve. Learning lightness opens the door to the art of riding.

Top Secret Tips Unveiled Within!
This work is geared towards the occasional handicapper looking for help, but takes you through the entire process, so, beginners can use it, too.
The entire process is clear and concise with plenty of examples and worksheets to guide you.
If you are going to play the horses, you need to read this!

Techniques to help riders fine-tune their communication and riding skills

This follow-up to How Your Horse Wants You to Ride helps intermediate to advanced riders improve their communication with their mounts and polish their overall riding skills. Readers get a complete tutorial-much of which can be found nowhere else-on taking their riding skills to the next level.