This introduction to the principles of classical riding contains exercises on how to adopt the classical seat and use classical training methods to improve your horse's way of going, in hand, on the lunge, and under saddle. Every type of horse and pony can benefit from this type of training.

For a horse or pony to perform well - whether that be in eventing, endurance, show jumping, reining or any other of the myriad disciplines within the modern equestrian world - he has to be fit for the job. Fitness is vital whether you aim to compete at international level or local weekend competitions, because a fit horse will stand a better chance of staying sound, both physically and mentally, and will have a longer and more active life. The same criteria apply if you choose not to compete but to ride purely for pleasure. The happy hacker or trail mount is still a working animal and needs to be prepared and maintained accordingly. After all, a Formula One racing car and a weekend run-around both need correct fuel and to be kept in good working order. In "Getting Horses Fit", Carolyn Henderson, with the assistance of competitors, equine science experts and experienced owners, explains what fitness means and how to achieve it, enabling owners to work out an individual fitness programme suitable for their own horse, whatever their level of activity. The topics include: assessing your horse; health and condition; disciplines and their demands; feeding for fitness; environment management; building strength and suppleness; interval training; tack and equipment; travelling and competing; lungeing and long-reining; poles and gridwork; hands-on techniques; and diet and fitness for riders and the mental approach.

A guide to mounted games and the special skills needed by riders and their ponies. Chapters cover all aspects from the ideal mounted games pony and games of speed and precision to making your own games and equipment and taking part in competitions. There is also a section on correct tack and clothing and vaulting.

One of the most important works ever written on dressage, "Breaking and Riding" is essential reading for the serious dressage enthusiast. In this work, the result of a lifetime spent training horses, James Fillis (1834-1913) clearly explains his theories and methods, starting with the basics of breaking--lungeing, work in hand, and first mounting--and progressing to advanced work, including canter pirouette, tempi changes, piaffe, and passage. Throughout the work, Fillis always returns to his basic principle: The horse must be "correctly balanced and light in forward movements and propulsion, in order that the rider may obtain the most powerful effects with the least exertion." Fillis was an apprentice to a student of the legendary trainer Francois Baucher. In this book, while expressing admiration for Baucher, Fillis also explains in detail the ways in which he believed Baucher was mistaken in some of his methods.

Dressage doesn't have to be complicated! In Real Life Dressage Carl Hester shares his training methods and shows how they can be adapted to suit individual horses. Assisted by co-writer Polly Ellison, he outlines his training regimes and favourite exercises, following some of his own horses up the levels to Grand Prix. As the training progresses Carl examines the problems that are commonly encountered, and explains how he and other riders might overcome them. As Carl says, 'I have deliberately chosen horses with differing conformations and mental attitudes in order to illustrate the factors that need to be taken into account when training a horse to these levels.' Carl's training philosophy is very much on the lines of the German training system, the 'Richtlinien' or broad path, that German trainers use so successfully. 'With each of my horses, no matter what type or temperament, the fundamental ground rules from the "scales of training" apply. In working up the levels to Grand Prix you will see that I regularly refer back to various aspects of the training scale, as I believe these ground rules should be applied constantly if you want to get the best out of your horse.'

Originally published in 1551, Hernan Chacon's Tractado de la Caualleria de la Gineta reflects an era of radical changes in the chivalresque-military world of renaissance Spain. The text deals with cavalry riding techniques as a means of military strategy and as a peacetime occupation. This new paperback volume in the Exeter Hispanic Texts series provides a text in the original Spanish, edited and introduced in Spanish by Noel Fallows. It will be of interest to a scholarly readership, particularly students of medieval Spanish, military tactics and equestrian history

This illustrated guide explains how to achieve a poised and effective riding position which will enhance performance and enable the rider to remain constantly in balance whether walking, trotting or cantering. It describes how to correct upper body alignment and improve leg positions, how to sit centrally on the seat bones and eliminate crooked posture, how to distribute your weight evenly, how to develop a sensitive rein contact, and how to avoid tension and fear while in the saddle.

This title addresses the topic of coaching and the value to the rider of learning to coach themselves. Coaching is a supportive, one-to-one relationship that helps individuals with all kinds of goal-setting, decision-making and achievement, whether in sport, at work or at home. A coach will assume: that you have the commitment and the ability to acquire the skills necessary to achieve your goals; that you know a lot more than you realize about what can help you - and also what is holding you back; that it is possible to break even the grandest goals down into achievable steps; and that you gain just as much useful information from the problems you encounter as from the things that you find easy and do well. In this clear and accessible book NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) coach and trainer Wendy Jago shows how you can use the core skills of coaching to coach yourself and help you and your horse become the best that you can be. She explains every stage of the coaching process, from its basic beliefs through to the practicalities of making sure that every ride has a purpose and a valuable outcome. Straightforward exercises and examples from everyday riding help you at every stage. Longer case studies from Wendy's coaching sessions illustrate coaching in practice and demonstrate how quickly and effectively it is possible to learn to coach yourself.

Ask someone who works with horses how best to communicate with a balky colt and she will tell you that horses do not respond to human cajoling. To be successful the human must understand and work with, not against, the horse's instincts, needs, and fears. When a trainer resorts to human teaching methods -- reasoning, begging, bribing, even hugging and kissing -- the horse will become confused and unable to respond appropriately. But if horses are treated respectfully with methods they understand, everyone involved -- animal and human -- will be happier, safer, and more productive.
Horse trainer and instructor Cherry Hill believes that every human/horse relationship benefits from a greater human understanding of what motivates horses, how they experience the world, what makes them happy, and what worries them. Journey through the equine mind with Hill as she explores all that makes a horse tick. How do his basic needs dictate his behavior and mood? What touches and tastes appeal to his senses? How does his "flight or fight" instinct dictate his response to sudden movements?
Hill offers interactive experiments -- fun for both horse and human -- that bear out her findings on horse behavior. And her final chapter presents simple training methods that draw from the insights and information presented throughout the book.