Customer Reviews

Bombproof Your Horse: Teach Your Horse to Be Confident, Obedient, and Safe, No Matter What You Encounter

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I recently attended a dressage clinic given by an international classical dressage master and 3 of the 8 so-called accomplished riders should have read this book first! This book is simply the best, most concise, clearly presented treatise on dealing with the innumerable terrifying possibilities every rider faces at some time in their riding careers. It encourages a pro-active approach to de-spooking horses before they know the multitude of things there are in the world to spook at -- like crossing water, whizzing bikes, too-friendly mothers wheeling baby carriages, waving baloons, flags and plastic bags, flapping tarps, barking, charging dogs, etc, etc, etc. To the uninitiated horse, most events outside of their stable yard are terrifying. It is the riders' responsibility to expose their horses to these terrors before disaster strikes so as to have a pleasurable, meaningful relationship with their horses. Too many people wait til they're dumped on their butt or even seriously injured to start this training and then the response is often abusive -- beating their horses for being afraid, which of course only makes them more afraid. I really appreciate the author's measured, systematic approach to the process of bombproofing. He emphasizes that first, the rider must have a secure seat and good, general riding abilities to cope with a fearful horse. Then he lays out many clear, descriptive exercises for bombproofing, both from the ground and under saddle. His approach is always sympathetic to both the rider and the horse; the book is sprinkled with humor and personal anecdotes and great, fun ideas for a "communal bombproofing day". Every horseperson should read this book!

This book is excellent for anyone who has ever wanted to know how to teach their horse, and themselves, to be safe in almost any situation, from riding on the trail to approaching bikes, convertables, and walking on unstable surfaces.

Use the power of the "herd" for less confident horses. Find out if you and your horse are equally matched or whether you've bitten off more than you can chew.

Rick's expertise in horse training for park and police horses gives him a unique perspective on the "horse eating monsters" that could be hiding behind that bike reflector. ;)

My husband and I have put some of Rick's advice to the test with our 8 year old gelding who is being trained as a civil war re-enactment mount.

Definitely worth the small amount of money.

Happy Trails!

my relationship between my horse and I is improving, we are both more confident and enjoy our time together more!! I thought I knew what I was doing... but this book opened my eyes to new techniques. It is also easy to read and apply.

A nice beginning to help you and your horse overcome fearful obstacles. Of course, Pelicano cannot cover every potential bugger, but he does offer fun, safe, and challenging ideas to lower anxiety and increase control. I think we all need to do more, literal, homework with our horses. He gives some great ideas and practical information. My horses are finally able to walk by a mechanical rabbit beating a drum (I bought one at a toy store), without trying to unzip themselves from their bodies! What could be next? Backpackers? Quail in the brush? Anything square-shaped on the trail? Highly recommended.

Well written, easy to apply techniques and excellent written descriptions accompanied by photos detailing the techniques in a sequential manner

This book uses many items to desensitize your horse to scary items. As he becomes more accostomed to the variety of items, he will become more reliable. A very easy to read book without all the tiny print.

I've actually been training despooking clinics for a few years now. However, my girlfriend recommended this book as another guide to help out. Read the book, and loved it. Simply laid out, with step-by-step approaches for many, many circumstances both on horseback, and on the ground. Straight forward and easily understood. I would definately recommend it to almost anyone interested in training their horse.

I found this book to be very practical and helpful. The author, having trained police horses, is very knowledgeable on the topic, and the exercises are clearly laid out with straightforward advice. He included general techniques for training as well as specific exercises for different spooky situations and discussed his philosophy on training while understanding horse's natural instincts. There was a big emphasis on safety for both the horse and rider while working through scary lessons. The information in this book would be applicable to riders in all disciplines. I highly recommend it.

"Bombproof Your Horse..." is very informative and well put together. It is put in language that is easy to understand with clear pictures and illustrations and it doesn't require purchasing extravagant items in order to apply the ideas. It draws from the author's many years of experience in working with horses and gives the reader many possible scenarios as to how your horse may react to a given stimulation and helps you to prepare for possible reactions, helping you to stay safe while working your hourse through his/her fears. I have put many of these ideas to work on my horses and with time and patience I am seeing a very nice response to things such as loud noises, umbrellas opening and spinning, tarps flapping in the wind and flags waving wildly. I only wish that I could find one such clinic in my area!

This is book is easy to understand, but I felt I was being told what the results were going to be like, not how to get there. Also, this doesn't account for things like birds flying up on the trail. It only talks about how to get your horse used to things like... a mattress?! I am skeptical about why my horse needs to know how to walk over a mattress. However, it would broaden his horizons. Overall, so-so.