Customer Reviews

Centered Riding, No. 2: Further Exploration

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sally Swift proved to be an excellent teacher in her last book, and she maintains the title throughout the second edition. I find the illustrations and analogies to be excellent for my own use as well as teaching others. So many concepts are broken down and compared to every day events and mechanical workings that they are almost impossible to forget. Sally helps you understand the mechanincs of your own body as well as your horse's and helps us understand why our instructors tell us to do the things they do.

I love her first book, and highly recommend both books to my students. This book has the same easy to understand format. Sally breaks down how our bodies function when we are riding. I really like the exercises that she uses on the ground. I frequently use the "monkey position" with my students. It really helps to explain use of the hip joint. I also find the "monkey position" helpful when introducing a student to the sitting trot. I cannot say enough awesome things about this book. I also do not fully agree with the first review. This book really shows a rider how their body affects the horse, regardless of your learning styles. The illustrations and pictures are very clear and easy to understand. They have helped many of my students to really gain perspective on how every little movement, or tense muscle affects the horse in some way. I feel that every rider should have a copy of both Centered Riding, and Centered Riding 2 Further Exploration. I hope that this review is helpful.

great additional info to the first Centered Riding book - exercises make sense and really add to my understanding.

I have had the good fortune to get to know Sally Swift and I can say first hand that she leads a Centered Life. Her books have been life changing for thousands and thousands of people. Ever once in a while someone rights a negative review but it is the person not the material that is off base. They haven't allowed Sally's work to work within themselves. Sally gets hundreds of thank you notes from people all over the world thanking her for her work.Sports people other than horse people find her work amazing. If you haven't already read her books hurry and order them. At 94 Sally is actively involved in making a difference. Sally was just given the United States Dressage Federation's highest award for her writing and her riding. Need I say more.

I bought this book first, then went back and bought/read the first Centered Riding book so I had the foundation. I find the lessons very helpful, though I wish there was an audio companion so I could listen while riding to some of the exercises. The Centered Riding reading, in conjunction with a few lessons from a certified CR trainer, have made a huge difference very quickly in my riding and my horse's responsiveness and comfort.

If you aren't a fan of Sally Swift's methods (analogies and metaphors) and the first book drove you to despair this second one is slightly better. There are some helpful texts and photos but she is still my least favourite writer. I simply find that I cannot learn from her teaching style and her descriptions do nothing to help me to understand what I must DO. Of course, AFTER I have learned something (on my own) I can often relate what I feel to what she describes but because I am unable to transfer her descriptions initially I am unable to LEARN to ride from her books.

You MUST know your learning style before buying Sally Swift - if 'grow like a tree' doesn't help you with your riding, avoid her like the plague. If on the other hand you have the type of brain that responds well to these sorts of descriptions, dancers\actors etc who can understand what their bodies need to do in response to imagery - then buy her books and avoid the others who use more mechanistic descriptions.

Book two by Sally Swift - gotta have this one too. This is about you, the rider.

Book arrived in a timely fashion and was in great shape - keep up the good work!