Debbie McDonald Riding Through: An Olympic Medalist's Lessons on Life and Dressage [Paperback]

Debbie McDonald (Author), Nancy Jaffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Riders of all disciplines learn the universally beneficial fundamentals of dressage while following an international dressage rider's journey to the top.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"McDonald has solid teaching chops, and her know-how stands out amid the anecdotes. Her admirers will enjoy her storytelling and the plentiful behind-the -scenes photographs, and aspiring riders will relish the peek at the world of top dressage competition."  —USDF Connection

"The advice is thorough and organized in an easy-to-absorb way. Short 'check boxes' extract important information, and there's an abundance of big, beautiful photos and diagrams."  —Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar

About the Author

Debbie McDonald is the first American dressage rider to earn the title of World Cup Champion. Nancy Jaffer is a writer and reporter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books; First edition (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929164351
• ISBN-13: 978-1929164356
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read, August 19, 2008

By 

Christine Moore "LavenderLovingLady" (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debbie McDonald Riding Through: An Olympic Medalist's Lessons on Life and Dressage (Paperback)

There are plenty of dry technical dressage books available and this is not one of them. I love reading biographies of top riders and was attracted to this book because it sounded more biographical in nature and was not disappointed. Debbie shares her journey into dressage and through her experiences competing in the World Equestrian Games and the Olympics. She speaks about her horses with compassion. As someone who has been involved with horses and dressage in particular for nearly 30 years, I like that there is emphasis on praising the horse when they do what we ask. The layout of the book, with the 'check boxes', the way sections are highlighted and the photographs make all the instructions easy to understand. She gives good advice about how to ride a test, and how to corrct training problems by sorting out the basics. Want to teach your horse to passage? She covers that too. I think the book would suit someone just starting in the sport, or someone looking to move up.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Wanted More, August 22, 2007

By 

Mary Butler "Ring Rider" (Lineboro, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debbie McDonald Riding Through: An Olympic Medalist's Lessons on Life and Dressage (Paperback)

Debbie's new book is definitely worth buying if you like dressage. But like it's title, I wanted more connection! The book is more a generalists approach to the sport of dressage. Describing her horse career and switch to dressage, Debbie's story should become a movie!

Later chapters do give dressage pointers. But if you are looking for something new to unlock the secrets of dressage, you won't find very much here. There are some specific exercises and maybe something you haven't tried with your horse; but all in all, this volume is a elementary look at the Olympic rider's career.

The photographs, diagrams and graphic design are EXCELLENT, colorful and a good window into the quest for dressage perfection. However, if you are looking for the exact details on how to teach your horse to piaffe, for example, you will not find it here. So, Debbie, I would have found another title. As such, I give it 6 (out of 10), "horse needs to be more supple and THROUGH. (How many times have we read that under the judges remarks!)"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, February 26, 2010

By 

Jennifer Smith Westbrook (PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debbie McDonald Riding Through: An Olympic Medalist's Lessons on Life and Dressage (Paperback)

I really enjoyed how Debbie's autobiography is woven into the instructional info. Definitely not a book for novice riders though. Some of the later chapters were a real stretch for me to understand as I have only been on my dressage journey for about 2 years.