Customer Reviews

Enlightened Equitation

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At last - a simple, easy to understand method of putting classical riding principles into practice- and it really works! I've spent years reading textbooks that described a quiet, elegant, horse-friendly way of riding but didn't explain how to achieve this. The "Enlightened Equitation" approach has revolutionised my riding style and my horse Carrie is happier too. Why didn't someone teach me this way when I started riding over twenty years ago? Carrie just wishes I'd read the book before I started riding her 4 years ago!

The book is written in a chatty, conversational style. It's just like having a series of one-to-one lessons with a top dressage trainer but the techniques can be applied to any equestrian discipline. Now I understand how all those riders I admire (such as the late Reiner Klimke) manage to make riding look so graceful and elegant with little apparent effort. This book unlocks all the mysteries of absorbing the movement and working in harmony with the horse. Before I read the book I thought only those with natural talent could ride so gracefully. Now I know differently.

I found it really helpful that the book used ordinary horses and riders to demonstrate the techniques. It really pressed home to me that you don't have to be a top level rider to ride safely, effectively and gracefully. All the horses photographed in the book ridden in the way that Heather promotes look so happy. Just look at the difference in the horse shown on the front and back covers of the book. The back cover shows the before photo. The front cover photo - taken 20 minutes later - shows the after! It looks like a different horse - the mare on the front cover is going forward in a good outline and she looks much more relaxed.

Heather's emphasis on putting the horse's welfare first is very much in line with my thinking. I must admit that I was a bit taken aback to find that Heather actively promoted using the pelham as a remedial bit. But when I read the explanation and saw how happy the horses photographed looked I was persuaded by Heather's arguments for using a pelham. I'm lucky - with the new techniques my heavyweight cob mare will go sweetly in a snaffle - but on the basis of what I've seen demonstrated in the book I wouldn't hesitate to change to a pelham rather than "saw" away at her mouth in a snaffle.

The book is invaluable for novice and experienced riders alike. I go back to my copy time and time again to check my understanding and I always learn something new. I also refer constantly to the definitions of equestrian terms and to the aid checklists for various movements. I now have a very clear understanding of the biomechanical basis for using the aids that Heather describes and can vouch for them working.

This book should be compulsory reading for anyone who rides.

I have been riding for many years and have had many instructors - all properly qualified - yet Heather's book gave me some new insights and ideas that no-one had offered me before. These have all contributed to a major improvement in both my riding and my horse's way of going and our overall performance as a result.

I can't agree with your reviewer who feels it is wrong to advocate the use of the Pelham. My horse is very happy in a Pelham and I know many excellent riders who would agree with Heather that it can be a wonderful aid (although obviously it has to be used correctly and sensitively). Equally, I don't agree with the same reviewer about the pictures. I find it rather encouraging to see photos of ordinary riders with ordinary horses, all with problems, rather than a line-up of people who I (at any rate) will never be able to emulate. I believe a lot of these photos were of people who had only visited Heather for one or two lessons, not products of years of her teaching.

I think this book would be of enormous value to anyone, whether novice or experienced, who feels that they are not making the progress they hoped for with conventional teaching and are looking for something different, simple and effective.

This is a clear, concise guide to the way to use your body on a horse to make your riding experience a plesant one for both you and your horse. My riding has improved remarkably because I now understand what to do with my seat and legs in order to communicate with my horse. I have heard so many times, "OK now do a half halt", or "sit deep in the saddle" and had NEVER understood HOW to do it until I read this book. I highly recommend it to any rider, at any level. I very highly recommend it to any riding instructor!

This is the best book I have read about riding. Not satisfied with the way riding was being taught, Heather takes the reader back through a logical, reasoned approach to riding. She gives detailed practical help that is jargon free and will cure many of the common problems that riders develop (often through no fault of their own).

Referencing the classical principles of riding Heather examines how through understanding the horse, its feelings and the mechanics of riding you can ride in a sympathetic, gentle way without hindering the horse or his movement. She also shows how to use subtle aids that all horses understand and respond to.

The book challenges many of the accepted ways of learning to ride; showing that what people are commonly taught is often counterproductive and leads to confusion of the rider and horse. There are lots of popular phrases in riding like `inside leg to outside hand' and `sitting deep' which are bandied around by riders and instructors and often understood by neither.

Heather's book shows you exactly what to do, without mystery or confusing imagery.

Profusely illustrated with riders and horses of all shapes, sizes and abilities, the many before and after shots show what can be achieved by application of the principles explained in the book.

If you are a beginner, or have some experience but feel your riding has got stuck then I'd strongly recommend you get this book. It could change the way you ride forever.

When I was first learning to ride I found this book totally inspirational. Here was someone, finally, who could explain what you were meant to do to stay securely in the saddle. Heather discusses the common but totally unhelpful advice given by instructors to novices such as; 'sit deep' or 'lean back' . For the bemused novice it is such a relief to find that you aren't a total dimwit!

The photos are clear and I appreciated that she used 'ordinary' riders so that you could look at common faults and how they corrected them.

The initial text on Heathers own brand of saddle, seat savers and the use of the Pelham was interesting but went on for too long. The 'sales pitch' for her saddles and seat saver wasn't really appropriate in an instructional book. For those not able (or wanting) to buy additional gear these sections added little or no value to the book.

There were also some unexplained personal reveries in the book that made it a little 'me me me', and she often went off on tangents in order to leacture on how bad other trainers were or to talk about personal experiences with 'abuse' (that she apparently did nothing about) but overall this is a good book. I still refer back to it from time to time and it is usually greatly appreciated whenever I lend it out to fellow riders.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who rides. Young, old, learning or advanced. This book has LOTS of great techniques, and ideas. I really liked this book because the approaches used are soft on the horse, and easy for the rider to execute. Two pieces of information I got from this book, that will always stick in my mind, are: 1. When buying or picking a saddle to ride in, look at the placement of the stirrup bars. If the bar is placed really close to the front of the saddle, your leg will be pulled forward, and therefore out of the Classical position and infront of your centre of balance. So choose a saddle that puts you in the "correct position so you are not fighting the very tool that is meant to assist you". 2. When riding in a circle or turning a corner, DO NOT turn your shoulders to the inside as suggested by almost ALL coaches!! It forces your weight to your outside and makes that leg stiff. Horses want, by nature, to keep us centred in the saddle, as it is uncomfortable for them to carry us if we are hanging off the side of the saddle. Horses will try to step under us to keep us balanced, and will therefore drift to the outside if you turn your shoulders in because your weight will be shifted the outside, and you will not be able to lighten and move the outside leg back to support the horses motion on the outside. Anyway, READ THE BOOK!! It is wonderful. You will learn a lot even if you are an Olympic rider, you will learn something!!!!! The soft approaches allow your horse to move freely. GOOD LUCK everyone with your horses!!! :)

This would have to be the best book that I have read. It is makes perfect sense and gives clear and logical instructions on aids.

Not to mention that there is support websites ...for those who want to ask questions. No other author I know is willing to give that support.

I would definately recommend this training book over any others.

An excellent book for a beginner or for anyone that feels that they are in a rut with their riding skills. Finally, a book that illustrates the sitting trot and "feeling" the horse with concepts and pictures that anyone could understand.

that the author needs to advocate her methods as being 'new'. In my opinion her method is *real* classical equitation, as it should be taught and has been taught for many many years. Unfortunately it is true that many people *claim* to teach classical equitation (dressage), while, in fact, they don't have a clue as to what that means. Often these people teach things that are not only counter productive, but even painful for the horse.

It is good that the author stresses proper interaction of riders with their horse, and clarifies how to fix common faults of riders. It is a pretty useful book for novice riders who are searching for ways to 'feel' how the horse is moving, rather than to just execute what their instructor is telling them to do.

I am not terribly impressed by the pictures in this book. The book is all about proper posture and seat, but the pictures are full of riders with hunched backs, legs flopping all over the place and many more common faults. (Sometimes, but by far not always, the text will comment on the rider errors.) I don't agree on the use of a Pelham bit. Often in the pictures riders are seen battling with double reins, suggesting that both horse and rider would be better of with a plain broken snaffle.

Whilst there is some good stuff in here for the beginner and intermediate rider, the better results using a double bridle give the impression that success will be a long way away for the non-professional riders. I'd like to see a further edition maybe using cross under bitless bridles as an example instead of the pelham to give the hope that we plebs could maybe achieve better results sooner but without double reins.