Customer Reviews

The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training (Howell Equestrian Library)

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This book is perfect for new and experienced horse people. It is filled with a great deal of real world instruction. I've read several intructional books and this had to be the easiest to follow.

This book is a must reference for beginners through advanced horse people. It is clear and concise with enough detail to provide insights for the advanced person, yet it is not written in such a manner that the beginner feels overwhelmed. This book is definately worth the price.

For both horse and rider, longeing and ground training are some of the most important aspects of horsemanship. What the horse learns on the ground translates into its movement under saddle. And the rider who can control his or her horse on the ground, fares better mounted than one who cannot. Combined with the recommendations of the USPC (US Pony Clubs), this book makes a valuable addition to the novice rider looking to learn how to ground train and longe.

As someone already familiar with ground training, since that's mostly all I do with my mare, I didn't find any new information in this book. What I did find was clear, easy to understand, instructions on how to work the horse from the ground. Many of the instructions are prefaced with the admonition to find an experienced horse person to help, and it's believed that within the levels system of the USPC, that a lower leveled rider would find someone of higher levels to help. Information on wearing safety gear for both the horse and rider was welcome. And some of the ground training information, such as dealing with the pushy horse, have been echoed by other popular trainers.

With that said, I wouldn't totally dismiss this volume out of hand for an intermediate level person. However, what I'd purchased it for - to learn more ground training exercises for my mare - wasn't what this book was about. And I would have to say, that if I'd known the volume's beginner nature, I wouldn't have purchased it. There is some good information here. But if you're familiar with longeing, then be prepared to sit through some elementary stuff to get to the tidbits of information.

Equus Manifest
http://www.equusmanifest.com