Customer Reviews

The New Total Rider: Health & Fitness for the Equestrian

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Tom Holmes' "New Total Rider" is not "all the book you'll ever need", but it does some important things well that many other such books don't. A big plus - it articulates the need for balanced strength and suppleness and guides the reader in achieving it. Another big plus - it isn't written for JUST the lithe, flexible 17-year-old. It gives decent coverage of most concepts for people of different ages and capabilities and clearly cautions lesser athletes about expectations. Suggestions for programs for "beginner, intermediate, and advanced" riders are quite helpful. And it's nice to be able to pick 'n choose and put together a "custom" personal exercise program working all from the same book. Another Plus - it relates specific exercises back to specific riding functions which serves as a form a riding instruction in itself. .
On the downside, the organization is a bit unwieldly, necessitating a lot of flipping pages back and forth. Also, the segments on nutrition etc. are mildly dogmatic and the reader should consider them as one philosophy out of several good ones available. But even with that this is a book that will likely be among the ones the average rider will consult most frequently.

This book has good exercises in it. Although I wish they were a little bit better organised, maybe according to muscle groups. I do like how it includes balance as part of the workout.

The thing about this book that I did NOT like is the "New Age" section in the back. Instead of a genuine look at nutrition, there is a description of a lifestyle called "Ayurveda"--which promotes vegetarianism, and is more astrological than scientific. It seems inappropriate to include it in this type of book. I would have prefered something mainstream.