Ride with Your Mind Essentials: Innovative Learning Strategies for Basic Riding Skills [Paperback]

Mary Wanless (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

In this all-color workbook, prominent riding expert Mary Wanless presents new strategies for learning her popular Ride with Your Mind.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Learning to ride well is a mammoth task—far larger than most riders realize—yet Mary Wanless believes that the essential skills of riding can be mastered by virtually every rider if given the right tools. Over 23 years, Wanless has made it her mission to reveal the secrets of talented riders and to break down the necessary skills into “bite–size chunks.” This book sets out to simplify her methods and to provide a basic tool–kit for using the hands, legs, and body correctly. Best of all, she offers advice on how to make corrections when things don’t go exactly as planned. In each section, the instruction is supported by practical self–tests and exercises to ensure success, and there are ideas for troubleshooting during the learning process and beyond. Mary Wanless is known throughout the world for her Ride With Your Mind method. Her previous titles include The Natural Rider, Ride With Your Mind, For the Good of the Horse, and For the Good of the Rider, plus eight videotapes. She teaches regularly in the United States, but makes her home in Oxon, England. An Equestrian Edge Book Club Main Selection

About the Author

Mary Wanless is known throughout the world for Ride with Your Mind method. Her previous titles include The Natural Rider, Ride with Your Mind, For the Good of the Horse, and For the Good of the Rider, plus eight videos. She teaches regularly in the U.S. but makes her home in Oxon, England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570762449
• ISBN-13: 978-1570762444
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Horses > Equestrian
  • #74 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Horses > Riding

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where has this been all my life?, September 15, 2004

By 

J. Myers (near Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ride with Your Mind Essentials: Innovative Learning Strategies for Basic Riding Skills (Paperback)

I have loved and ridden horses all my life. I thought I knew what I was doing. After the first reading of Mary's other book, Ride with Your Mind Masterclass, I realized I have a lot more to learn.

For me, this book, Essentials, is the follow-on to Masterclass. There are several pieces to the puzzle in this book that are not in Masterclass. On the other hand, this book has a pared-down presentation (which you might expect from the title), and in many cases the text and illustrations did not make it clear to me what I was to do or how I was to feel. I was glad to have read Masterclass first. Now that I have, I need this book too, because it goes into much more detail about some aspects of riding.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Centerd Riding, March 27, 2003

By 

Cheryl Allie (Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ride with Your Mind Essentials: Innovative Learning Strategies for Basic Riding Skills (Paperback)

Where Sally Swift, through Centered Riding opened the door to riding in balance with awareness, Mary Wanless leads us through that same door and into the light. She describes how the best riders in the world achieve flawless, brilliant performances from their horses with seemingly little use of their bodies. Many of them don't know or can't tell you how they do it! Mary wanless has come to a total understanding of HOW. But more than that, she serves it up in small, " digestable chunks" that we can easily digest and use in our search for the connection with our horse that will achieve the beauty and lightness and willingness we all desire . Her knowledge of horse and human biomechanics is key. Her ability to teach it goes beyond what "good" riding instructors impart to their students. She is truly gifted in her ability to teach what has taken her a long time to learn. This is the true "Basics" we hear about that we need for the foundation of our riding that must stay with us throughout our riding career no matter what horse sport we choose.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wish I`d read this years sooner, June 7, 2006

By 

chevaldusoleil (quebec canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ride with Your Mind Essentials: Innovative Learning Strategies for Basic Riding Skills (Paperback)

I`ve mainly ridden (for a few years) as an adult and have my own horse. It is through my horse that I`ve discovered just how weak my riding truly was. Pretty good on school horses, but with my horse it`s a different story. On one hand my weaknesses are completely pointed out and unforgiven, yet my successes (when they truly are successes) are equally rewarded.

I`ve looked at lots of other methods to achieve riding and partnership success with my horse, including Parelli, yet this is hands down the best approach to riding I`ve found.

I`ve only just begun to practice the methods and exercises in this book and already I`m seeing great results. No question it`s alot of work and coordination, but when you get it right it feels truly wonderful! I already feel much more secure even though I`m far from the ideal as she puts it. I particularly like her references to how great riders seem to be `just sitting there and doing nothing`, when in fact they are doing quite alot, with very high muscle tone and she then explains in detail just how you can do it too. I`ve read other books that are filled with riding jargon but light on specifics - I love this book because of the great detail of specifically describing each aspect then telling you how to achieve it complete with both on and off horse exercises.

My only regret is not finding this book sooner - from the title I had always thought it would be more about riding psycology - it is decidedly NOT, and all about body mechanics, both for you and the horse!