Customer Reviews

Basic Training for Horses (Doubleday Equestrian Library)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I originally bought the companion book Basic Riding by these two knowledgeable horsewomen. Then someone recommended this book to me when I had to teach my horse how to work on a lunge-line. It is incredible how the authors are able to present their information to accommodate many levels of horsepeople - from beginner through advanced - for western/stock, dressage/hunter/jumper, driving, etc.

I recommend these books every opportunity I have for the teenage through adult horse person who wants to have a strong background in overall horse training and riding. During the last 3 years, since I have owned these books, I have gone back to them repeatedly. I only wish I had them 6 years ago when I returned to riding.

My goodness this book is the gathering of knowledge I was just hoping for! It is not at all "just the basics". I am so pleased with this book, and my horse is doing wonderfully! It will be awhile before we cover those advanced topics, but I am certain we will get to those too. I highly recommend this read for every level of horse owner. It has something for everyone, beginner to advanced.

Although I am just a teenager (not even 15), I have been juggling ideas back and forth over what I wanted to do once I got out of college. I was thinking about a jocky, but I am getting to big (almost as tall as my older brother), I thought about a breeder, but then there was also the aspect of trainer and the rewards you get when done right and this book just about decided it for me. I got the book from the library and immediately after reading it, I asked my dad to buy it for me for Christmas. Horses have got to be the best creatures on earth and when you train them, the possibilities are endless. This book just goes to show that when you love something enough, go for it! You can do anything. In training, this book has got to be number one. It shows how to do EVERYTHING. Even train for Endurance Riding! *g* This book is the best and will always be on MY list of winners.

I was a little bit disappointed with this book. The information is good I guess it's the way the book is formatted or the writing that I didn't care for. But there is a lot of information on just about everything you want to know.

I love this book! Even though it was written over 20 years ago, the methods of training are still true and effective today. This book touches on a little bit of everything and is just packed full of training ideas for you to implement every day with your horse. I have read the book once, but still go back to certain sections to refresh my memory.
I highly recommend this book to any horseperson.

i like this book, it is helpful even tho it is (c)1979. i have borrowed it from our local library several times and also had it overdue each time by, like, alot, lol. i was happy to find it on amazon, so now i can have my own copy and return the librarys copy to them (finally!).

I've had this book for a very long time. I used to read it, over and over again. I couldn't put it down as a little girl. Can't help but think about the hours I spent with this book. I've passed my copy along to my nieces, they love it.

R.D.
Hot on the Range

I have read a million training book and this one, by far, takes the cake. It is so clear cut and down to earth. Somehow it manages to cover every subject and keep your interest, even on subjects that you have no interest in. I would recommend this book to ANYONE who owns or works with horses. This is definately a MUST-HAVE!

This is an absolutely WONDERFUL book if you are an advanced rider just sorting out what to train first.

It starts with an overview of training ie psychology (both horse and trainer), rewards and punishments, facilities and care, equipment, and safety.

The book then moves on Basic Training which discusses foal training, longeing, long reining and driving, training to ride (basic groundwork and intro dressage), refining the basics, cavalletti and jumping and then basic trail training.

The book discusses advanced training next. It talks about advanced ground training(teaching collection and extension and lateral movements), advanced english training (lateral movements, counter canter, flying changes, extension and collection, half halt, back), advanced western training (basic ranch work, reining, cutting, and roping).

The next part discussed is competition. This section is a little out of date and organized very strangely. It discusses halter classes, western classes(stock horse, working cow horse, cutting, roping, mounted games, and trail horse), English classes (performance, side-saddle and driving), eventing, and 4-h and youth programs. Eventing is definitely an English sport and driving should be its own category and so should side saddle (there are both western and English side saddle classes in shows). She also included saddle seat as English and while I can see how one might think that (the saddles look vaguely similar) they have NOTHING in common especially not in the show world. They use different sorts of tack, wear different clothing, are judged on different things, etc. In the english section she only briefly mentions the most common disciplines hunters, jumpers, and dressage. I really couldn't believe a book that was otherwise so good would screw up that part so much. The funny thing is the whole rest of the book very much tends towards the English style of riding. The authors crammed all that into one chapter but then gave a whole chapter to endurance riding. I must admit that section doesn't fit in at all with the rest of the book. Its badly organized, out of date, and in some cases just plain wrong "The rule book will define the rules for dress; but generally, informal dress is worn for pleasure classes, dark colors and saddle suits for more formal classes. If you can afford one suit, it would be wise to choose a dark one, as it can be used in both pleasure and formal. A soft hat is proper for pleasure, bowler or top hat for formal. Gloves are not required but do help your general appearance. Whips and spurs are optional. Hunt classes require breeches, hunting boots (high), and hunt cap." <- That is ALL the detail she uses for dress requirements for English classes. 1 Whips aren't allowed in Dressage. 2 Breeches should be white (for dressage) or khaki (hunters) for most English disciplines and only dressage even wears a dark coat so telling somebody to go out and buy a "dark suit" and not specifying that ONLY if you ride saddle-seat is kind of misleading. I personally find the whole section on English very misleading. I guess if you have enough experience to be showing you should know what to wear?

The last section discusses problem horses. Her solution to that seems to be send them to a professional trainer. I fear that were a beginner to pick up this book and try to train a young horse you might end up with a problem horse because instead of "take lessons you have no business training a horse if you can't ride a well trained one" the authors tell you to see recommended reading. I love horse books as much as the next person but that could get somebody seriously hurt.

The big hitch is that this book encourages people who maybe shouldn't be training a certain thing to see recommended reading and the section on competition is badly organized, wrong, and completely outdated. "If you have questions about the mechanics of jumping, the proper way to ride the jump, what tack to use, how to correct vices such as refusals, rushing, and running out, or about kinds of jumps please refer to the basic texts cited under Recommended Reading" p 205. Excuse me but if you don't know what tack to use, the proper way of riding the jumps, or the basic jump types then you need to get lessons from a qualified instructor on a well trained horse not read a book and then try it out on a green broke horse.

All in all this book is GREAT for somebody who already knows a little about longeing, ground driving, and saddle training and just wants some help putting it all together to create a versatile horse. I don't think this book would be a great book for a total beginner. 1 If you are a total beginner don't even think about training a horse get professional, qualified help. 2 Its more of an overview than really in depth and assumes a certain level of knowledge (like you shouldn't jump a horse too much or what the word bascule means). It is about BASIC training it teaches all the basics needed in most of the disciplines but if you want to specialize you should buy this and a book on your chosen discipline.

In light of the popularity of horse whisperers like Clinton Anderson, John Lyons, Pat Perelli and Monty Roberts, certain trainers who are less focused on making money and more focused on the horses they are training have fallen somewhat to the wayside. These two wonderful women are two such trainers. Their methods are practical, their book is full of helpful and accurate information that often gets better results than anything Lyons can do. Of course, as with all horse training books, you have to understand that there will be some things that you don't agree with or that don't work with your horse, but these women are open with that as well.

All-in-all, this book is wonderful!