Product Description
A guide to finding a dressage competition, choosing the right test level, filling in the entry form and preparing horse and rider for show day. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

REVIEW: FALLING FOR FALLACIES: MISLEADING COMMONPLACE NOTIONS OF DRESSAGE RIDING.
BOOK REVIEW: FALLING FOR FALLACIES: MISLEADING COMMONPLACE NOTIONS OF DRESSAGE RIDING BY JEAN-CLAUDE RACINET.


This is a very valuable book, not only to riders who are interested in improving their riding and training of the horse, but equally for those involved in the judging of modern dressage and for those responsible for the setting up of dressage rules.One of the strong points of the book is the fact that it points out the futility of trying to ride, train horses and judge dressage tests according to assumptions based upon fallacies that cannot be verified scientifically.This book was written by someone who truly understood the art of riding in total balance as well as the specialist science of movement control.Those fortunate enough to read this book cannot help but come to the conclusion that riding in general, and dressage in particular, have been strait jacked for too long into believing and applying fallacies, misconceptions and twisted truths in their riding and training.The belief in and use of these fallacies result in the destabilisation of the delicate balance of the rider horse combination.The origin of these fallacies are legion, as pointed out by the author, but what is stressed is that all these were the consequence of poor science, poor observation and poor conclusions.
Once the fallacy is analysed, the reader is not left in a void, but is always informed about the true facts of this specific aspect of riding as well as their implications, and how the issue at hand should actually be addressed.The book, for example, leaves the reader in no doubt about the true meaning of collection, and the way that a collected horse should move.

Throughout this book one finds analyses of the principles of training underlying that of the old classical masters, modern dressage and that of the enigmatic but genial François Baucher.To the reader it will be illuminating to discover that we today have three, seemingly diametrically opposite ways of training horses, but each, if applied correctly can lead to the same end result - a horse moving in total balance.

The book is beautifully presented, something that recently seems to be the hallmark of books published by Cadmos.In a way it is a pity, simply because one does not want to mar the appearance of such beauty by notes in the margins!

All in all this book is a must for the serious rider, trainer, and dare I say it, especially for those involved in the judging of dressage tests.

PROF JM LOOTS
DR M LOOTS

Dressage Alpha Release
I don't like long reviews, and I am not a professional critic, but I have been riding for a long time.I believe this book is worth the read as you will be introduced to the beliefs of a riding master, whose views contrast stongly with the currently held German riding method.If you are planning to ride in the Olympics, you can skip this book, but if you want to know more about riding, give it a try.But remember to buckle your seat belts (or, in riding fashion, keep your heels low) as Mr. Racinet freely shares his thoughts on what dressage is about....and it is in the French style.Enjoy the ride!

Enlightening book
This is not a how-to-ride-like-the-French manual, but a book that debunks the quasi-truisms many of us--including me--have been taught or heard. Racinet shows--and proves, using the actual physiology of the horse--that many of the things we believe are untrue and even illogical. Some of the fallacies he pointed out were already known to be false by me, but some really surprised me. Case in point: the rider should align her shoulders and hips with the horse's shoulder and hips, something he believes, but he says that the rider moving the outside shoulder forward and the inside shoulder back while bending the horse is NOT correct. He indicates--and shows--that the horse's inside shoulder moves FORWARD, not back, during bending. Surprised? I was.

Racinet's book makes many typical dressage moves easier for the horse to perform, once we see how we have followed the Dressage Gospel without questioning its authenticity. I, for one, am glad I learned the truth before I got locked into doing some things the wrong way. ... Read more

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A lavish history of classical riding, from ancient times to modern competition, now available again. Featuring more than 100 photos.An Equestrian Edge Book Club Selection ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Dressage: The Art of Classical Riding
Sylvia Loch is truely the source for classical horsemanship!A wonderful book to add to your collection of masters in the art of riding.

A Wonderful Book!
The author has done a wonderful job. This is a huge book. Every great Horseman is covered that helped form what we have today.Great Schools, Great Horsemen,~ it's all there. The author has went into great details, sometimes having private information from friendships that add so much more.

You will love this book.

Beautiful and Informative Book
This book has beautiful color pics in it..and the information is from the past to the present..This is a very special book..B.W.

An astonishingly good book
Dressage, isn't that just a bunch of horses being ridden around in circles?How could a book about it possibly be interesting, especially if you don't ride that way?If that is what you think, read on... Sylvia Loch has written a masterpiece in a style that does far more then just talk about "Dressage".Her book has topics of interest for virtually every dicipline, from western to jumpers. Sylvia has put together more history, more people, and more horse breeds then it would seem to be possible.She has artfully presented it in a way that makes it resonate to virtually everyone by showing how they are all connected through history.Better still, she has done it in a way that is fascinating and contemporary to read.I found her style eloquent and conclusions insightful.Reading this book will contribute to any riders understanding about where the modern horse has evolved from, and more importantly, how current teaching methods relate to historic methods.By reading the title of the book I might have put it last on my list, after reading it, I have put it FIRST!

Beautiful and thoughtful
This book is truly a work of art, not to mention dedication in its fine summary of the history of dressage from early Greek history on to modern times. The knowledge I gained from this book is immeasurable. It has improved my riding, my understanding of dressage, my appreciation of this fine art of horsemanship, and most of all the incredible athletic ability, generous nature, and humbleness of our equine partners. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Truly excellent
I have many books on dressage and yet I found information in this one that was truly helpful, both for myself as a rider and as a dressage judge. I highly recommend this book.

Great for L-Program participants!
A great book for participants in the L-Program!Theory can be a bit drawn-out, but great on "how to give a score"--what makes a 7 or an 8...
My FAVORITE part of the book is the Grand Prix tests from the Olympic Games, '20's to 2000! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Clear explanations of what, how, when and why.
I do a some scribing at schooling shows, and this book in clear language and a logical presentation covers the things judges have explained about what they are looking for, why things are weighted differently at different levels, what specifics mandate an insufficient (4), what elements do NOT prevent a sufficient (5) score, but what must be present for it to be satisfactory (6).This applies to the nuances between Fairly Good, Good, Very Good and Excellent as well.The definition and explanation of correct execution of the directives and the movements they apply to are themselves a basic education in dressage. He covers schooling exercises for correct development, he covers common riding faults and how they affect the horse and the execution of the test, he covers strategies and techniques for riding the test as well advice for how to approach the whole thing of showing.I thought the book was excellent help not only on showing, or how to maximize the riding of the test itselfbut also on the training going on at home.A friend told me about the book because it gave the first explanation of a half-halt that truly made sense to her; and I found myself constantly nodding my head as all the bits and pieces I'd been hearing from various judges were right there in a lovely logical, clear structure.

Competitive Edge I & II
We have no idea how differently things look from where the judge sits at "C".Max enlightens us in his books.My scores have gone up significantly with his help.I always start out the show season byrereading them as a "reminder session".Besides, he is the onlydressage author whose work is entertaining as well as informative! If you compete, do your self and your horse a favor.Read these books!

An eye opener !
This book is filled with many, many helpful things even my trainer neglected to tell me about! A must have for anyone who wants to be competitive ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on years of experience as a trainer and competitor, Tricia Gardiner describes the essentials of training of a young dressage horse. She considers the basics of choosing your horse, selecting the right equipment and early work on the lunge and under saddle. The book also covers the general suppling work, schooling exercises and movements that need to be taught at Novice, Elementary and Medium level. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book - Very Informative
I really liked this book! The author makes dressage easy to understand! Great Buy!! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

A Beneficial Book for Riders at Every Level
This book has something to offer every rider, regardless of his or her level. From the chapter "Learning to Understand Horses," to "Self-Knowledge and Self-Control," to "Training With the Question and Answer Method," concepts are presented very clearly and logically, and apply both to amateurs and professionals. The chapters reflect the very comprehensive nature of the book and inform readers that good riding involves good physical and mental training of horse and rider alike.

Despite dealing with a very complex subject, the book is simple yet engaging in its approach. Although the Bartels family ranks very high in the international dressage world, the tone throughout the book is one of humility - no stuffy DQ's in this family! That attitude is particularly evident in the last chapter: "What We Have Learned From Other Trainers," in which past Global Dressage Forums are discussed. The Bartels give credit where credit is due.

Finally, it was refreshing to read a translation that didn't read like a translation. If I didn't know the book was originally written in Dutch, I never would have guessed that it had been translated in English. No awkward or distracting phrasing here, just a nice read with a "native English" feel.

In short, Ride Horses With Awareness and Feel is one of the best horse books I've read in years. I highly recommend it!

Communication with horses
This is a very insightful book on how horses think and what we, as riders, do while riding.Either consciously or unconsciously.Gives you a lot to think about on how your behavior affects the horse.

Misled
I was extremely disappointed in this book. The write-up sounds amazing but the book didn't deliver at all. As a woman, I was offended right from the beginning of the book with the Foreward by Imke Schellekens-Bartels. In summary, she believes women have made dressage more beautiful by riding with "feel" and with our new riding methods (mainly hyperflexion/rollkur) as opposed to the physically stronger men of military tradition who created the classical riding methods. I vehemently oppose this nonsense. I don't believe sex determines whether a rider is capable of riding with "feel" and I'm amazed that anyone who claims to know dressage would imply that proper dressage is practiced using physical/brute strength. Genuinely classical dressage is about the fine-tuning of aids, finesse, horse psychology, and building a horse up and making the horse stronger and healthier. It's not about subjugating, humiliating, or breaking a horse down. I've seen the pictures, the video footage, etc. Mouth gaping, eye rolling, tight nosebands and flashes, heads pulled with force (physical strength) to the chest, and tail lashing; these are NOT images of a happy horse. Anyone who doesn't have enough "feel" to recognize such obvious signs of distress will leave a long legacy of shame behind them.

Olympic training!
This is not an easy read, but a good read that covers the Bartels and their Academy's methodologies and ideologies.Obviously it works very well for them as they are successful professionals.They offer warnings for certain aspects/levels that say only professional/advance riders should attempt.Being a mature, safe, responsible, and loving rider is knowing when to be respectful and listen to advice!The last chapter is great in that offers advice from many different trainers that participated the past 5 years in the Global Dressage Forums. I would have liked to hear some more of the debates during this conference, and I would have liked to read what the Bartels contributed to conference, but this book covers a lot of ground and information, so the Global Forums are another book!It also sounds like they could write a book about using their methods and ideologies with stallions!
The biggest disappointment is that Rollkur is not mentioned directly!It continues to haunt like the pink elephant.I believe in deep riding as they do.I believe it comes from behind as they do.I believe young horses are not ready for it, as I believe they do.Americans are not educated enough either on horse or academically to enter into this dialog (we mostly hear knee jerk reactions)and the Bartels missed a chance on educating on the differences of deep riding and Rollkur.They do offer photographic examples of deep riding (and admittedly somewhat discouraging to see a lot of curb rein contact)(however, they do have soft, feeling hands which many riders in US are lacking).
The book has a great deal of info and could be three different books.I would like to hear more about the end awards of their cause and affect.
Over all, read this book.GREAT photos, and a lot of information.And as a learning US rider I would take lessons from them!They keep the rider thinking!

Surprising dichotomy
I just finished this book, and the ending was a big surprise. The authors use a training technique they call Question and Answer, which is the pressure and release training technique used in Natural Horsemanship given another name. That particular technique is very good for the horse and using it is a highly tactful way to train: I use it myself with great success. The authors describe their Q&A method well, and explain why it works: obviously, they have the horse's best interests in mind as they train.

I saw pictures of their mare Sunrise dotting the pages of the book, and her presence told me a lot about the authors. Sunrise was at the 2007 FEI World Cup in Las Vegas and I was very impressed by her: she was obviously strongly in season, but was able to keep herself together in spite of it, with all kinds of other horses around, including stallions. For the authors to have trained Sunrise so that she could perform so well while under stress said a lot about the effectiveness and tactfulness of their methods.

So I was very surprised when I reached the end of the book and found a chapter detailing another part of their training method that they call riding Deep and Round. Deep and Round is nothing but a euphemism for rollkur, and I couldn't believe that trainers that profess to keep the horse's best interests as a primary goal could subscribe to the use of rollkur in training.

The entire chapter about Deep and Round sounded like an attempt to sway the reader's mind about the use of rollkur, since they certainly know what the classical horsemen think of it. Statements that purport that rollkur isn't bad if used by an excellent trainer flies in the face of professionals--vets and trainers--that say just the opposite. Books like TUG OF WAR by Gerd Heuschmann bring the physical facts of rollkur to light, and it's not a pretty picture.

The authors say that their Deep and Round techniques must be introduced to the horse very slowly, and if used properly the horse if happy to do it. Well, you could get a horse to do anything, even tolerate being smacked in the head with a two-by-four, if you did it slowly while giving it a lot of rewards. Horses are such forgiving and cooperative animals that they allow humans to do things to them that are completely against their instincts and well-being, and rollkur is just one of those thing.

This book started out well, and I would have given it five stars if not for the end chapter about the "benefits" (?) of rollkur. Their Q&A training method DOES work, and it treats the horse as the intelligent, sensitive animal that it is. But the rollkur chapter ruined it for me. If you can completely ignore that chapter, the book would be better for it. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

Core book for your riding collection
This was recomened by my Instuctor.I have always enjoyed articles about her clinics and demostations,I'm also a Show jump rider so the princles are not the dutch fashionable ones. Well written good photos.

Thoughtful Personal Dressage Training
Kyra is a well respected and admired champion international dressage trainer and competitor.Her admiration of horses comes through in this book, while still being very technical.Kyra talks not only about how to train dressage horses, but why we train them in certain ways.

Kyra goes into a lot of detail about the aids she uses while riding.I like this personal perspective.She also addresses how she prefers to start teaching the most advanced movement, piaffe, showing in hand work.Very nice.

Towards the end of the book, Kyra talks about dressage training vs competition, including mental preparation for competition.This, for me, was a pivotal chapter, changing how I personally approach dressage competitions.

This is a thoughtfully written book and easy to read. I think dressage trainers and riders will truly enjoy it.

Well worth buying
Clear explanations and illustrations.Step by step guide to communicating with your horse.Very educational.A great reference book for anyone into dressage!

OUTSTANDING!
This book by Kyra and Jytte Lemkow (International Dressage Judge, journalist and photographer) is one of the more impressive contemporary books on Classical riding, and one from which the reader will definitely benefit. Worth every penny of its price.
The last chapter alone, on "mental training", preparing yourself psychologically to go into the ring and compete, will improve your scores.
Kyra has a clear and simple riding system, but she stresses that every horse is an individual, and you have to adapt training protocols to fit the unique personalities and body types.She talks about a respectful partnership, and how the horse must work with joy and not anxiety, and of the dangers of "desensitizing" the horse with too many demands or signals at the same time.The overriding message of this book is to keep the horse's front end free so he can find his own balance without a "blocking hand" as he is developing, and not to force the horse to work in a fixed frame too soon.
This book also has concise step-by-step diagrams of exercises for training the horse in canter, counter canter, change of leg, half pass, zigzag, etc., and also valuable exercises to check if the horse is reacting correctly to the rider's aids.
I found it amazing to see in the photos that Kyra's horse will perform a piaffe in hand by being stroked gently on the neck with the whip. Also apparent in the photos is the connection and trust between Kyra and her horses that can only be achieved by sensitivity and kindness.

dressage wtih Kyra
after reading this book from the Library and being only one copy it was wonderfull to purchase one for myself at such a reasonable cost, it is a great book and I only wish that I had of purchased it several years ago, now I have it to read and re-read when ever I feel the need to train my horse.

Kim ... Read more

Product Description
British Olympian and National Champion Carl Hester shares his training methods and shows how they can be adapted to suit individual horses. What makes this book so unique is that all the horses featured in this book are horses who have problems.None of them is perfect because in real life the perfect horse doesn't exist."The aim of the book,"Carl explains,"is not to describe ideal training scenarios but to look at what we can do, to the best of our ability, with the horses we have.Even with difficult horses, as I have proved with Escapado. It is important not to give up until you are absolutely sure that it's not going to work." "If there is a glimmer of hope," says Carl,it is worth persevering.It might take longer to get there, but if you, the rider, have patience, it may well still be possible and this is just as true at the higher levels as it is at the lower ones."With Carl's approach of using jargon-free text and wonderful color photos to share his methods, this book stands out from other training manuals in usefulness and pleasure in reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Prompt service
The book came within 2 weeks of ordering, was what I had ordered and was in excellent condition. They put their books in good packaging that ensures that the book doesn't get damaged. ... Read more

Product Description
Dressage as Art in Competition provides a detailed analysis of a training program designed-and proven-to take a horse to the highest level. Throughout, John Winnett stresses the need to treat each horse as an individual, and his valuable insights into the nuances of competition deal not only with the movements themselves but also with how to ride them to optimum effect on horses of differing conformation and temperament. A major theme of the book is the emphasis upon dressage as art, and Winnett stresses that this principle must be remembered amid the diverse pressures of producing horses for competition. Here is a book that translates the beauty of classical equitation for the riders of today. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 224 pages, b&w photos, illustrations) ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Basics of shopping for dressage horse
This book is great for anyone wanting to know the basics of what can make a dressage horse great by his/her conformation and to know what to look for when buying a potential dressage horse. great pictures, the book could have put in more pictures when comparing horses.
steph

Odd book
This wasn't the best book I have bought off amazon. I find that Anky's exerts contradict the main text by the author. Anky quite often begins her passages that she agrees with the author, then explains her view that doesn't necessarily agree with the author. If you are looking for some extra guidance on conformation and dressage, then by all means, give this book a try. However, do not take everything as gospel as there seems to be 2 point of views expressed in one book.

This Book ROCKS!
I absolutly love this book. The pictures are beautiful and the text is easy to read. The practical advice Anky gives to choosing a dressage horse is very clear and insightful. I highly reccommend reading this book before purchasing your next dressage horse!

great book for helping you pick out a dressge horse
Tells all about not only the best conformation for dressge horses but also movement and personality.It also talks about horses with less than ideal conformation becoming dressage horses.Great book for any dressage rider ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Jumps around in topics, hard to extract useful information from.
I own this book and have tried to like it, but I find it does not provide much useful guidance.It give some exercises, but is not clear when you should use them, or what to be aware of as you try them. ... Read more

Product Description
An elegantly written appraisal of classical riding by a highly respected equestrian author, enhanced with 50 superb color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

No disappointments here!
The book I ordered was in even better condition than I had expected, and looked to be almost new. The handling of the order and shipment occurred without any issues whatsoever. I would definitely order from this retailer again.

As far as the content of the book, the author gets a little 'wordy' at times, but makes many good points. The illustrations are very helpful, especially with position. I skipped by the wordiness and found the parts which were most helpful to me.

Inspiring, Elegant, Thoughtful.
As a starting rider, this book set the tone for how I would like to approach the (if I may be so bold) 'philosophy of riding':

* Care for the horse-man relationship
* Develop mastery of self
* Listen to (and learn from) the horse
* Respect the process and the history
* and more..

Granted, there are many pieces of advice I'm not ready for (specifics on Cavaletti riding and so on).And other books have been more practical (for my level) with the how-tos.

But no other book has touched me so deeply with the why-tos.

Definitively not for beginners
I know pretty well how to ride a horse. I can ride any horse in any saddle and make it go at the exactly the pace I want. I can even do a little of fancy stuff all the way to making the horse lie in the ground and get back up without dismounting. I also know that to a dressage expert, a ten-year-experience-rider "does not know the first thing about riding a horse". This might not be a bad book; it might even be a great one. But for somebody hoping for an introduction to dressage it is a disaster. You look at a picture as it explains the x, y and z attributes of horse and rider while x, y and z remain a mystery to you. Do not buy this book if you do not have ample experience in dressage. It will be like reading a book written in Chinese.

Dressage Mentor
Reading this book is like listening to the wisdom of an incredibly articulate and accomplished trainer! The author gives you the "road map" toward a clearer understanding of the artof Dressage. It has given me a much better understanding of my horse, and of what we are accomplishing together.The illustrations are so inspiring, and the entire book is a joy to read as well! ... Read more

Product Description
While many dressage books detail the mechanics of riding and training, this book offers much more to horse people of all disciplines by presenting classical dressage as an important foundation for any horse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Really disappointed
I read many Dressage books, and this is the first one that I have ever given one star to.The title is completely misleading as to the content of the book.It is though the book was written, and then a few chapters on "feel" were added and the book was titled with the catchy name.However most of the book never mentions "feel" anymore.This would have been a 2 star book, but even the "feel" portion was so full of contradictions that a reader will come away more confused that before! An example:Author Schaefer suggests the best timing of an impulsion aid is when the inner hind leg leaves the ground, yet suggests the timing of the inside leg aid at the trot is when you sit. Unfortunately this is the moment when the horses leg touches the ground.Ruth suggests the timing at the walk is when the horses ribs touch your calf.Sadly, this is also when the horses leg touches the ground.
So I cannot make sense of that Ruth wrote and what she actually means.A book with this title should be absolutely clear on the feeling/action relationship and this one left me cold.If you disagree with my understanding of her descriptions, please respond.

Excellent Dressage Book!
Some dressage books have caused me to "lug down" when reading them - to the point of not finishing them.This did not happen with Feeling Dressage by Ruth Sabine Schaefer, though!I found Feeling Dressage to be easy-to-read, clear and concise.(I enjoyed learning the German words for various Dressage terms, too.)

Black and white photos and line drawings help one to visualize the author's points.

My only complaint is that Feeling Dressage has no Index!An Index would be nice to have so one can easily reference the part of the book that is wanted without having to flick through the entire book.

There is a Table of Contents, though, which I've listed below.

Contents:
Foreword
1.Dressage:A Foundation
2.Physical and Mental Abilities of the Horse
3.Preparation for the Ride
4.The Rider's Seat
5.Gaits and How to Ride Them
6.The Aids
7.How to Structure a Riding Session
8.Training the Green Horse/The Scale of Training
9.In the Arena
10.Movements
11.Dressage Terms
Appendix - Equipment for the Horse

Very Helpful
Readers of this book will find a very useful guide in learning the art of Dressage by listening to your and your horse's body- feeling correctnees instead of overthinking it. I often use the book as a guide to help fix my riding problems, horse behavior problems or just to fine tune a movement- i.e. shoulder in or half pass because of the clear concise explanations. Enjoy!

Ho Hum
If you are a reader, studier and/or practitioner of dressage, this book is probably not going to knock your socks off.It's pretty much the same old thing.From the title, I was hoping it would provide some interesting insight into feelings, attitude, etc. about dressage, riding, horses, and the horse/human relationship.It actually is a step by step review of the basics.If you already have basic dresage references and you want something deeper and philosophical to enhance your understanding, try Paul Belasik, Sylvia Loch Jane Savoie.We all need to work on the basics, regardless of our level of knowledge or riding - I just had different expectations for this one!

If you have not read anything about dressage, and have little experience training in dressage, and you are interested in gaining some basic understanding of the concepts, this is a good gook.The discussions are quite clear and thorough.It's a good start for your dressage library.

Personally, I'm not crazy about the frequent references of <"WE" do it this way> ("we" being the germans, I assume).I'm also not crazy about the fairly frequent references to <"in order to translate this book to english ..." I had to lose some critical meaning>.It just sounds a little germanocentric.I think the combination of this and the less-than-illuminating content makes it sound a little patronizing overall. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to the selection, management and training of the dressage horse. Advice is given on implementing specific training programmes and schooling methods; and the work and movements required at each stage are explained. An appendix gives information on all aspects of lunging and longreining. ... Read more

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"A book that will take the most novice beginner and permit him or her to progress to any level of driving with a clear understanding of how and why things are done."
--William E. Miller, M.D., President, American Driving Society

"[The authors] obviously know their subject well and treat it with much sensitivity and wisdom. I only wish I had this book before I started my driving program."
--Sasha Rockefeller

The modern bible of carriage driving . . . now back by popular demand

Widely renowned as the definitive book on training the driving horse, Carriage Driving offers an easy-to-follow, practical guide to this increasingly popular sport.

The philosophy is simple but remarkably effective: If driving is as much fun for your horse as it is for you, he will be a willing partner in the endeavor. With that in mind, Carriage Driving focuses on building a strong physical, mental, and emotional relationship with your horse. Equine mechanics, selecting the right bit and tack, harnessing, and ground training are just a few of the topics addressed.

Drivers at any level will benefit greatly from this groundbreaking book, which has stood for more than a decade as the preeminent resource on training a balanced, responsive, and safe driving horse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Carriage Driving
Happy with the book and the condition it arrived in. However patients is needed for shipping time, it took several weeks.

Great book...
Best book of its kind, this book seems great from browsing through it.
Just dont expect it to actually get there in any semblance of time even if you paid extra money for shipping, amazon will fail you. This book however will not.

best driving book ever, wish I had an autographed copy!
After many years of driving minis, I thought I 'knew everything' - no, no, no.This book extensively covers everything one should know from buying the Right tack to lessons from the beginning lunging lessons on to the top.Very pleased I picked this book.

Excellent book on classical driving
This book is easy to understand for the beginner yet is full of quality classical driving and training principles. It also incorporates natural horsemanship(so old it's new again!) principles. Highly detailed but not overwhelming. Excellent book. This should be the bible of Carriage Driving.

Very good information
I have only read portions of the book at this point but plan to read all of it. I am completly ignorant of harness driving but recently purchased a miniature horse that I plan to finish in carting. This book has been an excellant resource. It is very detailed, but easy to understand. It mentions things to keep in mind that might not be obvious (like if you're new to harness or your horse is, you should have a bucking strap on your harness to save you a lot of frustration). I also like her approach to working with the horse - it is definately working WITH the horse and not BREAKING the horse. I have not read any other driving books yet to compare, but I am happy that I started with this one. ... Read more