Centered Riding

Author: Sally Swift
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312127343
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 216

Book Description
Widely known for her innovative teaching philosophy stressing body awareness, the value of "soft eyes," proper breathing, centering, and balance, Sally Swift has been a pioneering riding instructor for half a century. In book form for the first time, her methods enable horse and rider to achieve harmony, working together naturally, without pain. Unlike traditional teachers, Sally Swift does not believe in forced training techniques that cause stiff bodies and tense riding. Instead, through the use of vivid, unusual, and highly creative images that transcend mechanics ("Pretend you're a spruce tree; the roots grow down from your center as the trunk grows up"), plus a thorough knowledge of human and equine anatomy, this wise and inspiring teacher enables the conscientious equestrian to reassess habitual responses, in order to ride in natural positions, break through frustrating plateaus, and achieve ever-rising goals with comfort, vitality, and precision. Precise illustrations and photographs never before used in riding books explain anatomy and image work to give mind and body new and relaxed approaches to the inner process of riding. Centered Riding is for those with little experience all the way up to world class.

Rider Fitness

Author: Eckart Meyners
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781570764820
Category : PETS
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
"Step-by-step instructions for rider exercises off and on the horse to better their performance and ability to communicate functionally with their horse"--

Connection Training: The Heart and Science of Positive Horse Training

Author: Hannah Weston
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781916210103
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Book Description
A practical guide to using reward-based training techniques to create a true partnership with your horse. This leads to lifelong connection, effective problem-solving and joyful performance.

Fit to Ride in 9 Weeks!

Author: Heather Sansom
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570768307
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 489

Book Description
Regardless of discipline, level of expertise, training philosophy, body shape, or fitness level, all riders do better—in horse-related activities on the ground and in the saddle—when they take care of their bodies and maintain their fitness. While riding is a great way to enjoy an active lifestyle, on its own it is not enough to condition and tone the body to the degree we need, and then the horse must make up the fitness gap in our physical partnership. If our reflexes are slow, if our bodies fatigue, if our position collapses, if tension patterns appear, then the horse suffers repetitive asymmetrical strain or develops compensatory movement habits. It is for his good, as well as ours, that certified personal trainer and riding coach Heather Sansom has developed an utterly achievable 9-week plan to give every rider the straightness, suppleness, strength, and stamina she needs to rider her best. With hundreds of one-of-a-kind illustrations depicting accurate musculature on the rider’s body, and dozens of proven exercises organized in a progressive fitness program with easy-to-use schedule charts, Sansom’s book is the key to enjoying the ride, being fair to your horse, and getting into fabulous shape—in nine weeks!

Equine Fitness

Author: Jec Aristotle Ballou
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 1603426698
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
Get your horse in shape and maintain his overall fitness, regardless of his age or abilities. Equine Fitness will have your horse looking and feeling his best with a series of fun exercise routines specifically designed to enhance his strength, stamina, and agility. Clear step-by-step instructions and detailed illustrations make the exercises easy to follow, and the book includes a handy set of pocket-sized cards that you can use in the ring. Jec Ballou’s simple conditioning program promises lasting results for healthy horses and satisfied riders.

50 5-Minute Fixes to Improve Your Riding

Author: Wendy Murdoch
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570766398
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
5 minutes a day is all the time you need to achieve: • Better balance in the saddle • Improved body control from head to toe • Increased influence with your seat • Flawless leg position and subtle aiding • Quieter, softer hands and contact your horse can trust • Less physical stiffness, tension, and riding-related pain • Confidence in your ability to communicate with your horse! PLUS, in just 5 minutes you can improve a horse that's: • Unwilling to go forward or "dead" to the leg • Hollow-backed, high-headed, or above the bit • Heavy on the forehand and unbalanced • A chronic "puller," "leaner," or "head-tosser"! Start or end your riding sessions with Wendy Murdoch's 5-Minute Fixes, and you'll be amazed how quickly you can replace old habits with new ones, get out of your "riding rut," and transform what you can't do into what you can do…naturally, capably, comfortably, and consistently alongside a happy riding partner—your horse.

Ride in Balance

Author: Beth Glosten
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615482897
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description

Training and Riding with Cones and Poles

Author: Sigrid Schöpe
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781570767210
Category : Pets
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Training your horse to concentrate on a lesson, bend his body from nose to tail, and pay attention to where he places his feet--whatever your discipline or level of expertise, these are necessary foundation skills. Here you will find an incredibly handy guide to introducing and solidifying these concepts, as well as many others, with exercises using two very basic training tools: traffic cones and ground poles. Incorporating cones and poles in your daily lessons not only provides visual interest and physical guidelines for your horse as he moves around the ring, it also gives you a means of developing accuracy in your schooling figures and transitions. With these exercises, your horse's movement and response to your aids will certainly improve, but so will your overall riding performance.

101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider

Author: Jec Aristotle Ballou
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 1603429212
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Book Description
This series of Western Dressage exercises are designed to improve suppleness, balance in movement, and responsiveness. Each exercise has a specific goal in mind, and they are organized by different areas of focus: softness, looseness, rider development, engagement, adjustability, and ground work. With illustrated step-by-step instructions and full arena diagrams, you’ll quickly be on your way to mastering this exciting discipline.

The Riding Doctor

Author: Beth Glosten
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 1570767467
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 234

Book Description
After leaving horses behind for many years to pursue her medical career, Dr. Beth Glosten decided it was time to ride again only to discover that, as a middle-aged woman, she struggled with tension, awkwardness, and an aching back. Dr. Glosten’s own frustration with riding prompted her to apply her clinical research skills to figure out what it would take to not only create the harmonious picture of horse and rider moving together, but also feel good while doing it. In this book, Dr. Glosten shows others how best to improve their posture and position in order to prevent unnecessary physical degeneration, ensuring they can ride, and ride well, for many years to come. Readers will find basic rider anatomy that is easy to understand, as well as over 50 step-by-step exercises geared toward developing riding skills. Plus, Dr. Glosten has developed a systematic “Rider Checklist” to help you keep track of your position and function in the saddle. Throughout, case studies share rider stories that illustrate the kinds of physical challenges experienced in the saddle in midlife, and how they can be met with proactive, pain-free solutions. The result is a remarkably valuable book.