A veteran judge's authoritative yet user-friendly guide for beginners, for both English and Western disciplines, including license requirements and application procedures.
In the ten years since this book was first published, the USEF, American horse sport's governing body, has revised and added rules and regulations that affect novice hunter-seat riders. This user-friendly and encouraging guide reflects those changes and offers invaluable advice for riders, parents, and trainers: how to find an appropriate show and trainer; horse and rider preparation; entry requirements; show-ring etiquette; and what judges look for in a range of novice-level classes. Updated photos enhance the text and provide a more contemporary look.
Did you know there is an area of your brain known as the “Lizard Brain” that thinks only about the immediate moment and your means of survival? Yes, in certain circumstances, your “Rational Brain” can effectively “shut down” and you are at the mercy of a reptile ... dry-mouthed, sweating, queasy, unable to think clearly—even though you know better. When does the Lizard Brain run the show? It can happen in any number of unfamiliar, uncomfortable, challenging, or “stressful” riding situations. But here’s the thing: with the right kind of training, you can learn to manage the reptile within, which leads to greater confidence with horses, better riding performance, and ultimately, happiness at the barn, at shows, and everywhere in between. Andrea Monsarrat Waldo teaches you how to: handle uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, anger, anxiety, and embarrassment; hone your mental game and focus your riding time to get the most out of your hours in the saddle; care for your emotional injuries the same way you would care for an injured horse; and produce a state of “Focused Calm” and tap into the skills you have (whether you know it or not!) to ensure an outstanding ride.
Whatever your primary equestrian discipline, dressage is an ideal way for you to increase your riding awareness and enhance your relationship with your horse. Providing an overview of basic techniques and a series of helpful training exercises, Jennifer O. Bryant stresses the tenets of harmonious communication between horse and rider as she guides you through the graceful movements of dressage. With suggestions on how to find qualified instructors and information on necessary equipment, this comprehensive guide will inspire you to explore this exciting and rewarding world.
The USEF and USPC have both listed The Complete Guide to Hunter Seat Training, Showing, and Judging by Anna-Jane White-Mullin as recommended reading. Never before has such a complete text on the American hunt seat and equitation disciplines been compiled! Based on Anna Jane White-Mullin's now out-of-print bestseller Winning and chock full of gorgeous, full-color photographs taken at Beacon Hill Show Stables owned by Stacia Madden, The Complete Guide to Hunter Seat Training, Showing, and Judging provides every aspiring equestrian the means for achieving greatness in the show ring. Beginning with a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of horsemanship—recently re-emphasized as compulsory by such luminaries of the sport as George Morris—and progressing through essential schooling exercises in the development of the hunter or equitation mount, as well as advanced concepts applicable to upper-level competition, Part One lays the amateur's riding and training foundation. You'll find: • Discussion of collection and lengthening—long, medium, and short frames • Flatwork for improving the basic gaits—cadence, pace, and transitions • Training and showing tips for USEF Tests 1-19—patterns and how to prepare for them • Introduction to hunter and equitation jump courses—basic, intermediate, and advanced As an added bonus, the education of the rider is made complete with the inclusion of White-Mullin's famous text on judging hunters and equitation. Offering a complete discussion of the USEF rules, requirements, and tests, the second part of the book explains what judges look for and the training methods necessary to achieve the desired results.