Crookedness has a negative effect on a horse's health, performance and behaviour. Thanks to a system of straightness training devised by the authors, the horse's basic way of going can be corrected in a short time. This book describes the process of correcting crookedness, and includes work both on the lunge and under saddle.
This book is much more than an anatomy textbook. This is a guide to how and why the horse moves as he does. An essential aid for all who care about the horse's health and athletic performance.
A highly illustrated guide to simple yet effective methods for keeping horses sound, healthy, and performing their best. Over time, horses (like people) acquire postural habits, compensate for soreness and injury, and develop poor movement patterns. This limits performance ability, causes unsoundness and health issues, and ultimately undermines the horse's overall well–being. Jec Aristotle Ballou has made a name for herself advocating for the horse and providing sensible instruction in his schooling, conditioning, and care. Her bestselling books and popular clinics are designed to enable any horse person to correctly apply proven principles that bring measurable progress while avoiding boredom and confusion. In her latest collection of mounted and unmounted corrective exercises, Ballou demonstrates how we can actively work to improve the horse's posture and movement, whether he is: An active performance or pleasure mount. An aging or older horse that benefits from gentle exercise. A horse being rehabilitated following injury, illness, or lack of conditioning. Ballou's positive cross–training techniques are free of shortcuts, and her guidelines for analyzing the horse's posture and way of going help readers gain a new awareness of the equine body. Applicable for all disciplines and full of quality color photographs to explain the exercises, this is an integral collection that optimizes how the horse uses his body and helps ensure he stays sounder and healthier for more years of his life.
An eye-opening game-changer of a book that sheds new light on how horses learn, think, perceive, and perform, and explains how to work with the horse’s brain instead of against it. In this illuminating book, brain scientist and horsewoman Janet Jones describes human and equine brains working together. Using plain language, she explores the differences and similarities between equine and human ways of negotiating the world. Mental abilities—like seeing, learning, fearing, trusting, and focusing—are discussed from both human and horse perspectives. Throughout, true stories of horses and handlers attempting to understand each other—sometimes successfully, sometimes not—help to illustrate the principles. Horsemanship of every kind depends on mutual interaction between equine and human brains. When we understand the function of both, we can learn to communicate with horses on their terms instead of ours. By meeting horses halfway, we achieve many goals. We improve performance. We save valuable training time. We develop much deeper bonds with our horses. We handle them with insight and kindness instead of force or command. We comprehend their misbehavior in ways that allow solutions. We reduce the human mistakes we often make while working with them. Instead of working against the horse’s brain, expecting him to function in unnatural and counterproductive ways, this book provides the information needed to ride with the horse’s brain. Each principle is applied to real everyday issues in the arena or on the trail, often illustrated with true stories from the author’s horse training experience. Horse Brain, Human Brain offers revolutionary ideas that should be considered by anyone who works with horses.
"En 1887 Muybridge publie "Animal locomotion", une compilation de séquences photographiques abordant la problématique du mouvement. 45 séquences nous sont présentées ...
The Dynamic Horse describes the principles underlying the science of biomechanics, then illustrates how these principles apply to horsemanship and equine locomotion using examples that will be familiar to anyone accustomed to working around horses. Through knowledge of biomechanics, the reader will develop a better understanding of how horses move and perform. The Dynamic Horse addresses key concepts including tempo, rhythm, balance, characteristics of different gaits, speed and economy of movement, and jumping mechanics.Written with Dr. Clayton's characteristic clarity, The Dynamic Horse is an excellent companion for her popular text Conditioning Sport Horses.
Anatomy, particularly functional anatomy, is a vital and dynamic subject, an appreciation of which leads not only to superior husbandry and welfare, but also to a better understanding of the anatomical challenges associated with riding, training, overtraining, injury and rehabilitation. Using Alexa McKenna's fabulous illustrations, this book shows the correlation of the skeleton, muscular system and locomotion, providing a clear insight into the functional and dysfunctional horse. It also addresses the largely misunderstood concept of 'perfect conformation' and looks at the effect on function of the rider and tack, using cutting-edge diagnostic techniques such as thermal imaging and gait analysis. Again with the emphasis on the visual, readers will be able to appreciate how muscles function in differing athletic disciplines by analysing the heat generated in musculoskeletal structures after exercise. This will also highlight the importance of post-competition recovery. The book concludes with a range of useful techniques to improve the function of any horse, including stretches, taping, wrapping and other proprioceptive techniques to increase balance, flexibility, awareness and posture.
Gentle ways to improve the horse’s core fitness while relieving pain related to conditions such as kissing spine. Every equestrian wants to know: what is the difference between the horse that “dances” when you are on him, and the one that doesn’t? According to Visconte Simon Cocozza, Trainer and Examiner for the La Fédération Française d'Equitation (FFE), it all comes down to the horse’s posture. The horse’s ability to use the powerful mechanisms already built into his body relies not upon the strength we can see on the outside but the strength on the inside. This invisible and complex arrangement of internal “core” muscles control the horse’s posture, suppleness, and agility. Their good condition is the key to the dance. Equine core muscles are very difficult to isolate with the traditional training techniques common to horse sports. However, by examining what we do with the human body when faced with a weak core, we can find new methods for conditioning these areas of the equine body. Cocozza has taken principles of the human practice of yoga and used them to develop novel ways of reaching deep within the horse’s body and: Gently “unlock” areas that may be a little “rusty.” Improve core fitness. And even relieve pain related to conditions such as kissing spine. In this highly illustrated book, he provides step-by-step instruction explaining easy mounted exercises that enhance the horse’s posture, and boost his confidence in his body and movement, making him easier to ride, and ultimately, the dance partner you’ve always imagined.
In this book, Jim Masterson, Equine Massage Therapist for the 2006 and 2008 and 2010 USET Endurance Teams, and for equine clientele competing in FEI World Cup, Pan American and World Games competitions, teaches a unique method of equine bodywork, in which the practitioner recognizes and follows the responses of the horse to touch to release tension in key junctions of the body that most affect performance.This practical book with step-by-step instructions, photographs and illustrations is ideally suited to accompany you to the yard/stables, where you can practice the Masterson Method techniques on horses. Expanded chapters with Tips & Techniques, anatomical explanations and examples from Jim's practice help deepen your understanding. A 'quick reference' section will point you to exercises that are specifically suited to your particular discipline, may it be dressage, endurance, eventing, or others in the vast realm of horse sports.