(Part 2) Top products from r/Equestrian

https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Horse-Elwyn-Hartley-Edwards/dp/0751312363/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

A used copy of the Encyclopedia of the Horse is probably going to be best bet for getting a quick and dirty general reference for the horse wild in general. There are some other books, but they are largely geared toward people who are more personally interested in doing things themselves.

That said, google and wikipedia is generally your friend.

Also, people here are always happy to answer your questions.

It sounds like your daughters are riding at what is called a "Hunter/Jumper Barn." This refers broadly to the two main disciplines that involve riders jumping horses over obstacles in an arena or stadium. The obstacles are called fences, and the fences are made in a way that they fall down easily if the horse hits them.

"Jumpers" is an easier event for the layperson to understand. A jumper competition is one where the riders compete to see who can ride their horse through a course of fences the fastest and with the fewest number of "faults" (a fault is something like going off course, knocking down a jump, or taking too long to complete the course). So, the winner is determined objectively- whoever gets the best time with the fewest faults wins. Jumpers descends from military riding competitions, but is several steps removed from that.

"Hunters" takes its name from the practice of fox hunting from horseback, but it share almost nothing with actual fox hunting. The trappings of the hunters and the jumpers is similar, but there are some significant differences. Hunters is a subjective event. There's also a predetermined course for the rider to complete, along with an ideal time and a penalty for faults, but the rider is graded subjectively by a judge.

Broadly judge scores the riders based on their form, their control and precision as they ride to the fences, the relaxation and willingness of the horse, and the overall quality of the ride. The riders are scored according to the subjective grading of the judge (who has standards they judge by, but it's still in the opinion of the judge).

So, the jumpers is about speed while the hunters is about presenting good form. Most barns that specialize in jumping will offer both disciplines, but some are more specialized than others. Generally, younger students will start out as hunters because the fences are lower and the classes are more about presenting correct fundamentals, which makes it a safer event for beginners showing for the first time. The courses also tend to be much less complex and are designed to allow the rider the best opportunity to set their horse up correctly for the fence.

The jumpers is faster and arguably more athletic. The courses are more complex and require more advanced tactical thinking from the rider. It's a more aggressive show ring and one that requires a certain level of maturity, because a bad decision on a jumper course is more likely to result in some level of injury for the horse or rider. Now, injuries are uncommon, but there are EMTs at big shows for a reason...

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There are some other "English" events as well. Dressage is a discipline that does not involve jumps. Like the hunters, dressage is about creating a nice image with correct form and presenting that to a judge, who scores and grades the riders and horses as they complete a prescribed series of movements, called a "Test." The tests range in complexity from basic walking and trotting in a few circles around the arena to preforming highly complex movements and patterns at the Olympic levels. Each movement in the test has a maximum score of 10 points, and the horse and rider team is scored a 1 to a 10 for the execution of the movement, with 6 being about average but acceptable to 8 being about as good at the average horse and rider could hope to accomplish. A rider getting a 9 or a 10 on a movement is something that people will talk about for weeks, and a horse getting a "10" on a movement at a recognized show will add at least a thousand dollars to its value. The scores are added up to a total, and the riders score is expressed as a percentage of the total possible points possible for the ride. So, a 60% is an acceptable score, while a 70% is a good score and an 80% would be an excellent score (a score in the 90s would be incredible).

Think of dressage as something like gymnastic floor exercises. However, dressage is really about the athletic development of the horse through proper riding and conditioning. It's about teaching the horse to use his body in the most bio-mechanically correct way. In that way, dressage is like equestrian weight lifting- its the proper use of form while lifting to develop an ideal body, while also improving the quality of the horse's movement to its best possible state.

Dressage is also a descendent of military training. Dressage riding and training was something done by cavalry officers tasked with training horses for drill and combat, with the purpose of making horses strong and obedient. However, as horses became less useful in combat, dressage became more of a military art and less about practical combat training. Dressage can perhaps be compared to military drill, where the Marines silently perform a routine with the utmost precision. But, it's also been separated from the military nature of things by many years and has become more of a sport or a game, which is a source of some controversy. But, that's also getting outside of the scope of an explanation for a layperson.

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3 Day eventing is the other main English riding discipline. 3 Day eventing is also a military inspired event and it retains more of its military heritage than some of the other events. As the name implies, a 3 day event lasts three days and consists of three events- jumpers, dressage, and cross country. Jumpers and dressage work exactly the same as the other two events that I described, but the dressage tests tend to be less complicated.

Cross country is the real reason why anybody events. Cross country is the ultimate test of a horse that can jump. A moderately difficult cross country course is enough to make an experienced grand prix Jumper or Hunter nervous. Cross country is about galloping at speed over terrain. The jumps are fixed and do not fall down if hit. There are hills, slopes, banks, and water complexes that the horse and rider must navigate. Scoring is based on time verses faults, like jumping. The winner of the event is determined by the overall ranking in all three events.

This event has more fatalities attached to it than almost any other horse sport. There's usually at least one horse and rider fatality per year, if not more. I think over 50 riders have died since 1990. To do this event at the competitive level, you have to be equal parts skilled and crazy. Bad injuries can happen even at the lower levels. There have been some safety improvements, but you rarely see eventers under the age of 15.

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This is already a novel, so I'll end here. If you have more specific questions, I'm happy to help answer them. I can help explain more about the horses themselves, breeds, health, general training, attire, bits, saddles, other equipment, and what to look out for when dealing with horse trainers (who are, in general, money grabbing liars who are looking for ignorant parents with horse crazy daughters that they can exploit).

I second Pony Club. Unfortunately the cut-off age is 25. However, Pony Club has some great manuals available that cover everything you will need to know. The manuals come in a set of three, The Beginner Manual (This will be absolutely essential in your case), The Intermediate Manual (This will be nice to have on hand), and The Advanced Manual (And this I wouldn't worry about, but it is a fun read!).

The beginner manual covers everything from basic riding techniques, grooming, tack and tack cleaning, stall cleaning, feeding, anatomy, health, first aid, and more.

Also, most stables cover the basics when you start taking lessons. Obviously they'll teach you the dos and don'ts of handling horses right away, but you'll learn more as you advance. Most instructors will be happy to answer any questions you have about care and management. Any good equestrian knows that is just as important as the riding.

Also, when looking for a stable, try to pick one with a good community of people riding there, and preferably a Pony Club. Knowledgable people are always at the ready to help beginners out. Good luck!

Okay so, I have tons of dog books to recommend. Obviously it isn't an apples to apples translation for horses, but they will help you get a solid understanding of clicker theory, and a lot of the exercises could be applied to horses, with some creative tweaking. You can usually find some inexpensive used options on Amazon that may make it more practical to buy these books, since with the exception of the Karen Pryor book they only cover dogs. If you have questions or want more recommendations let me know!

When Pigs Fly!: Training Success with Impossible Dogs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1929242441/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_41JXBbXWEPN78 This is a good basics of training books that will give you a solid introduction to actually applying clicker training.

Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743297776/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_J4JXBb9X374P5 This will get you really in the weeds on the theory and development of clicker training, plus a lot of examples of how Karen has used the methods. It is very readable, not dry and overly academic. I found it light on giving you step by step application instructions for a variety of situations though.

The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving and Manners https://www.amazon.com/dp/1478176415/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_G6KXBb7XTZPB3 this one is another really good basics book. The author has another book called Behavior Adjustment Training that uses positive methods to deal with hyper-reactive and problem behavior. It might be a good one just so you can see some of the creative ways that they use positive training to overcome things like food aggression, fear of strangers, etc.

Most dressage resources talk about both the horse and the rider, since there is really no way to progress as a dressage rider without understanding how your aids affect the horse, nor to train the horse without good riding. So luckily there are a lot of good rider-focused resources out there, but be prepared to read a bit about the horse side of things in any dressage resources you find.

Some that I'd recommend are:

• Lessons with Lendon -- Lendon Gray does a lot of education and has a whole dressage for kids program, so aside from being a great rider she is also pretty tuned in to teaching students across the whole spectrum of experience levels.
  
  
• For the Good of the Rider -- Mary Wanless is a little polarizing, as not everyone loves her brand of biomechanics-oriented riding. But there's no question that she speaks to the rider and that she gets you thinking about what you're feeling as a rider, which is important for developing an innate sense of how to move in the saddle and how your body impacts your horse.
  
  
• Dressage 101 -- Jane Savoie is easy to read and does a good job with the basics. This one is probably targeted most closely to a re-rider getting into dressage.
  
  Your trainer may have other suggestions and will probably be psyched to know that you're excited enough about your riding to do some brushing up outside of lessons, so I'd recommend asking her/him as well.

Gloves are nice sometimes, but they aren't by any means essential. If you do show, a pair of black gloves will be good. Personally, I like my Heritage Performance gloves. They aren't too expensive and they last a long time.

As for breeches, TuffRiders are great. Mine are 6 years old and still in decent shape. But, for inexpensive and not too warm, Devonaire makes wonderful stuff.

As for show shirts and all that, don't worry about buying anything too fancy for the lower levels. A nice clean polo shirt and khaki breeches will be just fine.

If you hang around long enough, someone will put you to work :)

You can start with non horse things like sweeping and changing lightbulbs in the barn as well as handyman (woman) type jobs. Once the other staff/cleaners/horse people see that you are interested and willing to learn, they will start to ask you to help with other things. Once you learn the ropes, you can start to do turn out (taking the horses from the stalls to the paddocks or field and back) which is a great way to learn how to handle a variety of horses and also help with feeding.

Someone with a good attitude and who is willing to learn is far preferable to someone who has a bit of experience but is snotty or hard to work with.

Regardless of where you choose to ride, horses need to eat and they poop a lot (about 40-50lbs a day), so there is always work to do.

You can pick up a ton from reading How to Ride type manuals and Pony Club books, even older ones (the one I used a bunch was published in the 1950s in the UK). And ask all the questions, watch people and what they do and try to learn as much as you can!

You can look for these in your local library if you are interested:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ultimate-Horse-Rider-step-step/dp/0754830357/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540873380&sr=1-11&keywords=How+to+Ride+horses

https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Riding-Manual-William-Micklem/dp/0756690587

Horse Health Care by Cherry Hill

Any Pony Club type publications.

Also I think the kids these days use youtube videos on how to do horse things so that might be a good resource (just remember that anyone can post there including people who know just enough to get themselves into trouble).

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This is a threshold issue, not a bit issue. You need to work her on controlling her impulses, not use more pain. It takes time, but is not complicated. The only change I would make is either use a full-cheek snaffle or a side-pull- something that has a safe lateral pull which will not pull through her mouth or cause damage. I have had success with a super-S, although that can be a bit severe- wrap the metal part with vetwrap.

The Reason- the "competitiveness" built into racehorses and often tortured into barrel horses in not a healthy one, often. It is based on fear. As a herd animal, being left behind meant being eaten. Using pain to control a reaction to fear creates more fear. I know she probably does love running, but the ROOT of the sudden urge to run is still fear.
Barrel horses are seldom given a chance to develop their speed (MANY EXCEPTIONS, I KNOW) in a healthy manner. I have seen 3 year olds barely 3 months into training ridden in twisted wire gags, ridden with sharp spurs and over-unders. If your horse was raced for many years, then it is DEEPLY ingrained that when she needs to run she NEEDS TO RUN NOW OR IT HURTSSSSSS.

WHAT YOU WANT- You want her to turn to you for instruction when she is startled or unsure. This is conditioning rather than training- meaning you need to make it a reflexive response rather than a conscious decision. Think about how long it would take you to teach yourself to stand on one foot and put your hands on your head instantly whenever you are startled... Teaching a horse to not run when they have the urge makes just as little sense to a horse as that does to us, and takes as much time.

Co-LESSON- You also want to re-set your horse's response to confinement. For the same reasons as above.

BEST RESOURCE- The best resource for both, in my experience, is John Lyon's methods. You don't have to do the round-pen part, but it helps. He has a book titled "Troubleshooting" which briefly describes good fixes for all these problems, and the Ground Control Manual is very in-depth, and worth every penny if you figure to be working with green or young horses in the future. I also like the Tellington method.

BRIEF EXPLANATION: For confinement, you need to go back to the basics of "give to pressure". I know she already seems to know this, but she doesn't retain it under pressure. Work on it every day. I use a clicker and treats to very great affect with abused and skittish horses- it works, but get the book so you don't accidentally create a treat-mugger. (Clicker Training For Your Horse, from the Karen Pryor website) The great thing about clicker training is that you can do a little bit- a minute or two several times throughout your visit with your horse.

For the bolting/barn/herd sour behavior- choose a pattern of basic movements. I do "walk 3 steps, stop, bend left then right, turn right, walk stop, repeat". Having a set of simple exercises you can turn to when your horse is upset is a great way to relax them, turn their attention back onto you, calm YOU, and gives you credibility with the horse. Do these exercises in the arena, a LOT, until you notice that your horse relaxes when you do so. Then, go out of the arena a bit. If she is calm, continue. As soon as she starts to get even the slightest bit tense, do several repetitions of your chosen exercise. If she gets too tense, go back until she is calm. I know it is the presense of the other horse which triggers her bolting, but start this exercise alone. When you can do the whole trail ride, including coming home, with her calm- THEN add another stressor in the form of another horse. Begin again in the arena. Walk side by side, then turn away and put her through the exercises as the other horse continues. Then do this as the horse trots, then canters, then runs away. Do not continue to the next step until she is calm, head down, ears to you, no matter what the other horse does. When the other horse can bolt away from yours, THEN repeat this exercise further and further away from the arena. Remember, you have to pull her head to the side BEFORE she takes more than a step, preferably as soon as she tenses to launch. If you drop the outside rein and pull her head towards your boot, she CANNOT run away with you. Unless you are a pixie and she is a draft horse, you are stronger than just her neck. Don't even try to pull back or make her stop that way. If she continues to freak out, bail off. (practice this!!!!!!!) If she DOES freak out, then you have exceeded her threshold and you need to go back a step or two.

Add these to your early xmas wish list:


http://www.amazon.com/John-Lyons-Troubleshooting/dp/1929164319/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408841539&sr=1-4&keywords=john+lyons

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Horse-Behavior-Training-Book-ebook/dp/B009Z76QE8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408841570&sr=1-1&keywords=tellington-jones

http://www.amazon.com/Clicker-Training-Horse-Alexandra-Kurland/dp/1890948357/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408841597&sr=1-1&keywords=clicker+training+for+your+horse

I was so frustrated when I started trotting! I could sit the canter, no problems - somehow the slower rhythm worked for me, but that canter -jeesh. I would be sore and cramp up and tense up.
I got my self some theoretical knowledge from Sally Swift in the book "centered riding" it really helped me and she has some great mind tricks you can use on yourself, as well as some interesting exercise you can talk to your trainer about.
I also really like that the book isn't just for beginners, so as I've progressed in riding, I've also advanced in the book.
Here is a link to amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Centered-Riding-Trafalgar-Square-Farm/dp/0312127340/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377851359&sr=1-1&keywords=sally+swift+centered+riding

also, try doing just short bits. so start trotting and once you loose your rhythm go back to a walk. then trot again, and back and just keep doing that. you'll notice that the trot sessions will get longer.
With the canter I found that the opposite helped me. I needed a few circles to get the rhythm down. which reminds me - are you on a lunge line? it really helped me concentrate on the seat and rhythm because I didn't have to concentrate on make the horse go and telling her where i wanted to go.

There's a really good book to read: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Track-Retraining-Thoroughbred-Racecourse/dp/1570764026/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=JVCRHZHA34JRBEGE6MAD

I bought this when I decided to commit to buying my mare (OTTB turned broodmare turned jumper). A lot of it didn't apply to me because it had been 10+ years since she had been at the track, but still good to know.

I assume you mean the complete horse riding manual? I checked out the preview it looks interesting. Thanks!

I learned it from the man himself but his book is very good!

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Horse-Conformation-Evaluating-Potential/dp/1570765308

The book is great if you've never read it :)

Is this the correct book?

Try this book. I used it for the first horse I ever owned and started under saddle. It was great for step by step instructions on how to start a young horse under saddle. Over the years I moved away from it, and there are things I wouldn't do now, but from a ground up perspective it's a pretty good tool.

And keep in mind, when you're starting a horse, there's no difference between english and western except for the size of the saddle. I personally prefer to start in an english saddle (after being beaten up by a horn on a crazy ass horse that rodeoed me into a busted lip, bruised pelvis, face and almost broken foot), but if they have a good head and you took your time to start them right it shouldn't matter. Style of riding doesn't really shape your horse until you've gotten some miles on them.