Suggest any good reading materials to learn horse behavior for a beginner rider/owner?
February 25th, 2010
I’m a beginner rider from Sri Lanka and I always wanted to ride/own a horse as long as I remember. After I started to really research in to horses I understood that it’s not as simple as I thought it was.
Now I know that you really need to have a good understanding of horse behavior and its habits and instincts, also its diet, how to manage a horse and also their medical conditions and a lot of commitment and a lot of money to be a good owner and a rider. Therefore I thought I will not be quick to own a horse for a good 4-5 years even though I will learn to ride in the coming months cos I don’t want to hurt my horse or myself due to a lack of knowledge.
So I thought learning "why horses do what they do" would be a great place to start learning things. So my question is, please suggest any reading material online or books and also your personal know-how with regard to this.
There is very little horse culture in Sri Lanka and therefore very limited local knowledge on horses.
Currently I’m in Malaysia and taking my first lessons on horseback riding. I spend as much time as I can in the stable learning from the trainers as I can but it’s only my first week.
Thanks for all your answers in advance..Cheers
Try ‘Think like your horse’ by Michael Peace.
Michael is a holistic trainer who spcialises in problem horses, never blaming the horse only the rider or handler.
I had a horse who wouldn’t load for years about 10 to be precise. When I moved him yards it took us 5 hours, 3 broken head collars and 2 broken lunge lines and I am not inexperienced. He’d kick hell out of you just for going near him with a trailer.
I tried Michaels method outlined in this book and I swear to god he loaded in 13 minutes flat without one kick or fight.
It was perfect!
There are lots of good books out there but try to get ones that concentrate on ‘kind’ methods. Horses will do anything if asked correctly. Its a matter of explaining rather than forcing.
February 25th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
The books I would suggest are Horses for Dummies (not suggesting your a dummies but it has everything in there from the basics to advanced!) and The Man Who Listens To Horses by Monty Roberts (this book will give you an insight into horses behaviour and is a good place to start, Monty Roberts is truly inspirational). I would also try and get some practical knowledge by helping out at a stables, you can read alot of books but you need somewhere to put everything you learn into practise. You are doing the right thing by researching everything first before rushing into buying a horse. Good luck x
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February 25th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Well, own a variety of books that have helped…Basically you want a few good horse encyclopedias. Most will describe horse behavior, then continue on to teaching you more about horses and riding.
Here are some examples:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Encyclopedia-Horse-Sharon-Lucas/dp/0789471817/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203408344&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Horse-Wants-Know/dp/0764540858/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203408598&sr=8-1
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February 25th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Try ‘Think like your horse’ by Michael Peace.
Michael is a holistic trainer who spcialises in problem horses, never blaming the horse only the rider or handler.
I had a horse who wouldn’t load for years about 10 to be precise. When I moved him yards it took us 5 hours, 3 broken head collars and 2 broken lunge lines and I am not inexperienced. He’d kick hell out of you just for going near him with a trailer.
I tried Michaels method outlined in this book and I swear to god he loaded in 13 minutes flat without one kick or fight.
It was perfect!
There are lots of good books out there but try to get ones that concentrate on ‘kind’ methods. Horses will do anything if asked correctly. Its a matter of explaining rather than forcing.
References :
Dressage trainer, rider
Owner of 6 horses, warmbloods, ponies and arabs
February 25th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
"The encyclopedia of the horse" is wonderful. Go to the library and select books on "horsemanship". A book I used when first starting out and still refer to is "Schooling of the Western Horse" by John Richard Young it was clear and concise and led me to a love of dressage and a desire to have as close a connection to my horse as a hand in a glove! Riding is something that is an Art and so you are always learning always striving for finer and better performance. Good luck! Here is a horse forum in Malaysia http://www.equestrian.com.my/forum Beware of certain Hotels that promote riding for tourists, Horse people have reported the starvation and abuse suffered by Horses purchased from Austrailia.
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February 25th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Lyons on Horses: John Lyons’
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lyons-Horses-Conditioned-Response-Training-Program/dp/038541398X
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February 25th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Mary Twelveponies, "There Are No Problem Horses Only Problem Riders". she explains the horse behaviors and how to handle them. Covers just about everyhting a beginner might experience. And there is "Horse Watching" by Desmond Morris. And "Horse Behavior Explained" by Margit H. Zeitler-Feicht. I prefer Mary Twelveponies.
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February 25th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
The United States Pony Club manuals are really great resources – they cover all aspects of riding and horse care in a manner that’s very easy to read and understand. The D manual is their intro, the C the intermediate, and the B / HA / A the advanced – all of them are really great books!
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