Books and DVDs

Denny Emerson, USEA Hall of Famer, reveals seven factors that lead to success in any Equestrian sport.

Wendy Murdoch, an internationally recognized equestrian author, instructor, and clinician for over 23 years, teaches her students how to do what great riders do naturally. Her fascination with the mind/body connection between horse and rider has led her to explore courses outside the equine world and bring that information to her students.

How to read horse behavior and develop a better partnership by balancing leadersip with friendship.

TRAINING THE MODERN JUMPER

This book is a good resource for anyone coaching or riding over fences. Section 1 consists of 25 ground pole exercises, from the basic figure-eight over a pole to not-so-basic figure-eights over poles, to an entire course of poles with pace changes. Later exercises incorporate the ground-pole exercises into grids and work at the canter with lead changes. Far from being the required "boring stuff" that is presented before you get to the actual jumping, the pole work is fresh and challenging and will be a welcome addition to anyone's training schedule.

As the book progresses, exercises get increasingly challenging. There is something for all levels of riders, from 'D' Level Pony Clubbers to those preparing for 4' jumpers. Just as valuable as the exercises are the in-depth explanations and directions. Problem-solving, double-check, and tip boxes are provided for each exercise. Benefits are also clearly explained.

This book from Storey Publishing follows the popular 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider. The book opens vertically like a calendar, and each two-page spread has a diagram of the exercise on the top page, with walk-through instructions and tips on the bottom page. It's designed so it can be hung up in the arena as you work, with a sturdy coil binding and a hole for hanging. The exercises range from simple warm-up exercises to more complicated ones designed to develop suspension, flying lead changes, lightness and lengthening.

As with any book of exercises, riders should realize they can only get out of them what they are able to put into them. Regular feedback from a qualified coach or friend, listening carefully to what your horse tells you, and respecting the difficulty of seemingly 'simple' exercises will help riders move forward.

In his bestselling first book Bombproof Your Horse, Sergeant Rick Pelicano of the Maryland National Park Police shared the one-of-a-kind, step-by-step exercises he uses to prepare police horses and riders for duty. By doing so, he transformed the concept of bombproof into a proactive form of training that any rider can apply to her horse. Now he's back and taking bombproofing to a whole new level.

JANE SAVOIES DRESSAGE 101

Janet Foy's book titled "Dressage for the Not So Perfect Horse: Riding Through the Levels on the Peculiar, Opinionated, Complicated Mounts We All Love." Addresses some of the challenges that North American dressage riders face and helps them master one of the world's most esteemed equestrian pursuits.

Balancing Act: The Horse in Sport - An Irreconcilable Conflict? is Dr. Heuschmann?s long-awaited follow-up to his first thought-provoking book.

KYRA KYRKLUND TRAINING SERIES