Sundance, the horse.

Equestrian Knowledge

Many people are content if they can get a horse to move, turn, and stop. Others want more. Some regard the horse as a device to pull a wagon or work cattle. For others, the horse is a tool in achieving victory over competitors in contests of skill and agility. For a few, the horse is a living partner in the achievement of a work of art. This art may take the form of high-level dressage or cutting cattle. For the artist, the media is less important than the final piece of work.

One may think of the horse as an instrument developed and honed by the rider for his use in producing art. But to the true equestrian artist, his horse is more than this. This rider does not think of his horse as an instrument but, rather, as a partner in this work of art. As a true partner, the rider tries to help his horse develop to the best of his ability. At the same time, the rider must strive to hone his own skills in order to maintain his part in the partnership.

Some riders think they can perform well if they simply purchase a horse who has been trained to high levels by a competent trainer. This is like a musician who thinks that purchasing a well–crafted instrument will make him an accomplished performer. But just as a musician must know how to play his instrument and must practice to develop his skill, so must a rider both study his craft and practice to develop his skill.

A better analogy is that of dancing partners. Both partners must have studied and practiced their craft—perhaps individually but certainly as a couple—if they hope to achieve a high level of performance. The rider, as the lead partner in the dance, must assume the responsibility of putting forth even greater effort than his partner. The lead partner's responsibility is to compose the work, develop both himself and his partner, and gently guide (not force) his partner during the performance.

True art can neither be mechanically produced nor forced. While it takes great discipline to develop the necessary skills, the performance itself must flow from the performer's inmost being. One's skills must take the form of natural expression appearing as if done almost without effort.

While few people ever achieve the level of performance where they are clearly recognized as artists, this does not mean one should not try. Whether artist, craftsman, or hobbyist, one must study his area of interest in order to improve his skills.

If you really want to learn to ride and train a horse well, read! Hundreds, if not thousands, of books have been written on horses. Topics include: riding, training, care, and just about any other topic you could imagine. Don't become overwhelmed by the number of texts available. Just start reading, enjoying, and learning from the texts one at a time. Nobody says you have to read them all. Below, I've listed some of the books in my personal library.

These are books I have either purchased or received as gifts. I have read most of them in whole or in part. While I don't recommend every practice described in the books (or even the books for that matter), it is useful to be aware of practices even if you don't agree with them. That way, when somebody asks your opinion on a practice you can either say: "Yes, that's a good way to acheive that goal." or "I've read about that, but I wouldn't recommend it, because...."

In the following list, I've tried to provide the title, author, date of publication, and publisher. This is sometimes hard to figure out. Does the title include the other comments on the cover? Do you include apparent ghost writers, compilers, or translators? Should you go by the initial publishing date, the latest date, or the copywrite date? Which of the several companies named is the actual publisher? Anyway, I've tried to list enough information that you might be able to find the books if you're interested.

As I read new books, or re-read some of these, I will try to provide links with my comments about the books and the information which they contain. In the mean time, I would recommend the Masters of Equitation on....series of books. In these books, Martin Diggle has compiled thoughts of various recognized masters of riding and training. It is helpful to be able to compare in one book the different methods suggested by these riders and trainers. These books help the reader understand that working with horses is more an art than a science. Add to that the fact that you are dealing with a relationship between a particular human and a particular horse. Given this understanding, you can see why it is good to know a number of techniques. If one does not work, you have another to try.

Another book on this order is Anne Wilson's Top Horse Training Methods Explored. This books includes interviews with a number today's of popular trainers. Wilson even tries to get these trainers to comment on one another's techniques. While this book can just scratch the surface of each trainer's methods, the comparisons and contrasts are enlightening.

Finally, I would recommend reading On Horsemanship by Xenophon. Xenophon was a Greek general whose writing dates back to about 400 years before the birth of Christ. While some of the techniques recommended such as using your spear to help you vault onto your horse do not apply today, it is interesting to read how some things are still applicable. An e–text of Xenophon's work translated by H. G. Dakyns can be downloaded from Project Gutenberg. Run an internet search on Project Gutenberg to find a site from which you can download the text.

This is a list of some horse related books:

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