Book Recommendations Please!

[Retty]

Hi there,

I am looking for a really good, easy to read and understand book which will help me with a classical seat position (I have read Heathers bit on here and they are v good but I want to know more!), is there one called ride with your mind? If so does anyone know who it's by?

THanks!

[Mehitabel]

ride with your mind is mary wanless - very good. the best is probably RWYM essentials - it's her latest one and is clearer than the earlier ones.

[Retty]

Thanks Es, I shall toddle off and purchase this weekend!

[laura jeanne]

I watched Jane Savoie's Riding in Your Mind's Eye" videos. They were great for people who are visual learners. They show the correct seat, w/t/c up close and in slow motion without a lot of talking so you can just "absorb" the images. I can ride much better if I imagine these images while I am riding.

I really like them because they only show the correct way of riding. Other videos I have seen, including the Mary Wanless videos, show riders who have all kinds of problems and then she tries to correct them. These are interesting, but the Jane Savoie tapes are the best if you want to see a rider with a correct seat on beautiful horses!!

I also like the Sally Swift books and tapes. Her images are very helpful.

[Harry Hobbes]

Try The Classical Seat: A Guide For The Everyday Rider, by Sylvia Loch. 1988. ISBN 0-9513707-1-5. 79 pages.

This book is short, to-the-point, and focussed strictly on the Classical Seat.

Best regards,
Harry

[Retty]

Thanks you guys, might go to library then can take list with me rather than purchase!

[kelsey]

Jane Savoie's tapes are excellent - also any tapes with Reiner Klimke or his son Michael or daughter Ingrid.

There is a book and video called "Balance in Movement" by Suzanne von Dietz - the book has very detailed anatomical descriptions which can be rather dry. However, if you can "force" your way through it (and you may need to read some sections multiple times to "get it") it is incredibly helpful. (I credit this book as part of the reason I always get complimented on my seat.)

The video has a lot of very good exercises for the seat.

Oh, another video with good seat exercises is Karl Mikolka "Thirty Days to a Better Seat".

And Charles de Kunffy is good for position (although he rides with more of a "driving" seat than I have been taught - the sections about the legs are excellent).

Can you tell that I watch a lot of videos?

[Retty]

Am frantically scribbling all these down, I have a lesson booked for next saturday and want some practise before then! My mare is spooky, fast and scary so I need all the help I can get! I just love the winter....NOT!

[LCA]

I have been reading 'The Athletic Development of The Dressage Horse' by Charles de Kunffy. Although it is not about the rider in particular and is more to do with gymnastic development of the horse it is written from a classical view point and I have gotten a lot out of it as a rider.

[tubby]

If you like Heather Moffats articles why not buy her book " Enlightened Equitation".I have this myself & it really is excellant . it's very easy to understand ,gives you the correct aids & couldn't possibly be clearer. If you want to learn more this is the one to get.

[Stella2]

I really like Jane Savoie's stuff and have found her two video's on the 'Half Halt' clear and remarkably useful. Sylvia Loch's books and videos are great (a friend and I promise ourselves that we'll pay her a visit in Scotland for some training one day). If its dressage your after there ia a book by Walter Zetle (sp) which is extremely good.

[Wally]

Kalman de Jurenak videos are really useful.

[IrisSilverMoon]

my riding instructor has translated several books on classical equitaiton from french and has a video of his clinics out...Craig P. Stevens, he's really excellent I think. there's a list of the books he recocmends and is selling at his website

http://www.classical-equitation.com/index.php/section-trade/

its not quite up to snuff right now, but his email is there too and he would be happy to give you a list of the books we sell in addition to whats already on there...:)

[Retty]

Hi you guys, many thanks for all your replies, I went to library with my trusted list, the only one they had was enlightened eqit by Heather M, I have been glued to this - VERY interesting reading....

[ros]

Retty - I think you've probably found the best one anyway. Since I discovered HM I've re-read a lot of my old books and read a whole lot of new ones, and none makes more sense that Heather's.

I tried RWYM - read all the books and had the lessons, but found it totally ineffective. When I got to the point in the book where she said "if it hurts you're probably doing it right..." I put it down and didn't bother picking it up again.

Reiner Klimke, Kalman de Jurenak, Alois Podhajsky (not necessarily in that order) are probably my next favourites. All have valuable and interesting things to say, but even at this exalted level I find there are bits that I agree with and bits that I discard. You take nothing for granted and you form your own opinions based on what works for you and your horse.