Idiots guide to natural horsemanship

[acw295]

Hi all, as someone who's just got back into riding I don't know very much about the wholenatural horsemanship approach (I don't think it had caught on as much when I was riding before) - other than the snippets I've picked up on NR on other forums.

Anyway, I am going to ride a friend of a friends horse this weekend, who is looking for a rider to help exercise one of her horses - it could become a regular thing depending on how it goes (so I may have 2 horses to ride :D ). The owner practices natural horsemanship, and the horse I'll be riding is barefoot but I don't know any more info.

Can anyone suggest a book or website or something that can give me a quick overview of what naural horsemanshp involves - just so I'm a bit more clued up for this first meeting. I can then follow up with some more in depth reading.

Thanks!

[jenren!!]

'Groundwork Training' by Lesley Bayley is it? Excellent book. Also the Kelly marks books are good as well.

[india]

Here you go......:)
http://www.lightband.com/~santa/natural.html

[acw295]

Thanks for the link india - looks just what I need, will read properly tomorrow. I've heard of Monty Roberts obviously, and had heard of Parelli but didn't realise it was named after a person too :o ....Will also order the Lesley Bayleybook Jenren, for further reading.

[Kate F.]

I think I'd check which type of NH your friend has been doing. Whilst the principles are theoretically similar for pretty much all systems and approaches there is a lot of variation in the practice, and it might be confusing if you start reading up on one type, and your friend has been doing another. Parelli and Monty Roberts, for example, are so different as to be not really recognisable as having anything in common at all.

You can find the principles and a set of exercises that are common to many approaches on my website - but I would chat to your friend as well and see what she has been doing so you are both on the same track. She may even have books she has used that she can lend you so you are "on the same page" so to speak!:D

[KateWooten]

I second the vote for Kate F.'s harmony website. You can't go wrong snuggling up with a cup of cocoa and spend a good few cozy evenings browsing there ... expect to have some 'aha !' moments.

There are a gazillion brands of NH - and if your friend has already started talking to you about NH in those terms, there's a good chance she's a Parelli-ite (which has it's own Parelli-speak) ... but if you go immerse yourself in the harmonly project, that will give you more than enough to get you thinking, and talking to your friend about what works for her.

There are a bunch of good sites about barefooting specifically .. here's one with a bunch of good explanations and links www.nakedhoof.net

Have fun learning !

[jinglejoys]

http://ihdg.proboards91.com/index.cgi

http://www.nagtrader.co.uk/index.asp

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/

http://www.richard-maxwell.co.uk/

http://www.naturalhorsepeople.com/default.htm

http://www.freewebs.com/alternativehorse/index.htm

O.K. for starters?:D

Also reccommended reading,Kelly Marks,Richard Maxwell,Mark Rashid.....

[Kate F.]

I second the vote for Kate F.'s harmony website. You can't go wrong snuggling up with a cup of cocoa and spend a good few cozy evenings browsing there ... expect to have some 'aha !' moments.


Thanks, Kate! :)