What are your favourite horsey books?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2004
13,741
4,836
113
Visit site
I'm interested in reading more about horses, especially now that I have a share horse so I can start putting any ideas into practice. What are your favourite horsey books? What are the ones that you go back to time and time again? I'm interested in anything from groundwork to dressage to jumping.
 
i quite often find my self looking in my pony club manual of horsemanship for quite a few things, seems to include the all round basics of everything for looking after them
 
I'll be watching this thread - I've been trying to find the thread where someone recommended their friend's book "So You Want To Buy a Horse". I wanted to check the author as I can't seem to find it on Amazon. Look out library card, you're about to get a hammering!
 
My instructor recommended reading 'Ride with your Mind' by Mary Wanless. So I bought that and a few of her other books. She is very interesting and I'm enjoying trying out her techniques in my lessons.
 
MinnieMoo<3 said:
i quite often find my self looking in my pony club manual of horsemanship for quite a few things, seems to include the all round basics of everything for looking after them
Click to expand...

ditto!

ours is very dog eared and we've used that one more than anyother one over the last four years

I have a big collection of other books, its that one that I look at over and over again for basics
 
101 Horsemanship Exercises by Rio Barrett, and I also really like Richard Maxwell's books.

I have Mary Wanless too as my RI is trained by her.

For the pictures - "Horse Follow Closely" by Gawani Pony Boy!
 
you should not mention books when i'm around, i think i have OCD with them...
I much prefer old horse books, to many to mention but here's a sample LOl..
DSCF5795.jpg

DSCF5791.jpg

DSCF5792.jpg

DSCF5793.jpg

DSCF5794.jpg

DSCF5790.jpg
 
The BHS / Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship for quick reference. :)

Veterinary Notes for Hore Owners - aka Horace - THE book every horseowner should have - ours is so battered now!

Lovas Szotar - My Hungarian horse-rider's dictionary with every horsey word, term, expression and technical stuff in Hungarian, English, German and French - This too is very battered and well-used!!
 
I like the Kelly Marks 'Perfect Partners' and 'Perfect Manners' - these two were invaluable to me when first doing groundwork with Izzy. They are very well used now and are frequently lent out to people. I like how there are mini case studies.

I love Mark Rashid books - for a good read and they really have helped me understand Izzy better, why he does things, what he is looking for in me, how to be around him, how to use my energy.

I also have a booklet on 'How to activate your horses core' which we are working through and it is very good.

Will have to get the Vet notes for horse owners.
 
Mary Poppins said:
You could start a proper library with all them. So which ones are your favourites?
Click to expand...

Have many favourites, but, i do like all The horse control books by Tom Roberts.
Henry Blakes Thinking with horses,Talking with horses, and Horse Sense
All the Sara Wyche books Anatomy of riding, Understanding the horses back, The horses muscles in motion.
All Mark Rashid books.
I'm also a great fan of Lionel Edwards Drawings so collect books with his drawings in.
and love any factual horse book from the victorian era..:biggrin:
 
I collect books, too, but am rubbish with posting pics, so here's a selection from my library:

Factual -

Horse's Muscles in Motion, Sara Wyche
Physical Therapy and Massage for the Horse, Denoix and Pailloux
How Your Horse Moves, Gillian Higgins (one of my all-time favs)
Equine Acupressure, Zidonis, Snow and Soderberg
Equine Massage, Hourdebaigt
Schooling In-hand, Hilberger
How Horses Learn, Debbie Marsden
Horse Training In-hand, Ellen Schuthof-Lesmeister and Kip Mistral
Horse Watch, Marthe Kiley-Worthington

General reading -

Tschiffley's Ride (a treasured possession!)
Treasures of the Bloodstock Breeder's Review, Rasmussen and Napier
Bloodstock Breeding, Leicester
anything of Jocelyn de Moubray's penmanship
The Horse in the Ancient World, Ann Hyland
The Pocket and the Stud, Harry Hieover (published 1851, second edition)
Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse, M Rashid
The Art of Horsemanship, Xenophon (sadly not a first edition!)
Thoroughbred Breeding, Mordaunt Milner

Phew!
 
Luna Corona said:
The Art of Horsemanship, Xenophon (sadly not a first edition!)
Click to expand...

:giggle::giggle::biggrin:

Actually I was reading this the other day, in Greek as well as English (I studied Classics at university and Xenophon writes very straightforwardly).

This chap is writing in the 5th century BC but he talks sense like:

- don't try to drag your horse into an outline with the bit, let him show himself off

- dismount in the school, so the horse associates it with comfort as well as work

- exercise your horse in a variety or places and for different lengths of time so he doesn't get bored

- the rider should have a firm and balanced seat for riding at top speed over all kinds of country (bareback! remember)

- if your horse is afraid of something, don't chide him but lead him up to it gently, show him you are not afraid of it, and tell him how silly it is that such a fierce war horse should be afraid of something so minor!

No wonder the Parthenon horses look so magnificent. Ziggy looks just like them (when not a porky pie), same height too :happy: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.grisel.net/images/greece/ParthenonHorseman.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.grisel.net/acropolis_museum.htm&usg=__w_CF-fR5aM1RpaQrF9fqrxvhmdE=&h=576&w=736&sz=66&hl=en&start=71&sig2=VjQaYkkBvFg7lBo_iGpQfA&zoom=1&tbnid=zNplYbqoKdg7yM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=202&ei=aV64Tcn_AY2r8APEmf1Q&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dparthenon%2Bhorse%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1335%26bih%3D823%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C2222&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=310&vpy=513&dur=15&hovh=199&hovw=254&tx=151&ty=124&page=4&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:21,s:71&biw=1335&bih=823
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back