Top Horse Training Methods

by Anne Wilson, Monty Roberts

Anne^^^Wilson Sometimes the equestrian world can be very contradictory and confusing, especially to new horse owners. This side-by-side comparison offers down-to-earth discussion about all of the main training methods, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Genres: Horses

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a delightful surprise. I picked it up at the library because I thought it would be fun to just peruse. Well, I ended up reading it from cover to cover in one sitting. My big take away is that the author ---and this is just my opinion because it wasn't stated--- believes the top horse training methods have steered a bit too far from the concepts taught in Classical Riding. After all, Classical Riding is just GOOD riding. She encapsulated her understanding of the methods used by each of the top ten horse trainers, and then she expressed her opinion of their methods. I found that very interesting. I had not heard of all of the trainers she chose for book, but if you were from Great Britain you likely would have heard of all of them. The USA trainers chosen for book were Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts, and Linda Tellington-Jones. Definitely should be a book you add to your equestrian library or at least add to your reading list. On top of it being full of informative information, this author did a good job of making her expose' a joy to read. This book is so well organized and is just the the right length. Have a go if you are an equestrian or just a back yard horse owner.

[Emily Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good summary of various techniques, with comparison to classical horsemanship.
However, the authors tone often ruins the readability.
There is an entire section in the back I skipped because of what was essentially a rant on how it’s perfectly acceptable to stall horses for the majority of the day, the author calling down proponents of barefoot care, etc. Which is contrary to the current science regarding these issues.
Would have been a much better read with more impartiality to the topics.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book on individual's viewpoints of classical riding. The author interviews nine trainers, Sylvia Loch, Kelly Marks, Richard Maxwell, GaWaNi PonyBoy, Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts, Sylvia Stanier, Robin Porter and Linda Tellington-Jones, and discusses two specific methods, The Feldenkrais Method and Doma Vaquero. It briefly compares and contrasts the differing views by these trainers, and an overview of the two methods. Lots of info in a brief chapter, and I would recommend it as a good starter for someone wanting to find out about specific trainers and their viewpoints.

[Gabrielle W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book comparing several horse trainers. It'll tell you what the trainer believes and and there views of training and training tools, etc.