Getting the Most from Riding Lessons

This book is excellent. I am a new rider and the material provided in this book is outstanding. My instructors teach me the same but not as much in-depth. Personally, I prefer preparing and knowing what to expect vs starting and having no clue- simply because I’d like to keep all my limbs (and head) where they belong-. The author went above and beyond in preparing the new rider for all kinds of possible scenarios and I am grateful. He even provides checklists of what one should master at a certain stage. Smith continues to stress the fact that horses are living creatures with a mind of their own and he does a great job explaining their motivations (why they do certain things and what to do about it). The previous reviewers were absolutely right: this book is outstanding. I added the table of contents so you have an idea what is covered and whether the book is for you. I‘m very glad I bought it.

I have learned more truly useful information from just the first five pages than I did from all my riding lessons as a child! This book has given me the confidence I was seeking to begin lessons again as an adult. I really do feel better prepared to advance quickly due to the wealth of info presented. The book is well-written and easy-to-understand, but at the same time it provides interesting, in-depth, helpful information - things many teachers and students might not consider, but which are vitally important to a sound rider-horse relationship. A *great* complement to lessons - and probably enough information to learn on your own if you so desired. It will help you to ask good questions of your instructor, and to think for yourself about what methods are right for you and your horse. A great reminder for those comments your instructor makes which you don't think about until after you're back home again (because you're too tired in the saddle to focus!) The horse profiles are great. :-) The author's sense of humor is refreshing. His writing style makes you want to keep turning the pages, but you'll want to take things slowly to absorb all the great theory a little at a time. Good illustrations and pictures. Well worth the cost! Should be in every riding student's library, whether that rider is a child or an adult, novice or experienced equestrian. There's something to learn from this, no matter what level you're at. Can't say enough good things about it.

I have recently started taking riding lessons (English) and I find this book to be really helpful. I don't have a lot of experience with horses beyond trail riding (Western), so I have a lot to learn about riding. I am lucky to have a fabulous instructor, and I was looking for a book to supplement my lessons and give me a little more background. The book is very specific and focuses on what you can expect to learn during your lessons. Each chapter focuses on skills that will probably take you multiple lessons to master. The book starts from the beginning, leading your horse out of the stall, and ends with an introduction to cross country jumping. I think the organization is great and will help me to understand how I am progressing. Each lesson begins with an introduction to a school horse which I find fascinating and helps me to appreciate the school horses that I ride at the barn. There are lots of relevant boxes with additional information about horses such as what to wear, tips, and horse trivia. Again for someone that hasn't spent a lot of time at a barn, I found these to be very informative. Finally, each chapter ends with a short checklist of skills that you should have at the end of the lesson. This book is over 15 years old but I can't imagine a better, more thorough book, to complement my riding lessons.

I am an adult getting back into riding after 20+ years. I bought this as an adjunct to my lessons since I've forgotten a lot and wanted to get the most out of the lessons. There are a few things I really like about this book, but the best is that he gives a full description of the aids for each gait/movement, then gives you a "troubleshooting" guide, then finishes with a bullet-point summary. It is this feature that makes it a good book for true beginners as well as more advanced riders who have "just forgotten" stuff. Another all around good point is his exercises for riders--little Asides in the text, then an appendix with details. Finally, an interesting and helpful (particularly in managing expectations)for beginners are his "case studies" of schooling horses. I swear I've gotten most of them over the years! But for someone just starting out, I think it is helpful to get an idea of some horsenalities you may be meeting. I think this book would be helpful to any beginner just staring lessons (regardless of style) and anyone who needs to refresh their memories. I also liked his neutral tone.

As an adult beginner and an engineer, who is trying to "engineer" my way to being a better rider, I have accumulated a LARGE number of books on riding in a short amount of time. I found this one to be one of the more helpful ones, and NOT contradictory to anything my teacher is showing me in my lessons. I got a used copy in GREAT condition for a ridiculously low price, which helped in my decision to purchase this. While I was wishing there was a kindle version, I'm also learning that with riding books, that may contain illustrations, etc. the hardcopy is better (for me, anyway.)

I purchased this book when I started riding lessons. I find it's very helpful as it illustrates technique so that I can review from time to time. The book has suggestions for different situations, what to expect from the horse and what to discuss with your instructor. Its an easy read, organized very well. I've been using it for review for several years. This would be a great gift for a teen/young adult learning to ride or as a review for a more experienced rider.

Riding lessons are expensive, so it's important to get the most bang for the buck. This book will help. Mike Smith explains the basics of riding clearly, and offers some classic "what to do if...?" scenarios one is certain to encounter while interacting with horses. In addition, the photographs are very helpful in illustrating topics like posting the trot and dismounting properly and safely. I have found that this book helps me review specific material covered in an actual lesson, and also gives me ideas for further discussion with my teacher. Mike Smith's writing style is straightforward and enthusiastic. Highly recommended for beginning riders of all ages, and one of the best books I've seen for a riding student. This book covers English riding only.

I bought a lot of books over the past five years as an older beginner. This is the one I wish I had first. This book is clear, concise, and with humor that breaks each step of the aids down. What is particularly fun is each lesson is accompanied by a picture and description of the horse you will be 'riding' in this lesson. The author describes evasive situations and uses the horse's personality to describe horse behavior and thinking. I really like this book and have recommended it to many newbies. The photos are large and easy to understand.

反撞の抜き方やレッスンでインストラクターから良く言われる「座骨で乗る」っていうのがどうゆう事か良くわかりました。 又、国内でインストラクターが使ってる言葉の英語表現がわかるので、海外リゾートでの乗馬に役立ちます。

This should be an excellent complementary learning tool to your riding lessons. It is written very clearly in a tone that makes you feel that Michael is speaking directly to you. The information given is in simple, but not simplistic, terms and should be a valuable contribution to the learning process. Ideal for dipping into just before or just after a lesson to reinforce what is being, or going to be, learned next. One reviewer of this book expressed some reservations regarding the use of American terminology and this made me hesitate to order the book as it did not have the "look inside" facility. However, with 16 other, really good, reviews, I decided in the end to take the risk and I'm glad I did. On first inspection, reading the first chapter and flicking through the rest of the book, allayed my concerns. I could find very little in the way of American terminology, other than "posting" for rising trot and "barn" for stables. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is new to riding or is still relatively inexperienced, and it covers the basics of everything, including starting to jump. This will end up being a well-thumbed copy of the book!

Very useful and clear intro. Particularly loved the "your horse today" - great way to start to make a new rider think of the horse as a character not a machine!

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone new to riding.It,s easy to read, very uncomplicated ,covers even the most basic needs. I have found it extemely helpful. In fact I love it. I enjoy my lessons even more now.

Good for people who have ridden, don't own a horse and want to get back into riding. It is a great refresher book for aids and seat. Basic, but sensitively written with horse and rider in mind.