The Complete Training of Horse and Rider

Rating:
Summary: very thorough,in depth explanation of every aspect training
Review: I continue to refer back to this text quite often and always come away the better for it!

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: In my opinion this is one of the finest horsemanship novels ever written. Alois Podhajsky, dressage icon and former head of the Spanish Riding School, has created an exemplary literary piece that few horse books ever come close to. The book is divided into six chapters; each chapter has smaller subsections for easy referencing. Although younger readers may find this book to be "long" or "boring" due to its eloquent vocabulary, any serious horseman (or woman) will find this to be an exceptional novel. For people with little time I would recommend reading small sections at a time. The author explains so much that the reader should reflect on what he or she is learning, not just try to "cram" through it. The explanations in this book resulted in a marked improvement in my own skills, and I often refer other riders back to it whenever they are having trouble. Podhajsky makes even the most complex dressage manuvers easy to comprehend. I especially liked the way that he formed two different chapters on "the training of the horse" and "the training of the rider." By breaking the two concepts apart, a rider is able to first read of what the horse should be doing and then what he or she should be doing at the same time. Other chapters are about the principles of riding, definitions and key concepts, saddles and bridles, and the Spanish Riding School. The photographs and drawings in the novel are logical and illustrate the points wonderfully. Wise is the rider (even Western riders will benefit from the control and balance exercises) that buys this book; it is the perfect companion to horsemanship lessons.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: It wasn't clear that this was a book on "classical" horsemanship printed in 1965. The 1/2 dozen illustrations were poorly drawn/designed. I was under the impression from the other reviews that this would be a good book for beginners learning to ride horses. This book was translated into British English from Germany or Russia. A native American Indian could teach horsemanship much better than this guy.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing beats the SRS when it comes to dressage theory
Review: Podhajsky does a marvelous job of detailing the Classical dressage theory of the Spanish Riding School. He starts with a brief history of dressage & ends with airs above the ground. This is a must-read for any serious student of dressage. This book will help the reader understand the mechanics & methodology behind this extaordinarily successful system.

Rating:
Summary: Dressage Technical Manual
Review: This is an absolute must-read for anyone who rides dressage horses. It's like a basic textbook. For the earthbound, or for the rent-a-pony crowd, it will be a crashing bore. Podhajsky is not an easy-reading "how to ride" book. This is a very technical manual for serious riders, and it is engrossing. Podhajsky's attitude toward positive reinforcement as a training aid is right on, as is his discussion of how the training of horses was often misdirected in the past. My only complaint is that I wish there were more illustrations.

Rating:
Summary: not my fave
Review: While reading this book it occured to me that of all the years I have spent with horses and all the trainers I have watched work, none have ever been as thorough or "filled in all the holes" with the basics as Podhajsky. Only when one truly understands the "basics" of horsemanship can they teach it to the horse no matter what discipline of riding they do. This book is a benefit to anyone who wants to develop their relationship with their horse!