The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition

Rating:
Summary: Good info, some gaps.
Review: I trained with the Ms. Snyder-Smith and worked with Ms. Kanavy in a week long clinic, and I can say unequivocally that the two practice all they talk about in the book. If you want to learn the basics of endurance riding, horse and human biomechanics, and just soak up some real state of the art saavy, Donna Snyder Smith and Valerie Kanavy are the ticket!

Rating:
Summary: Read and Live (comfortably)
Review: I trained with the Ms. Snyder-Smith and worked with Ms. Kanavy in a week long clinic, and I can say unequivocally that the two practice all they talk about in the book. If you want to learn the basics of endurance riding, horse and human biomechanics, and just soak up some real state of the art saavy, Donna Snyder Smith and Valerie Kanavy are the ticket!

Rating:
Summary: Great Resource for Every Rider
Review: This book gives a good, solid foundation to the sport of endurance riding, and for every rider who wants a horse at its' prime. I am just starting in the sport and this book tells you where to start and how to prime your horse and get it ready for the competitions ahead. Through this book, I have broadened my knowledge of both the sport and how to work with a horse to get it in its best condition. The author includes valuable tips, exercises and pictures which demonstrate what you need and how to use them. I highly suggest this book for anyone interested in getting started with endurance riding.

Rating:
Summary: Great Resource for Every Rider
Review: This book gives a good, solid foundation to the sport of endurance riding, and for every rider who wants a horse at its' prime. I am just starting in the sport and this book tells you where to start and how to prime your horse and get it ready for the competitions ahead. Through this book, I have broadened my knowledge of both the sport and how to work with a horse to get it in its best condition. The author includes valuable tips, exercises and pictures which demonstrate what you need and how to use them. I highly suggest this book for anyone interested in getting started with endurance riding.

Rating:
Summary: Good info, some gaps.
Review: This book has some really great pieces of information and I have shared it happily with my barn-mates. The author is somewhat brief in spots, and I finished it feeling like there were gaps in my knowledge that I needed to get other books to fill. I understand that everything about endurance riding cannot be covered in one tome, but I wish she had shared more of her obviously large bank of knowledge. Good ideas and great perspectives are sometimes hidden in sections where they don't belong, so read carefully.

Rating:
Summary: How to ride far and fast on a healthy horse
Review: Want to feel good, cover a lot of ground, and enjoy a real sense of accomplishment? And spend a lot of time with your horse? Then read this book. Endurance riding (strictly speaking, going 50-100 miles a day across the countryside for 1-5 days on or with your horse) should not be attempted unless you and your horse have some basic training, including physical conditioning, but with the right approach almost anyone can do it. Donna shows you how, from basics to true competition (not only how to reach the finish line in one piece but how to be one of the first arrivals on a horse that is ready and able to keep going). There are a number of books offering advice on endurance riding, and most provide valuable information, but I find this one the best starting point. Besides covering the fundamentals found in almost every endurance book, Donna offers exercises for you and your horse that help you both to finish without being cramped, exhausted or otherwise unfit to continue (I can testify to this!). She also injects many nuggets of wisdom from her extensive personal experience. Finally, the format includes many helpful diagrams, illustrations, photos, boxes, summaries, lists and references that get the necessary concepts across much better than plain words in a paragraph, which makes for easier reading and quicker comprehension. My only complaint is that the book is too big to fit in my saddlebag.