Home

Bond With Your Horse

Welcome
About usConcepts
Case StudiesOther Courses
PricesHoliday/Courses
FacilitiesFAQ
LibraryLinks
LocationContact
Community

Library

I would recommend all of the following books and dvds:

Books

Horse Behaviour and Training Methods
 

 

 


 

This book is designed to help you understand your horse and communicate with him in a partnership that will last a lifetime.  Monty introduces the nonverbal language of Equus, which humans can use to communicate effectively with their horses.  He outlines the world's first Dictionary of Equus, showing dozens of gestural statements made by horses and people and how they combine to creata a true interspecies dialogue.  At the heart of the book is a step-by-step explanation, copiously illustrated with drawings and photos, of how Roberts works in the Round pen.  Using a method called Join-Up®  he causes horses to willingly enter into partnership with their trainers, entirely without coercion or violence.  Roberts also discusses training issues, starting at the horse's birth, including foal imprinting, building trust, advance and retreat, forming partnerships, and later basic skills such as stopping, turning, backing and changing leads with a rider.

He shares his solutions to remedial problems like the horse that bucks when saddled or pulls back when tied, and how to school the reluctant horse that shies at trailers, starting gates, or will not go through water.  Roberts' genuis lies in his ability to understand what the horse is capable of, how to accept him for what he is, and how to work with him on terms the horse understands and appreciates.



 

Kelly Marks achieves spectacular results with an enormous variety of different horses.  She knows that if you want a horse to have 'perfect manners', it's your responsibility to make it clear what you want - it's not up to the horse to guess.  The secret of success is to communicate with horses in their own language, establishing a relationship of empathy and trust.  This book shows how to reach that perfect mutual understanding with your horse - and how to behave yourself in a way that means your horse will too.



 

If your relationship with your horse has turned rocky, Kelly Marks is on hand as counsellor. With her practical advice and proven success, Kelly will help with practical advice and amazing results. From analysing your own behaviour with your horse and developing mutual respect and trust, to what happens when love goes wrong and problems arise, Kelly teaches you the best techniques to overcome the hiccoughs in your partnership. You can even use her famed horse-whispering techniques to communicate effectively with your horse, as well as to astound your friends. Through a series of practical exercises, tips, case studies and often humorous stories, Kelly will help you not only to improve your relationship with your horse, but also develop great riding and handling technique. Kelly's experience, enthusiasm and humour, alongside her respect and affection for the animals she works with, combine to make this the essential guide for any horse owner.
 


Mark Rashid challenges the longstanding belief that in order to achieve success with horses a person must take a dominant role, becoming the 'alpha leader'.  Instead this remarkable book teaches you how to become a 'passive leader', a term coined by Mark that reflects the leadership values that really work with horses:  those of partnership, guidance and support.  If you want a co-operative and positive relationship with your horse, Mark argues convincingly that you should work to become your horse's chosen leader.

Drawing on his own experiences, and retelling the lessons he has learned, Mark clearly explains how to become a passive leader and shows through his compelling stories how horses change from being indifferent or unwilling participants to becoming enthusiastic partners with their owners.



 

Mark uses his own experiences, told in an entertainingly honest way, to demonstrate his techniques of teaching horses by undestanding their own view of the world.  The experiences covered deal with many facets of buying, owning and training horses, and include stories about horses of all colours - mistrusted, mistreated and labelled untrainable - that will inspire you to take a fresh look at the training of your own horse.



 

Everyone would like a horse that is '100% in all ways', as the adverts often say. Yet who can genuinely claim that they have a go-anywhere, do-anything horse?  Trainer and behaviourist Michael Peace offers step-by-step advice on how to unravel your horse's hang-ups.  His approach is based on sympathetic techniques that tap into the horse's natural reactions, and as such is simple and effective.  He goes back to basics, and builds up gradually, so that neither you nor your horse will face a challenge you cannot cope with.

 



 

This illustrated guide to Linda Tellington-Jones' TTouches and TTEAM ground work for horses provides step-by-step instructions. TTEAMwork can strengthen horse and rider partnerships and unlock hidden potential in horses. The Tellington Touches (TTouches) - circular touches made with the hands and fingers on a horse's body - are designed to increase both relaxation and awareness. The Tellington-Touch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) ground exercises - leading a horse around and over obstacles - are used to overcome behavioural and physical problems by expanding a horse's capacity for learning through improved balance and coordination.


Ethology
 



 

Understanding the flexibility and limits of behaviour is essential to improving both the horse's welfare and its performance. This book tackles the fundamental principles which will enable owners, riders, trainers and students to understand scientific principles and apply them in practice. Subjects covered include the analysis of influences on equine behaviour, the perceptual world of the horse, learning and training techniques including the latest developments in "join-up" and "imprint training".
 



 

This book is in FRENCH.  It is the best all-encompassing book on the nature, behaviour, development and learning abilities of the horse that I have read so far.  It is well set out with lots of photos and I would thoroughly recommend it.

 

L'éthologie du cheval, domaine encore méconnu en France, même des milieux professionnels, il y a une vingtaine d'années, est aujourd'hui un sujet si bien " à la mode " que le terme d'éthologie est paradoxalement de plus en plus utilisé abusivement dans les milieux de l'équitation dans des contextes sans grand rapport avec ce qu'est réellement cette discipline. Comprendre le comportement du cheval, quelle est sa vraie nature, comment il est devenu ce qu'il est aujourd'hui au fil des millénaires, quelles sont ses relations naturelles avec ses congénères, de quelles façons il interagit avec son milieu, comment l'individu se développe, quelles sont ses aptitudes, quelles conséquences cela peut avoir pour son bien-être..., autant de questions qui supposent des réponses claires, complètes et réellement documentées. C'est pour répondre à un tel intérêt, et afin de rendre accessible à un large public les connaissances scientifiques les plus récentes sur le sujet, que Michel-Antoine Leblanc a pris l'initiative de réaliser le présent ouvrage en collaboration avec Marie-France Bouissou et Frédéric Chéhu
 


Fiction/Autobiographical
 


Nicholas Evans's best-selling Horse Whisperer is a story of tragedy, soul-searching and unabashed romance. When the Graves family--13-year-old daughter Grace, high-powered, highly charged Annie, and her lawyer husband Robert--is struck by tragedy, each searches for their own way to come to terms with it. Annie thinks if she can fix Grace's physically and spiritually battered horse, she'll mend her daughter's maimed soul in the process. And so the search for the mythical horse whisperer begins. He appears in the form of Tom Booker--a handsome, rugged, sensitive Montana cowboy. The story travels from Upstate New York to Manhattan, then makes an eventful detour through the glorious foothills of the Rocky Mountains.


The authors run a stable in the Cotswolds and specialize in curing problem horses. They have travelled a long way, united by a common passion, and have given up everything to live out their dreams and show that it's possible for ordinary people to become "horse whisperers".


Horse Management
 

 


 

The essential guide to feeding your horse or pony.  Assessing your horse's nutritional needs made easy, feeding for fitness, keeping weight on or getting it off, trouble shooting, demystifies ingredients and the supplements available.


This text covers, in depth, the circulatory, muscular and nervous systems of the horse and rider as they relate to massage. The author describes in detail the surface anatomy of both horse and man and shows how the muscles in both species are affected by movement. The various techniques, effects and end results of each type of massage are thoroughly covered. The photographs and detailed line drawings make this a useful reference for all those involved in equestrianism and interested in massage. Mary Bromiley is a fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and has gained world-wide renown for her work as an equine physiotherapist


Horses, like humans athletes, can suffer from muscular stiffness, strains and injuries, all of which can benefit from well-applied sports massage. Using simple massage techniques - namely, compressions and cross-fibre friction - Pennie explains that it's not difficult to give your horse a basic sports massage, given a little practice. She explains how to recognise problems, through observing your horse on the move and by using your hands on his body. Clear diagrams and photos show where and how to apply the massage techniques to aid specific problems. As a preventative treatment against muscle problems, Sports massage is second to none. Moreover, most horses really enjoy a good massage, just as we do, making them feel better and move more freely as a result.


Training
 


For riders at all levels, Carl Hester and Bernadette Faurie aim to make dressage training accessible with step-by-step guides for improving the horse's paces, riding dressage movements, and competing. Essentially this book is about every rider making the most of his or her potential and, in the process, producing a horse that is more pleasing to ride and more athletic in its body. The book offers advice on training all types of horse and in everyday language, explains how to set about improving the horse's paces and suppleness, whilst keeping him happy and enthusiastic in his work. It describes how to ride dressage movements, from simple circles to flying changes, and pointing out common mistakes and how to correct them. Carl Hester is seen, in over more than 100 specially shot photographs, schooling his horses at home, bringing on youngsters and fine-tuning the more experienced animals.


Sally O'Connor writes from a wealth of experience, letting the reader in on her own trials and tribulations while handing out a simple common-sense guide to dressage.
She has trained in America and in Europe, and attempts to combine the best of her experience in each continent. The book includes chapters on lunging and in-hand work after the Portuguese tradition, which is excellent for building strength and suppleness in the horse.
The book takes the reader from first steps to Grand Prix movements, emphasising the need to keep an eye on the end 'product' at all times.
There is a chapter on work to help overcome conformational and temperamental problems, and offers common-sense advice such as introducing nervous horses to as many 'scary' experiences as possible so they don't 'freak' in the show ring.
 


From finding your ideal young horse to creating a well-mannered, enthusiastic but safe partner that is a pleasure to ride, this is Pippa Funnell's complete stage by stage guide.
 

 

 

In today's world of horse training, long reining is usually looked upon either as a technique for preparing horses intended for harness work or as a means of showcasing the schooled dressage horse already broken to saddle. Yet, its uses need not be so limited. Long reining can contribute substantially to the education of all riding horses once a trainer becomes well versed in the proper techniques. This classic book demonstrates with superb style the French method of training a horse in long reins, and how it is possible to attain as high a standard of schooling from the ground as that reached under saddle. The method has the added advantages of achieving a partnership with the horse before mounting, allowing the horse to understand thoroughly the aids, and to attain balance and relaxation without the added burden of the weight of a rider. With over 150 colour photographs tracing the development of three horses, this impressively illustrated book by a leading French Cadre Noir instructor and rider explains how to implement the long reining system from the beginning up through high school movements and jumping. The movements are also discussed for use under saddle and in hand, and additional useful training information is provided covering equine locomotion, conformation and anatomy. For trainers wishing to improve their horses' balance, obedience and gymnastic abilities, Long Reining offers the keys to success.


Endurance riding is a growing sport, attracting both the competitive and the leisure rider. Whether you are competing on the family all-rounder for fun, or aiming to race ride 100 miles in a day at international level, this book will help you achieve your goal. A basic explanation of the sport and its ethics is followed by advice on selection of the potential endurance horse, the suitability of a wide range of breeds and how to manage your horse for health and fitness. The complex subject of feeding and nutrition is dealt with in depth, but in an easily understood way, while the importance of balanced and sympathetic riding and the most effective way to ride in endurance competition is explained in the chapter on endurance equitation. Basic conditioning and fitness training for the various levels of the sport are discussed alongside advice on competition riding at each progressive stage, from the first 20-mile competitive ride to the ultimate experience of riding 100 miles in one day. Tack and equipment, the use of heart rate monitors in training and competition, the role of the veterinary judge and parameters for passing veterinary inspections, pacing the horse by speed over distance, coping with vet gates, riding tactics, cooling out and coping with stress and care of the horse after the ride are all examined in detail. Finally, tips on riding to win and how to deal with problems causing elimination or retirement from the course are covered, with appendices detailing useful addresses, use of additives, supplements and electrolytes and a vital endurance ride checklist.


This book is in FRENCH.  It explains the basics of starting out in endurance in France.  This book has been invaluable to me.


This is a small, quick and easy book to read with tips about starting endurance.

"Going the distance" endurance riding is not just a sport. It is almost an addictive experience, where the fastest do not always come first. This Horse Guide contains a wealth of basic knowledge for all beginners wanting to know more about this fascinating discipline. - What is endurance riding? - Which riders does it suit? - - Which breeds of horse? - Basics - Maps & equipment - - Training - The endurance ride from A-Z - Tips - Checklists -

 

DVDs

Training


Monty Roberts Join-Up®

In-depth look at Monty Roberts' unique, non-violent training methods.  Watch as Monty demonstrates Join-Up® from start to finish with a young filly.


Monty Roberts Shy Boy

The story continues of the little wild mustang that Monty adopted.  Monty releases Shy Boy back into the wild.  After a year of living with people on a farm, will Shy Boy want to return to the wild or stay with Monty?


Monty Roberts Follow-Up

This covers the first 4 days of training a starter using Monty's techniques


Monty Roberts Gentling Your Spooky Horse

Demonstrates how to cause your horse to accept such potential "predators" as plastic bags and balloons to take a horse from wild and spooky to relaxed and happy.


Horse Management
 


The Visible Horse, Anatomy in Motion

Muscular and skeletal systems painted on a live horse.  This shows in vibrant colour how a horse's bones and muscles work in motion.  It includes slow motion studies of walk, trot, canter and gallop.


Fiction
 

 

Adapted from the beloved novel by Walter Farley, The Black Stallion is a 1979 family classic that was hailed by no less than hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael as "may be the greatest children's movie ever made". A visual feast from start to finish, the timeless tale plays out on almost mythic terms. A young boy survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a deserted island with a graceful black stallion, with whom the boy develops an almost empathic friendship. After being rescued and returning home, the two make a winning team as jockey and lightning-fast racehorse under the tutelage of a passionate trainer, played by Mickey Rooney in an Oscar-nominated role. From its serenely hypnotic island sequence to the breathtaking race scenes, this delightful film is guaranteed to enthral any viewer, regardless of age. The Black Stallion is a genuine masterpiece of family entertainment

 

The Black Stallion Returns:  A young boy stows away from America to North Africa to rescue his black stallion from the Berber sheikh who kidnapped the horse

 

The stallion runs free in the Cimarron (New Mexico) wilderness until a series of men try to master the proud horse, leading to adventures through a US Cavalry fort, Native American settlements, and a railroad camp. The stirring mix of 2-D and 3-D animation is absolutely stunning and aptly fuelled by composer Hans Zimmer's synthesised score.

 

A cute zebra foal gets separated from his circus and is adopted by a horse trainer (Bruce Greenwood) in this live action, talking animal tale. Stripes (voiced by Frankie Muniz) becomes adopted by the trainer's tomboy daughter (Hayden Panettiere)--an aspiring jockey--who subsequently wants to race him in the big leagues. Setbacks include her dad's over-protectiveness (he lost her mom in a horse-racing accident), and the fact that Stripes is a zebra and not a normal horse. Though all the other thoroughbreds turn their noses at this odd-looking interloper, a wizened old pony (Dustin Hoffman) steps in as trainer, and it's time to start prepping for the big race. 

 

A homeless jockey, a millionaire, a washed-up cowboy and a horse named Seabiscuit are the four unlikely heroes who found hope in each other and inspired an entire generation. Tobey Maguire, Academy Award nominee Jeff Bridges and Academy Award winner Chris Cooper star in the critically acclaimed and audience-pleasing Seabiscuit, the triumphant and exhilarating true story about the power of hope and the courage to make dreams come true. Filled with epic action, drama and heart, Seabiscuit will take you on the ride of a lifetime.
 

 

The portrayal of Frank T. Hopkins, a real-life long-distance horse racer who, as the movie opens, has witnessed the appalling massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890. Drifting into Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, he agrees to compete, with his trusty mustang, Hidalgo, in "The Ocean of Fire," a treacherous 3,000-mile horse race across the Arabian desert. Toss in a bunch of conspiring competitors, a noble sheik (Omar Sharif), his lovely daughter (Zuleikha Robinson), and enough fast-paced danger to fill 133 minutes, and you've got a rousing, humorous, and lightly spiritual adventure that's a lot of fun to watch.
 


Please contact Jo if you are interested in any of these titles.
 

Top of Page  |  Contact us