HOW TO RIDE THE HORSE YOU THOUGHT YOU BOUGHT

Struggling with Half Halts? Contact? Connection? Transitions?   “How To Ride the Horse You Thought You Bought” is the go-to reference, offering a fresh perspective on these fundamental skills- all in one location for convenience. It devotes entire CHAPTERS (not just a paragraph or two) to clarifying these concepts, as well as addressing other perplexing intangibles such as “feel,” “balance,” “seat,” “timing of the aids,” “straight” and “on the outside rein.” This book is a must-read for anyone who craves and strives to experience the sensations that we see others achieve but don't know how to achieve for ourselves. The  book has four structures that run throughout: 1) caveats, 2) extensions, 3) “this/not this” illustrations and 4) non-negotiables. Caveats, cautionary elements that alert the reader to common and anticipated behaviors or reactions you may encounter, enable you to be prepared and not surprised by their occurrence. Extensions are activities that extend the learning of a lesson and provide additional or alternative forms of practice to enrich the riding experience. The “this/not this” illustrations serve as reference points to enable the reader to distinguish between correct and incorrect responses. The non-negotiables - Go, Get Connected, Stay Connected, Transitions, Flexion, and Half-Halt- are the systematic building blocks that occur concurrently to yield a competent ride. These are supplemented by a section on groundwork that the rider can utilize to enhance their chances of success in the saddle.

Thirdly, this book includes helpful study guides, tools designed to assist a student with their learning by organizing, interpreting and summarizing the material. It indicates what should be learned, how it can be learned, and how students can recognize if they have learned it.  It is a management tool which gives the reader an active role in managing his own learning, especially if you don’t have access to effective instruction and you want to keep progressing. The book teaches you how to learn from media, as opposed to a live instructor. With engaging illustrations and links to helpful instructional videos throughout, this book distills these complex concepts into language that takes a step toward making riding more accessible to the people who want it the most by stating things overtly and simply; making the implicit explicit.

ORDER HERE

Art by TAYLOR STERRY

BOOK REVIEWS

Editorial Review:

"Buchanan educates the rider in a thoughtful manner, and takes the time to properly explain the building blocks you want to establish in a relationship with a newly acquired horse—or indeed any horse. ... Designed principally for the rider who is going it alone without a trainer at daily sessions, Buchanan helps equestrians assess where they are having problems and provides real answers for how to solve them. ... A definite must-read for riders of all levels." -- Nikki Alvin-Smith ― Catskill Horse magazine

An Essential Resource for All Equestrians:

If you are interested in an incredibly comprehensive resource that presents readers with concepts, skills and techniques to improve riding, performance, handling, training, understanding and overall relationships with horses, this book is for you! From the basics to the technical, the author skillfully presents methods and the reasoning behind these methods to her readers to help them grasp the how, why and when to use these skills and techniques. Videos, study guides, spot on analogies and reference materials are generously included in this comprehensive and illuminating book. Anne is a gifted writer, educator, trainer, rider and lifelong horsewoman. She expertly gives her readers all the tools necessary to become better riders and partners with our equine companions. This book is an amazing resource and a must have! -Susan F.

The Answer To So Many Training Questions:

This book is a breath of fresh air in a world overrun with information about how to train our horses. The author eloquently fulfills her promise to answer the readers’ question: “How do I know what to do on my horse today?”
I served for four years as the Managing Director of Dressage at the United States Equestrian Federation, overseeing the management of training programs for juniors, young riders, and international high-performance athletes. In this role, I traveled as Team Leader to the 2008 Olympics, the 2006 World Championships, and the 2007 Pan American Games. At the end of my tenure at the USEF, I was responsible for overseeing the management of the reining, vaulting, combined driving, and endurance disciplines. And for 25 years, I have taught horsemanship to hundreds of riders of all ages, on all breeds of horses, in many disciplines. I come away from conducting and observing these thousands of hours of training with one big takeaway: “There are as many ways to train a horse as there are people training them.” I tell riders to pick the approach that works best for them and stick with it until it no longer suits them. However, some fundamental principles of good horsemanship and practical training apply to every horse and rider, regardless of the training system they choose. Those are what Anne addresses so brilliantly in this book.
It is written from a perspective I have not seen before—one that answers the critical question: “With so much to learn about horses and their training, how do I find a path that suits me and my learning style?” After a lifelong career training high school educators to become more effective teachers, Anne brings her expertise in the field of learning to the world of horsemanship. For any activity presented in her book, she answers the questions: “What do I do? How do I do it? Why should I do it?” And “How well can I do it, given my current level of development?”
This work is presented in a logical, well-structured, and organized way that will make it easy for readers to use as a reference guide when the many inevitable training questions present themselves along our learning journeys.
-Gil Merrick

A Really Helpful Book:

This book is so helpful in understanding what to do to improve your rides and your relationship with your horse. Especially for those who don't have access to good in-person instruction but also a great supplement for any lessons you are already taking. It takes concepts you hear in lessons or read in other books and actually explains them in a way that makes sense. The pictures are great too! The whole "This/Not this" structure is easy to understand. The techniques I learned from this book have really helped me with my horse. It's a book I will go back to many times as different situations arise. -Michelle W.

An Extraordinarily Useful Text:

This book is very helpful to instructors! After reading this book, my students were much easier to teach because they had a prior understanding of what they are being taught. This book emphasizes how, why and when to do things...rather than simply "what' to do. The study guides are especially valuable because they encourage riders to think through the purpose behind everything they do. They also become cognizant about what they do and don't understand clearly. The text lends itself to fruitful discussions. -Verified Amazon Customer

Optimistic Messaging:

This book is for passionate horse people who want to do the right thing by their horses and experience a sense of fulfillment when they do, even if they are novices in the sport. This is the first author I have seen who has employed academically proven learning theory to teach riders how to conquer the challenges of advancing in an inherently difficult sport. I love that she has addressed all breeds of horses and all disciplines of riding, teaching horsemanship and equestrianism in all its forms. This book will help countless riders who might otherwise not have access to effective training, be it in the form of written explanations they can understand and apply while working independently, or of having a trainer who can coach them in the ring. The optimistic message of “you CAN do this” will be a breath of fresh air for those many, many riders who cannot find a way to advance the level of their talents closer to the level of their passion. This book can help them get there while doing what is best for their horse. Last night, I spent a few hours going through each page to get an overview of the book’s structure and content. The author has done a fantastic job on all that, and I absolutely love the illustrations.
-Verfied Barnes & Noble purchase

NOW AVAILABLE AS E-BOOK!