Best riding technique books please

[Jambarissa]

I learned to ride in the 1980s, pretty sure there was no 'technique' then.

However my friend is learning to ride and is wants more understanding of what she should be doing particularly in regard to weight/seat aids but the instructor isn't overly expressive.

I find it impossible to put into words. Are there any good books you could recommend?

 

[Britestar]

I like centered riding by sally swift.
Have recently bought it for a friend learning to ride and she loves it.

 

[NLPM]

Centred Riding as recommended above, and I also really rate Sylvia Loch books (any of them!); to me her explanations are crystal clear and make a real difference. I loved Anja Beran's books too, but how valuable they'll be might depend how interested in dressage your friend is if I remember rightly.

 

[Fieldlife]

There’s one called something like learning to ride as an adult.

Learning to Ride as an Adult
Erika Prockl

 

[Kaylum]

Ride with your mind Mary wanless is good

 

[Jambarissa]

Thank you for these, I suspect she'll buy them all.

Pretty sure I have invisible riding by Sylvia Loch somewhere, it must be ancient. Classic, maybe.

 

[Ratface]

Another Sylvia Loch enthusiast here! I had a lesson with her a great number of years ago. Truly inspirational woman.

 

[Orangehorse]

I would not get Mary Wanless and Syliva Lock, as they say different things. I think Mary Wanless is OK if you have a GOOD local instructor, but I have seen some bad things from people trying to follow her teaching and getting into an awful muddle.

Syliva is very clear, but then sometimes you come across something she writes and think "Huh???"

Of course there is always Philippe Karl - but again unless you have a local instructor I think it would be quite hard to do this by yourself because it is different to what you have already been taught for many years. Having said that, should I ever have a young horse again (highly unlikely, but still), this is the method I would choose. All roads lead to Rome, etc/ it is simply a different order of how the horse is taught.

It is so hard - one instructor will say something completely different to the next one. I said years ago that they all should be shut in a room together and not come out until they can agree on the same instructions for their pupils.

 

[Northern Hare]

I'd recommend Thinking Riding 2 (the yellow book) by Molly Sivewright, it has great explanations and clear diagrams. ?

 

[Skib]

I started with the Pony Club Handbook and it is still my point of reference. But I also love Carl Hester's early book, Down To Earth Dressage which lived by this computer for years. This explains the different gaits which to my mind are quite confusing to a beginner. And you can pick it up very cheaply second hand.

 

[WispyBegs]

Riding with Finesse by Val Main has brilliant reviews!

 

[ThreeFurs]

Along with the Swift, which is just a classic, there's the evergreen and wonderful 'Dressage in Harmony' by Walter Zettl. I was lucky to find a second hand copy.

I also like 'When Two Spines Align' by Beth Baumert, and 'Horse and Rider Back to Back' by Susanne von Dietze. x

 

[Bernster]

I found Mary Wanless helpful in the earlier stages when I was struggling to understand and apply concepts like ‘on the bit’. She used images and explanations which made sense to me. It can get a bit heavy going as you dive deeper into it but for me it was a good place to start.