Thinking about writing a book...

What I've found useful from your threads is the way you take quite sophisticated - but funadamental issues and explain them in a straightforward way. If you could do that with lots of illustrations, that would be most helpful.
Not only how to ride a leg yield but also what it acheives & where it sits in the scales of training.
I used to toy with the idea of a website open to subscribers with video clips and explanations of all this - you could do something like that - though you have to be able to do 'stuff' on the web, which is beyond me...
 
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I used to toy with the idea of a website open to subscribers with video clips and explanations of all this - you could do something like that - though you have to be able to do 'stuff' on the web, which is beyond me...

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I was just thinking something like that- video clips would be great- like a demo broken down into bite sized chunks- so you see the movement being performed as the rider would normally ride it and then the trainer explaining how to correct/improve it and the resulting effect in a video. I know there are some DVDs and demos on H&C TV but they are really useful.
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Sorry to go a bit OT
 
Thank you one and all for your ideas and thoughts on this. It is obviously something quite intersting to many of us. I do try to explain the feeling and that is some thing that i would like to be able to give people. For me when some one does'nt understand that is not their fault so much but mine for lacking the effective communication skills.
I think understanding what people have difficulty with and why they dont understand is also the key... Bit of a story here... but , when i was at university studying engineering i had a problem in pure maths, the maths lecturer for the life of him, due to his huge talent in the area could not see why i could not understand, it was my house mate who had had a similar problem that was able to help because she could understand my lack of understanding!!!! and was therefore able to put it in a way that made sense. That is what i want to do. If yoy can create visual ideas/feelings then you can help someone understand.
I also work with two other amazing people a vet and my trainer {brilliant non trendy but total old school genius} and i would also do the 'here comes the science bit' using them as through them i have come to realise have given weight and substance to what to me has been a jorney of thought and feel. I we see it from the horses veiw we can understand ourselves and the questions we ask our horses.
 
Brilliant, and I think case studies will be great .Some normal horses that are doing correct lower level work ,some horses really bred for dressage and the problems they have and how the correct work can help.
Some novice riders and how they can improve and some more advanced riders and how they strive for perfection.
I know with our two very different horses, you treated them as individuals, but the riders position is paramount and getting and maintaining basics is important.
You are so enthusiastic and that is rare in a trainer.
Looking forward to helping?
 
MadMare i have just the book for you!
Its written by Harry Boldt but cannot remember the title! Its all in German, but understandable German if you know whta i mean, but i think iv got a book with the english translation in somewhere.
Its pretty old, i.e Jennie and Dutch Gold times but is incredible and has evertything in it right up to the competition GP horse. With pictures and diagrams of which aid and weight etc.
The problem is i have never seen it anywhere else and im not totally sure how i have a copy of it! Its in my car atm so il look the title up and let you know, never know you may find one on Ebay or something.

P.S sorry for the post hi-jack.
 
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I would just like to add - of course I agree with what has been written above re trainers assuming knowledge etc but I think, if someone wants to search, they will find a few great books on what and how to do things. What in my opinion is missing is a good book on how to TEACH how to ride. Most books, including BHS instructors manuals are, hmm...IMO not exactly useful.
A good equestrian coaching manual is what I would personally love to read and see on the market! One that maybe finally manages to drum into riders and instructors that technique and style are not fancy elements of dressage but an intrinsic part of equestrian education of any rider (riding school rider as well!!).

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Very, very true!!

Are you a member of the TTT?
 
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Very, very true!!

Are you a member of the TTT?

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No, but I would be happy to be - if only I could afford all the various memberships!

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Its only £45 and sooooooo worth it!!
 
That's the book I mentioned. The German copy is not easy to come by and very dense (I don't read any German but even the native speaker I know who has a copy had a hard time explaining bits of it to me). The English version is just one chapter and it's fantastic but it costs the earth, even used, as it was a short run and a non-standard format. The diagrams are the best, though.

Interesting you use a math analogy, partoow. I was talking with someone today about educating a horse and used the old standby "long division" example - no one learns long division (does anyone anymore? am I dating myself outrageously?) just by being given a set of numbers and told to go at it. One is taught all the component parts, then how to put them together appropriately, and finally given supervised practice to build solid skills. So many people seem to go with a "just do it" approach to riding because sometimes, more through luck than judgement, it works okay. The problem is it rarely works well enough to build the next stage on and anyone (or any horse) who, for whatever reason, doesn't pick it up ends up feeling - completely underservedly - like an idiot. At that point so many teachers simply repeat the instructions which isn't usually much help. Or they're happy if someone/horse gets it sort of right, either because they don't know or don't care how "sort of" might affect the future.

Riding and horses are very progressive and systematic but that's not the same as rigid. I find books which can see the big picture, how the pieces fit AND explain the pieces, are the most actually useful.
 
Yep, I like something in plain English that tells me where to put each leg/hand/seatbone etc and what it should feel like with clear illustrations, I like lots of pictures. I get leg yielding but beyond that what's all this travers/renvers b*****s, am I just thick?

Trouble is it would need to be called

"Dressage for Doon Brains"
 
The trouble with dressage based books (IMO) is they bang on and on about feel, as in "you should feel the horse do this or that" But not one tells me what I should feel my body do.
And yes most dressage trainers presume there is a certain level of understanding there, when often there is not.
Just over a year ago I had a fantastic lesson with a Trainer who used visualisation as well as explaining exactly what my muscles should feel like when asking certain things. I spent an hour in walk but I loved every second as it was sudenly like stepping from a gloomy room into light. Not once did he tell me to do things to the horse, the entire time he worked on me, but the end result was the most relaxed swinging walk from what could often be a tense horse and then when we had a trot it was fantastic, huge powerfull trot, working through from behind, soft and supple and a joy to be sitting on.
If there was a book that could tell me about what I should feel in simple words, rather than what I should feel the horse do, then I would be very intrested in it.
 
Have any of you read the Mary Wanless books inparticular 'For the Good of the Rider'?

I know some people really don't like her but for a book that breaks the mechanics of riding down to it's basic components and then puts them all back together again, as well as covering the psychology of teaching and how people learn, it's very good.
 
I would definately be interested to read it; even though I've not got something of my own to play on, it's always nice to have a read and get an understanding of what you've been doing in a lesson for example

My flatwork instructor is fab for explaining stuff, even down to demonstrating and running around the arena like a horse, but I suppose having something in writing is always useful too
 
thank so much everyone for your replies it has given me lots to think about and some ideas of how i could construct the book.
I really want this not to be about 'dressage' as such but the need for flatwork and how and why it provides us with a firm base on which to base our own and our horses development.
Much of the work i do is using viualisation techniques for both what you want from your body so that it is clear to the horse what you want from theirs. Also understanding how the horse would percieve the 'asks' we make.
I could go on but i won't , i'll save it.....
Thank you again for being interested .
 
Your explanaitions always come over very well on here so I hope you do write a book.
So many top trainers assume the person listening already understands such a lot, years ago we bought a David Hunt vid and the whole yard sat in to watch it , and were so disappointed. His "young horse" went better than every single person on my DIY yard's did, and after watching it none could see anything that would help them . It was just too far ahead, their horses star gazed, pulled etc, and they wanted advice how to improve basic problems, not how to improve a correctly trained horse!
I think it's best to assume the rider doesn't mind starting from the beginning, such as their position needing to be correct or they can't progress.
I think you're right, there's a gap for a well written start from your average one horse owner's level (not being patronising, just trying to say many owners need basic stuff like making the horse go from their leg instead of kicking for England!)
Right through to learning changes/piaffe etc etc.
I would guess this forum is a cross section of the average horse owner, from people who just want to hack but improve their enjoyment by a better trained ride, to the professionals who live to compete..
There is a full time writer on here, I can pm you her email if you want, she is very kind and could advise who to contact etc.
 
Thanks henryhorn that would be really helpful, any advise greatfully received!!! I have some really vivid ideas for illastrations so that is also an area i would be looking to work with someone . As well as a 'jackie' style photo story to illastrate points!!!
 
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