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Common Sense Dressage - An Illustrated Guide
Author: Sally O'Connor
Publisher: Half Halt Press
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I found this is a very helpful and practical book for working on dressage exercises. It includes many photos showing comparisons of right and wrong positions or techniques and also many diagrams of training exercises and figures. The text is clearly written and includes cautions on common problems or misunderstandings. I find I refer back to it again and again - both to look up specific exercises but also to generally browse through the chapters and refresh my memory on many of the subjects and discussions. The introduction provides an excellent explaination of the writers views and objectives for the book. She is both pragmatic about the expectations a rider should have with horses of various ages and conformations and optomistic about the progress that can be made with horses who have had a 'bad' start through the use of patience and skill. She clearly sets out how important it is to gain the horse's trust and to provide him\her with a pleasant learning experience and also how your own skills as a rider and trainer affect your horse. A word of warning: you will make mistakes. I have made hundreds and still do, but hopefully you should learn from each. ... I've been fortunate to work with some great trainers who shared freely from their memory banks. I find that good trainers have no secrets but share freely of their wisdom; I would like to pass some of that knowledge along. The 11 chapters are clearly set out to address important topics such as; The horse- how it functions, The work in hand, Activating the Hindquarters and Competition. Some contain information that is not immediately apparent from the chapter name, for instace the Lungeing chapter contains information on the riders seat, exercises for loosening the joints and removing tension from the body as well as the obvious instructions and exercises for lungeing a horse. There are many good tips and exercises throughout the book. For the novice (and probably many others) the chapters on basic work and activating the hindquarters are particularly helpful with many issues addressed, good photos and diagrams and many interesting tips to solve common problems. Some of the instructions may go against what you have been told by your local instructor but this is not necessarily a bad thing. If the horse takes the wrong lead during this work, allow it to canter for some strides before returning to the trot. "But it is disobedient", you say, but perhaps you asked when the horse was not properly placed, or at the wrong moment. The crucial point is that the horse cantered when asked. If you punish it, you build up resentment and confusion.. Later you want the horse to take up the 'wrong' lead for counter-canter; if you have punished it for cantering on the wrong lead, it will be thoroughly confused. For the advanced rider\trainer there are chapters on piaffe and passage as well as more advanced work in canter and and entire chapter discussing collection and extension. For those competing there is an entire chapter on competition which discusses techniques in the arena and preparation including such mundane topics as how to keep yourself looking clean and how to prepare your horse (very helpful!). As with many instructional articles and books many of the riders shown do not wear helmets - although one does have a liking for an attractive bobble hat but I suspect it wouldn't provide much protection. So, as always, you need to overlook these indiscretions.
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