Everything You Need to Know About Horse Training Books

The titles fall into the category of how-to books and guide books. Many are books endorsed and promoted by trainers with a national reputation using a specific training method. There are titles on understanding horses and horse whispering, a concept of building a foundation of trust with a horse popularized by the 1998 Robert Redford movie. You can study a book, pass a test and become a certified horse trainer. Or you can learn a simple task like making your horse lie down.

The Basics

Many of the books are written for do-it-yourself types and cover topics such as how to train for competition show jumping or dressage events. Some titles deal with specific subjects like training gaited horses (horse breeds that have a specific four beat gait called an ambling gait that is smoother for the rider). Others are more generalized, like how to ride Eastern style, Western style or how to train a young foal. There are books on how to care for your horse's hooves or what to do if your horse has been bitten by a snake. You can find books on training mules and donkeys.

Do you want to learn how to use leg wraps and bandages for your horse? You can learn from a book. There are topics from training a thoroughbred race horse to training a thoroughbred race horse to become a riding horse when his racing career has ended. There are books for breeding hinnies (a cross between a horse and a donkey), books for loading your horse into a trailer, books for trail riding, and books for training your horse to remain calm in a terrifying situation when on a trail. Are you an entrepreneur? There are books on how to start and manage your own horse business.

Riding

You can read about fitness programs for the female equestrian, making your own jumps, even what to do if your horse has arthritis. There are guides for buying tack and biographies of famous trainers. There are textbooks on horse conformation (bone and muscle structure), anatomy and equine acupuncture, as well as breeding management. You can study stretch exercises for your horse, practical horse massage, Native American equine philosophy and Shiatsu therapy for horses. There are books about horse nutrition, longe training a young horse and maintaining a clean and healthy stable environment.

There are studies of natural horsemanship (communicating with horses through their herd mentality) and manuals on horse judging and how to be a horse judge. You can find directories of horse training facilities all around the country. There are books on how to ride dressage, teaching children how to ride, grooming your horse, as well as how to train a working cow horse, even such exotic subjects as equestrian yoga and Pilates core conditioning exercises for riders.