Horse Gaits, Balance and Movement

by Susan E. Harris; Foreword by: Franç; ois LeMarie De Ruffieu

• ISBN13: 9780876059555
• ISBN10: 0876059558
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-01-01
• Publisher: Howell Book House

Summary

See how your horse moves and become a better rider! Horses are born to move a foal can walk, trot and gallop within hours of birth. But not all horses move equally well, and the way a horse moves can have a real impact on how you ride. In this unique book, Susan Harris presents more than 300 eye-opening drawings that show you exactly how horses move. She illustrates movements common to all horses, pinpoints movement problems, reveals how a human in the saddle affects a horse's movement and helps you become a better, more accomplished rider. Get a close-up look at horse gaits and transitions Observe the differences between good and poor movement Find out how balance and conformation affect movement View flexion, bending and lateral movements See the impact of shoeing and riding on movement Discover practical tips to improve your horse's movement

Author Biography

Susan E. Harris is foremost a horsewoman who has shown in and prepared horses for most types of competition. Yet she is also the author of Horsemanship in Pictures, and the bestselling classic, Grooming to Win (published by Howell Book House). She contributes articles to Practical Horseman and other magazines, and illustrates her own books and those of others. She lives in Cortland, New York, but travels nationwide to conduct riding clinics and instructor training clinics in Centered Riding (the method developed by Sally Swift), hunter seat, dressage and Western and general horsemanship. When she has spare time, she enjoys trail riding and foxhunting.

Table of Contents

Foreword.

Preface.

1. Why Learn About Gaits, Balance and Movement?

2. Basic Structure and Anatomy.

3. How a Horse Moves: The Cycle of Movement.

4. The Gaits and Transitions.

5. Gait Qualities and Good Movement.

6. Balance and Movement.

7. Poor Movement.

8. Flexion, Bending and Lateral Movements.

9. Types of Movement.

10. Conformation and Movement.

11. Shoeing and Movement.

12. How the Rider Affects Movement.

13. Improving Your Horse's Movement--Some Practical Tips.

Index.