Mental Equitation: A Guide to Interedisciplinary Horsemanship

Rating:
Summary: Really helped me!
Review: I liked this book a lot. It helped me to understand how to use the aids and how to communicate better with my horse.

Rating:
Summary: How to Communicate.
Review: I really like how James emphasizes that both rider and horse must work as one to accomplish whatever style of riding that they are training to compete. In chapter 6 Arrigon states "Mental equitation provides a clear understanding of what each building block means to the training of horse and rider"; this is really a great way to describe what he is trying to get across. A rider needs to communicate with the horse using their body and other natural aids to accomplish whatever event or training that is being done at the moment. The drawings and pictures demonstrated quite clearly what the reader should get out of the different methods of training. The uses of natural aids are strongly pointed out that they are the best way to go in training.
This book has challenged my ways of thinking how I can speak to my horse and how I can read my horse's clues.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I was misled by the title and thought that this book would be about the psychological and philosophical aspects of riding and horsemanship, and the common threads between the various disciplines. But nope, it is just another "how-to" book aimed at novice riders - how to hold the reins, how to mount etc. And it does not even succeed at this task! Mr Arrigon's definitions of behind the bit and above the bit are the opposite to the generally accepted definitions in the rest of the equestrian world. Several of the photographs are repeated throughout the book. The photos showing the "right" way to execute various movements (including jumping)leave a lot to be desired in both the horse and rider's positions. The pics of the dressage horse show that he is trying to open his mouth in most of the photos. There is tension in his back and no stretching over the topline. There is a pic of a rider in the landing phase of a jump and showing a good position - "finally!" I thought to myself. But no, the caption below the photo decried the rider's position. The pic of another rider in the flight phase of a jump is praised as showing good style -it would have to be one of the worst examples of jumping position I have ever seen. On the whole, very, very disappointing.