Schooling for Success With William Fox-Pitt

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed, not very technical.
Review: Having drooled over William Fox-Pitt since Pony Club I am very disappointed to be giving this book a poor review. My expectations were perhaps too great. The first few chapters (Flatwork, Jumping) and those at the end (At The Competition, Get Your Horse Fit) I felt were a waste of paper. They essentially covered the basics and common sense tips experienced riders already know. Readers can go to other more specialized books for advice on these topics. However, I did enjoy reading more about William's background and early days.

The chapter I wanted more from was Cross Country. This book should have been re-focused as "Cross Country Schooling for Success" and more technical detail could have been added throughout. The take home message was to approach each fence with confidence, look ahead, maintain contact and keep your horse between hand and leg. Stay balanced with a secure lower leg. The text rarely got more detailed than that and training tips "if you look into a ditch, you'll end up in it!" again common sense advice. Experienced riders will want so much more, therefore I think this book will be better for the beginning event rider. But then photographs of advanced level jumps are not immediately relative to them. Also, the short two pages on introducing a young horse to water were basic. I've read a better guide in Practical Horseman magazine.

One of the main problems is that the text is by Kate Green. Although I appreciate many riders have another person write for them, I think you still want to feel that you are paying for William's advice. So you want it to read like William has written it, rather than just put his name to it. Thus when discussing photos of William riding over fences, it should read "Here I came in too fast, my reins got too long" etc etc., rather than "This pair came in too fast" or "This rider let his reins slip". Although many riders are photographed in the book, we can easily pick out William. The book would have a better feel, if it read like he wrote it.

The best part of this book is the excellent use of sequenced photography. There are some great shots and certainly a few photos that will make you cringe. It is nice to visualize where things went wrong, and this can be a great training tool. But I can imagine some of these photos discouraging the nervous rider. Experienced riders may appreciate this book as a good review and relish the photography - as I did.