Dressage for the Not-So-Perfect Horse: Riding Through the Levels on the Peculiar, Opinionated, Complicated Mounts We All Love

by Janet Foy, Nancy Jones (With)

Overview

Tens of thousands of riders pursue the sport of dressage in North America, and the majority do so on a budget and with the horse they already have—or quite simply, the one they can afford. This means riders are facing the challenge of mastering one of the world's most esteemed equestrian events on horses that may not be bred specifically for the task, or even if they have been, may not be top prospects for any number of reasons. International dressage judge, clinician, and riding coach Janet Foy has ridden many different horses—different sizes, colors, and breeds—to the highest levels of dressage competition, and now she has compiled her best tips for training and showing in one highly enjoyable book. Her expertise, good stories and good humor are destined to bring out the best in dressage riders and their "not-so-perfect" horses everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570765919
Publisher:	Trafalgar Square
Publication date:	08/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	994,879
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Janet Foy is an FEI "I" judge, USEF "S" Dressage Judge and an USEF Sporthorse "R" Breeding Judge. She has judged at all major shows in the United States, including the FEI North American Young Rider Championships, the FEI North American Junior Championships, the USA World Cup League Finals, and the FEI North American Championships. She has also judged national championships, is on the USDF "L" Faculty, and instructs federation judges training programs throughout the United States for dressage and sport horse breeding. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Nancy Jones is a novelist who teaches college English literature, writing, journalism, and women's studies courses in Minnesota and North Dakota. A dressage rider with FEI-level riding experience and national level competition success, she also specializes in equestrian journalism and has published numerous features. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Now [Foy] has compiled her best tips for training and showing the horse you have (or the horse you love, despite his faults) through the levels. Her lists of the common 'imperfections and evasions' experienced when riding movements are followed by Janet's creative ways to perfect those imperfections, sprinkled with numerous personal stories." —Lone Star Horse Report (August 2012)

"The book is divided into three sections . . . each section includes chapters on individual movements, making it easy to find exactly the kind of insight and help you might need. The book is well-organized and easy to understand and makes for a good read for those of us with 'imperfect horses.'" —The Chronicle of the Horse (October 2012)

"From the start, Foy makes the book easy for readers. Foy's refreshing honesty made me read on. In fact, this book is sort of inoculation against training despair. She is outright in telling self-deprecating, humorous tales about her long journey from rodeo queen to dressage queen. . . . In the future, any problem that presents itself, this book will be the first place I will go for help." —Dressage Today (January 2013)

"What is perfect is the way this book is put together. With little effort, you can find your problem and get a workable solution. We love Foy's insistence that horses are individuals with physical and mental limitations and how she works with those issues. She believes in developing a strong foundation, so her explanations start with where your horse's basics might be weak." —Horse Journal (January 2013)

Editorial Reviews

"If you yearn for a book that's practical and inspirational, not just aspirational, you'll love Dressage for the No-So-Perfect Horse." —US Dressage Connection

Praise for the first edition:

“I have a pretty huge equestrian library but in the future, any problem that presents itself, this book will be the first place I will go for help.” —Editor, Dressage Today Magazine

“What is perfect is the way this book is put together. With little effort, you can find your problem and get a workable solution.” —Horse Journal

"Finally, a book for the rest of us: riding horses that just didn’t seem to read the manual.... These training tips and innovative ways to turn idiosyncracies into successes will prove to be invaluable to any aspiring rider.” — Equine Journal

 "Foy’s refreshing honesty made me read on. In fact, this book is a sort of inoculation against training despair...there is so much of value.... All I can say is I have a pretty huge equestrian library, but in the future, any problem that presents itself, this book will be the first place I go for help.” — Dressage Today

 "Few of us have a ‘perfect’ dressage horse.... But what is perfect is the way this book is put together. With little effort you can find your problem and get a workable solution.... Many dressage books can benefit any discipline, and this book is a perfect example.” — Horse Journal

 "Foy has worked hard on this book, designed to help riders get the best from their horses, whatever their type or temperament. Simple cures and solutions to common problems—brilliant!... Not everyone has a top dressage horse, but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve great things—this book shows you how.”— Your Horse Magazine

From the Publisher