I’m an avid reader and in this section of my blog I’d like to share with you horse related books that I’ve read. Some I liked better than others. As your journey progresses make sure that you go back and re-read them.

Sally Swift: Centered Riding and
Centered Riding 2
The founder of Centered Riding helps riders understand how to use body awareness and imagery to improve their riding . Explore these links if you’d like an introduction to developing a following seat or a refresher of the four basics and grounding. All centered riding work stems from the concepts of centering, breathing, soft eyes and grounding.

Mary Wanless: Ride with Your Mind Essentials
The basic building blocks of skilled riding are delivered in bite sized chunks. A real study in biomechanics and how we help or hinder our horses. She explores plugging in (sitting still in the saddle), bearing down (security, strength & power), breathing, on the bit and so much more! You’ll definitely find yourself re-reading this book as your journey unfolds. Visit her website to learn more.

Jennifer Bryant: The USDF Guide to Dressage
A wonderful Christmas present from my husband. A definitive guide that explains basic dressage techniques for all riders, history, terminology, competition information, horse management, cross-training for rider fitness and much, much more. I stopped reading it when I got to the upper level movements. I’m not there yet and I was having trouble making the connection to my riding.

Debbie McDonald: Riding Through
Debbie describes her system for success in dressage and relates her life story. She had a bad jumping experience and found that she lost her nerve. That experience brought her to dressage and through the book she discusses good basic riding skills and her journey through good times and bad.

MAGAZINES
Dressage Today and Practical Horseman

FICTION
Tami Hoag: An avid dressage competitor that competes on the prestigious winter circuit. I loved her books well before horses entered my life. Here are two of her novels that focus on the equestrian world.
Dark Horse (Book 1 of the Elena Estes series) Behind the glittering, ultra-rich facade is an ultra-ruthless world of drugs, payoffs, and dirty deals. A world of dissolute playboys and crooked horse-dealers where anything can be had for a price–including a life. And in that world stalks a killer who will lead Estes down a dark, twisted trail of decadence and deceit, mayhem and murder–from the gilded life of Palm Beach to the darkest corners of the Florida swamps, to a final show-down that could cost her everything. A race against time and evil. A race in which Estes is the dark horse–and no one is betting on her to win.
The Alibi Man (Book 2 of the Elena Estes series) Finding her friend’s killer will put Elena at odds with her old life, with her new lover, and with herself. But she is determined to reveal the truth—a truth that will shock Palm Beach society to its core, and could very well get her killed.