Horse Training In-Hand by E Schuthof-Lesmeister and K Mistral

Horse Training In-Hand by Ellen Schuthof-Lesmeister and Kip Mistral

Horse Training In-Hand by Ellen Schuthof-Lesmeister and Kip Mistral is the essential modern guide to ground work, longing, long lines, and short and long reins.

Working the horse from the ground schooling-in-hand as it has been known for centuries has long been an integral part of classical horse training. Now, this gorgeously illustrated book explains in clear, step-by-step lessons how the modern-day horse owner can incorporate classical groundwork in her daily interactions with her equine partner to both their benefit and enjoyment.

Whether schooling green or young horses; retraining problem horses or those with poor foundations; warming-up advanced mounts prior to workouts; confirming lateral movements on the ground before attempting them on horseback; or supplementing everyday under-saddle exercises, work in-hand provides a wonderful way to advance the horse's education, as well as the standard of communication between horse and handler.

Its gradual progression of work on the longe, double-longe, long lines, short reins, and long reins is the perfect addition to the training program that has grown a little stale or boring; the manageable solution to countless problems that commonly arise in daily work with horses; and by definition, an equestrian art form unto itself.

With over 100 color photographs including many detailed series shots to demonstrate correct body positioning, and meticulously hand-drawn illustrations to guide you through the often-confusing land of lateral work, Horse Training In-Hand is the first book ever to help shed classical groundwork's mystique while conscientiously preserving its magic. Find out for yourself how schooling in-hand can give your training program a brand new look and feel, forever transforming workouts and schooling sessions into artistic endeavors that yield breathtaking results.

ELLEN SCHUTHOF-LESMEISTER trained at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, Spain, and currently studies with Portuguese masters Francisco Bessa de Carvalho (rider and trainer at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art) and Pedro Baptista de Almeida. She studied intensely for over two years with Danish Baroque trainer Bent Branderup, a specialist in the methods of de La Guérinière and Pluvinel and renowned as a master of in-hand work. Schuthof-Lesmeister and her husband own and operate Stal Paradiso, a training facility in the verdant country near Amsterdam.

KIP MISTRAL grew up riding bareback and Western in the deserts of Phoenix and on mountain cattle ranches in Montana before "discovering" classical equitation. She holds an MA in English, has taught composition and technical writing at the college level, and written over 80 articles for equine publications in the past several years. Mistral resides with her pure Spanish stallion in Arizona.