A Dotstream Review; 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse and Rider

 

101 Jumping Exercises for Horse and Rider

 

First off I have to say that this is the first and most recommended book I see/hear when someone asks for a book on jumping training.

I have to say though, I am honestly not sure why it is such a 'go-to' book.

 

This book is chock full of progression style gymnastic exercises but I find that it fails to explain why each exercise works the way it does, which, in my opinion, is pertinent in effective horse/rider training. Merely making this book a dictionary of sorts, an 'is what it is' type.

All meat, no bun.

 

While it sounds like I am giving this book a bad review. I'm actually not! This book promises 101 jumping exercises. You get 101 jumping exercises, as well as a few scattered tips which may or may not apply to you.

These exercises follow a gentle progression of training, slowly building on each prior exercise. Becoming increasingly difficult as the pages are flipped. 

This would be a great guide for trainers to use within their lessons since the measurements within each exercises is all laid out. Making lesson preparation that much quicker.

Surely, you will not run out of ideas here!

 

 

What I do not like about this book is that it leaves open a wide gate for interpretation. And unless you are a fairly experienced trainer, (note- not just rider), and know how to recognize when rider and horse are ready to move to the more challenging exercises the progression rate could be detrimental.

But this is like all knowledge in the wrong hands.

 

 

Overall, this is a great book for those who know the basics through and through and are merely looking for new exercises to add into their already vast equestrian vocabulary.

For those who are fresh out of the gate on jumping, you may be better off looking for a book like,

Systematic Jumping for Horses by James Wofford.