Imagine yourself flying. Well, not so much as flying, but being
borne aloft, zooming in a straight line up and down hills,
though woods, across fields, and back. The wind slaps your face
and pulls your hair, the sun beats down, and all you can hear,
bedsides the sound of yourself laughing and shouting with joy,
is the sound of hooves pounding down on firm soil.
This is the joy of horseback riding. If you've never done it, it
will be like nothing you've ever tried before. The speed, the
freedom, the sense of adventure, few activities in the world can
rival horseback riding for pure excitement.
To many people, this is a hobby that many have shunned, thinking
it was the privilege of the rich, or the landed gentry, or those
with a 'Huntin and Fishin' lifestyle.
Nothing could be further from the truth, and these days with the
pressures of the modern world, hose back riding can be that
escape route to sanity that so many of us aspire to obtain.
But, if one isn't from the landed gentry, how do you go about
getting into this, without spending a fortune. Apart from
finding a local horse riding school, you could always start with
a good book.
Now, many books have been written on the subject of horse back
riding, but so many of them have gone into such depth, that the
beginner or the aspiring rider very soon gets bogged down in the
detail.
Although there is no substitute to proper instruction by an
expert, if your son or daughter is nagging you into having
riding lessons, or, more worryingly on the pocket, is asking you
to BUY a horse, then this little book will be ideal for them and
you.
In fact, anybody who is contemplating starting up this most
exhilarating of hobbies will be able to pick up a lot of useful
snippets here.
The book starts out by explaining the connection between man and
this magnificent beast, from the days when the horse was the
main means of transport, agriculture and so forth; it outlines
how great advantages in technology and culture were spread and
made possible by men (and women) sitting atop these handsome
beasts.
It then goes on to describe what can only be described as 'Horse
Culture', sizes, colors and markings, the difference between
Walks, Trots, Canters and Gallops - and most importantly - how
to 'Think' like a horse, to earn that bond which can go far and
deep between man and horse.
Then, for those of you that are considering purchasing a horse,
it gives a good overview of things you should consider - not
least the financial issues.
After all that, when you have a good understanding of what makes
a horses 'tick' so to speak, it goes on to describe different
ways of riding, as well as basic instructions on saddling,
grooming, and riding a horse.
By the time the budding equestrian has finished the book, they
will be better prepared to take the next steps in progressing
one of the most exhilarating and companionable hobby around.
About the author:
Roger Bourdon has written several books on Horse Back Riding,
and is also an avid editor of a whole series of Self-Improvement
ebooks. Visit http://www.anyhorsebackriding.com and for his self
improvement books at http://imnosey.com/ei
Roger Bourdon
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