Show Horses Books

I used it teaching beginner lessons. It really helped me come up with new and creative exercises for the kids to do. You replace the jumps for rails on the ground for students that do not jump yet. I love it and use the exercises in this book all the time.

Brilliant diagrams, excellent keys, simply mapped out and laid out information for difficult and also the easiest of dressage manoevres. It's bound at the top for a vertical flip, with a hole punched down near the bottom so you can hang the book on a nail on your bulletin board or at home and keep it open while you study it. It has handy hints how to achieve positions and gives you ideas to improve certain flaws. It is by far the best book on jumping exercises I have read so far that is dedicated purely to jumping exercises.

Just about EVERY page has another full A4 riding arena on it showing the pattern where the horse is going, it shows crossbars and it shows trotting poles, verticals, gymnastics and where to place them, it shows where you should be directing your horse and what way to approach with an excellent use of diagrams and patterns which have a key right next to it so the design remains uncluttered and simple to read. It even gives you cheap alternatives to make some jumps yourselves and offers quick solutions. A best buy for anyone serious about jumping - or even dressage - to keep their horse supple and to keep their horse (and themselves!) from boredom. Brilliant.

The best how to book on ground poles and jumping that I have experienced. It's a great tool by an expert to keep your horses (young and old) interested as well as the rider thinking. Linda laid out the book very well. Good illustrations and great explanations accompany each exercise. The ground pole exercises are very helpful to use between jumping lessons. This one is a book to keep and give as a gift to a riding friend!

This book has so much info on different exercises and each exercises has little hits about when to use this exercise and what to watch out for while riding it.

This book breaks the demands or jumping down into a logical progression of skills until it takes the insecure beginning rider into a confident partner to the jumping horse. If these lessons are followed correctly, it can also take a training level horse into a skilled show jumper. This book is a must for anyone interested int he discipline of jumping.

If there is a horse crazy youngster in your life, this book will enthrall them for hours. It is the true story of Vivi Malloy, who was shadowed by photographer Jill Krementz, and her show pony Penny. Vivi cares for her own pony at home, so readers get to see what goes into caring for a pony and learning to ride at a show level. When Vivi goes to a show, the reader is there, from the schooling ring to the awarding of ribbons. Vivi also outgrows Penny during this book, and has to move on to a larger pony and say goodbye to Penny. Many people in the horse show world read this book over and over when they were growing up (I was one of them!) and have now passed it on to their own children.

I read this book as a child so often that my copy fell apart. It was out of print for a while, but now it's back and it's wonderful! There is an update on the family and the horses. If you have a child or were a child that loves horses, you must have this book!

As a little girl growing up, I lived my life through the pages of this book and wished that I was as lucky as young Vivi Malloy. I would check this book out of the library as much as I could because it was the closest that I got to owning a horse (until my dream came true when I was 13). Despite being out of print, I was so happy when I found a copy of this book on eBay. For those who are still searching for this book, have no worry because it is finally back in print with an update on Vivi, Penny, and a few other people that are mentioned. George Morris lends a hand by writing a foreword to the newest edition. One statement he makes is so true when it comes to today's horse owners: "We also see Vivi grooming and exercising her pony Ready Penny, mucking out Penny's stall, and observing and learning from the pony's veterinarian and farrier. Such hands-on participation was all part of a rider's life in those days (but unfortunately less so today), and this book reminds us that it takes more than winning blue ribbons to become a complete horseman or horsewoman."

Never owned a horse, but got very intersted in horses in my early 20's and read TONS of books. 'A Very Young Rider' was one of my favorites. I own the book and several of the other 'very young' ones. Am amazed these books are out of print! :( Got curious reading these reviews about what happend to Vivi and did an internet search. Here is a wonderful story:
http://www.soresishowstables.com/press/ChronicleOfTheHorse-19May05.pdf

I am 38 years old and got this book for Christmas at about 10 years old. I, too, had a pony that I showed and loved dearly. I even started to wear my long, blonde hair in braids with lucky polkadot ribbons when I showed English. I ran home from school every day, waiting to get close enough to hear her whinny for me...I cried along with Vivi as I outgrew my precious pony, Boots, and moved on to a bigger horse. It still brings bittersweet tears to my eyes when I thumb through it! My dust cover is torn and worn and I was looking for a replacement book when I came upon this thread. This book, and all in the series, were wonderful stories of real-life people with real stories and experiences. With so much garbage thrown at our kids these days, it would be a shame to see this series disappear.

As a long time horse and mystery story lover, I'm always on the lookout for books that combine the two. I've often been disappointed in what I have found. I've read quite a few in this genre with glaring inaccuracies about horses. Or, if they get the horse stuff right, the characters are weak, the plot is convoluted, the pace is off, and the writing is painful. This author gets it right, gets it all right! She obviously knows the difference between a Quarter Horse and a Shetland Pony, the characters are engaging, the plot is interesting, and the story moves along at a decent clip. Even if you aren't a horse lover, it is a good mystery, even if you aren't a mystery lover, it's a good horse story. I'll be looking for more from this author.

A wonderful fun book. I enjoyed how the plot moved from A to B without leaps of faith. It is great to have a horse mystery where the author obviously has been around horses and the horse show scene. Can't wait for the next book.

This is a great book. I couldn't put it down once I started it. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to her next one:)

What an excellent book! It grabbed me from the very first page & ended with me wanting to read the next book! You know how authors include excerpts from a chapter of the next book in a series? Well, when I finished this book, I was dying to read an excerpt from this author's next book! The Misplaced Horse is very well-written ~ it's as good as ANY of the mystery books that are written by famous authors. It has the added bonus of being written around the horse world. It's refreshing to read such a book that's not full of mistakes about the horse "stuff". I once read a book by a VERY famous author who was talking about a big Tennessee Walker. Then the character went on to say that this big TW was 13.1hh. Nothing like that happens in The Misplaced Horse! The characters are well-developed & the storyline will grab you & hang onto you until the end. I'm going to get copies for everyone I know who likes mysteries or horse books. The Misplaced Horse is a great gift.

I loved this book from the beginning. It was neat to find a writer who doesn't just write about the horse world but obviously knows a lot about it too. Things were accurate to true life PLUS it was a great story! What a bonus!

The Karen Vanderlaan story is an epic chronicle of warm moments sprinkled lightly along a gut-wrenching trail of sadness. It moves inexorably on decline to an eventual inspiring uplift, if not of dreams actualized -- if not of reality warmly embraced -- then of reality acknowledged and fought to a coexistent truce. One could almost characterize this autobiography as a psychological thriller -- a novel with clues to later behaviors deftly woven into a little girl's childhood experiences of warm sibling relationships squeezed all the tighter by a near universal set of negligent, indifferent, or horribly abusive adults that populated the early phases of their lives.

Karen doesn't blink in laying out a gripping chronicle of her family tree adorned with virtues and values, along with more than a few ugly warts and blemishes. There is an element of Stockholm syndrome at work here, where the victim forms an adhesive association with a brain-washing abuser. It takes an incredible amount of intestinal fortitude -- and the fortuitous intervention of some better angels -- to face such overwhelming demons and emerge from the battle a stronger person with life values intact and in control.

I found this book a bit disturbing but incredibly inspiring. Karen's love of endangered children and horses -- and her valiant struggle to make a difference in their lives -- is a theme that shines brightly through the dark shroud that she sets about removing from her most eventful life, thread by thread, fold by fold. I highly recommend it for a very emotional, yet soul satisfying read.

What could possibly go wrong with an all-American family in Vermont who seems to be living the American Dream on a farm straight-out-of-Norman-Rockwell's-Saturday-Evening-Post cover; the Milky Way Farm? Well, plenty could, and did, go wrong with this idyllic family, in what could best be described as something akin to a Stephen King novel.

By her own admission, Karen Vaderlaan was "born in Paradise." Her father, a kind and gentle man who saved animals from certain death, tucked his children in at night with love and affection, but who would grow into an indifferent person as the years grew and the turmoil continued. Karen's stand-offish mother was not your typical nurturer, leaving that chore up to her husband; she was musically inclined and that dream was the prime motivator which made her leave paradise and strike out on the road with Bunny, another musician with no regard for anyone but herself.

For Karen, horses were, and are, a huge part of her life, plus she sought salvation in the form of different religions, none of which comforted her for very long. This is a sad story of outright meanness and interference by Bunny, the outsider, who dominated Karen's mother, the children and Karen, who sought love from, but was denied. This search for love eluded the Karen, the child, for years. It is the tragic story of what happens when uncaring adults do not have the welfare of their children at heart.

It is also a story of devotion. Karen Vanderlaan's loyalty to her horses is her salvation and her comfort. A survivor in the most chaotic examples of abuse, Karen eventually winds up in Utah, marries, has children, and grandchildren, and of course, through it all her magnificent, and some not so magnificent, horses. This is a story of vindictiveness, cruelty and a nomadic existence, but one with a happy ending, because Karen rose above the appalling way she was forced to grow up into the caring and generous woman she is today. I wholeheartedly recommend this well-written book of memoirs, interspersed with beautifully poetry. Treat yourself. Buy this book!

Why this book is not on The New York Times best seller list, I don't know.

I like reading well written memoirs, and this one definitely fits the bill.

Author Karen Vanderlaan bares both her heart and her soul in this very revealing book, which spans her early childhood days on a small family farm in Vermont to her present days as an educator living in Utah. And Vanderlaan shows and tells, and shares, quite a life's journey in this memoir, much of it extremely painful for her, and for the reader.

But as her life progresses from one difficult stage to the next, one thing remains constant throughout - her love of both children and of horses. Vanderlaan raises her children the best way that she can; she rescues horses few others would want to take the time or the effort to care for; and she teaches her students that life truly is what each and every one of us makes of it - each and every day:

"All you have to do in life is live and die. Everything in between is up for grabs, determined by your own uniqueness, and the choices that you make. Anyone can eat, breathe, procreate, make waste, and take up space in this world. Do more with the time you have than just take up space. Make it matter that you are here."

Sound advice for us all, and I believe a book well worth reading.

Karen's memoir is boldly told, beautifully shared. One can't help but feel her frustration and pain of growing (and learning) in a dysfunctional family, and also be cognizant that this story reverberates in our society...throughout mankind. Hopefully, this story will help many realize the world can be a beautiful place.
At the end of the book, I wanted to know if Karen's sons are well...or do they still try the difficult paths in life? Karen--well done.

They say that God only gives us what He thinks we can handle.
After reading Karen Vanderlaan's book Show and Tell, I think He must have handed her an extra helping...but you know what? She triumphs over any adversity.
Ms. Vanderlaan starts this biography with an almost idyllic childhood - growing up with her siblings on a farm with horses and a father that was active in their lives - her mother was more aloof. Mom has great dreams of being a famous singer.
But horses remained a major love in Karen's life, and the humanity she has for them outshines any degree in animal husbandry.
When Karen's Mom starts singing with Bunny, and they leave find fame and fortune, things start going downhill.
Mom takes her children out of Paradise and into Hell guided by a so-called pious Bunny in search of fame and fortune. But Bunny was an abusive force that the children paid the price time and time again. This abuse was such a regular occurrance, it almost seemed normal to the kids - this abuse was all they knew. When Bunny started 'Bible studies' Karen joined her - in an effort to stop some of the negativity?
When you have grown up in a certain atmosphere, it is sometimes hard to leave that environment, and you may go to a like environment, because you have no other frame of reference.
The main thing is Karen overcomes this negativity through her love of horses - and love of her siblings, and then her children. When I was a child my grandmother had a farm we'd go to often - I'd relish going to the horses and riding and talking to them and seeing their heart and personaity - If there ever was a healing influence, looking into the eyes of an innocent horse surely goes a long way to place balm on the wound.
Interspersed in the prose is Ms. Vanderlaan's beautiful poetry. Indeed it is through her poetry on AuthorsDen that I became aquainted with her work.
She is a strong, talented person who has the gift of telling a story, whether in prose or poetry.
Show and Tell is a powerful book - it is hard reading at times when you read what the children had to endure, but it is with purpose - there is triumph.

I bought this book for my daughter for Christmas and its been great to have at the equestrian center where we keep our horse. My daughter and her friends enjoy the games in this book when they are forced into the indoor arena because of rain.

I loved this book - it has great ideas for games to do with just you and your horse or with a group of others as well. The instructions are clear, with nice pictures. A good choice for your horse library

Games on Horseback is becoming a well-deserved classic. Games range from the simplest that even a fairly inexperienced rider can handle, to more challenging games that require greater skill. The book is useful to instructors wanting to inject some fun into learning,and amateur riders and owners. Games are clearly explained with colorful photographs.

I bought this as a reference for a camp for kids with cancer and it is perfect. It has beginner to advanced games and suggestions for variations. Highly recommend it.

I help in teaching therapeutic riding, and I purhcased the book for some ideas of different games to incorporate into the lesson. The book was exactly what I needed. It has several great ideas, and you can easily adapt the games to fit the population you serve.

After reading this book I am finally able to understand what my trainers have been trying to tell me to do for years. Mary is able to explain things very clearly. You will be amazed at how much this book can help you.

I have loved horses and have been riding all my life. I have worked hard on my riding, to make my aids clear and to respect the horse. After one reading of this book, I got on an older, retired show horse that we bought primarily to have someone gentle enough for friends to ride, and in just a couple of minutes she was transformed by how much better I was riding. She went from being slightly annoyed that she was having to work to being crisp and bright, and responding instantly to my newly-learned skills. She worked much better than she ever has for me. Wow.

When I read this book I was skeptical. Isn't riding about feeling? Won't I be too self-conscious and fail to attend to the horse and go with him if I "try" too hard? Turns out these beliefs are wrong, and the horse told me so.

The photos and descriptions are extremely helpful. I found this book easier to understand than Ride With Your Mind Essentials. You might think Essentials would be the place to start, but for me the drawings in Essentials were much less useful than the photos in this book, and much of the Essentials text was too brief and didn't explain enough--I wouldn't have understood if I hadn't read this book first.

Essentials has a number of additional pieces to the puzzle, and I think will be much harder work. So I'd recommend it too, just start with this one, especially if you have looked at Essentials and it seems intimidating to you.

This book is a touch repetitive, and occaisionally new-agey, which could put a lot of horsey people off, but I strongly suggest you persist. If you have "feel" problems this may change your whole perspective! It's also a great source of ideas for teachers with problem pupils, I'd recommend it for teaching people exactly why position does matter.

I highly recommend Mary Wanless and her teachings. I was at the point of quitting riding. It had become a torture for my horse and myself. I felt that because I wasn't naturally talented I was destined to never progress beyond the point I was at. A friend recommended I read Ride with your Mind: Masterclass after listening to my feelings. It was like a whole new world opened to me within the first few pages. I'm excited about riding again and my horse seems happier with my new attitude. Reading this book was the greatest gift I could have ever given myself and my horse.

This book turned the unknown and terrifying into the wonerful world of riding I know today. It is an easy to read, practical guide that you will not want to let out of your sight, and will want to read and refer to time and time again.

This is the time of book you like to read more than once! It was terrific. You really felt like you were at ridiing camp with them. I suggest this to horselovers everywhere!

I think Summer Horse was a great book,because everyone was working together to help Carole find out why Ditto didn't respond to her commands.In the end was good because Carole finally realizes why Ditto did't respond to her commands.

I like ow they always did were together. And how there is a second book to follow it. I like the last part where Lisa moves into Stevie's and Carole's Bunk and when Starlight arrives!

I first read this book, when I was about 10, 11 or 12. I was hooked on the Saddle Club at 9 and even now, at 15, still find myself returning to them occasionally. I have read 'Summer Horse' and 'Summer Rider' countless times, and still go back for more! I found Stevie's determination to save the camp, Carole's lesson in adapting to suit her horse and Lisa's dedication to her school work an inspiration (although this was not necessarily how it was intended). This is an exciting book and a most memorable one! I borrowed my user name from it! I used to read the books non-stop, and although I never read the entire series, I wanted more than anything to be a part of the Saddle Club - I still do really. Hehe. Anyway - READ THIS BOOK!!!!

I like how each Saddle Club member had a problem. Lisa had a different cabin at camp than her two best friends, Stevie's boyfriend wasn't paying attention to her, and Carole was assigned a horse who has a mind of his own. I can't wait too read "Summer Ride", the next book in line.

This book is excellent, I can't tell you how many times I've referred back to it. Contains tips for training horse and rider in all three phases, and common problems that most riders will certainly face sometime in their career. Lots of great photographs to show you the right (and sometimes not so right) way to do things. Advice on conditioning (which I've found to be very helpful) and gymnastics at the back of the book. If you event, get this book.

I have had the incredible opporunity to work with this man in person. He is THE most informative, patient, helpful trainer I have ever worked with. Both of his books, "Training the Three-Day Event Horse and Rider" and "Gymnastics", are must-reads for any equestrian. I can only hope he writes more!!

I am just a beginner, but this book inspired me to try hard to event. I loved the gymnastics in the back!

In 1984 I began riding in Jimmy's clinics and have accumulated numerous hours riding, watching and listening. During this time I took copious notes on his comments; measurements of his gymnastics; watched other riders and listened to Jimmy's critiques. "Training-the-Three-Day Event Horse" IS Jimmy Wofford. His concise, straitforward teaching comes through in his book just as though you are there listening to him. If I could only have one book, it would be this one. I recommend it to my students, I give it as gifts and I wouldn't leave home without it.

I was SO happy to finally read a book involving cross country with so much emphasis on good basics and snaffle bits. I am so sick of hearing trainers advocating bigger bits to control your horse. Mr. Wofford advocates better TRAINING to control your horse - what a concept. This book covers quite a range of topics; from choosing an event horse, dressage, how the horse sees jumps vs. how we see jumps, cross country, jumping, conditioning, cross country position and more. I think this is a great book!

Hard bound book, easy to read and to the point of how to train your horse. Nice big photos, applicable diagrams, spelled out how to compete and be successful.
I wish it had been the FIRST book I read!
This is a book I will NEVER loan out.....ever.
Time to go practice what I read~!

This is the singular most effective tool that I have ever used in working with both young and old horses. As an equine professional, I have applied many of the techniques and methods to my own herd. Doug is truly the pleasure master. I believe that many people outside of the industry would enjoy this beautifully photographed and well written journal about pleasure horses.

This is a good book for people who want to train for show and for those who want to have a well trained horse. It explains in terms that novice horse people can understand and appreciate and still covers the finer points of training. The book keeps your interest and is easy reading.

Covers everything from basic bloodlines to breeding, buying, and then training and showing. This is the definitive reference book on Western Pleasure.

This book covers everything from breeding a pleasure prospect to working out the kinks in an older seasoned show horse. This will certainly help my new 3 year old filly and I make it in the AQHA show ring. I recommend it for anyone who wants to win!

I just finished reading this book called Everyday Friends by Lucy Diggs. She loved how the characters were made and how the story was laid out. I recommend this book. It's too good for words.

I LOVE this book. I think i've checked it out of the library at least 12 times. It's very true to life and just how learning to ride, jumping, showing, and owning a horse is really like. Its unlike most horse stories in that its not JUST about horses (theres a bunch of other really good themes in it too) and it's not unreal at all. The main characters aren't at all near perfect, and they dont win everything all the time. Besides just being a horse story, it's great for anyone. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

This is my all-time favorite horse book (fictional). It's a wonderful story and the horse facts are the most realistic in any book I've ever read.

It starts off with Marcy, an only child, who loses her long-time best friend to the 'cool' crowd. She ends up meeting the new girl, Nat, who is a horse-nut and starts taking learning to ride on Nat's horse, under the instruction of Nat's bohemian mother.

The book continues on with Marcy going to her first horse show, then her first big time horse show. She also learns some things about Nat that threaten their friendship.

The story is just great, I can't say enough about it. Being a horse person myself, I love how accurate it is. Most horse books really screw up what horse shows are like - this one has it down pat, including correct class names.

Anyways, I would highly recommend to any horse-crazy teen looking for something a little different than the Saddle Club/Thoroughbred books. Those are good in their own right, but this book (while a little old now) is much more realistic and better.

I thought this was an absoloutley fabulous book!! I am a horselover, and I thought this book was amazing!! I loved the way Lucy Diggs put so much feeling and thought into every character, even the horses!! I also loved all of the show "scenes", they made me feel like i was really there!! I also liked how the people in this book weren't perfect, they were just normal people; sometimes Marcy would fall off, or get run away with. I have read other books where the person doesn't even know how to ride, and suddenly they take a blue ribbon in a show!! Anyway, I think this is a great book for every 13 year old horsey lover, and i reccomend it to anyone who loves jumping (like me). I hope this review was helpful to you, and enjoy Everyday Friends!!! ^_^

This is the sort of book I've always wanted to write myself - a realistic novel where even when things go as you might hope, they don't always go as you plan. And yet, that's still okay.

The book begins with Marcy starting the eighth grade only to realize that her very best friend of many years is dumping her and hanging out with other girls. Depressed, Marcy starts taking new routes to and from school and discovers a new neighbor who has a horse. She's never ridden but is immediately entranced, and her neighbors offer her lessons.

Along the way, we watch Marcy struggle with piano, which is important to Marcy's family but not to Marcy, and struggle with riding, which is not as easy as she first thought. But, through the year, she learns that the struggle is worthwhile, both with riding and in life.

What I especially enjoyed about this book was that it was no fairy-tale - Marcy does not find the glowing mare of her dreams, but instead finds a real horse that she loves just as much. She does not win an armful of blue ribbons at her first show. She despairs, she gets frightened, and yet she eventually succeeds - just like the rest of us in real life.