How To Start The Western Horse: A Guide to Training The Western Horse For Optimum Performance Under Saddle

The relationship established while preparing the horse for mounted training and advanced performance is crucial to his performance for the rest of his life. "How to Start the Western Horse" focuses on that all-important time during which that relationship is developed: ground training. It is during this time, before you ever step in the stirrup, that the foundation of optimum performance is laid.
In this book, JP Forget outlines a simple yet effective philosophy for working with young horses, a philosophy that recognizes the importance of developing and sustaining a team relationship with your horse. Through step-by-step photographs and easy-to-follow text, you will gain an appreciation of not only the philosophy but also the methods used at a particular level of schooling.
Forget unlocks the mystery of the signs - those benchmarks of success we must watch for when starting colts. He explains when to go further and when to repeat an exercise until you see the right signs. He takes you through the first thirty days of riding and details how to achieve maximum results with such essentials as stops, body control, backing up, and guiding.

Chapters include:
1. Philosophical Foundation
2. Equipment
3. Desensitizing
4. Suppleness and Moving the Limbs
5. Response and Respect
6. Saddling
7. Bitting
8. Developing Response to Leg Aids
9. Mounting
10. The First Five Rides
11. The Next Thirty Rides

With the original edition endorsed by western performance giants such as Dick Pieper, Craig Johnson, Alain Allard and John Snobelen, "How to Start the Western Horse" is an excellent reference for the amateur owner who wants to start his or her own horse and for the professional trainer who is looking for a source of fresh, yet proven ideas.