Ground Training Book?

[hinny_heart]

I rarely get to bookstores as I live in remote area, and never to ones with a good selection of horse books, so I rely on recommendations, reviews etc to know what to order.
I'd like to buy a couple of books which cover ground work as comprehensively as possible. I don't mind how "advanced" it is, as long as it starts at the beginning and doesn't assume the reader is stupid.
What books can other forum members recommend? It could even be in French or German (I can read French reasonably well and am fluent in German) if no English translation is available.
Thanks in advance!
Michaela

[cathyb]

where to start ?? <takes in deep breath>  

seriously, there is a LOT out there when you start to look, so it might help to know if you have a particular interest etc.

There's folk like John Lyonds, Leslie Desmond, Pat Parelli - who all have books
Kelly Marks (Perfect manners), John Moore (very like parelli), and some in Swedish (which you may be able to read as its a germanic language ??  :P )

Oh yes, and Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling - probably in german and english....

I've probably got more that I've forgotten or not got to reading yet   (I have a large pile of books waiting for me to get to them).

[lmevans]

if its in hand schooling your after - great clasical training aid - try Richard Hinrichs book

search amazon for the title

goo dluck
Lucie x

[hinny_heart]

Lucie - Yes, in-hand schooling.  
I may well be ( I am!) a pretty hopeless rider, but the better type of NH books with their games and their levels and their stages are the sort of things I've always done without knowing they had  names - and some of the NOT-better type of books are ( IMO) rather silly.
It's more the in-hand schooling and education I'm interested in; I'd rather like to see how well I can get Denny moving without her having to tolerate my lumpen weight for anything other than 'appy 'acking. They're very different characters to horses, but we can adapt.
I'll search on that author's name, thanks.

Cathyb - not really interested in the NH-type stuff; I've read most of it over the years and see remarks above ( just my opinion of course - not knocking it, just not for me in the way it is marketed, especially not with a donkey ). Who is Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling? I shall search on Amazon; thanks.
 

[Heather]

Agree with Lucie,  Michaela- Richard Hinrichs book and video, available in Geman ( his own tongue!) and English. The English translation is good, but it may be better still in German- I know how my book was misconstrued, when translated into Dutch!!

The video must be better in German- the English voiceover is so droning that it would send you to sleep!

Heather

[hinny_heart]

Thanks  - just been searching on Amazon UK - no sign of Richard Hinrich. I shall look on Amazon.de later as it's way past my bedtime now! A video would make things even better. I wouldn't attempt to follow an instructional video in French but German's no problem.

[lmevans]

it is there on UK amazon....


http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...6909451-8227050

search "hinrichs" with an 's' in the book section and bingo

Great book with some really beautiful pictures - provides hours of inspiration and an excellent goal to aim for!!!

Lucie x

[hinny_heart]

Many thanks! I was searching under Hinrich, which Amazon's search engine insisted on changing, ever so frustratingly, to Heinrich - it never once offered me Hinrichs!

It looks perfect especially as the second part of the title says exactly what I want it for  - "for suppling and collection".

[hinny_heart]

Heather, I see your review on Amazon UK mentions Hinrichs' dogs and goats producing Spanish walk ... well I have a donkey ...I wonder.

In truth, I shall be  happy if ground work helps get her supple and reduces her one-sidedness.

I really MUST get a decent digital camera - I need to treat myself to a weekend in town!

[cathyb]

Cathyb - not really interested in the NH-type stuff; I've read most of it over the years and see remarks above ( just my opinion of course - not knocking it, just not for me in the way it is marketed, especially not with a donkey ). Who is Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling? I shall search on Amazon; thanks.

no problem - you said ground work so I was being as broad as possible

I personally haven't seen an "in hand" book I can get on with, so may look some of those suggestions myself

I was shown how to lunge - walking with the horse, rather than stationary/spinning in the centre - and then "self-taught" lunging with 2 reins and an attempt at long reining. But when I finally got an instructor to show me the basics, it made so much more sense !

Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling is kind of nh - works horses at liberty based on spanish approaches. So may be too nh for you - I found the video very flowery (even for me ) but the book was more logical...

Just got my IH email update and Chris Bartle is coming up north and the blurb mentions long reining....

[hinny_heart]

Hempfling sounds ... interesting. NH with a Spanish flavour (sounds like organic tapas )
I will see if I can find out more before I take the plunge in foreign currency.

I have discovered I can get Hinrichs from a shop in NSW so I will phone them tomorrow    it looks EXCELLENT and I should have it next week! BIG GRIN!

Another reason why I'm very wary of 'prescription' or 'structured' NH is that donkeys, and most mules, are psychologically different to horses in many important ways and can react very differently, especially to anything confrontational or fear-inducing. They don't have a "flee" response to a threat or a fright, but rather a "freeze" response, for instance; the way a donkey reacts to pressure can be very different to a horse, and they have very different ideas about personal space.

Denny has clearly spent some years with horses and without donkey company, so she speaks "horseish" fluently but there will be innate donkeyisms that will pop up when we are least expecting it. THAT'S when it'll get tricky. Well, we're supposed to be the more intelligent species so it's should be a lot easier for me to learn Donkeyish than for her to learn English.

It's a pity we can't do evening courses like we can for Spanish and Russian - "Intensive Horseish - twice a week for two terms; native instructors"; "Basic Horseish for Hackers and Holidaymakers - communication and comprehension, a weekend course. No tricky grammar!" and "Donkeyish - this language is related to Horseish but has important differences. Beginner's course one evening weekly for one term. Pre-intermediate held next term. Qualified teachers."

[cathyb]

just realised I may have the in-hand book sitting in my bookcase.... in Sweden :( (I'm currently living and working in Scotland   )

Oh for a less complex life  :P

One of the parelli instructors had a zorse at the 2003 conference. It was certainly a different kettle of fish    (I have pictures somewhere).

Wonder why the response is different - are the predators that different ? or is it simply a different strategy for the same predators ??

[hinny_heart]

I think I've seen the Zorse being worked somewhere in a book ( a mule or donkey book, of course, and probably a French one). Stunning!

There are lots of reasons for the differences between asinus and caballus, but the basic ones are - horse has a flight response, donkey has a freeze response. Horse has hierarchy and dominance within a herd; donkey ( apart from sexual dominance by the jack when a jenny is in season ) has virtually no dominance issues, hierarchy or territorialism.
Horse is very aware of your - and his - personal space,and may well invade it, or that of a herd member, as a method of asserting his dominance.  Donkey has no interest in this and is quite happy for you and many others to share his space, and he yours. it means little or nothing. Donkey leans into pressure, not away from it  - a fact often appreciated by donkey and mule vets when trying to use the jugular vein.

So you can see why they developed a reputation among horsemen for stubbornness ,as you can see that many of the typical NH "moves" - or conventional horsebreaking/training methods - simply wouldn't produce the expected response or result. Especially for a horse person like myelf, I think the early steps with a donkey are even more important and more difficult than the later ones. Because of how they act, it can be difficult to see how well the foundation's been laid, and if it's set properly, if you get what I mean.

[Cloud_cirrus]

I think it's going to be fascinating hearing about your training Hinny_heart and I can't wait to see loads of pictures of you both.

Tracey

[hinny_heart]

eeek!   just checked the prices here in Aus compared to Amazon.   The difference - even taking into account the postage rates! - will pay for a goodly portion of that digital camera I want to buy.
So I reckon the books WON'T be here next week. Maybe the week after.

I'm ordering the following:
1.A Gymnastic Riding System using Mind Body and Spirit including a Pilates program for riders (because I "attempt" Pilates at home - I do so covet that advertised long lean lean dancer's look but at 5ft nothing and age 56 I'm unlikely to get it ) by Betsy Steiner
2.Training the Horse in hand  Alfons J Dietz
3.Classical Circus Equitation HJ Lijsen and Sylvia Stanier

4.Schooling the Horse in hand Richard Hinrichs

5.Trick Training your horse to success ( because there's a donkey in it, trained to sit down!) by Jackie Johnson
6.Bombproof your Horse by Sgt Rick Pelicano (cos I need some ideas, there's nothing out here really and if we ever move back to a city or close to one, Denny will need to be able to cope with a lot more than the occasional drunk driver and the roos and snakes)

7.My SO is sending me Heather's book as he asked me what I wanted for my birthday just past and I told him.

No comments about nos. 5 and 6 please (or at least, not until I'm on my world stage tour with the Acrobatic Ass), but has anyone any comments to make about 1, 2 and 3?  I've got a couple of days before I need to order them.

Cheers Ears!