i know i know, i come in late but just finished this one today and absolutely adored it! I ordered it just to get ideas for in-hand stuff to do with my colt since I don't like to ride him in the school (he's still too young and easily looses his balance with so many corners, LOL). Thing is, I was hoping to look at the pictures, find my own way of doing it and ignore the rest but as I read the first page I was deeply impressed with how sincere, plain, correct and wise this horseman is! also loved the little details like him riding out of the cavesson with a dangling snaffle rein (so reminds of my coach... how i miss her), the absence of a noseband in all the snaffle work, the correctness of the handler, the beautifully trimmed barefoot hooves (though they're still contracted), etc etc etc.
But getting back to the content per se, it's so simple and easy to read and yet seems to fail at nothing! all you need to know is there. I think it was a great idea to center the book in suppling and beginning of collection only. When they fill it all in we tend to retain the more complicated stuff and forget the basics wich are the most important. and sencond, du to the limited space, many of the exercises lack enough pictures and clear enough text to support them.
all in all, a must in any serious horseperson's library
. (I know I'll never be able to handle reins and whips properly but I'm guessing as usual, my horse will help me find some other way of explaining what's needed).
