Natural way to show leadership
Source: Equestrian Today
Peterborough, England, UK
January 23, 2008

Then he takes long time and trouble in A Horseman's Progress to explain how to come to terms with the horse and end up in an arrangement that pleases both it and the rider.

Her recalls his equine upbringing in the 50s and the lessons he retained from good teachers. And his anecdotes of mistakes and well-spent periods of patience point the way to his form of riding which he was helped to formulate by, among others, Pat Parelli, the international natural horsemanship guru.

His book is an equine Pilgrim's Progress, but unlike Pilgrim, he says he will never arrive because he will never stop learning.

Some of his chapters cover what might be outstandingly obvious, if only riders had spotted the obvious.

You feel for him as he details some problem horses he has dealt with, horses most people would give up on within weeks, horses that were simply spoilt in breaking and bringing on, horses that were frightened of a sleeping cat at 100 yards.

The horseman, based at Sinnington Manor in North Yorkshire, manages to avoid hectoring or seemingly lecturing as he reveals his methods. None of them are "quick fix".

A nice touch is in his explanation on why he wrote the book. "The presumption to believe that I have leaned anything worth imparting comes from feeling an affinity with the struggling student. Not being a 'natural' I have had to learn from many mistakes and I continue to do so."

His chapters on trust and understanding are worth any horse-lover's attention. And his happy hacker wanting to do something different and finding the normally well-behaved horse refusing to help makes a very interesting point under the heading of 'Leadership'.

For the rider must be the leader, he says, and many do not realise that their mounts have taken over this role because every time they are ridden they are doing the very things they like. Change it and suddenly they assert their leadership and refuse.

The book, from Farima Publishing at £8.99, is illustrated with sensible photographs showing horse reaction, happy and otherwise, and progress.