About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
Although the title of the book is 100 Ways to Improve Your Riding, you’ll find well over 100 tips useful to beginner and intermediate level riders. An excellent resource.
Pros
- Very readable.
- Offers safe, practical suggestions for improving your riding,
- Information is easy to find, well indexed.
- Lots of clear photos.
Cons
- No specific references to Western riding styles.
- Would like to see a few more resources for riders who lack confidence.
Description
- Hard cover
- Color photos
- 152 pages
- Published by David & Charles Books
- ISBN: 0 7153 1680 X
- Author: Susan McBane
- Published: 2004
Guide Review - 100 Ways to Improve Your Riding-Book Review
McBane is a classically trained riding instructor, author of over 40 equestrian focused books and has studied with some of the classical riding greats. The refreshing thing about this book is its readability. Written in plain English, it seems easier to digest than many of the books written by classical masters.
There is a huge amount of information here, and provides far more than the title suggests. If you want to improve any aspect of your riding, you will likely find good advice—from improving your seat, achieving smoother turns, creating impulsion, to dealing with fear. What really appealed to me was her advice to riders who are experiencing problems such as horses who are rushing, rearing, bucking, head tossing, and spooking. She wisely recommends dealing with problems only after checking for dental, back, soundness or tack fitting problems.
I like the bar at the bottom of each page that cross references similar issues. The photos are excellent and clearly reinforce the text. There is a detailed index at the back making it easy to find the solution you are looking for. McBane also addresses issues of rider confidence, fitness, and attitude. Although I happened on this book at the library, this is a book I plan to own a copy of soon.