Horse Riding Books
There’s something that all equestrians love as much as riding, and that is reading horse training books. You must continually invest in your education to better yourself as a rider and a horse owner.
Horse training books will assist you in making the most of your relationship with your equine. These books will help you sharpen your riding skills and solve any issues you may have. Here’s our review of the best horse training books.
Our Top Pick for Horse Training Books
The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book is our top pick for the best riding books. This book is all rounded and easy to understand. Linda explains the various training exercises for both the ground and the saddle. Her approach involves a clear step-by-step guideline, which makes it easy for new horse handlers to understand.
We have all had to deal with poor horse behavior as horse owners. In this book, Linda explains the common causes of these behaviors and how to deal with them. She also discusses the common health issues that affect horses and their solutions.
This book is informative! It focuses on the root cause of the problem instead of forcing your horse to ‘just do it!’ Linda teaches that you can foster a peaceful, mutual relationship with your horse through discipline and understanding.
This book is comprehensive and well illustrated with beautiful pictures. The styles used in this book have worked for thousands of readers. They are all tried and tested and ultimately proven to be effective. This riding book would be a great addition to your horse library.
At a Glance – The Best Horse Training Books
| Title | Best for Case |
| The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book | Best overall |
| Tales Of Horsemanship | Best for amateur horse handlers |
| Horse Speak: Conversations with Horses in Their Language | Best for communication with horses |
| The Modern Horseman's Countdown to Broke | Best for riding lessons |
| 101 Ground Training Exercises for Every Horse & Handler | Best for ground training |
| Training and Riding with Cones and Poles | Best for training unresponsive horses |
| What I'd Teach Your Horse: Training & Retraining the Basics | Best for basic training |
Our Top Equine Training Book Reviews
Learning is a continuous process. Horse training books are a valuable resource for professional horse trainers and horse owners looking to sharpen their horse training skills. Even after spending years alongside your horse, there are likely to be new ideas and training skills that can benefit your riding.
Fortunately, we live in an era where information is accessible. However, the many horse training books out here can create confusion, making it hard to find a good horse training book. This article samples the top seven horse training books that every horse lover should read.
Our selection covers ground training exercise books and trail training books. There’s something for everyone, regardless of your riding style. These books will enable you to train your equine effectively and achieve excellent ride results. Let’s get started!
The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book – Best Overall
The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book is the best horse training book. In writing this book, Linda Jones utilizes her knowledge from decades of working with horses and studying their physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. She clearly indicates how her touch and training can influence horse behavior that humans view as problems.
This book will help you better your communication and resolve problems in your relationship with horses. Linda has written many great books about animals. She is an international equine expert, so you are in the right direction with this book. This book will assist you in connecting better with your equines and sharpening your riding skills.
The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book offers a step-by-step guide on dealing with various health and behavioral issues. Although Linda has written many animal books, this one is exclusively about horses.
In this book, Linda offers a new perspective on relating to horses. She reminds us that horses are conscious beings, and like humans, all horses are unique in their way. We recommend this book because it will contribute significantly to better bonding with your horse.
Our general view of this book is that it is informative and a must-have for all horse lovers. It is an excellent book because Linda’s techniques have worked on thousands of horses.
This book has three sections. The first section explains the Tellington method and teaches the reason for unwanted attitudes and poor horse behavior. This section is crucial because you cannot get a lasting solution unless you understand why your horse behaves the way it does.
In the second section, Linda teaches us about the 72 common behavioral health issues and horse training. These are behaviors and issues that all horse owners have had to deal with at some point. Linda discusses the common reason for these behaviors and offers workable solutions on how to handle them.
The final section of this book is the complete body of work that makes the Tellington Method. In this last section, Linda teaches the Tellington Touches, ridden work, and ground exercises. At the end of this section, there are detailed case studies and photographs of teaching your horse how to load successfully.
This book is available in both kindle and paperback formats. If you prefer the paperback format, you can get it in new and used forms. Linda released the first edition of this book on September 1, 2006, and later a new updated version on July 12, 2009.
Tales Of Horsemanship – Best for Amateur Riders
Tales of Horsemanship is another excellent read for equine lovers. This book is a must-read if you love self-help books with a literary spin. James Cater brings back the original, pure forms of horsemanship. James gathers his wealth of knowledge from working for performance trainers, large ranches, and riding thousands of ‘problematic’ horses.
James breaks down his thoughts into simple, easily understandable ideas: this is what sets him apart from other horse book authors. He uses short stories to teach invaluable lessons on tackling different horse problems. Each of the 44 stories uses texts, illustrations, and drawings to naturally show you how to fix horse problems.
Through these stories, James dives into the horse’s mind to explain what caused the problem and the various barriers you must overcome to understand your horse. Learning through short stories makes this book interactive and fun.
Owning this book is essential as it will teach you how to deal with common horse problems as told and illustrated firsthand by someone who has experienced similar challenges.
This book is perfect for amateur riders because it’s fun and easy to understand with great illustrative drawings. As a new horse owner, this book will enable you to help your horse reach its full potential. It will allow you to clearly communicate with your horse that it will quickly and willingly do anything you ask.
We recommend this read if your equine is spooky, inattentive, pushy, or unpredictable. If you have tried everything you know but can’t get your horse to behave, you will find all the answers here. You will understand the secret of what works, what does not work, and why.
This book will assist you in being a better leader and building a long-lasting partnership with your horse. Most horse training books just show you step 1,2,3 on how to solve horse issues. This one is different. This book enables you to witness practical horse training as it happens.
This horse training book is also suitable for people who have owned horses for a long time but feel something is missing or want to improve in a particular area. This book is available in both kindle and paperback copies. James first published this book in 2018, and there are no updated versions.
Horse Speak: Conversations with Horses in Their Language – Best for Communication with Horses
This horse training book is not a training technique or method. It is a practicable system for “talking” and “listening” to horses in their language. Have you ever looked at your equine and wondered what it’s thinking? Why does it spook some things, or you can’t get it to do what you want it to do? Then, this book is for you!
Most of us expect our horses to understand our language, but it will be so much easier if you understand and comprehend what your horse is ‘saying.’ This read teaches you how to speak to your equine as any other horse would, which is the best way to communicate with it.
Whether you are a riding instructor, recreational rider, colt starter, or an avid competitor, this book will be handy. It will improve your understanding of what your horse is telling you and provide simple replies that you can use to let your horse know that you understand it. This one teaches you to connect with your horse from its perspective.
Sharon Wilsie, the author of this book, is an experienced equine-assisted learning instructor and horse trainer. After reading this book, all the common misunderstandings between you and your horse will turn into civil discussions with progressive and positive results. This book covers the following sessions:
- Learning how horses speak in 12 easy steps.
- Understanding how horses communicate through breath and body language.
- Discover the fort Gs of horse speaking (greetings, grooming, going somewhere and gone)
- Ready-made conversations you can have with any horse.
This book is simple to comprehend, with a step-by-step guide and colorful pictures to walk you through the process of communicating with your horse on a new level.
Although this book is best for horse trainers, it is worth some space in any horseman library. We highly recommend this read as the information it contains is necessary for new horse riders. It would also serve as a reminder and skill sharpener for experienced horse trainers.
Generally, this book reminds us that horses are not robots. They have a brain and would appreciate conversations.
You can get this read in kindle and paperback copies. The paperback copies come in new and used forms, so you can pick one you can comfortably afford. Trafalgar Square Books originally published this book in 2016, and there have been no updates on the original version.
The Modern Horseman's Countdown to Broke – Best for Riding Lessons
The Modern Horseman’s Countdown to Broke is one of the best riding books for horse lovers. It offers complete training on how to improve your riding and better your relationship with your horse.
Sean Patrick is a recognized professional trainer, and as such, he is very qualified to write this training guide. He offers a complete helpful guide for working, horse shows, and just for fun training.
This book has an engaging format as you start from lesson 33 and countdown to lesson one. Sean Patrick starts his lesson with the complex ones and narrows it down to basic, primary education about horses. By the time you get to lesson 1, you will have prepared your horse for many horse disciplines.
The step-by-step guidelines in this book expertly guide you through training your horse from start to finish. In other words, this book could teach you to be a horse trainer! Besides training, Sean Patrick offers tips on how you can influence your horse when riding through actions and body language.
We recommend this book as it provides an effective and efficient approach to training your equine. It has proven beneficial to trainers and horse owners for training horses of all ages. You will be amazed at your horse’s progress after reading this book.
This book is available in both paperback and kindle formats. The paperback formats are not available in new and used forms. Trafalgar Square Books produced the first edition of this masterpiece in 2009. There have been no updates on the original version.
101 Ground Training Exercises for Every Horse & Handler – Best for Ground Training
Ground training exercises are essential, especially for young horses. You are likely to have problems on the saddle if you and your equine have not mastered the rules of ground training. In such a case, you should get off the saddle and start from scratch.
Each moment you spend with your equine is an opportunity to instill good habits and develop his trust and respect. All horses need a strong foundation of guidelines and in-hand training to handle and ride safely. In this book, Cherry Hill creates an easy reference for ground training exercises that will make your riding experience pleasurable.
Setting up good habits through ground training exercises will translate into good riding practices, which you cannot overlook. Good ground training helps in building trust between the horse and its master.
Some of the areas Cherry Hill covers in this book include backing, long lining, obstacle line, turning, sucking out, and so much more. She illustrates these exercises well in an easy step-by-step language that you can denote during your groundwork training.
Cherry Hill is a globally recognized instructor and horse trainer and has written several other reads about horses. So you can trust her lessons in this one. This book is appropriate for all ages and horse types. It should be a manual you keep in your pocket whenever you are outdoors with your equine.
We would recommend this book to new horse owners and any other person who wishes to introduce their horse to ground training basics. This book covers essential ground training exercises, body language, and horse behavioral responses. Most people love this read because the exercises are simple, well illustrated, and easy to follow.
This book is available in spiral bound, paperback, and kindle formats. The paperback and spiral-bound formats are available in both used and new forms. So you can pick one that meets your budget. Cherry Hill officially published this read in 2009. There has been no update on the original version.
Training and Riding with Cones and Poles – Best for Training Unresponsive Horses
Written by Scope Sigrid, a rider with over 40 years of experience, this book is a must-have for all horse owners. Training with Cones and Poles teaches you how to train your horse to be more responsive. Some of the lessons available in this book include:
- Training your horse how to bend better.
- Teaching your horse where and how to place its feet when riding
- Training your horse to be accurate during rides.
Whatever your level of expertise or discipline, this book offers critical fundamental lessons on improving your horse during rides. The exercises in this book use two basic horse training tools: ground poles and traffic poles. Incorporating poles in training your horse improves the training in the following ways:
- It provides visual interest, which helps your horse to concentrate better.
- Give guidelines for your horse as it rides.
- Develop accuracy in your schooling figures and transitions.
These exercises will make your horse more responsive to your training. Your self-awareness and horse handling skills will also improve significantly. Your horse will still stand on its toes, though!
In the 40 years of his experience, Sigrid mainly focused on ground training, natural horsemanship, and trick training. This book has many illustrations and great photos, making your learning experience easy and fun. The instructions on how to set up the poles are easy to comprehend, and you and your horse will have so much fun trying them out.
We recommend this book because it is simple to use and affordable. It also has clear guidelines for carrying out all 35 exercises. The author assumes you know nothing, not even where you should position your leg. She goes into detail, telling you where your aids should be to accomplish each move.
This read has many brilliant ideas that can be useful to horse trainers and all horse owners. The book is in the spiral back and paper editions in new and used copies.
This book has two main sections. The first section is about the various exercises that Keith Horsman teaches. Some of the content in this section include Volte around a cone, serpentine with three cones, and a four-leaf clover, amongst others. The exercises range from easy to moderate and hard ones.
The second section of this book is generally about how to end the training on a good note. Hosman teaches you how to play ball and cool your horse down after the training exercise. He also gives tips on how to clean up your horse after a long, sweaty day.
This book is available in kindle, paper, and audio formats. Sigrid Schöpe published the original copy on April 14, 2015, and there have been no updates on the original version.
What I'd Teach Your Horse: Training & Retraining the Basics – Best for Basic Training
Out of the hundreds of horse training books, What I’d Teach Your Horse is a masterpiece that all horse owners must have. This book provides necessary training that is essential for all equines and riders.
Whether you are an expert horse trainer or a new horse owner, this book is a must-own. Successful horse training involves establishing a solid foundation of respect and trust. In this read, professional horse trainer Rashid Mark explains essential tips on creating a great relationship with horses.
With the guide of this book, you will be able to train and retrain your horse regardless of its breed, background, or age. It doesn’t matter whether you are riding English or western. The tips provided in this book cut across all styles.
For easy understanding, Mark Rashid has divided his work into two sections. The first section is pure step-by-step directions on how to train your horse. This chapter tells you what to do and exactly how to do it. These are essential training that every horse must go through, whether young or old. Here’s some of the content available in this section:
- Legs Mean Move
- Train Your Horse to Travel Straight
- How to Fix Leaning Shoulders
- Basics of Speed Control
- Crossing Creeks & Scary Stuff
- Slow Down Part I
- Better Back Ups
- Teaching your horse to lower Its Head While Standing Neck
- Reining How-To
The second section of this book is the theory of what every horse rider needs to know. Note that you should practice this section in order of the first few chapters for good progressive results. Once done with the first chapters, you can freely mix depending on your training abilities and needs.
Some chapters relate to others. In such chapters, the author clearly spells out necessary prerequisites and where he has covered them in this book. Here are some of the topics covered in this section:
The First Thing I Do – This section covers the first thing each horse owner should do with a new horse.
What to do Each Time You Mount Your Horse – This section teaches you how to keep your horse’s attitude in check and prevent it from mounting up.
How to Pick Up Your Reins Like a Pro – This section explains how to handle your reins. It also teaches you how to use your hands as the primary source of communication with your horse.
Horse Training Magic: Release on the Thought – This section will teach you how to ride your horse like a pro.
What You’re Feeling For – This section will teach you how to use body language to speak to your horse and have it respond effectively. According to Rashid Mark, just like a human being will reach out their hand to shake yours as you approach, a well-trained horse should be able to read your body language and act accordingly.
Reins Tell Direction Legs Tell Speed – This section will teach you how to use your cues as a motivator and a heads up. Mark also teaches you what to do if your horse is getting dull and unresponsive to your cues.
This book shares valuable tips and methods for horse training. It also teaches you how to conduct your horse outside the barn.
This book is available in kindle, audio, and paperback formats; the paperback copies are available in new and used forms. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform published the first copy in 2012 and the second updated copy in 2014.
That’s a Wrap
Although hundreds of horse training books are available online, there is something beautiful about investing time to read physical books. The books we have reviewed in our list above are works of horse experts who have spent decades understanding horses and how to train them.
When we read books from various perspectives, we can adequately streamline our approach to horse training. Even as an experienced horse handler, it is essential to continually sharpen your skills through books. There is a lot more to learn about how you care for, ride and communicate with your horse friend.
It is important to note that horses respond differently to different training techniques. For this reason, You should learn as many training methods as possible to get the best style for you and your horse. You are responsible for developing and honing a technique that works most effectively.
Our list above will provide the basis you need to train and communicate with your horse effectively. You will discover methods and ideas in horse training that you may have never heard or imagined.
Remember, our top pick for all horse riding books is The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book. This masterpiece has the information you cannot afford to lack as a horse handler. It covers horse health, training, communication with horses, and everything in between.
We hope you have fun reading these books and tapping from the knowledge of professional horse trainers who know what they are doing.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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101 Ground Training Exercises for Every Horse &… | $22.93 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Principles of Training: Understanding The… | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Modern Horseman’s Countdown to Broke-New… | $22.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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Horse Brain, Human Brain: The Neuroscience of… | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
