> As a self-confessed book-aholic, I'm tempted to buy each of the books on your > list.
I've got so many books it's not even funny. ;) > However, if you could read just one and you had two youngsters to start, > which would you buy? Anthony Crossleys by and far. His is laid out in a strait forward approach, and he tells you common resistances and how to know when to move up. Atheletic development by DeKunnfy is great once you get them backed because he starts at 20 meter circles and builds from there to the high school levels. One advantage to Crossley's book and Klimke's Starting Young Horses is that the goals of those books is to have a horse who can do a Basic Dressage (equal to first level here), a Basic Jumper course (equal to a 3' course here), and a basic XC course (2'6 here, I believe). So, they focus more on a well rounded horse than Belasik and Dekunffy that are going for the high school Dressage stuff. Crossleys book is much more indepth. I believe you're experienced enough that it would be a toss up for you between Crossley and Klimke because you already know how to read the horse to see when he's ready to move up, and that's one advantage of Crossley's books. > Two of my favorites on the oldie-but-goodie list are My Horses My Teachers by > Alois Podjasky and Give Your Horse a Chance by Lt. Col. A.L. d'Endrody. > The second was first printed in 1959. I love Podjasky. I just bought Suenigs book and Cross Train Your Horse by Savoie this week on Ebay. Can't wait to get them! Steph -- "Brutality begins where skill ends." "Correctly understood, work at the lunge line is indispensable for rider and horse from the very beginning through the highest levels." Von Niendorff
