Partnering Your Horse – Susan McBane, Maggie Raynor

Partnering Your Horse is a guide to horse-appropriate training techniques and the development of mutual trust between horse and rider. The book imparts effective, humane training and conditioning in handling and riding, and combines newer, scientifically proven methods plus long-established ‘kinder’ techniques.

Horses are an enigma. Big, strong, fast prey animals, they are sensitive, lightning reactors to danger. If they connect that danger to us, they can lose their faith in us forever. Despite this, they are ‘trainable’, capable of forming strong bonds with humans they trust, and welcoming us into their society as associates and even friends, although not as bosses or masters as previously believed, a concept alien to them. However, we need to work at maintaining their welcome and the best way of doing that is to be partners who persuade them to do things with us, and who do not hurt, frighten or confuse them.

So much common horse sense has been lost over the years that many people don’t realise that certain methods advocated in today’s horse world have created an increase in behaviour problems. In Partnering Your Horse, author, Classical Riding Club trainer and Gold Award holder Susan McBane offers a proven way of riding and horse management, of restoring horses’ faith and trust in us – and of producing one of the best friends we’ll ever have. The book benefits from appealing and instructive illustrations by eminent equestrian artist, Maggie Raynor.