Realize Your Horse's True Potential Book

	Acknowledgements	xii
	Author's note	xiv
	Introduction	1
1	Improving on nature	5
2	Getting the picture	14
	Differing types	16
	Objective judgement	25
	Angles of the upper limbs	27
	'Uphill' or 'downhill' build	27
	Photographing the horse	28
	Assessing the proportions	30
	Build a profile	33
	In the stable	34
	In the field	34
	Being tacked up	35
	Training and work	35
	Having the right knowledge	36
3	No foot, no horse	39
	The foot	39
	The forelimb	44
	The pastern	44
	Hoof/pastern axis	44
	The fetlock	46
	The cannon bone	46
	The carpus	47
	Knee faults	47
	The forearm	49
	The elbow	50
	The hind limb	52
	The hind cannon bone	52
	The hock	53
	Sickle hocks	53
	Straight hocks	53
	Cow hocks	55
	Bow hocks	56
	The gaskin	56
	The femur	56
4	The body beautiful	59
	The shoulder and humerus	59
	The shoulder	59
	The humerus	60
	The Body	63
	The breast	63
	The withers	64
	The barrel	65
	The thigh	65
	Improving the body and upper limbs	67
	Exercises for the shoulder and hind limb joints	68
5	The topline	73
	The neck	73
	The back	78
	The croup	83
	Flat croup	85
	Steep croup	85
	Hunter's bump	86
	Improving/preserving the topline	86
	Longitudinal stretching	86
	Lateral stretching	86
	Strengthening the 'ring of muscles'	88
	Benefits	89
	Drawbacks	90
6	The head	92
	The shape and size of the head	92
	Facial characteristics and personality	94
	The eyes	95
	Equine vision	96
	Understanding equine vision	100
	Outward appearance of the eye	101
7	From the horse's mouth	103
	The equine mouth	103
	Bitting	104
	Head carriage	105
	The upper jaw	106
	The lower jaw	106
	The tongue	108
	Bitting for comfort	108
	The mouthpiece	109
	The despised pelham	112
	Position of the hands	114
	Choosing a bit	115
	Going bitless	116
	Weight in the hands	119
	The unbalancing effect of pressure	120
	The sin of pulling	121
	Nosebands	121
	Communication before control	122
8	The elusive outline	124
	Collection and outline	126
	A hollow outline	130
	Training aids	131
	Looking at the whole picture	132
9	Working from the ground	134
	Lungeing	134
	Loose work	137
	Trotting poles and cavalletti	138
	Training aids	138
10	The rider	143
	The aids	143
	Helping the horse	145
	The effective rider	149
	The classical seat: riding from your centre	152
11	Improving the horse I Understanding the movement	158
	Forward movement	158
	Basic types of movement	159
	The quality of movement	167
	Improving the gaits	167
12	Improving the horse II Training strategies	173
	Starting work	174
	Praise and reward	174
	Warming up	175
	Relaxation	176
	Tense, spooky horses; horses who go above the bit	176
	On the ground	176
	In the saddle	176
	The walk	178
	Work on a circle	178
	Trotting poles and cavalletti	181
	Exercises	183
	Exercise 1	183
	Exercise 2	183
	Exercise 3	183
	Exercise 4	184
	Exercise 5	184
	Exercise 6	184
	'Deep' work	185
	Transitions	187
	Half-halts	189
	Exercises	190
	Exercise 1	190
	Exercise 2	190
	Exercise 3	190
	Lateral work	190
	Shoulder-in	191
	Turn on the haunches	194
13	Glowing with health	196
	Tension and stress	197
	Massage	197
	Grooming	199
	Variations on a theme	202
	Interior wellbeing	203
	Condition	206
	The holistic approach	208
14	Know thy horse	209
	Conclusion	218
Appendix I	Kruger, a brief analysis	221
Appendix II	Useful organizations	224
	Recommended reading	229
	Index	233