A simple system for figuring out and fixing what’s wrong with a horse’s performance. Former international event rider Eric Smiley has brought along his own top-level horses for decades. Now he taps his immense knowledge to help riders whose horses may not have had "the right start." Every horse comes with his own “baggage”—behavior or training issues, minor or significant, that may be difficult to pinpoint or resolve. In these pages, Smiley addresses the most common problems he has seen over the years in dressage, eventing, and show jumping, including: Problems with head and neck position. Connection issues. Failure to follow the rules of forward, straight, and regular. Difficulty with collection. Lack of consistency. Smiley teaches readers how to identify what isn’t working by looking at how things should work. Then he walks us through dismantling and reassembling the issues, providing an easy-to-follow system for determining what's potentially wrong with a horse and choosing sensible exercises for fixing it. He introduces a troubleshooting five-point system: Ask yourself, “What is the problem?” Ask, “How, when, and why did it arise?” Ask, “Why does it need solving?” Formulate a plan. Analyze the results in the context of “now” and what they may mean for the future. Layers and shifts of understanding in horses combined with the physical and psychological challenges of riding can often make solving problems that arise seem complicated, and sometimes it is difficult to know where to even begin. Smiley’s system helps readers find that “start point” and map out a sensible plan for future training. He shows how to determine when something may have become an issue for your horse or your performance, ways to try and avoid it happening in the first place, and of course, offers highly practical solutions to employ when you find you do have a problem. Smiley’s goal is to “always leave people and horses with a positive journey to go on, with the prospect of ‘better to come.’” With its usefulness, cross-disciplinary approach, and optimism, The Sport Horse Problem Solver is all you need to achieve success in partnership with your horse, wherever you are in your journey together.

Understanding your horse’s behavior is an essential aspect of creating a mutual bond of trust, respect, and friendship. In a handy question-and-answer format, Dr. Jessica Jahiel explains the language and logic of how horses learn and communicate, enabling you to interpret and properly respond to your animal’s quirky ways. From fear of the vet to unstoppable kicking, this guide provides proven techniques for helping your horse break bad habits, along with creative ideas for fostering a healthy relationship filled with love and affection.

A horse-handling clinician's time-tested techniques for effectively preventing and solving common horse problems. Develop a willing partnership between horse and human. This book includes the most common problems people consistently seem to have with their horses including: groundwork, riding foundation, trailer-loading, barn- sour, spooking, crossing water and bridges, herd-bound, pulling back when tied and much, much more.

The director of the riding program at Sweet Briar College for more than 30 years, Cronin is a well-known and highly respected trainer and riding instructor. Here he presents a clear and practical guide to getting the most out of a horse in a humane and sensitive way.

Training a horse can be a frustrating experience for rider and animal alike. From dealing with a horse that won’t listen to rectifying erratic behavior, this guide covers hundreds of common training challenges and offers proven solutions to your most pressing issues. Stressing effective communication, realistic goals, and the importance of an enjoyable atmosphere, Jessica Jahiel helps you get the most out of your training sessions by pinpointing what’s causing the problem and providing strategies to help both rider and horse stay engaged and focused.

In an effect to develop a "willing partnership between horse and human," this book contains chapters on groundwork, riding foundation, trailer loading, hard to catch, barn-sour horses, spooking, crossing water and bridges, herd-bound, and pulls back when tied.

"[This book] .. covers all areas from 'nursery school' to more advanced work, competition riding and problem solving. the rider's initial role is to establish his own posture and balance and to learn to communicate with the horse through body language and position, using the language of touch initially to educate and then to support. There is an explanation of the horse's biomechanics - how it carries and uses itself so that the rider an understand how to improve his horse's self-carriage and also to recognize his horse's strengths and weaknesses"-- Book jacket.