As CHT mentioned, Equitation Science. Dr. McLean uses horse behaviour to tailor his training exercises. Once you get and read his books you’ll understand it’s all about behaviour and horse ‘psychology’.
This book is not just for kids.
Great for adults too. It is intellectually stimulating for horse and human. It is about mutual respect.
Lets Ride!
With Linda Tellington-jones Fun and TTeamwork with your Horse or Pony
Product description
Here, with the help of hundreds of photographs, world-famous horse expert Linda Tellington-Jones explains how to ride handle horses and ponies-using methods every equine will love. Learn to make friends with your pony, improve your riding skills, and let your pony teach you how to become a better rider.
You will learn how to teach your pony to be more confident so he’s safer for your to ride. You’ll be shown the secrets of ‘TTeamwork’ and 'TTouches that can make such a difference to your riding and your pony’s well-being. And you will discover how you can have more fun with your horse or pony both on and off his back, while building a special partnership. The book includes chapters on: Leading and Handling, Tacking Up, Mounting and Dismounting, Rider Exercises, Bareback Fun, Jumping with Confidence, Balance and Safety, and Improving Your Pony’s Riding Performance.
Check out the YouTube series “don’t break your vet” put out by the British Equine Veterinary association. Also another vote for equitation science- they have a short video course called “how horses learn” that is very good and easy to follow. Both are based on learning theory/behavioural science.
Personally, I have very little faith in all these pre-packaged “systems”, regardless of what they call themselves. To me, they’re just more or less effective rackets for relieving middle-aged beginners of their money.
I’d suggest something much simpler.
Let your daughter spend unstructured time in a happy, well-run barn apart from her regular lessons, and have her make it a point to watch and emulate the people whose horses are the sanest and most mannerly. These don’t have to be professional trainers or wildly successful competitors; she might watch an older girl with an especially cooperative pony, an adult boarder who’s good at solving problems with a difficult horse, or even a local farrier that all the horses seem to like. Seeing various people applying the same principles in different ways can really be helpful to a kid trying to figure out her own style of training.
To move things along, you could help your daughter formulate a list of skills and qualities to look for in a well-trained horse. Kids, I’ve noticed, tend to think that charming, can-do horses are just born that way, and that their owners are simply “lucky”. Sometimes it takes a little bit of hands-on experience to realize that good manners are a two-way street.
Beyond that, I’d be careful about introducing some new “system” without checking with the kid’s trainer first. There’s nothing more maddening to an instructor than the student who suddenly wants to introduce all sorts of elaborate methodology or tack that conflicts with the discipline being taught . . . Agh! Don’t let your daughter be that kid!
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Someone else mentioned Tristan Tucker. I really appreciate his videos and methods.
I have not read anything from him in a long time but Richard Shrake had a few good books. Resistance Free Training.
