Rerider help - what are your fave books/vloggers/riders?

[ChiNurseReRider]

Hello all,

I’m coming back to riding after a fifteen year hiatus, and a severe back injury.

When I was young, I rode all the time, but my lessons were not particularly structured, nor did I ever show. I have always regretted this, but I was a child and my mom got to pick my barn, my instructor, etcetera.

Fast-forward to today, and I have found an adorable barn with decent school horses and friendly people. I’m taking lessons once a week, and I am back to being obsessed with horses. Glory be!

The thing is, I now have the chance to be the rider I always wanted to be. This is not me having delusions of grandeur. I’m just speaking of good old-fashioned hard work, truly learning how to connect with a horse, and hopefully leasing or owning in the future. (Okay, yes, I would like to do some adult amateur showing.)

My question to you, my dear horsey community, is what are your:

• Favorite books about riding
• Videos/vloggers you watch
• Favorite riders
• Rerider advice/support

And, of course, any other insight at all! Thank you & happy riding!

[GoneAway]

Welcome, @ChiNurseReRider !

There’s a Re-rider support group thread you could go check out, they seem like a pretty great, supportive group.

I’m not much into the vlogging sphere. There are a lot of great blogs here on COTH under the “Amateurs Like Us” column (I contribute as well, link to mine below). Many focus around showing, so if you’re looking to step into that world that might be useful insight. Others focus more on the journey, the every day stuff and not so much the competition. Some are reriders too. All offer great perspective about being amateurs.

Some of my favorite books:
Reflections on Riding and Jumping (William Steinkraus)
Hunter Seat Equitation (George Morris)
Anne Kursinski’s Riding and Jumping Clinic
Learning to Ride, Hunt, and Show (Gordon Wright)
Centered Riding (Sally Swift)
Complete Training of Horse And Rider (Alois Podhajsky)

Some may or may not be useful to you depending where you’re at right now, but all are a valuable read and are an important part of my library.

Good luck, and enjoy the journey.

[ChiNurseReRider]

Thank you so much! This list is wonderful!

[luckymaverick]

Yes, yes, please join us on the Re-rider thread. I also like to watch Laura Graves- her dressage is fabulous.

[ChiNurseReRider]

Will do!

Oh my gosh, LAURA GRAVES. I just watched a video. Stunning dressage!

[paulosey]

I enjoy Anna Blake. She has a blog and is a woman of a certain age that has an interesting view on things that appeal to me, at least

https://annablakeblog.com/2014/04/18/calming-signals-are-you-listening/

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

Depending on what kind of rider you were as a kid, be prepared for it to be a somewhat different experience as an adult.

You won’t be able to just DO things without considering the consequences.

You will overthink everything.

Riding the right horses is extremely important to a successful re-rider journey.

On Youtube, I like CRK training and Randi Thompson for short clips that really focus in on specific things.

Sally Swift’s Centered Riding (mentioned above) has lots of great imagery.

[Jackie_Cochran]

There is one book, a book that I really wish I had read before I started riding again (I was 19, just had trail riding behind me.)

“School for Riding” by Sergei Kournakoff, 1938, and 1948–both editions are the same.

This book is the nearest thing to a “multi-media” book possible with 1938 technology. Its "video"is “accessed” by flipping the bottom corners of the pages, its “audio” had two parts–work for word lessons (with pictures showing the imperfections) with explanations of HOW and WHY picky little details of position are important, with music scores to show the beats of the gaits. There are plenty of stick pictures, photos (no helmets, this is in the 1930’s), and explanations galore of WHY this is good riding.

I first read this book after about 35 years of serious riding and over 45 years of reading riding books. I picked up methods of improving THREE of my persistent riding faults. Because I’ve read and re-read this book I am a much better and a much more effective rider.

This book is Forward Seat, but Kournakoff was a cavalry officer in WWI and this is the basic information you need to learn a secure, effective, and somewhat educated basic seat, a seat from which you can go on and develop any type of riding you desire.

There are several copies for sale on Amazon, for under $10.00.

[cloudy18]

I second Anna Blake. Love her.

[ParadoxFarm]

@luckymaverick

Yes, yes, please join us on the Re-rider thread. I also like to watch Laura Graves- her dressage is fabulous.

I second this. Pop on over and say hello. And no, you don’t have to read the hundreds of pages. Just jump right in. Here is a link: https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/hunter-jumper/158559-can-we-have-an-adult-re-rider-support-group/page959 Lots of reriders here. Welcome.

[IdahoRider]

@paulosey

I enjoy Anna Blake. She has a blog and is a woman of a certain age that has an interesting view on things that appeal to me, at least

https://annablakeblog.com/2014/04/18/calming-signals-are-you-listening/

Her books are good, too.
Sheilah

[ChiNurseReRider]

You guys are the best. Thank you for the encouragement and suggestions!