The relationship established while preparing the horse for mounted training and advanced performance is crucial to his performance for the rest of his life. How to Start the Western Horse focuses on that all-important time during which that relationship is developed: ground training. It is during this time, before you ever step in the stirrup, that the foundation of optimum performance is laid.

In this book, JP Forget outlines a simple yet effective philosophy for working with young horses, a philosophy that recognizes the importance of developing and sustaining a team relationship with your horse. Through step-by-step photographs and easy-to-follow text, you will gain an appreciation of not only the philosophy but also the methods used at a particular level of schooling.

Forget unlocks the mystery of the signs - those benchmarks of success we must watch for when starting colts. He explains when to go further and when to repeat an exercise until you see the right signs. He takes you through the first thirty days of riding and details how to achieve maximum results with such essentials as stops, body control, backing up, and guiding.

With the original edition endorsed by western performance giants such as Dick Pieper, Craig Johnson, Alain Allard and John Snobelen, How to Start the Western Horse is an excellent reference for the amateur owner who wants to start his or her own horse, and for the professional trainer who is looking for a source of fresh, yet proven ideas.

Good western riding doesn't just happen. Before a rider can experience the feeling of personal victory that comes from being able to feel the lead on a consistent basis or to sit a sliding stop correctly or to guide a horse around a barrel without losing precious time, it will take much dedicated hard work and especially a patient understanding of the horse and his nature. JP Forget - teacher, trainer, competitor - recognizes this, which is why he wrote Western Riding: The Complete Guide. Now, riders at all levels of ability have the means at hand to master one of the most demanding of sports: western horsemanship. For the beginner, the book is detailed and easy to understand, yet at the same time offers insights that intermediate and advanced riders can appreciate and apply.

Forget's knowledge and expertise have made possible this comprehensive program of instruction. He discusses, among other topics, the anatomy of the rider and how it affects performance, how to correct rider position and faults, exercises designed to help riders improve their balance and effectiveness at all gaits, and how to develop that all important riding trait that all accomplished western riders demonstrate: the independent seat. He also acknowledges the role of the mind in successful horsemanship and offers an in-depth study of the psychology of riding.

In this book, Forget lays out the pathway which takes riders all the way to the advanced use of aids and prepares them to perform in specialized events such as western pleasure, ranch riding, barrel racing, working cow horse and reining. It addresses not only the technical aspects of horsemanship, such as how riders should use their hands, seat, and legs, but also how they should use their minds. For this reason, Western Riding: The Complete Guide will become the standard by which all other books on the subject will be measured.