Sigrid Schöpe

Training your horse to concentrate on a lesson, bend his body from nose to tail, and pay attention to where he places his feet--whatever your discipline or level of expertise, these are necessary foundation skills. Here you will find an incredibly handy guide to introducing and solidifying these concepts, as well as many others, with exercises using two very basic training tools: traffic cones and ground poles. Incorporating cones and poles in your daily lessons not only provides visual interest and physical guidelines for your horse as he moves around the ring, it also gives you a means of developing accuracy in your schooling figures and transitions. With these exercises, your horse's movement and response to your aids will certainly improve, but so will your overall riding performance.

Simple to use and inexpensive to acquire, cones and poles are a valuable addition to the regular work you do with your horse, both on the ground and in the saddle, whatever your discipline or sport. Here you'll find ideas for using them as practical markers for training exact transitions, improving responses to the aids, helping to ensure well-shaped circles and straight lines, and teaching your horse to negotiate basic obstacles. And, best of all, while enriching your riding experience and engaging your horse in the training process, exercises using cones and poles are fun! With its colourful photographs, easy-to-use diagrams, and spiral binding so you can lay it flat for quick reference, this handy guide demonstrates over 35 lessons that incorporate cones and poles. It is the perfect learning aid, with ideas anyone can use to improve, while keeping everyone interested in the learning process.