Fit to Ride Part 6: Rider Prep and Conclusion

One of my favorite phrases in the book is on the prep of the rider versus the horse. Because of the physiological differences between humans and horses, their conditioning programs will be very different. It is a "...true art to to prepare both, then bring them together to perform as a team." Beautiful.....

There is an extensive section on rider prep and each body part is specifically examined and the why of each position, and an exercise to improve strength and position....if I owned this book, I would go back to this section as a reference in building my conditioning plan.

Overall this book is a worthwhile read. It would be very difficult to digest this book in one big chunk, even if is small and pretty with glossy pages. :) It reads more like a text book, than a magazine article. Fortunately, the different sections are just repetitive enough that the sections stand on their own, if you decide to the read the book in chunks, or are using it as an occasional reference. Even if you are reading several sections at a time, the repetition adds to the understanding. Tom Iver's books are SO repetitive that even when reading a single section I find myself rolling my eyes a bit - not so in this book.

So, am I going to run out and buy this book tonight? Probably not. But I will keep an eye out and if I see it used, I'll add it to my collection. A worthwhile investment that you will probably refer to over the years.