Handbook of Jumping Essentials

The Handbook of Jumping Essentials by Francois Lamarie de Ruffieu: A step by step illustrated guide explaining how to train a horse to find the proper take-off spot. Lemarie de Ruffieu was first trained and graduated from the Cadre Noir, one of the oldest and most prestigious riding academies in Europe. During his 6 years in the cavalry at Saumur and Fontainbleau, he studied and showed extensively in dressage, stadium jumping, three day eventing and steeplechase. He taught riding in France and throughout the United States and was awarded the title of Master Instructor of the American Riding Instructor Certification program in 1996.

This book is an easy read to improve horse and rider over fences. It approaches the task of jumping, especially of finding the correct take-off spot in a very straight-forward manner through a series of exercises. The concentration is on the performance, not on the rider's position. Many simple (and humorous)drawings get the point across and each exercise includes a list of what will be learned, why it should be learned and what errors to watch for in the process. For advanced beginner to advanced riders. (Written prior to today's ASTM/SEI certified headgear, the photos show the use of old-fashioned hunt caps, not the current protective helmets.)