The Best Practical Horse Books - Non-Fiction
Books about horses can be as valuable as lessons, as they allow you to marinate on certain concepts without being in the moment, trying to balance many other things, like steering! Add these best practical horse books to your reading list for entertainment and further exploration of riding knowledge. You can learn a lot about other training techniques, disciplines, tack, groundwork, and more.
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Table of Contents
Horse Grooming and Equipment Books
The ORIGINAL handbook for horse grooming.
Hoof Care
If hooves are your jam, this book is for you.
Horse Health Care Books
This is a great resource if you are interested in dental care.
Books About Horseback Riding and Horse Training
From beginners to seasoned equestrians, it’s always a great idea to learn more about all of the disciplines so that the western fans can spend some time as a jumper, and the dressage horse rider can spend some time working cows AS THEY SHOULD. Think of this like cross-training for your brain. Some of the best practical horse books offer comprehensive training tips for horses, complete with diagrams. You’ll be a fluid rider and star in the saddle in no time.
English Disciplines – Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, and More
Jane Savoire is a master of making complex dressage moves and lingo understandable and attainable. A must read for anyone needing solid basics and then some.
This highly rated, award-winning book is a great introduction into dressage.
I've used this book since 2005! It's chock-full of exercises to improve the fundamentals of dressage as you move up the training scale.
Tips for showing your hunter or jumper from the legendary Ann Kursinski.
Focus on the mechanics of jumping and creating a wonderful partnership with your horse with tips and insights in this pro's book.
Everyone's favorite "tell it like it is" eventer drops some effective training info.
Phillip Dutton breaks down eventing into the three disciplines into digestible info about training and conditioning.
Western Disciplines – Reining, Pleasure, Trail, and More
Training tips for the reining horse, including troubleshooting holes in your training.
Don't sleep on these fundamental exercise to improve all aspects of Western riding!
Another great resource for exercises and patterns.
Training the reining horse, one step at a time.
Training Books for All Disciplines
Take a tour of other equestrian disciplines to boost your horse’s variety and introduce some fun into your training.
Let these exercises do the work of conditioning your horse for you!
Cross training exercises for everyone!
Positive Reinforcement and “Clicker Training”
A Guide to Achieving Success with Clicker Training. A great book about horse behavior and how to successfully train your horse with kindness.
This book is a wonderful, step-by-step guide to helping you "clicker train" your horse with positive reinforcement.
Horsemanship Books
Books for Pony Clubbers
What are some other non-fiction horse books for riders?
This is the epic foundation book for riding, of all disciplines.
What about fiction books that feature horses?
If escaping reality is your jam, these books are horse-adjacent and celebrate the beauty of equine and human relationships. Some require tissues, while others do not. And for some, it may be easier to watch the movie.
Cute series about life on a racehorse training farm with some spice added.
Lots of spice in these books.
This is the first of a series, starting off strong with a working student experiencing life in the Florida circuit.
Get lost in this gorgeous cover and first book of a series surrounding eventing.
