Bolender's Guide to Mastering Mountain and Extreme Trail Riding
by
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The Four Principles guiding a horse’s world are summarized here. They are explained in detail later on in the book:
1. There are no equals in the horse world.
2. Horses are natural born followers but only to clear and consistent leaders.
3. Horses try to please those they deem as being superior in the pecking order, with little or no regard for those they deem as inferior in the pecking order.
4. Instinct is the driving force for 1-3
In considering the Four Principles above it’s helpful to understand some basic concepts about the horse. You probably already know these things but they are so important that they bear mentioning.
1. Horses are prey animals and humans are predators. This means that horses will react first and stop to think later. It makes good sense from the evolutionary perspective, since this instinct has allowed them to bolt at the first perceived sign of danger from a predator. It’s a brilliantly efficient design that has helped the horse survive and flourish for millennia. This is why a horse is so claustrophobic; its mental catalog of options to avoid danger is quite limited.
2. The horse is exquisitely sensitive to the physical world. It can feel your heartbeat, follow your focus, feel your energy and perceive every flinch of your body.
3. A horse is totally focused on pleasing the leader, and only the leader, at all costs.
4. While it may seem like a chore, horse training should be fun. If you don’t find it fun then the horse won’t either.
5. The horse does not care how much you know until it knows how much you care.
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About the Book
Good horsemanship is not about domination, but leadership and having the horse volunteer for a partnership with the handler. That summarizes the focus of trainer and author Mark Bolender. In Bolender’s Guide to Mastering Mountain and Extreme Trail Riding, he spells out his philosophy and training regimen that works to build mutual trust between a horse and rider.
Bolender’s training method—developed to incorporate the horse’s natural instincts—is appropriate for riders of any skill level, from those who want to ride for pleasure to those who seek more advanced techniques for Mountain and Extreme Trail competition. Bolender, the world’s most winning competitor in Mountain and Extreme Trail, combines old-style philosophies with new insight into the horse’s world. In this guide, he provides an array of information—selecting an ideal trail horse, acquiring the proper equipment, earning and building trust, and handling obstacles—such as poles and logs, rocks, trenches, water, gates, bridges, campsites, fire, other animals, and people.
Instructive and informative, the guide breaks down Bolender’s techniques into easy-to-digest pieces. It provides a fascinating journey into the horse’s mind and how its instincts can be used to develop good horsemanship.
About the Author
Mark Bolender is an expert in Extreme Trail, Mountain Trail, and Competitive Trail riding and has won three National Grand Championships. Bolender has designed Mountain Trail and Extreme Trail courses across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He lives in Washington State where he owns and operates Bolender Horse Park.