|
Post by SarahW on Apr 2, 2009 8:06:18 GMT 1
NO FEAR, NO FORCE: A Guide to Handling the Unhandled and Semi-Feral Foal by Sarah Weston, Recommended Associate is due to be published in May, 2009.
This book should be invaluable to anyone taking on a shy, unhandled, manhandled or badly handled foal perhaps from the sales or a rescue situation or from a breeder that hasn't had the time to handle a foal from the outset.
The techniques described in the book are heavily based on the IH technique of handling the untouched horse but have been honed and amended to suit young horses. These are the methods that I used to train foals at the Exmoor Pony Centre, The Dartmoor Pony Training Centre and many, many on the New Forest. They have worked every time and people such as Ann NF, Lizpurlo, Milo, and more on this IHDG will vouch for the fact that they work and work well. I have also used the method by 'remote control' for foals that are nowhere near an RA and he owners have all succeeded in training their foals. There's a good section on clicker training for foal handling too and a section on how to work with the confident foal and deal nicely with unwanted behaviour.
The book describes everything in great detail and there are lots of foal pictures for your coffee table.
Copies can be ordered from me, at sarahweston.logg@virgin.net or by pm'ing me and anyone ordering before 1st May will get postage and packaging free. The book is £16.
|
|
Jenna
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,353
|
Post by Jenna on May 10, 2009 16:28:29 GMT 1
I was lucky enough to win a copy of Sarah's book in a raffle at her demo at a Caspian Stud a few weeks ago. I had to wait until today to get my copy, as it has only just been printed - I met Sarah again at the Horseworld Open Day today, when she very kindly signed my book too.
I came home and promptly read it from cover to cover!
First of all, for any one with a love of horses the book is wonderful to have around. It has some lovely stories and some absolutely divine pictures. It is the kind of book you can dip into for a story or a bit of help, or read all the way through.
Of course, it is specifically aimed at those who have taken on or are interested in the unhandled, mishandled or downright manhandled foal. Sarah describes the way in which many of our native ponies are handled and what their first experiences of human contact might be. She offers insight into how your foal may be feeling or what it thinks of you, and how to go about making you into someone your youngster wants to be with, without violence or cohersion.
She has a wealth of practical advice from the very first touch right through to putting a headcollar on, and further on to leading, handling and teaching of manners. She discusses what to do with a foal that bites or kicks, and there is also a chapter on clicker training.
Everything is laid out in precise detail with each step covered, and what to do if your foal doesn't react how you expect.
A lot of the advice is just as relevant to the older, handled horse - the advice on catching, for instance, is just as relevant to an older horse who doesn't want to be caught as to a nervous youngster, and the touch and move away technique can be utilised for introducing anything new to any horse.
In summary, I love the book and will be reading it through again soon. I will dip into it often for a specific bit of advice, I will be using a great deal of the techniques on all my horses, not just my youngsters, and it'll look good on my coffee table!
|
|