An earlier post was about working horses, these books focus on the horse in sport.

The Sporting Horse, by Peter Churchill is rather dated now in that it includes the great names of those involved in equestrian events. It does, but only up to 1976. Still, it is a great introduction (rules, and so forth) for things like steeple chasing, showjumping, polo, rodeo and more. There's a bit of history for each, and then many wonderful pictures.

Many years ago now there was a polo team in Bellingham. Since it was much different than the type of riding I normally did (trail riding, mostly) I found a book! Beginning Polo by Harry Disston was that book and it was excellent. Everything from the history of the game, to the various pieces of equipment, to the type of horse, to the rules (indoors and outdoors) and beyond. Excellent black and white photos show each type of stroke. I found the book to be interesting even when I was no longer playing polo.

A side trail here ... there is a polo mystery, a short story that is in a collection of other sports mysteries. Sadly I no longer remember the title of that book, but I do remember the title of the polo mystery: Tomorrow's Murder, by Stuart Palmer. It is one of the few mysteries that I figured out the 'how'!

My favorite book on dressage is My Horses, My Teachers, by Alois Podhajsky (translated by Eva Podhajsky). It's not a 'how to' book but rather the life story of the man who would become the director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the horses that influenced his life. (Although much about the art of dressage will be learned as you read). Each horse had something to teach, and Podhajsky was a willing student.

The Masters of Show Jumping by Ann Martin is a book of mini-biographies on the greats of the show jumping world. While the book came out in 1991, a few of the names are still familiar today. (This includes Ian Millar of Canada ... more on him next). This book might be of limited appeal, but I enjoyed learning about the riders and their horses.

Ian Millar is a hero of mine, so I was thrilled when Riding High: Ian Millar's World of Show Jumping, by Ian Millar and Larry Scanlan was published. It's all here, how he got his start, to his Millar Brooke Farm where he trains the future champions of Canada. My favorite part, though, is how he found his best known horse, Big Ben. Considered by many to be too big, too ugly, and just plain clumsy he saw what others did not. They went on to become a world champion team. Watching them work together was magical.

The best riding, as far as I'm concerned, is when you saddle up your horse and ride out the back gate and up the trail. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog