Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48397 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Synopsis
Every type of horse and pony, no mater how well trained, is at one time or another faced with objects or situations that are confusing, if not downright terrifying. As riders, we often simply just wait for this moment to happen - and the resulting frightening, out-of-control bolt, baulk, wheel around, or buck. We tend to expect this sort of reaction and believe that it comes with the territory. What we need to do instead - in order to avoid risking life and limb - is to train the horse to cope with these disturbances. In other words, we need to bombproof our horses. Sergeant Rick Pelicano, of the Maryland National Capitol Park Police, knows only too well how important it is for horses to be absolutely safe - bombproof - when confronted with unusual circumstances. For many years, he trained new mounted officers and their horses to withstand massive crowds, noise, chaos and everything that is thrown at them (sometimes literally) in police work.

Although most riders don't anticipate having to deal with the challenges that police horses face, this method of training works just as well for average horses and accustoms them to incidents and unusual terrain such as back-firing cars, speeding motorcycles and trucks, plastic bags and flags on windy days, and everybody's favourite bugbear, crossing water or ditches. Working up to a performance over fifteen different obstacles including walking on mattresses, through piles of soft balls and balloons, and by umbrellas and road flares, Sgt. Pelicano presents his bombproofing programme in an easy-to-understand, logical, instructional manner, with many photos illustrating his step-by-step techniques. In addition, he offers sections on teaching basic necessary skills like walking on unusual surfaces, self-loading into the trailer, dealing with unknown odours, as wells as more advanced skills such as carrying flaps and riding in parades. He also presents a highly informative chapters, with instruction and advice not available elsewhere, on display formation riding - both in small and large groups.

Customer Reviews

Misleading Title
I have lost 4 of my favourite equine companions to the rogue wing of "Mice for Justice". I bought this book in the hope that it would provide us with innovative and effective ways to, indeed, "bombproof my horse", i.e. the location of a specialist manufacturer, able to bespoke a large Kevlar vest for my horses, Dobbin, Bostik and Prit.

It didn't fulfil my original dreams, but did however provide some useful tips on how to get a horse to play dead, perform a perfect bridge and sit.

Nice one, Rick - top book. May I suggest other titles for future projects: Make Your Pig Stealth, Turbo-Charge Your Tortoise and Lama's As Bodyguards.