The Game Changer

This is Denny Emerson. He is currently in the process of changing my life, and he has no idea he's doing it.

A few weeks ago I bought his book, How Good Riders Get Good, because of a review on Viva Carlos. (If you haven't been to her blog, go. It's smart and refreshing.) I didn't know shit about the book, the author, really anything, but I knew I wanted to get good. Or better, at least. It is quite possibly one of the best $25 I've ever spent.

It's a straight-talking, zero-bullshit approach to what it takes to hack it in the horse world, something I've been scared away from my whole life. How do you make a small fortune in horses? Start with a large one. *insert tears here*

But the working student idea has been tickling me, and this book is proving the idea that if I ever want to do anything with riding, I need to make the choices that will lead me in the direction of that goal.

Too much text? Ok, here's 5 things I love about this book.

1. No sugarcoating of anything; if you can't commit, this may not be the path for you.

2. Clearly laid-out characteristics you need to develop in yourself in order to be successful.

3. An excellent description of what it means to have a "good seat" and why it's essential to being a good rider.

4. Excellent personal anecdotes that make a rider of Denny's caliber real. He came from the same place a lot of kids with families uninterested in horses start, and he built himself into the rider he wanted to be.

5. The value he places on all disciplines. He's done endurance, saddleseat, CTR, and eventing, and doesn't sneeze at any of them. This book interviews different successful riders across disciplines and treats them all fairly. You can use this book to pursue the goal of beinga "good rider" in any equine sport.

Buy this book. Yesterday. And read it. Multiple times.

#dennyemerson #productreview