Here are some of my favorite books:

New to Horses:
Basic Horsemanship (English and Western) by Eleanor Prince and Gaydell Collier. Very basic on horse care, showing, different disciplines, tack explanation, and grooming - for the mom who know very little about horses.


New to Horse Showing:
Showing for Beginners by Hallie McEvoy. Written by a judge to help families learn the basics on horse showing. It focuses more on local shows but gives good basic presentation on how to prepare for shows, find a trainer, etc.

Horse Show Mom's Survival Guide by Susan Daniels. Information on how to find a trainer, different horse show disciplines, has chapter on hunter jumpers and equitation with information for the beginning show mom on what to expect and how things work. Some of the rating and point systems have changed slightly but you will get the basics from this book. Will also tell you about other disciplines.


Sport Psychology
Heads Up: Practical Sports Psychology for Riders, Their Families and Their Trainers by Janet Sasson Edgette. Great read on sports psychology for riders. Good section on burnout, something we do not talk about very much in this sport. Some good tips for junior and amateur riders on competition sports psychology. This one helped me understand some of what my daughter was saying as a junior rider.

The Riders Edge: Overcoming the Psychological Challenges of Riding by Janet Sasson Edgette. A collection of articles from Practical Horseman Magazine. Great articles on show nerves, confidence building after a fall, and trainer conflicts. It is like reading a bunch of short stories - some are better than others.

It's Not Just About the Ribbons by Jane Savoie. This book is really for riders and helps build motivation and set goals. There is a great section on self talk and how to manage it and various ways to work on attitude adjustments. I used a couple chapters of this book to help come up with strategies for my daughter when she was going through a slump with a difficult horse and not a great relationship with her trainer at the time. I am not a competitive rider and wanted to better understand some of the issues.


Judging
You Be the Judge by Randy Roy, Ian Millar and George Morris. Great book on judging and how judges score different rounds. Even provides their scoring methods with shorthand examples. This is for the parent that really wants to understand judging and what is happening through a judge's eye. Great read for a trainer. I have shared this book with some moms who want more technical information on the judging process and want to learn more about how to judge/rate a round while watching.

Judge's Pet Peeves: 100 Do Nots by Randy Roy. Funny but true short descriptions of 100 things that irate judges with comical pictures. Several trainers recommended this to me - only if you want to understand what not to do. (This book was part of a set which has now been reprinted into two books. You can find older used books with both together.)


Raising A Teen
How Can You Say That: What To Say To Your Daughter When One Of You Just Said Something Awful by Amy Lynch and Linda Ashford. Great book for the younger teen years when communication can be more difficult. It provides very helpful parent sections on how to reframe communication in reaction to outbursts, comments, or shutting down.

The Myth of Maturity by Terri Apter. Describes growing up issues for 18-27 year olds. Great read to better understand this generation. Has sections for parents and how to respond and sections for young adults to understand and define what is happening as they experience adulthood.

Walking on Egg Shells - Navigating the Delicate Balance between Adult Children and Parents by Jane Isay. Describes parent and young adult interactions and how to improve communication.

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