Review of Countdown to Broke

Or, Still Searching for a Great Book on Horsemanship

By Maddy Butcher Gray

Asking a horseman to be a good people person is like asking an outfielder to step in and pitch.

I’ve watched a lot of clinicians. They connect with the horses just fine. But many struggle to translate their concepts in a way that’s articulate and compassionate. That’s one reason so many women cry at clinics.

Ask that same horseman (or woman) to write a good book?
That’s like asking the outfielder to be a good general manager.

Writers are the sort to hunker over their computers, struggling for the right turn of phrase. Translating thoughts into words with minimal mental friction is their chosen skill. Most horseman don’t have time to develop this talent and be great with horses, too.

So after reading The Modern Horseman’s Countdown to Broke, by Sean Patrick, I’m still looking for a great book on horsemanship.
Countdown to Broke, recipient of 5 Stars by Amazon reviewers, does a lot of things right:

•    Excellent layout and reader-friendly design
•    Photos are illustrative and match up well with text
•    Program progression is logical, well-paced, and cohesive
•    Writing is well-edited with clear, jargon-free language.

But a red flag went up when Patrick cited ‘Equipment Needed’ and included protective boots for all four legs, specifically SMB Elite Sports Medicine Boots by Professional’s Choice.

Huh?

Please tell me why I need protective boots for my horse.

He also suggests we move from a snaffle bit to a ‘correctional’ bit and then a ‘fixed leverage’ bit.

Why do I need to put big shank bits in my horse’s mouth?

(see photo below right)

Countdown to Broke is split into 33 chapters to training your horse in 33 steps, starting with Step 33. At the end of each step, a ‘Green Light’ section prompts the reader with a checklist of accomplishments before moving on to the next step.

Step 32 is devoted to initial groundwork; its Green Light section asks, “Have you completed 500 inside turns?”

500?

If my horse and I completed 500 turns, even over the course of several weeks, we’d be completely dead to the task, numbed by the monotony.

In the book’s forward, Dr. Robert Miller writes approvingly of Patrick’s precise instructions:
“I have never seen a book this meticulous in providing step-by-step instruction…He doesn’t say “Practice this move a bunch of times,” he says, “Practice this move 32 times. He doesn’t write, “Hold the reins above the mane,” he writes, “Hold the reins two inches above the mane.” This is of indescribable benefit to the average horse owner.”

I’d say Patrick’s specificities have their drawbacks for the average horse owner, too.

If you stick to them, you might:

• spend money on things you don’t need,
• use equipment detrimental to your horse’s progress,
• overdrill the heck out of your horse.

If you take some things with a grain of salt and think for yourself, Patrick’s book is almost worth five stars.