How to Become a Better Rider

Discover the path to lightness, confidence, and deeper understanding between you and your horse.

A book that will teach you to see the world of horses’ emotions and needs with new eyes — while gaining practical skills that will make you a riding partner your horse can trust and listen to.

This book is not about technique. It is about you — the rider’s mind, body, and the ability to truly perceive, feel, and communicate.

The book has become one of the best-selling horse books in the Czech Republic, has already reached three printed editions, and has inspired thousands of satisfied readers.

How to Become a Better Rider

Discover the path to lightness, confidence, and deeper understanding between you and your horse.

A book that will teach you to see the world of horses’ emotions and needs with new eyes — while gaining practical skills that will make you a riding partner your horse can trust and listen to.

This book is not about technique. It is about you — the rider’s mind, body, and the ability to truly perceive, feel, and communicate.

The book has become one of the best-selling horse books in the Czech Republic, has already reached three printed editions, and has inspired thousands of satisfied readers.

About the e-book How to Become a Better Rider

Every horse is a perfect mirror of its rider. And that is exactly why truly good riding does not begin in the saddle — it begins within ourselves.

This book was created after years of working with horses of different temperaments and histories, and it is based on the author’s personal experiences on the journey from an uncertain rider to a confident partner for her horses.

Inside the book, you will find life stories, real situations from practice, and valuable aha moments that will help you understand why your horse reacts the way it does — and what you can do to finally start functioning as a true team.

  • You Will Learn How Horses Perceive the World
    Become familiar with the logic of their language and recognize their signals before problems arise.
  • Master Your Own Emotions
    Gain tools to work with fear, uncertainty, external pressure, and your own expectations.
  • Improve Your Seat and Body Awareness
    Practical tips for balance, flexibility, and complementary training.
  • Understand Your Horse’s Signals
    Notice subtle changes in behavior and learn to respond before situations escalate.
  • Deepen the Relationship with Your Horse
    Real-life stories show how a change in the rider can transform the horse as well.

What You’ll Gain from This E-Book

Who This EBook Is For

For anyone who wishes to become a source of support for their horse, not a burden.

For riders who want more than technique and commands — they want harmony.

For those who feel they cannot quite find a common language with their horse and do not know why.

For anyone willing to work on themselves — their body, mind, and emotions.

For riders who long for a horse that cooperates willingly, not out of pressure.

For beginners, experienced riders, trainers, and horse owners — and even for those who simply love horses.

What Readers Say

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do — for helping riders find a new path, a new sense of purpose, and deeper awareness. I purchased a few of your books, and today I dove headfirst into the first one — *How to Become a Better Rider*. The book gave me so much; I read it in one breath. And I can tell you that an *aha moment* happened — the exact one I needed. I am so excited and amazed by this book that I will probably read it again and again. Once again, thank you, and I sincerely hope you will continue creating. Because I definitely didn’t stop with just one of your books.
Štěpánka
In your book, I recognized so many things that we still cannot do or simply do not do. I realized how often we are still searching and uncertain. At times, I even felt ashamed of my impulsive reactions toward my horse. But at the same time, the book reassured me that we have chosen the most challenging and longest path. And I was also very relieved to learn that even good riders feel fear — and that it is possible to work with that fear. Thank you so much for your book!
Alena
Dear Kristýna, I have just finished reading your book How to Become a Better Rider, and I would like to thank you for such a beautiful and enriching experience. I have spent my whole life with horses — almost 35 years now — and I am constantly learning new things about training and understanding horses. But what you describe in your book feels so natural to me through living with our family herd that one often doesn’t even realize how beautifully it can be expressed in words. And that is exactly what you have done — perfectly. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.
Dominika
**Thank you for the humility, respect, and love for horses that can be felt in every sentence.** To be honest, it is also very inspiring reading even for “ordinary” people who prefer to admire horses safely from pictures. 😊 But for horse people — it should be required reading. 😁
Jiřina
I would like to thank you for your book, especially for the chapter **“The Fearless Rider.”** In fact, that was exactly the reason why I bought it — I have been struggling with what to do about my fear. The chapter describes exactly what I am experiencing and dealing with, and your approach to fear encouraged me a great deal. I openly admit my fear to myself and to others, and I have realized that in a way I am alone with it. People teach me how to work with my mare, but not how to work with my fear. That is something I must face and solve step by step on my own. Well… it is a difficult task, as you surely know. Your story is very inspiring to me, and it helped me greatly at this moment. Thank you for it — and for the whole book.
Zuzana
Many pages from your book How to Become a Better Rider should be recited by young — and even older — riders before and during their training sessions.
Martina
This is one of those books I will keep coming back to again and again. While reading it, I experienced several “moments of realization,” when I truly stopped and reflected on the topic, related it to myself, and understood where I had gone wrong in the past. And I believe that is exactly the purpose of this book — to make us reflect on ourselves and on how we treat our horses. The book is written by someone who truly understands horses, who loves them unconditionally, and who sees them as an essential part of life — something they could not live without. And that is exactly how every horse person should feel. I recommend it to every rider, no matter their level of experience. This book will truly open your eyes and make you pause and think about things you might otherwise never consider.
TSJ
It is an amazing book. I received it from my sister two years ago for Christmas. I liked it then, but it all felt a bit unimaginable to me. Only now do I truly understand the ideas in the book. Now, for the first time, I am experiencing that feeling of **lightness**. I am riding a Thoroughbred who had two days off. He is on a light contact, but I hardly even need the reins. I slow him down with my seat. I can feel the energy coming from his hindquarters. I act like a dam, letting only part of the energy flow forward while the rest lifts his back. It is an incredible feeling — that even I, a girl riding a borrowed, very strong-minded and moody horse, can experience something like this. And I can’t get enough of it. For the first time, I truly understand what is meant by the words **“Let yourself be carried.”** Thank you for this wonderful project and this excellent book. Thank you.
NN

“Horses teach us to become better people.
Only when we accept ourselves can they fully accept us as well.
The rider’s path is a journey toward one’s own truth.”

“Horses teach us to become better people.
Only when we accept ourselves can they fully accept us as well.
The rider’s path is a journey toward one’s own truth.”

About the Author

 Kristýna Šmídová

Founder of the educational projects Nechsenest.cz, Equikurzy.cz, author of the book How to Become a Better Rider, certified Mindfulness Now Teacher, and creator of the popular Czech equestrian podcast Nech se nést (Let Yourself Be Carried).

Her fields of interest also include mindfulness, energy healing, animal communication, literature, personal development, equine-assisted activities and therapies, and cooperation with horses in the spirit of classical dressage.

More than riding itself, she focuses on communication with horses — including communication on a spiritual level. She works with energy and energy therapies, mindfulness, education of riders and horse lovers.