With a rugged yet romantic mystique, western riding is as American as the Old West, Roy Rogers, and John Wayne. Whether you're more at home on the range, exploring the trails, or competing in the show arena, The Classic Western Rider will help you hone your skills. From America's proud cowboy heritage to today's training methods and competitive events, it covers: "Make or break" information about equipment, especially the saddle A guide to training--cowboy style The subtle skill sets of winning western horsemanship, including six common rider faults and how to fix them Nurturing a partnership with your horse The ins and outs of western competitive sports and events such as reining, western speed contests, and team penning

With photos and drawings and advice from industry professionals Bret Brokcte, Nancy Cahill, Suzi Drnec, Linda Huck, and Linda Morse, this primer is ideal for the new riding enthusiast or the more experienced western rider who wants to fine-tune his or her skills. Happy trails to you!

A unique insight into the equine mind plus ideas and practial excercises to help you achieve a better understanding with your horse.

"Filled with delicious rodeo tidbits. Stratton's the perfect tour guide, a natural-born storyteller whose prose is as lean as a cowboy and as poetic as a sunset, rendered with a delight and wonder that are downright infectious."--"The Boston Globe" Rodeo has grown into an international, prime-time television sport. Steeped in tradition and Western spirit, it calls aspiring cowboys and cowgirls to its rough-and-tumble fame as they repeatedly risk their lives for eight seconds of triumph. In "Chasing the Rodeo," Kip Stratton takes us into the addictive core of rodeo, bull riding, and the circuit. Immersed in this world, he collides with the specter of his "rodeo bum" father, finding part of the cowboy dream that was his father's legacy. "Chasing the Rodeo" is a tribute to the famed characters of the old West and a riveting look at the superstars of the new. And best of all, it's one bucking, riveting, glorious ride.
"If you love the sound of the bell, the thud of hooves, and the sight of a twisting ton-and-a-half bovine, round up a copy of this book. "Chasing the Rodeo" is a mighty fine book for any cowpoke."--"St. Louis Post-Dispatch"
W. K. (Kip) Stratton is a native of the Southwest. His journalism has appeared in "GQ, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Southern Magazine," and the "Dallas Morning News." He lives in Austin, Texas.

Riding in perfect balance with the lightest application of aids is something most riders strive to achieve. But without the help of an instructor by your side at all times, it is easy for bad habits to develop unnoticed. With over 100 photographs showing common riding faults - such as tipping forward, weak lower leg position, heavy hands and incorrect application of the aids - this is an outstanding guide for anyone aiming for grace, balance and accuracy in their riding. Each of the 100 features includes a technique to work on and advice on what might go wrong and how to put it right. Focus is also given to the right mental approach, rounding off this complete riding problem solver. Classical riding instructor Susan McBane offers simple yet effective advice on how to identify and remedy 100 of the most common riding problems, with a straightforward and accessible approach to horses. Designed in easy-to-reference sections, 100 Ways to Improve Your Riding is the ultimate equestrian problem solver, helping you to get the most out of your ability and your horse. 'The instruction given in the book is ... based on sound classical principles ... a good buy for just about any rider and riding teacher.' The Classical Riding Club

Techniques to help riders fine-tune their communication and riding skills

This follow-up to How Your Horse Wants You to Ride helps intermediate to advanced riders improve their communication with their mounts and polish their overall riding skills. Readers get a complete tutorial-much of which can be found nowhere else-on taking their riding skills to the next level.

This newest book by Lynne M. Caulkett focuses on the expanding field of hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding. "Big Smiles, Small Miracles" is the story of some of the children and their families involved in this remarkable form of physical and mental therapy. Heartrending in its graphic presentation of the challenges of children who have rare diseases and the handicaps that they face from the moment of their birth, their stories of courage, determination and success will warm your heart. A must read for anyone who has ever loved a child or a pony.

Combining humorous and serious real-life events and the author's everyday observations and memories,

"How Horses Learn" covers the basic concepts in learning psychology with emphasis on the unique learning characteristics of the horse. The author provides a through scientific review of much of the information known about learning in horses, then applies this information to specific training situations.

Originally published in 1882. An early guide to the history and use of harness for riding, driving and horse drawn carriages. Includes remarks on the traction, and the use of the Cape cart. Also contains important directions to Grooms and Coachmen regarding their duties and their dress. Numerous hints on driving. Well illustrated with explanatory drawings. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

They had no business being there. They were up against million-dollar horses owned by patricians, oilmen, Arab sheiks, and Hollywood producers. They were ten regular guys, and all they wanted was to win a race. Instead, they won the hearts of America.
In 2003, a three-year-old with the unlikely name of Funny Cide became "the people's horse," the unheralded New York-bred gelding who-in a time of war and economic jitters-inspired a nation by knocking off the champions and their millionaire owners and sweeping to the brink of the Triple Crown.
Trained by a journeyman who'd spent over 30 years looking for "the one," ridden by a jockey fighting to come back after years of injuries and hard knocks, and owned by a band of high school buddies from Sackets Harbor, N.Y., Funny Cide became a hero and media sensation.
Now, Sally Jenkins, award-winning co-author of Lance Armstrong's #1 bestseller "It's Not About the Bike," tells the inside story of the Funny Cide team's ups and downs against overwhelming odds, illness, and even scandal, to capture the imagination of millions. It's a new American classic for the underdog in all of us.

Learn to ride correctly, safely, and confidently

In this breakthrough guide, renowned riding expert Gincy Self Bucklin offers adult riders a unique, proven method for developing a good physical, mental, and emotional relationship with a horse. Whether you're a beginner, a more experienced rider looking to enhance your skills, or someone who used to ride but is reluctant to try again, Bucklin's step-by-step exercises-slowly and carefully practiced first on the ground and then on your horse-will have you riding with confidence and without fear. You'll build a safe and caring partnership with your horse as you:

• Understand how your actions affect your horse
• Improve your form, release tensions, and find balance
• Communicate with your horse to gain his trust
• Stay in charge without being controlling
• Observe your horse's responses and learn from them
• Increase your horse's comfort-both physically and psychologically

"If you' ve ever said to yourself, 'Why can' t I . . . ?, ' you' ll find the answer here to why you can' t, and exactly how to solve the problem. Whatever your level, you'll gain greater understanding and become a better rider and horseman from reading this book."
-George H. Morris, internationally renowned clinician, USEF Show Jumping vice-president, ARIA master instructor, and member of the U. S. Equestrian Federation Board of Directors

"How Your Horse Wants You To Ride is chock full of innovative and practical tools presented in a thoroughly entertaining style. A delightful read for riders at all levels!"
-Jane Savoie, olympic alternate and author of That Winning Feeling!, Cross Train Your Horse, MoreCross Training, and It's Not Just About the Ribbons

Today, sports' betting is a big industry for the bookmakers and race organisers. Of all the people who benefit from sports racing the "punters" (or in this case, you), are the last on the list of people who consistently gain.. In fact the greyhounds probably gain more from these races than most punters. Why is that? Well, there are many reasons but most of them centre on these two things: Lack of a proven system and Greed. This book closely examine these two points, and offers techniques and systems for achieving consistant wins.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

HUNTING REMINISCENCES. By Alfred E. Pease, M.P. Originally published in 1898, this rare early work on fox, hare and drag hunting is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS have republished it in an affordable, high quality, modern edition, using the original text and artwork. The author was a well known hunting man of his day, who also wrote several other well received hunting titles, and contributed many articles to the sporting press of that era. "Hunting Reminiscences" has two hundred and eighty eight pages containing nine entertaining chapters: - Reminiscences of the Cambridge Drag and the House of Commons Steeple Chases. - The Life of a Hunter. - Hounds. - Hare Hunting. - Fox Hunting. (two chapters) - Cub Hunting. - The Greatest Run I ever saw. - Badger Hunting with Hound and Terrier. (The author believed the badger's continued existence could only be assured by hunting him) The book was written in the Golden Age of Hunting and will remain a lasting tribute to this popular sport. "Hunting is the sport of kings, the image of war without its guilt, with only five-and-twenty per cent. of the danger..."..John Jorrocks. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1800s, are now extremely scarce and very expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Increasing numbers of visitors to wilderness have caused resource managers to seek information on good horse-handling techniques and innovative equipment to insure that "the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" are preserved. This booklet is for those who travel into wilderness by horseback and who are concerned with minimizing man's impact there. Proper stock-handling, lightweight equipment, and good camp etiquette can do much to protect and preserve wilderness. This booklet illustrates how light, compact gear can be used in the horse camp and emphasizes innovative horse equipment for more comfortable, convenient travel with pack stock. It contains equipment ideas and techniques for "minimum impact" wilderness travel developed over many years by outfitters, packers, horse groups, Forest Service personnel, and other horsemen. The appendixes give detailed information on equipment mentioned in the text.

One of the most important works ever written on dressage, "Breaking and Riding" is essential reading for the serious dressage enthusiast. In this work, the result of a lifetime spent training horses, James Fillis (1834-1913) clearly explains his theories and methods, starting with the basics of breaking--lungeing, work in hand, and first mounting--and progressing to advanced work, including canter pirouette, tempi changes, piaffe, and passage. Throughout the work, Fillis always returns to his basic principle: The horse must be "correctly balanced and light in forward movements and propulsion, in order that the rider may obtain the most powerful effects with the least exertion." Fillis was an apprentice to a student of the legendary trainer Francois Baucher. In this book, while expressing admiration for Baucher, Fillis also explains in detail the ways in which he believed Baucher was mistaken in some of his methods.

"Sullivan has found the transcendent in the horse."--"Sports Illustrated"
Winner of a 2004 Whiting Writers' Award
One evening late in his life, veteran sportswriter Mike Sullivan was asked by his son what he remembered best from his three decades in the press box. The answer came as a surprise. "I was at Secretariat's Derby, in '73. That was ... just beauty, you know?"
John Jeremiah Sullivan didn't know, not really-but he spent two years finding out, journeying from prehistoric caves to the Kentucky Derby in pursuit of what Edwin Muir called "our long-lost archaic companionship" with the horse. The result-winner of a" National Magazine" Award and named a Book of the Year by "The Economist" magazine-is an unprecedented look at Equus caballus, incorporating elements of memoir, reportage, and the picture gallery.
In the words of the "New York Review of Books," "Blood Horses" "reads like Moby-Dick as edited by F. Scott Fitzgerald . . . Sullivan is an original and greatly gifted writer."
"Wisdom that is both personal and universal . . . Brilliant"--"Chicago Tribune"
"A splendid account of [the] Triple Crown . . . In horses' beauty and power, and with their hint of danger even when schooled, Sullivan senses a restoration of what has been lost to us."--"The New York Times"
"As unconventionally lovely a book as you are likely to read for some time."--"The Arkansas Democrat Gazette"
"A clear picture of a highly specialized world . . . A gem of curiosity."--"The Associated Press"
"Sullivan subtly extends the theme of bloodlines to make this book as much about family as it is about horses . . . Its appeal isn't limited to the equine crowd."--"0Outside"
JohnJeremiah Sullivan is a writer-at-large for "GQ" and a contributing editor at "Harper's Magazine."

This is quite simply the most important book ever written in the English language by a military man on the subject of equestrian travel. It was designed to be used by the United States cavalry. Yet it differs from traditional manuals in that it has says nothing about drills and everything about horse journeys. If you want to learn how to properly pack and ride a horse over extremely long distances, then you are holding the cavalry man's sacred text in your hands. At the dawn of the 20th century experts were busy predicting the imminent demise of the horse. Mankind's most historically influential comrade would make way for the automobile, cynics said. Yet the young author of this remarkable volume disagreed with the critics. No machine of steam and steel, of cog or cam, no vapor-fed motor, no craft propelled by batteries or boilers would ever successfully displace the horse from our on-going needs, advised Boniface. Part text book, part history book and all inspiration, "The Cavalry Horse and His Pack" is the lasting tribute to the great horseman and talented writer who foresaw the day when horse travel would once again flourish and a book such as this one would be cherished by unforeseen generations of Long Riders, cavalry students and horse lovers.

Despite a growing plethora of ways to gamble away our hard earned cash, betting on horse racing continues to have a special allure. In "How to Pick A Winner", racing expert Mary Mountier presents readers with an insider's view, astute observations, and hilarious insights into the 'sport of kings' - the personalities, scandals, social hierarchies, betting systems, and its fascinating history.It also contains practical advice for both racing newcomers and those who thought they know everything there was to know about racing and betting - as well as a brilliant list of excuses for failing to win!

Horses came to America from Spain, England, the Low Countries, and Arabia. Here they interbred and flourished as never before. "Out of the melting pot have come four entirely new breeds that rank among the finest horses of the world. Three of them originated through the painstaking and intelligent efforts of American horsemen, one through a freak of nature." That "freak" was a little bay stallion born when George Washington was president. This chunky, short-legged horse proved to be not only hardy and gentle but also able to outpull and outrun any other horse in New England or New York. Plagued by his owners' bad luck, the horse spent most of his twenty-eight years hauling freight but sired many offspring who also showed the strength, endurance, speed, heart, and peculiar conformation of the original Morgan horse. Based on extensive and careful research, this book tells the stories of the origins of the Morgan, the Standardbred, the American Saddle Horse, and the Tennessee Walking Horse as well as their progenitors--Figure, Messenger, Hamiltonian, Black Hawk, Dutchman, Lady Suffolk, Cockspur, Denmark, Tom Hal, Copperbottom, and Roan Allen--and the breeders and fanciers who recognized their special qualities.

Picking up where the best-selling IDITAROD CLASSICS left off, MORE IDITAROD CLASSICS introduces readers to more of the men and women who brave the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome. And do they ever have stories to tell In their own words, champions and lesser knowns share their very best stories--how they came to love the race, train their dogs and themselves, and battle all manner of winter hardships challenging the elements in what some have called the most extreme long-distance competition in the world.

It's been a half century since Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing made the first ascent of Everest. Their success capped a thirty-year struggle that cost more than a dozen lives--and touched off a new era in the history of the mountain. The past fifty years have seen Everest become an even greater magnet for adventurers--both foolish and heroic. Some of the world's best climbers have carved out incredibly dangerous new routes on the peak, and many have died trying. Meanwhile, hundreds of nonclimbers have taken on Everest, with mixed results. This history has created an entire literature in itself--a story of triumph and tragedy of epic proportions. Whether it's Peter Boardman on being forced to leave a friend to die near the summit, Stephen Venables on spending a night out near the summit--an experience only a handful of men have survived--or Chris Bonington on the death of Boardman and Joe Tasker on the Northeast Ridge, almost every great climbing writer has tackled some aspect of the mountain, and Epics on Everest includes their best work.