Surveys show that riders over the age of 40 are the fastest-growing segment of the horse world, with those age 65 and above seeing the biggest jump. Yes, when we conjure up images of "horse girls" the picture is generally comprised of happily grubby youngsters or teenagers with roomfuls of ribbons, but there is healthy segment of the equestrian population that first finds-or first finds time for-horses in midlife or beyond. And this is the only handbook available for these riders, trainers, rescuers, and volunteers. With carefully curated guidance collected over years of horsing around, rider and writer Fran Severn knows of which she speaks and wants readers to feel emboldened and empowered by the tips, lessons, and advice shared in these pages. You'll find: - Options for riding...and not riding (but still having horses in your life). - Finding an instructor and being a good student. - What can your body still do? Fitness, weight, and fear. - Effects of menopause, arthritis, and changing vision, hearing, and breathing. - Rules for buying, leasing, and boarding horses. - Dealing with family and horse-related finances. - And much more. Riders of a Certain Age is poised to provide an important reference to any individual who craves the companionship of a horse and the sisterhood that can go along with it. If you have ever wondered what it might be like to "be an equestrian" but aren't sure which steps to take first, Severn provides all you need to get started safely, comfortably, and with confidence-and with the knowledge that you are far from being alone.

In horse racing greatness is defined by speed. Being the second fastest counts for little. You have to win. And win. And keep winning until every challenger of your generation is put to the sword. Of the twelve horses lined up on Newmarket Heath that 2011 day, one would do just that. And more. To become the greatest racehorse that has ever lived. Frankel was born on 11 February 2008, with four white socks and a blaze, from impressive equine lines on both his parents' sides. Simon Cooper revisits the whole of the horse's life, giving readers an inside tour of the calm oasis that is life a stud farm, where a foal will live with his mother for the first year of his life. Next, the atmosphere of heady possibility that marks the early days of training. Roadwork. Gallops. Trials. Turning raw potential into something more. Frankel begins to set himself apart. A detailed and fast-paced narrative breathlessly recounts the racing career of the horse who, by his retirement to stud at the age of 4, would be rated the greatest of all time. Cooper weaves the horse's tale with those of his trainer, battling cancer, the stablehands who coped with his explosive nature, the work rider who tamed him, the the jockey who rode in all fourteen of his races, and the owner who saw his potential from the very beginning. The result is a rich and multifaceted tale of modern horse racing, the lives of everyone involved, human and equine, and the unadulterated glory of winning. And winning everything.

ONE OF USA TODAY'S "20 SUMMER BOOKS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS" In the bestselling tradition of works by such authors as Susan Orlean and Mary Roach, a New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist explores why so many people-including herself-are obsessed with horses. It may surprise you to learn that there are over seven million horses in America-even more than when they were the only means of transportation-and nearly two million horse owners. Acclaimed journalist and avid equestrian Sarah Maslin Nir is one of them; she began riding horses when she was just two years old and hasn't stopped since. Horse Crazy is a fascinating, funny, and moving love letter to these graceful animals and the people who-like her-are obsessed with them. It is also a coming-of-age story of Nir growing up an outsider within the world's most elite inner circles, and finding her true north in horses. Nir takes readers into the lesser-known corners of the riding world and profiles some of its most captivating figures. We meet Monty Roberts, the California trainer whose prowess earned him the nickname "the man who listens to horses," and his pet deer; George and Ann Blair, who at their riding academy on a tiny island in Manhattan's Harlem River seek to resurrect the erased legacy of the African American cowboy; and Francesca Kelly, whose love for an Indian nobleman shaped her life's mission: to protect an endangered Indian breed of horse and bring them to America. Woven into these compelling character studies, Nir shares her own moving personal narrative. She details her father's harrowing tale of surviving the Holocaust, and describes an enchanted but deeply lonely upbringing in Manhattan, where horses became her family. She found them even in the middle of the city, in a stable disguised in an old townhouse and in Central Park, when she chased down truants as an auxiliary mounted patrol officer. And she speaks candidly of how horses have helped her overcome heartbreak and loss. Infused with heart and wit, and with each chapter named after a horse Nir has loved, Horse Crazy is an unforgettable blend of beautifully written memoir and first-rate reporting.

The Racing Post Puzzle Book is the first puzzle book written for fans of horseracing. 240 puzzles will provide endless head scratching and entertainment for anyone who enjoys the sport. Its mix of six different types of puzzle will challenge even the most knowledgeable fan. In Fill In The Blanks an account of a race is given with ten key names and other words missing. Do you know enough to fill in the blanks? In Simple Sums, do you have the racing knowledge you need to complete the calculations? In Tell Me The Answer And I'll Tell You The Question, two questions and two answers are given - can you find which question and answer match? In Get It In One? Or Two, Or Three, Or Four?, how many clues do you need to identify the well-known person or horse? One, two, three or four? In Time For A Rhyme a short poem describes a famous person or horse. Can you complete the missing rhymes and identify who the poem is about? In Where's The Logic? a logic puzzle is presented in a racing setting. Can you use logic and the clues to deduce the answer?

The History of Horse Racing in 100 Objects is an ambitious and extensive work that embraces the vast sweep of a global sport, condensing its heart and soul into a century of milestones that connect its ancient past and its vibrant present. It takes the reader on a wild ride from racing's earliest organised blossoming in the 16th century to its most modern technological advances, via the innovations that have contributed to the shape of the sport and the great horses, characters and events that have delighted and intrigued countless generations. Here are the 100 objects that make horse racing what it is, that describe its journey through the ages, that express its eternal fascination for all those who fall under its intoxicating spell. By turns inspirational, informative, revelatory and thought-provoking, this evocation of the sounds, colours and history of horse racing will appeal to both devotees of the great sport and those discovering it for the first time. It's a sure-fire winner.

This practical book helps you interpret and connect the physical signals that horses display in response to their environment. These signals are evident in the everyday actions, gestures and attitudes that horses communicate to each other, but are often so subtle that they can go unnoticed by humans. This book aims to rectify that, offering horse lovers and equine professionals an opportunity to gain a unique insight into their 'horse's world'. Key features: includes detailed description of language signs of domestic horses, with a special emphasis on calming signals includes 275 pictures to visualize various language signs, calming signals, behaviour sequences and facial features presents communication ladders to show how a horse responds to incentives in his environment, and what signals he uses at certain moments contains tips on the use of the communication ladders and calming signals to improve the socialisation, training and wellbeing of your horse considers equine psychological stress from an environmental perspective, providing a valuable alternative to the current common clinical perspective. After reading this book you will be more astute in spotting calming signals, displacement activities, stress signals and distance-increasing signals, and better able to see which stimuli your horse can handle and which he cannot. This means you will know what to do to calm your horse before his stress rises to an unmanageable level. Language Signs and Calming Signals of Horses is both fascinating and important reading for any equine veterinary practitioner, student or nurse, as well as horse owners and trainers.

This title includes trade secrets from a leading hunter and hunt seat equitation trainer that will take riders from the basics of a sound position to the cultivation of show-ring polish.

Everything you know about riding and the horse's movement isn't what you think it is! Did you know that: - On a functional level, traditional ways of teaching rider position and horse movement do not actually work with the biomechanical system that is horse and rider? - Use of the inside rein does not encourage the horse to bend to the inside? - Training exercises and lessons that claim to be simple cannot be as easily applied as it might seem? In these pages, physical therapist and equine movement specialist Stefan Stammer uses a startlingly unique collection of color illustrations to make movement patterns in the horse visible to the human eye, in order to help riders better understand the principles of energy and motion happening within the horse. By forming new mental images for the rider, Stammer's goal is to profoundly impact the rider's daily work with her horse so that it is harder for her to make common mistakes or interfere with the horse's natural mechanisms. With his hind end as his engine, the horse generates kinetic energy (the energy his body possesses due to its motion). For optimal movement and performance, this energy should flow through the horse's body to the horse's mouth, where it is fine-tuned with the rein aids before cycling back to the hind end. However, this movement flow is often unintentionally disrupted on its way through the horse by the rider. When, however, the cycle of kinetic energy within the horse is supported through the correct understanding and application of biomechanics-the mechanical laws relating to his and his rider's movement and structure-the outer shape of horse and rider together achieve "positive tension." This is the rhythmic stimulation of all the neuromuscular functions necessary to perform harmoniously and at peak ability. Most importantly, once the rider understands the basic principles of the biomechanics of a horse in movement, her "feeling" in the saddle will improve. Better "feel" is an integral building block for the small and subtle steps of progress, which should accompany a rider for her entire life with horses. This smart, fascinatingly composed book is for any horseperson looking to limit riding and training mistakes, grow an understanding of how the horse best functions, and optimize equineability and performance.

Regarded as a standard work since first publication in 1975, The Horse from Conception to Maturity has now been enlarged and extended to include the very latest in veterinary techniques and research relating to the breeding of horses. Peter Rossdale has been assisted in the preparation of this revised edition by experienced stud manager, Melanie Bailey, and this collaboration has resulted in a comprehensive manual which will prove of inestimable value to students and stud personnel, as well as providing valuable professional insight to anyone interested in the care and management of breeding stock. The contents include an examination of the anatomy and function of the reproductive organs, the oestrus cycle, and the general management of the brood mare including necessary veterinary examinations. There are chapters on stallions, their anatomy and physiology, their handling and management, and a full description of mating procedures. Artificial insemination and embryo transfer are covered, as are matters of sub-fertility in mares and stallions. The authors explain the mechanics of conception, the development of the foal in the womb, and the care of the pregnant mare. Foaling and the care of the foal are covered in detail as are foaling problems, abortion, and the method of fostering orphan foals. Sound advice is provided on weaning and worming, and there is a concluding chapter on the mature horse. The book includes both glossary and index and is profusely illustrated with excellent and informative photographs, many in colour, plus line drawings.

With scientific research to prove their point, trainers Andrea and Markus Eschbach show readers how they can train and ride horses in a way that is safe, even when they are using very little equipment/minimal tack. This book is your first step toward your dream of riding your horse bareback, without a bit, and even without a bridle, while still feeling secure and in control.

Schooling your horse is fundamental to any equestrian activity, so getting it right is essential to you and your horse's progression. 101 Schooling Exercises enables you to plan the exercises you want to ride according to you and your horse's level of ability. Whether you want to increase your horse's balance, general impulsion or practice more advance lateral work the easy-to-follow exercises explain everything in order for you to ride the movement correctly, what may go wrong and advice on how to correct it. Each exercise is accompanied by an aerial illustration of the arena and additional diagrams showing the rider's position, including where the emphasis should be on the rider's aids. Stars from the equestrian world also divulge their favourite training exercises including top celebrity tips and advice. * Includes progressive exercises for all levels of riding from novice to intermediate * Easy-to-follow diagrams and illustrations * Favourite training exercises from celebrities of the equestrian world including Richard Davison, Pippa Funnell, Tim Stockdale, Lizzie Murray, Sylvia Loch, John Lassetter, Jennie Loriston-Clarke, Karen Dixon, Mary King, and Lee Pearson * Compiled in consultation with Andrew Day, former international event rider and Senior Lecturer at the Training the Teachers of Tomorrow Trust (TTT) 'This book is simply a must-buy volume.' Horse

Opens up a hidden aspect of women's history, imperial history and social history Includes contemporary illustrations, vividly bringing the subject to life Based on important new archival research