"He was the perfect horse, it was said, "the horse God built.""
Most of us know the legend of Secretariat, the tall, handsome chestnut racehorse whose string of honors runs long and rich: the only two-year-old ever to win Horse of the Year, in 1972; winner in 1973 of the Triple Crown, his times in all three races still unsurpassed; featured on the cover of" Time, Newsweek," and" Sports Illustrated;" the only horse listed on ESPN's top fifty athletes of the twentieth century (ahead of Mickey Mantle). His final race at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack is a touchstone memory for horse lovers everywhere. Yet while Secretariat will be remembered forever, one man, Eddie "Shorty" Sweat, who was pivotal to the great horse's success, has been all but forgotten---until now.
In" The Horse God Built," bestselling equestrian writer Lawrence Scanlan has written a tribute to an exceptional man that is also a backroads journey to a corner of the racing world rarely visited. As a young black man growing up in South Carolina, Eddie Sweat struggled at several occupations before settling on the job he was born for---groom to North America's finest racehorses. As Secretariat's groom, loyal friend, and protector, Eddie understood the horse far better than anyone else. A wildly generous man who could read a horse with his eyes, he shared in little of the financial success or glamour of Secretariat's wins on the track, but won the heart of Big Red with his soft words and relentless devotion.
In Scanlan's rich narrative, we get a groom's-eye view of the racing world and the vantage of a man who spent every possible moment with the horse he loved, yet who often basked in the horse's glory from thesidelines. More than anything else," The Horse God Built "is a moving portrait of the powerful bond between human and horse.

The true tale of a voyage that broke a man down and built him back up, with the help of one special horse. At 37 Jesse McNeil - at times carpenter, commercial fisherman, dabbler in real estate - decided to buy an untrained horse, make himself into a horseman, and ride all the way across the United States, from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. A fiercely independent traveler, Jesse had navigated previous coast-to-coast trips - solo journeys by moped, bicycle, and small airplane. This time, however, he had a partner: a five-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse named Pepper. An inexperienced horseman with an equally inexperienced mount, Jesse would quickly discover the immense challenges of his new undertaking. Over the course of eight months and fourteen states - beginning in Oregon and ending on a beach in New Hampshire - he would be tested many times over as he learned not only what it took to keep Pepper safe and healthy, but the true value of qualities that he had once easily dismissed: patience and companionship. The generosity of strangers, from helpful ranchers and storekeepers to suburban families, shaped the pair's journey east. And while at some points the miles didn't unfold as Jesse hoped, others yielded unexpected events that changed his perspective - and quite possibly, his future. Written with honesty, grit, and grace, On the Hoof captures an arduous voyage that broke a man down and built him back up, with the help of one special horse.

In this book, you will find exercises for all levels of horse and rider, from novice level to advanced, in both dressage and jumping, including the use of props in training. The author shows how exercises can be combined to create the optimum learning experience for rider and horse, both from a teaching perspective and for solo training – a ‘teacher in a book’. Claire Lilley draws on her may years of experience as a riding coach, with insight from being a student in her formative years. She explains exercises from the teacher's perspective: what to look for, and key teaching points to consider. The last section of exercises is for development as a teacher, inviting the riding teacher to evaluate their own skills so as to to improve their coaching methods. Suggestions are given to improve coaching methods, such as observational skills of the physical and mental capacities of both horse and rider. Finally, training plans are given, using the exercises in practice, with consideration as to whether lessons are individual, shared or group, as well as lesson location. This book will be a valuable resource for riding instructors and pupils alike, a welcome addition to the teacher's library.

Today's Kentucky Derby is a multi-million-dollar spectacle incorporating corporate sponsorship, worldwide media coverage, and an annual citywide festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Over its nearly century-and-a-half, the Kentucky Derby has grown to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year, attracting 150,000 spectators at the track and nearly 15 million television viewers on the first Saturday each May. But 1875, the year of the first Derby, was a different time. The Louisville Jockey Club, which would one day bear the name "Churchill Downs," was a small structure that might, on its best day, provide seating and standing room for 12,000 spectators. The grandstand was plain and functional, and included a section reserved for bookmakers, whose trade was legal, and who operated in the open. Perhaps most significantly, the majority of jockeys in the race were Black, in stark contrast to the present-day Derby, where participation by African-Americans is rare. In The First Kentucky Derby, racing historian Mark Shrager examines the events leading up to the first "Run for the Roses," the unsuccessful plot hatched by the winning horse's owner to fix the race, and the prominent role played by African-Americans in Gilded Age racing culture-a holdover from pre-emancipation days, when slaves would be trained from birth to ride for their wealthy owners, and would grow up surrounded by the horses that would be their life's work.

Horses are fascinating and perceptive creatures. Developing a thorough understanding of how a horse interprets the world around them and deliberately being self-aware as a rider, are the essential skills to a successful and fulfilling partnership. In The Psychology of Horsemanship, well-known equestrian author and horse expert, Claire Lilley, shares her passion and knowledge about horses and riders developed from over forty years' experience in the equestrian world, and more recently several years in the mental health profession. Divided into three sections, the book covers: Equine psychology - the horses's senses, primary responses and emotion; Training psychology - the rider's communication, training and learning from past experiences; Relational psychology - the goals, the development and the challenges faced in successful horsemanship. With high-quality photographs, diagrams and extended real-life examples, this book explores the application of psychology to the world of horses and how the understanding and evolvement of the horse-rider relationship impacts on both mental and physical development.

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.

When barefoot running guru Christopher McDougall takes in a neglected donkey, his aim is to get Sherman back to reasonable health. But Sherman is ill-tempered, obstinate and uncooperative - and it's clear his poor treatment has made him deeply fearful of humans. Christopher knows that donkeys need a purpose - they are working, pack animals - and so when he learns of the sport of Burro Racing or running with donkeys, he sets out to give Sherman something worth living for. With the aid of Christopher's menagerie on his farm in rural Pennsylvania, his wife Mika and their friends and neighbours including the local Amish population, Sherman begins to build trust in Christopher. To give him a purpose, they start to run together. But what Sherman gains in confidence and meaning is something we all need: a connection with nature, the outdoors, with movement. And as Christopher learns, the side benefits of exercise and animal contact are surprising, helping with mental and physical health in unexpected ways.

This resource demonstrates how a combination of modern techniques is used to ensure that horseracing is both fair and prevents abuse of the horses involved. Based on the work of the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory (HFL) located near Newmarket in the UK, the book comprises five sections of student material. First, an overview of the work of HFL is presented, followed by sections on immunoassay, metabolism and chromatography. Teachers' notes are also included. Following the explanatory text are questions, which assist with understanding and also illustrate real-life applications of the chemical techniques encountered at school. Chemistry at the Races is designed mostly for ages 16+, but some material is also included for younger students. It is an invaluable resource for teachers, enabling them to demonstrate an up-to-date and interesting context for their work.

This practical book, new in paperback for 2022, is aimed at all greyhound enthusiasts and will be of help to the more experienced professional trainer as well as the novice handler. The physical stresses of racing mean that every greyhound will, at some point, sustain some form of injury and it is therefore essential that the greyhound handler has some knowledge of injuries. Accordingly, the author places a strong emphasis on injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. Further contents include: choosing your first dog; fundamentals aspects of training; kennelling; breeding, rearing and training puppies; exercising, the training routine and race preparation; feeding; examining your dog, minor ailments and serious illnesses; foot problems; injury rehabilitation and the skill of massage, and finally the retired greyhound.

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

Karin Blignault has combined theory and experimentation to develop a system of training (and teaching) that is straightforward, fast and brings real results. The methods described in this book teach riders to achieve rhythm, balance, suppleness and the round flexor frame in their horses - and quickly. Most riding books, including those by classical masters, focus on 'what to do' rather than 'how to do'. This book is different. For example, Karin explains how you can apply your body in riding, rather than focusing primarily on your body position, and thus your riding position automatically becomes correct. She believes that riders should learn to control the whole horse as soon as possible and uses four exercises to teach riders control of the horse's head, his shoulders, his ribcage and his hindquarters. The results are immediate. These exercises are the building blocks of the shoulder-in and the half halt, which are the cornerstones of balanced riding. They are used to improve every movement in dressage and jumping.

The Life Of Fred Archer By E . M . Humphris. A biography of England's most famous jockey. Preface - "The author has flatteringly asked me to write a preface to this book on the famous Fred Archer, and as I knew him well and saw him ride a vast number of his races it gives me great pleasure to do so; and I commence by speaking of the five Derbys he won, all of which I witnessed. Archer had his first Derby success on Silvio, who started at 100 to 9, in 1877, and, after a pretty finish, won by half a length from Glen Arthur, both the pair outstaying the favourite, Rob Roy, who was beaten three-quarters of a length for second place, with Rhidorroch fourth, a head behind Mr Mackenzie's colt .His next win at Epson was in 1880, when he rode a most remarkable race on Bend Or, as he was greatly handicapped by having has his arm badly injured through Muley Edris savaging him after he had ridden that ill tempered brute in a gallop on Newmarket Heath a short time before, and also by Bend Or coming badly down the hill to Tattenham Corner owing to having sore shins. Archer, for all that, rode with such judgement that, bringing his mount with one long run, he caught Robert the Devil, on whom Rossiter certainly should have won as the race was run, in the last two strides, to beat him by a head." Originally published in 1934. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.