Carl Hester is one of the greatest ever equestrians, leading Great Britain to Gold Medal victory at the London 2012 Olympics. In these vibrant memoirs, he tells the incredible story of the passion for horse-riding which revolutionised his life and made him the champion he is today. Carl grew up on the remote Channel Island of Sark, moving to the UK mainland at the age of 16 to work with horses, mainly as a way to leave home. He could never have predicted what a great affinity he would have for dressage. Carl's career enjoyed a stratospheric rise as he progressed from working as a groom/rider to riding international dressage horses full time for renowned owners Dr and Mrs Bechtolsheimer, to training his own horses, and other top riders, to international success. Carl's early career revealed someone capable of monumental achievements. He provides a rare insight into both the people and the horses that drove him to victory, initially the skewbald mare Jolly Dolly on which he won the 1985 Young Riders Dressage Championship. During the early 1990s he rode in the World Championships, the European Championships and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, becoming Great Britain's youngest ever rider to compete in the Games. His riding skills have increased with age, culminating in the hugely successful years as part of the Gold Medal teams that won the 2011 European Dressage Championships and, of course, that made history at London 2012. He achieved both feats on the same extraordinary horse, Uthopia, while as a trainer he produced the even more remarkable combination of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro. A first-class sportsman and a witty and engaging writer, Carl now offers his admirers the opportunity to read an intelligent, humorous and, above all, inspiring account of his life - from the ups and downs of his career to the motivations and techniques which have helped him to win 66 national titles, represent Team GB at four Olympic Games, two World Championships and seven European Championships, and become one of the best riders - and horsemen - in the world.

Your essential trail guide to San Diego County Since 1986, Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield: San Diego County has been the premier trail guide for hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers. In fact, the Los Angeles Times called it the "bible of San Diego hiking." This fifth edition features 282 trips, ranging from short, self-guided nature trails to challenging peak climbs and canyon treks. Coauthor Scott Turner has fully updated this edition, which includes new maps and more than 30 new hikes. The book encompasses almost all public-and a few private-lands within San Diego County, including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cleveland National Forest, the Cuyamaca Mountains, and numerous county and city parks. It describes routes ranging from brief, family-friendly hikes to multiple-day overnight trips in remote regions of the backcountry, providing equal weight to the scenic and recreational value of each trip. For every route, you'll find at-a-glance essential information, including distance, hiking time, and elevation gain/loss; notes on which trails are suitable for children, mountain bikes, dogs, equestrians, and backpacking; and accurate and precise driving and hiking directions. Plus, each trip features at least one significant botanical, cultural, or geological highlight with detailed information about what makes it special.

This book describes 150 breeds of horses common in North America and Europe. From work horse to pony, and from lineage to key identifying features, this book is perfect for horse lovers or for the family road trip through the countryside.

In Praise of Famous Horses is an A-Z companion to perhaps the most loved of all domesticated animals. From D.H. Lawrence's horse Aaron, whose hide was posthumously made into a duffel-bag, to Zippy Chippy, fabled American loser, all the horses featured in this book have their very own claim to fame. Some - among them Bucephalas, Red Rum, Champion the Wonder Horse and Rocinante - are permanent residents in the equine pantheon. Others - such as Rossa Prince, who managed to lose a walkover - attract more qualified appreciation. Literature, history and art, battlefield, movie and television, myth, racecourse and religion are all enriched by these magnificent creatures. From A to Z, here is the wonderful world of famous horses.

After his remarkable eight-second ride at the 1996 Indian National Finals Rodeo, an elated American Indian world champion bullrider from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, threw his cowboy hat in the air. Everyone in the almost exclusively Indian audience erupted in applause. Over the course of the twentieth century, rodeos have joined tribal fairs and powwows as events where American Indians gather to celebrate community and equestrian competition. In Riding Buffaloes and Broncos, Allison Fuss Mellis reveals how northern Plains Indians have used rodeo to strengthen tribal and intertribal ties and Native solidarity.

In the late nineteenth century, Indian agents outlawed most traditional Native gatherings but allowed rodeo, which they viewed as a means to assimilate Indians into white culture. Mistakenly, they treated rodeo as nothing more than a demonstration of ranching skills. Yet through selective adaptation, northern Plains horsemen and audiences used rodeo to sidestep federally sanctioned acculturation. Rodeo now enabled Indians to reinforce their commitment to the very Native values--a reverence for horses, family, community, generosity, and competition--that federal agencies sought to destroy.

Mellis has mined archival sources and interviewed American Indian rodeo participants and spectators throughout the northern Great Plains, Southwest, and Canada, including Crow, Northern Cheyenne, and Lakota reservations. The book features numerous photographs of Indian rodeos from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and maps illustrating the all-Indian rodeo circuit in the United States and Canada.

A rollicking comic treasury, starring the world's most famous cartoon horse. He has hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook and a surging presence on Instagram. Each day, he and his diverse group of friends share their mishaps, their successes, and their innermost thoughts with the world. He is seemingly ageless, looking even better now than when his ascent to fame began. Who is this intriguing Internet celebrity? Fergus the Horse (Equus hilarious), the creation of artist Jean Abernethy, has been entertaining audiences-young and old, in print and online-with his comedic adventures for the past 20 years. His rise to fame was documented in the epic equine comic collection The Essential Fergus the Horse, and now, Abernethy celebrates his age-and the wisdom that should come with it-with an all-new selection of horsey humor, including many cartoons fans have never seen before, created exclusively for this book. With a genuine appeal that crosses boundaries of breed, discipline, and geographic location, Fergus unites anyone with an eye for a horse and a need for a laugh. Readers of all ages-from 5 to 95-will be delighted by his wit, honesty, and profoundly funny observations on horses, humans, and the life they strive to live together.

The Ethics and Passions of Dressage, Expanded Edition calls the reader to a re-dedication to the art of riding and the traditions of classical horsemanship. Charles de Kunffy challenges the reader to ask questions such as "Should competition challenge or reinforce classical horsemanship?" Furthermore, "What characteristics should be cultivated to transform the rider into a complete horse person? What are the individual's responsibilities to the preservation of classical horsemanship and academic equitation?" De Kunffy explains the true meanings of: non-confrontational riding and training, "on the bit," engagement, the development of the correct seat, and the use of hands and reins. He offers valuable advice on seeking instruction in classical dressage training. In the chapter entitled "Succinct Principles," de Kunffy doubles his single sentences kernels of wisdom from the first edition. This monumental contribution to equestrian literature is embellished with even more carefully-selected images of equestrian statues than the original edition. The Ethics and Passions of Dressage, Expanded Edition also includes additional chapters, recommended for the serious equestrian wanting to be simultaneously challenged and inspired. This book is sure to reaffirm the rider's dedication to an ethical approach to classical dressage. "If you want to express the utter joy, the drive, the energy that takes you forward on your journey with horses, it is here in this book." -Sylvia Loch

To see England properly, I recommend viewing it from the saddle..' A.F Tschiffely. Travelling through England, and doing it on horseback, is to rediscover both the romance of the countryside and man's relationship with both his environment and his horse. With twelve carefully crafted rides to choose from, from Dorset in the south west to Yorkshire in the north east, this specially photographed book will transport you back to a time before cars and tarmac roads, when life was simpler and slower. Escape down tracks that are carefully catalogued in the Domesday book, or past Thomas Hardy's cottage and great stately houses, through Cotswolds villages and along beaches. Each ride contains a comprehensive map detailed the route and telling you how long it will take, places to stay (that welcome horses), essential kit to take with you and places of interest to visit along the way. In short, an inspirational guide book for the enterprising (or armchair) traveller.

It is an often-forgotten fact that horses played an important part in Winston Churchill's life. They were his escape in childhood, his challenge in youth, his transport in war, his triumph in sport and his diversion in old age. Renowned author, broadcaster and former jockey, Brough Scott, follows in Churchill's hoofprints from galloping his pony in Blenheim Park, to topping the riding class whilst army training at Sandhurst, taking part in a famous cavalry charge in Sudan, playing polo in India, hunting foxes in Leicestershire and breeding racehorses near his home in Kent, after a minor interlude out of the saddle to tend to the historic task of winning the Second World War.

A fun colouring and activity book guaranteed to keep pony mad children entertained, including helpful and interesting tips, perfect for those taking part in the British Horse Society's Pony Stars programme, or just those who love horses and to draw. Pony Stars is the BHS's Junior Challenge Awards scheme helping children to discover, develop and nurture their love for ponies and the outdoors. With over 100 topics for children to explore, Pony Stars will ignite a passion for ponies, build knowledge and cement friendships that will last a lifetime.

My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding is a funny, brave, tender story of self-discovery 'I had spent most of my childhood thinking I was a dog, and suspect I had aged in dog years.' Clare Balding grew up in a rather unusual household. Her father a champion trainer, she shared her life with more than 100 thoroughbred racehorses, mares, foals and ponies, as well as an ever-present pack of boxers and lurchers. As a toddler she would happily ride the legendary Mill Reef and take breakfast with the Queen. She and her younger brother came very low down the pecking order. Left to their own devices, they had to learn life's toughest lessons through the animals, and through their adventures in the stables and the idyllic Hampshire Downs. From the protective Candy to the pot-bellied Valkyrie and the frisky Hattie, each horse and each dog had their own character and their own special part to play. The running family joke was that "women ain't people". Clare had to prove them wrong, to make her voice heard - but first she had to make sure she had something to say. 'Moving, funny and larger than life' Michael Morpurgo 'Magical, enchanting, riotously eccentric' Daily Mail 'Funny and unexpectedly wise. Balding has lots of good stories to tell. It is impossible not to admire her honesty Mail on Sunday 'The reading equivalent of snuggling by the fire with a labrador' The Guardian

'Whether first time horse owner or seasoned professional, you are guaranteed to come away with a detailed, systematic, and comprehensive method for a happier, healthier equine partner'. Lameness is the most common cause of poor performance in the horse. This makes management of his soundness over the long term integral to both his general well being and his ability to participate in recreational and competitive activities. Unfortunately, most equine caretakers are unable to perceive abnormal movement in the horse, extending the period between the onset of a problem and its eventual treatment, and the longer an issue is allowed to persist, the greater the chance that it will progress. Many equine veterinarians also find it difficult to visually decipher lameness, which leads to lengthy, expensive, and often inaccurate diagnostic work ups. It is with these two key audiences in mind that Dr. Bob Grisel has created a book unlike any other. With hundreds of illustrations, dozens of charts, and links (via scannable QR codes within the book) to online videos of explanatory case studies, readers are given a complete course in observing, identifying, and decoding equine lameness. Dr. Grisel helps you interpret what is seen, plain and simple (no need for medical knowledge of equine anatomy and pathology).

This book is an invaluable guide to every aspect of horsemanship, with a fully illustrated directory of breeds of the world, step-by-step instructions on how to ride, and information about specialist equipment for both horse and rider. Over 60 breeds of horse and pony are covered, from the more familiar Thoroughbred and Shetland pony to the less well known Nonius and Caspian. Riding instructions cover tacking up for the first time to mastering the intricacies of dressage. The book also includes a directory of equipment, including the saddle, bridle and bit, training aids, horse clothing and protective equipment, and the rider's clothing.

After a fifteen-year career as a sled dog racer, musher Dave Olesen turned his focus away from competition and set out to fulfill a lifelong dream. Over the course of four successive winters he steered his dogs and sled on long trips away from his remote Northwest Territories homestead, setting out in turn to the four cardinal compass points - south, east, north, and west - and home again to Hoarfrost River. His narrative ranges from the personal and poignant musings of a dogsled driver to loftier planes of introspection and contemplation. Olesen describes his journeys day by day, but this book is not merely an account of his travels. Neither is it yet another offering in the genre of ""wide-eyed southerner meets the Arctic,"" because Olesen is a firmly rooted northerner, having lived and travelled in the boreal outback for over thirty years. Olesen's life story colours his writing: educated immigrant, husband and father, professional dog musher, working bush pilot, and denizen of log cabins far off the grid. He and his dogs feel at home in country lying miles back of beyond. This book demolishes many of the cliches that imbue writings about bush life, the Far North, and dogsledding. It is a unique blend of armchair adventure, personal memoir, and thoughtful, down-to-earth reflection.