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.

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.

If you have ever wanted to know how to get a horse into a trailer, how to deal with a bucking horse, how to walk your horse through water or how to handle a two-month-old foal, then you need look no further than ASK MONTY. In this book, Monty Roberts, lifelong horse trainer and bestselling author of THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO HORSES, answers hundreds of questions that have been regularly posed to him by fans and readers over many years. He shares the methods and techniques that he has spent a lifetime perfecting, which will enable you to understand, communicate and work more effectively with your horse. Each chapter is devoted to a key area of horse training, and Monty's methods are easily and practically explained with the help of clear diagrams. ASK MONTY is the essential guide for horse lovers everywhere.

What would rodeo look like if we took it as a record, not of human triumph and resilience, but of human imperfection and stubbornness?"" asks animal historian Susan Nance. Against the backdrop of the larger histories of ranching, cattle, horses, and the environment in the West, this book explores how the evolution of rodeo has reflected rural western beliefs and assumptions about the natural world that have led to environmental crises and served the beef empire. By unearthing behind-the-scenes stories of rodeo animals as diverse individuals, this book lays bare contradictions within rodeo and the rural West. For almost 150 years, westerners have used rodeo to symbolically reenact their struggles with animals and the land as uniformly progressive and triumphant. Nance upends that view with accounts of individual animals that reveal how diligently rodeo people have worked to make livestock into surrogates for the trials of rural life in the West and the violence in its history. Western horses and cattle were more than just props. Rodeo reclaims their lived history through compelling stories of anonymous roping steers and calves who inspired reform of the sport, such as the famed but abused bucker Steamboat, and the many broncs and bulls, famous or not, who unknowingly built an industry. Rodeo is a dangerous sport that reveals many westerners as people proudly tolerant of risk and violence, and ready to impose these values on livestock. In Rodeo: An Animal History, Nance pushes past standard histories and the sport's publicity to show how rodeo was shot through with stubbornness and human failing as much as fortitude and community spirit.

Whoa! Don't get on a horse until you read this book.

Boost your self-confidence and get the most for your money with this one-of-a-kind companion guide to riding lessons.

Getting the Most from Riding Lessons gives you all the information you need to communicate effectively with your instructor and advance your riding skills outside of lesson time. Following the easy, step-by-step instructions, you'll learn how to:

-- Warm up and condition key riding muscles

-- Brush up the basics

-- Perfect the use of the aids

-- Improve control and coordination

-- Master diagonals, evasions, and collection

-- Advance to jumping and showing

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

"Legends 7" offers the latest installment in a series designed to capture and preserve the history of the American Quarter Horse by profiling the breed's most influential stallions and mares. This volume -- easily the most diverse in the series -- features top halter, cutting, reining and western pleasure bloodlines. "Legends 7" highlights the lives of horses that built an industry, as told by the men and women who knew them best and as written by authors most familiar with each animal's unique contributions. As always, each horse's story comes complete with a three-generation pedigree, competition record, progeny record and numerous photographs.

Concise, easy-to-read book explains why and how horses behave the way they do. It describes methods by which behavior problems can be PREVENTED, and methods which can be used to correct existing problems. Dr. Miller explains how every horse inherits ten character traits that influence its behavior. These ten traits are embedded deep within the horse's DNA and shared, without exception, by every horse that was ever born. Understanding these 10 traits is essential to optimum communication with the horse, and is the reason the current revolution in natural horsemanship is so successful. If you understand how your horse thinks, you can control its behavior. You can teach your horse to: - ignore the "spooky" stuff - stand quietly while tied - accept routine veterinary and farrier work - come when called - overcome "barn sour" or "herd bound" behavior - load into a trailer calmly and willingly - respect you as a leader - yield its head, neck, feet and hindquarters - respond positively whether at a show, on the trail or in the stable In addition, Dr. Miller, who is the originator of imprint training of newborn foals, also includes an in depth discussion of this method in the book. Are you unwittingly teaching your horse how to misbehave? Find out from the expert on equine behavior

Equine Electro-Acupressure is a must have DIY book for all competitive equestrians who are dedicated to enhancing their horse's health and maximizing their horse's athletic potential. This book teaches horsemen and women how to perform Equine Electro-Acupressure treatments on their own horses. Developed by Equine Performance Consultant, Donald Doran, the techniques presented in Equine Electro-Acupressure are a reflection of Doran's 40+ years of hands-on experience working with a broad spectrum of equine athletes ranging from Kentucky Derby winners to Olympic contenders. Equine Electro-Acupressure is a hybrid equine bodywork modality that combines modern science and technology with ancient knowledge of massage, energy meridians and acupoints. The net effect is a fast, effective method of getting a horse out of muscular pain and maximizing her/her athletic performance without the use of drugs, surgery or invasive procedures. In the fiercely competitive world of equine sports, properly fitting equipment, cross training and frequent equine bodywork often make the difference between bringing home the prize money or coming home empty-handed. However, for many horse owners, regularly scheduled equine bodywork is often limited due to lack of availability and/or financial constraints. This book empowers motivated horse owners with the ability to use this new, revolutionary form of equine bodywork for the benefit of their own horses on a regular, cost-effective basis. Step by step instructions teach equestrians how to use a TENS unit to provide their horses with muscle and acupoint stimulation previously only available through a professional acupuncture session. The book provides treatment plans, full color photographs and location descriptions of muscle points and acupoints used to treat the following common problem areas in the performance horse: Upper and Lower Neck, Mid and Lower Back, Shoulders, Hindquarters, Hamstrings, Quadriceps and Stifles. When the stakes are high, Doran relies on Equine Electro-Acupressure in his own practice to treat Olympic competitors and championship horses. Doran offers training in this modality to horsemen and women as part of the Equine Sports Therapy course curriculum at Animal Dynamics.

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.

An entertaining and inspiring autobiography. In 2008, 26-year old Tik Maynard faced a crossroads not unlike that of other young adults. A university graduate and modern pentathlete, he suffered both a career-ending injury and a painful breakup, leaving him suddenly adrift. The son of prominent Canadian equestrians, Maynard decided to spend the next year as a 'working student'. In the horse industry, working students aspire to become professional riders or trainers, and willingly trade labour for hands-on education. Here Maynard chronicles his experiences – good and bad – and we follow along as one year becomes three. What began as a casual adventure gradually transforms, and a life's purpose comes sharply into focus.

Christoph Hess, a Federation Equestre International (FEI) "I" Judge in both dressage and eventing, is highly respected around the world as a teacher of riding and the development of the horse according to classical principles. Here he collects some of his very best riding and training tips along with well-honed insight related to the topics that he finds most often challenge equestrians and their equine partners. Ride Better with Christoph Hess provides thoughtful, easy-to-apply advice when dealing with issues with the gaits, in particular the walk and canter; high-headedness or the horse that is "too light" in the poll; inconsistency of performance; leaning on the bit; falling out; lack of straightness; and much more. In addition, Hess breaks out particular skills and movements that often need specialized attention when in the dressage or jumping ring, and when going cross-country. Throughout Hess emphasizes that a rider must always strive to improve, for the simple reason that you can always do better for your horse. While competitive and training goals do, of course, bring a certain satisfaction, it is having an equine partner who is contented in his work and happy in your company that rewards most. This lesson, and all Hess's tips and solutions, are invaluable to equestrians of every level - everyone can walk away from this book a better rider.

Derry Moore's photographs celebrate the extraordinary beauty in the trappings and traditions of the equestrian world. Offering a privileged glimpse into the lives of jockeys and cavalrymen, Spanish riding schools, and Midwestern rodeos, these pictures take the reader to paddocks, courses, and stables the world over and reveal the customs and passions of equestrian culture. From stablehands grooming before an English country hunt to blacksmiths shoeing showhorses to pull royal carriages in Spain, and from immaculate dressage riders at Chantilly to roughshod jockeys in the dusty fields of India, Moore's photographs offer a profound and romantic insight into the connection that binds us to these animals. With contributions from legendary owners and trainers, this elegant book paints a picture of an entire equestrian world, from the racecourses of Keeneland in Kentucky to the training stables at Newmarket, and from the majestic working Suffolk Punches to Frankel, the most valuable stud in the world. Moore's work-with a unique eye for character, not just in his portraits of the horses but in the details of their surroundings-is a fitting celebration of a lifestyle that continues to inspire.

Training your horse to concentrate on a lesson, bend his body from nose to tail, and pay attention to where he places his feet—whatever your discipline or level of expertise, these are necessary foundation skills. Here you will find an incredibly handy guide to introducing and solidifying these concepts, as well as many others, with exercises using two very basic training tools: traffic cones and ground poles. Incorporating cones and poles in your daily lessons not only provides visual interest and physical guidelines for your horse as he moves around the ring, it also gives you a means of developing accuracy in your schooling figures and transitions. With these exercises, your horse’s movement and response to your aids will certainly improve, but so will your overall riding performance.

Francelia Clark finds and follows two of the oldest trails in New Hampshire's Monadnock region into history-on horseback. Along the way she studies the cellar holes and rock remains of houses, wells, and walled cow paths, as well as old journals, to illuminate for readers the lives of the early settlers who made them.

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.