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.

There are many books and DVDs devoted to the technical training of horse and rider - how to perform movements correctly, clear obstacles, communicate efficiently, and in other ways attain the idealised image of an athletic partnership that results in competitive success. But this book is different: its focus is how the rider and trainer can make it easier for the horse to perform optimally. This includes improved understanding of what are reasonable expectations for a particular horse at a certain level of schooling, how to improve his fitness (including strength and conditioning), as well as background on how injuries may develop as a result of interaction between internal and external factors, such as genetics, conformation, management, and training. Relying on her veterinary background, in-depth research, and dozens of interviews with top riders and trainers from around the world - including Beezie Madden, Carl Hester, and Pippa Funnell, to name just a few - Lonnell provides guidelines for nurturing a happy, healthy equine athlete. With special focus on conscientious pacing when building the horse's physical capability over time, diversification of schooling practices, detail-oriented management and care, and putting the horse's needs above competitive ambition, readers are given a solid grasp of what it takes to truly reach the pinnacle of equestrian sport - and remain there - on a consistent basis. Throughout, gorgeous colour photographs of world-class horses and the people who work with them visually demonstrate the success of these methods.

Plants, Potions and Oils for Horses takes a new look at some old remedies, together with some contemporary alternative therapies to offer the horse owner some simple but safe treatments for common horse ailments. Topics covered in this new book include: herbal remedies; treatments from the kitchen; traditional treatments and aromatherapy.

Horses were key to the colonial economies of southern Africa, buttressing the socio-political order and inspiring contemporary imaginations. Just as they had done in Europe, Asia, the Americas and North Africa, these equine colonisers not only provided power and transportation but also helped transform their new biophysical and social environments. In some ways "Riding High" is an attempt to chronicle the effects of an inter-species relationship whose significance was vast and lead to major changes in the history of leisure, transportation, trade, warfare, and agriculture. On another level, these stories are simply the adventures of a big, gentle herbivore and a small, rogue primate. The horses introduced to the southern tip of Africa were both agents and subjects of enduring changes. This book explores their introduction under VOC rule in the mid-seventeenth century, their dissemination into the interior, their acquisition by indigenous groups and their ever-shifting roles. In its relocation to the Cape, the horse of the Dutch empire in southeast Asia experienced a physical transformation over time. Establishing an early breeding stock was fraught with difficulty and horses remained vulnerable in the new and dangerous environment. They had to be nurtured into defending their owners' ambitions: first those of the white settlement and then African and other hybrid social groupings. The book traces the way horses were adapted by shifting human needs in the nineteenth century. It focuses on their experiences in the South African War, on the cusp of the twentieth century, and highlights how horses remained integral to civic functioning on various levels, replaced with mechanization only after lively debate. They remained useful in certain sectors and linked to totems of social power even in contemporary South Africa. "Riding High" reinserts the horse into the broader historical narrative and speculates about what a new kind of history that takes animals seriously might offer us.

"Knack Leg and Hoof Care for Horses" is a one-stop information source on how to keep a horse sound, happy, and pain-free through proper care of his (or her) feet and legs. Unlike cumbersome veterinary reference texts, this book focuses solely on hoof conditions and leg ailments, with the added bonus of preventative care. Knowing about the various ailments that affect the horse's legs and feet is only one aspect of horse care--preventative and routine care, as well as various therapies, are also essential in keeping your horse going. Knack "Leg and Hoof Care for Horses" covers a range of care, from mainstream medical methods to massage and supplements. While providing top-notch tips from experts, it is written and presented in terms that any informed lay reader can understand. Its user-friendly format and full-color photos throughout make it a must for horsemen and horsewomen at all levels of understanding. More than 475 full-color photos on topics including: Hoof and leg anatomy Conformation Shoeing options Lameness Bone and joint issues Laminitis Navicular Muscle, nerve, and skin ailmentsTherapies and treatments

Grooming is of vital importance to a horse's health and welfare. This highly illustrated book provides practical advice for establishing good grooming practice. Topics covered in the book are: handling of the horse for grooming; routine cleaning and grooming; clipping and trimming; grooming for showing, eventing, dressage, racing and hunting; healthcare associated with the skin and grooming, and how to spot problems. Includes over 300 step-by-step colour photographs to illustrate techniques.

Give your horse a gorgeous look! Charni Lewis provides step-by-step instructions for 30 mane and tail braids for both casual outings and specialized events of all riding styles. Full-color photographs and detailed illustrations bring every twist and turn to life, while also clearly demonstrating proper hand positioning. Get inspired and experiment with a Scalloped mane braid or a Four-Strand Weave for the tail. Not only will your horse look great, the time you spend braiding will help develop that special bond between you and your horse.

Packed with humorous illustrations and valuable tips, Learn About Horses is a great child's introduction to horsemanship. This Picture book teaches children about basic horse care, safety, and riding.

The New Forest Pony is a unique breed & one of its outstanding characteristics is its good-natured temperament. This, combined with its muscular frame, makes it an excellent riding pony & has been exported widely around the world. This text reveals the special 'spirit' of the ponies through photographs taken by Mike Read.

An un-raced young ex-race horse is sold on to a private owner where he faces a life of neglect; where he is found and rescued by someone despite experts advising he may not recover or make it. This book documents his road to recovery; his and his owner's ups and downs, with photographic images, showing the development of a unbreakable trust and bond between horse and owner despite the previous neglect. The remarkable character that shines through as doors are opened and he is chosen to star in a film.

Almost every person working with horses will have studied equine behavior to a certain extent. Understanding the flexibility and limits of behaviour is essential to improving both the horse's welfare and its performance. This book will enable students, trainers, riders and horse owners to understand the fundamental principles behind the behavior of horses and how to apply them in different situations in practice.

Part 1 looks at the constraints which apply to the modern horse because of its evolutionary history and the nature of the evolutionary process itself. Part 2 examines the processes and mechanism which control the behaviour and responses of a horse and explores the sources of individual variation, whilst Part 3 looks at the effect of the environment on the horse's behaviour and welfare. This includes a critical look at current and recent training techniques such as 'imprint training and 'join up'.

Here is a readable, scientific text expertly illustrated throughout the clarify the key concepts in equine behaviour.

The current move away from the extensive use of agricultural chemicals and the employment of more traditional methods of farming means that the number of different plant species is on the increase. Along with the nutritional benefits that this brings, there is also a risk that many potentially poisonous species of wild plants may return in greater number, together with those which, although not outright poisons in themselves, may be toxic to some degree. Most horse owners are aware of and can identify plants which are the most common cause of poisoning such as ragwort, yew, laburnum and bracken, but other dangerous species such as cowbane or hemlock are not usually referred to except in specialist literature. This book lists over 50 plants which are commonly regarded as being poisonous in their own right. An illustration and profile of each is given, together with its prevalence, poisonous principle and symptoms.

Your pony or horse means the world to you, and now they can have the care they deserve with this practical, tried-and-tested guide to every aspect of equine care. Horses are supremely beautiful and intelligent beings and, with the right care, will form an incredibly rewarding bond with you. The Complete Horse Care Manual is written by the experienced vet and horse specialist, Colin Vogel. It offers a guide to horse anatomy and shows you how to interpret their body language and prevent them becoming frightened or bored, explaining how to deal with common problems and unwanted behaviours. It shows you, step by step, how to catch, handle and groom horses, and how to keep them well-fed and watered. It advises you on kit to buy, and how to keep all your tack and equipment in top-top condition. When a horse is ill, it's a worrying time, but this indispensable manual offers reassuring advice, including when to call the vet, and how to administer first aid. With suggested daily routines and tips on shoeing and hoof care, The Complete Horse Care Manual has everything you need to keep a horse healthy, safe and happy

In the 1950s - as tractors displaced the use of Highland ponies on our farms - the breed found a new purpose in pony trekking. In this book Heidi Sands captures the essence of Highland ponies, depicting the breed in their natural environment.

A beautifully illustrated and detailed guide to the world's horses Horses of the World is a comprehensive, large-format overview of 570 breeds of domestic and extant wild horses, including hybrids between the two and between domestic breeds and other equids, such as zebras. This beautifully illustrated and detailed guide covers the origins of modern horses, anatomy and physiology, variation in breeds, and modern equestrian practices. The treatment of breeds is organized by country within broader geographical regions--from Eurasia through Australasia and to the Americas. Each account provides measurements (weight and height), distribution, origins and history, character and attributes, uses, and current status. Every breed is accompanied by superb color drawings--600 in total--and color photographs can be found throughout the book. Describing and depicting every horse breed in existence, Horses of the World will be treasured by all who are interested in these gorgeous animals. * A unique large-format, field-guide approach that provides complete coverage of the world's 570 horse breeds*600 superb color illustrations showcasing every breed* Additional color photos and maps * Accessible text offers detailed information on each breed, including measurements, distribution, origins and history, character and attributes, uses, and current status

This book has been written to appeal to all relevant audiences, i.e. in the tack-room, the forge and the surgery. It is easy to read and understand and above all, the book is informative and thought provoking. The gulf of understanding between owner, farrier and veterinary surgeon is bridged, by bringing together all interested parties to share a common pool of knowledge and understanding of natural biomechanics, technique and systems practiced. A different perception of Farriery has long been overdue. Foot balance is the main quintessential aspect of farriery and the questions of what is normal and what is undesirable have teased farriers and veterinarians for generations. A number of authors have set down their opinions but none have explored hoof balance in such detail. This book looks at anterioposterior and mediolateral hoof balance, not only defining what is normal and ideal but explaining how, through the forces imposed by the weight of the animal and the levers which make up the limb, the hoof can change shape. Lameness and shoe loss are often considered a reflection of the competence of an individual farrier. This book will help provide the confidence and the evidence to help all parties involved in farriery to understand how form and function are inextricably linked. This book is essential reading for those who are looking to expand their knowledge and for those who seek a more philosophical approach to this ancient craft. It starts as a journey of inquiry, reviewing the past and examining the present, objectively introducing to the reader the wider perspective of farriery; not just about 'shoes on horses' but as a benign manipulative therapy, which forms an integral part of the whole horse concept.

There was once born a very little pony. Being quite so little, he was rejected by his herd, and the future looked bleak. A few fields over, a young girl was coming to terms with the fact that she would never be able to ride again. Unknowingly, they were about to change each other's lives . . . The pony was Little Alf, a Shetland pony with dwarfism, and the girl, Hannah, who rescued him aged sixteen. From charity work and building a business together, they became constant companions, though there have been a few casualties along the way - mainly garden ornaments and the neighbours' vegetables. Little Alf is the story of their life together - the adventures and the mischievous behaviour of the most adorable little pony.