A Passion for Horses


Book Description




For the Love of Horses


Book Description

Three sisters and an unforgettable journey to tame New Zealand’s Kaimanawa horses For the Love of Horses is a heartfelt story about a life familiar to many young Kiwis who love horses – the trials and tears of Pony Club, the joy of riding bareback, and the pressures of adolescence and competitive showjumping. It is also the story of an unlikely childhood dream coming true. Every year in the wilderness of the Central Plateau, wild Kaimanawa horses are rounded up and sent to the slaughterhouse. It’s upsetting, but what else can be done? The Wilson sisters decide something could be done. They saw future champions behind the fiery eyes and beneath the shaggy coats. In this touching book, Kelly Wilson tells the true story of how they embarked on a courageous journey to train horses that most people believed were untrainable.




Horse Crazy


Book Description

There are over seven million horses in America -- even more than when they were the only means of transportation. Nir began riding horses when she was just two years old and hasn't stopped since. This is her funny, moving love letter to these graceful animals and the people who are obsessed with them. She takes us into the lesser-known corners of the riding world and profiles some of its most captivating figures, and speaks candidly of how horses have helped her overcome heartbreak and loss.




People We Know, Horses They Love


Book Description

A beautifully designed, full-color photo-essay celebrating the intimate bond between some noted equestrians and the horses they own, ride, train-and love! Leading man Richard Gere fell for a girl on horseback. For actress Alfre Woodard and her daughter Mavis, the connection with horses is spiritual. Chevy Chase says his Icelandics "get very hairy during the winter, but then so do I." And Robert Redford, recalling his month-long ride down the old Outlaw Trail that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rode, says: "What I marvel at is how wild and free this land still can seem from the back of a horse." In People We Know, Horses They Love, we meet nearly thirty celebrity horse lovers, from Whoopi Goldberg and Christie Brinkley to the original horse whisperer, Buck Brannaman and bestselling author Tami Hoag, who's also an amateur international champion dressage rider. Gorgeous, full-color, never-seen-before photographs capture the majesty and grace of the animals, the beauty of the ranches and stables where they reside and intimate moments shared with their owners. Whether highlighting Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward on their ranch for special needs children, exploring Hilary Duff's passion for wild mustangs, hanging with Jeff Bridges on the set of Seabiscuit, or illuminating the interior lives of Maria Shriver, Morgan Freeman, and many others, People We Know, Horses They Love pays tribute to the special relationship between human and horse. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Program.




Core Conditioning for Horses


Book Description

Gentle ways to improve the horse’s core fitness while relieving pain related to conditions such as kissing spine. Every equestrian wants to know: what is the difference between the horse that “dances” when you are on him, and the one that doesn’t? According to Visconte Simon Cocozza, Trainer and Examiner for the La Fédération Française d'Equitation (FFE), it all comes down to the horse’s posture. The horse’s ability to use the powerful mechanisms already built into his body relies not upon the strength we can see on the outside but the strength on the inside. This invisible and complex arrangement of internal “core” muscles control the horse’s posture, suppleness, and agility. Their good condition is the key to the dance. Equine core muscles are very difficult to isolate with the traditional training techniques common to horse sports. However, by examining what we do with the human body when faced with a weak core, we can find new methods for conditioning these areas of the equine body. Cocozza has taken principles of the human practice of yoga and used them to develop novel ways of reaching deep within the horse’s body and: Gently “unlock” areas that may be a little “rusty.” Improve core fitness. And even relieve pain related to conditions such as kissing spine. In this highly illustrated book, he provides step-by-step instruction explaining easy mounted exercises that enhance the horse’s posture, and boost his confidence in his body and movement, making him easier to ride, and ultimately, the dance partner you’ve always imagined.




Horse Speak: An Equine-Human Translation Guide


Book Description

Horse Speak is not a training method or technique—it is a practical system for “listening” and “talking” to horses in their language, instead of expecting them to comprehend ours. Horse Speak can be used by anyone who works with horses, whether riding instructor, colt starter, recreational rider, or avid competitor. It promises improved understanding of what a horse is telling you, and provides simple replies you can use to tell him that you “hear” him, you “get it,” and you have ideas you want to share with him, too. The result? Time with your horse will be full of what horse trainer and equine-assisted learning instructor Sharon Wilsie of Wilsie Way Horsemanship calls Conversations, and soon the all-too-common misunderstandings that occur between horse and human will evolve into civil discussions with positive and progressive results! Learn Horse Speak in 12 easy steps; understand equine communication via breath and body language; and discover the Four Gs of Horse Speak: Greeting, Going Somewhere, Grooming, and Gone. Practice regulating your intensity, and sample dozens of ready-made Conversations with your horse, as step-by-step templates and instructional color photographs walk you through the eye-opening process of communicating on a whole new level.




Wild About Horses


Book Description

The human love affair with horses is an ancient and far-reaching one. Moving effortlessly from history to literature, from science to sport, from anecdote to personal experience, Lawrence Scanlan sets out to discover the essence of our powerful, almost mystical attraction to this noble creature. Scanlan covers a wide territory: from the mythic horses of cultures long past to the real-life whisperers of today, to the timeless wild mustangs still roaming the Great Plains. As he touches on each aspect of the equine-human bond, Scanlan makes perfect sense of "horse fever" -- that curious affliction that has been known to strike both the seasoned professional and the rider who has galloped only in his or her dreams. Written in lyrical prose with wit, humor, and an eye for drama, meticulously researched and complemented by fifty compelling black-and-white photographs, Wild About Horses addresses our need to know everything we can about the horse.




Connecting with Horses


Book Description

Margrit Coates is internationally acclaimed for her work as an animal healer and communicator, and is the author of Healing with Horses and Horses Talking. Now, for the first time, she explains how horses can offer healing and guidance to us, the people in their lives. Connecting with Horses explores the key lessons that we can learn from these magnificent animals. When we really understand how to interact with horses and how to interpret their roles in our lives, we will learn how to improve our relationships with others and much more. This extraordinary book draws upon powerful true stories and practical experience to explore themes and offer profound insights ranging from creativity through to potential and success. As you will discover, even your own horse or pony is an incredible animal that has much to teach you...




Unbridled Passion


Book Description

Unbridled Passion: Show Jumping's Greatest Horses and Riders, written by Jeff Papows, is a thrilling look at the Olympic sport of show jumping and its superstar horse and rider pairings, including McLain Ward and Sapphire, Ian Millar and Big Ben, Beezie Madden and Authentic, and many more. Utilizing his own experience as an amateur show jumper, Papows brings together personal interviews with the biggest stars, owners, support staff, and caregivers, to give readers an inside look at the personalities behind show jumping. With a foreword by Olympic team coach George Morris, each chapter features a different internationally celebrated horse and rider and their intimate stories of success, struggle, and sacrifice. Utilizing over 60 vibrant color photographs throughout the book, Papows brilliantly captures the essence of the finest moments in the sport's recent history.




Riding Home


Book Description

Riding Home:The Power of Horses to Heal, Horse Nation's must read book of 2016, is the first and only book to scientifically and experientially explain why horses have the extraordinary ability to emotionally transform the lives of thousands of men, women and children, whether they are horse lovers, or suffering from deep psychological wounds. It is a book for anyone who wants to experience the joy, wonder, self-awareness and peace of mind that comes from creating a horse/human relationship, and it puts forth and clarifies the principles of today's Natural Horsemanship (or what was once referred to as "Horse Whispering") Everyone knows someone who needs help: a husband, a wife, a partner, a child, a friend, a troubled teenager, a war veteran with PTSD, someone with autism, an addiction, anyone in emotional pain or who has lost their way. Riding Home provides riveting examples of how Equine Therapy has become one of today's most effective cutting-edge methods of healing. Horses help us discover hidden parts of ourselves, whether we're seven or seventy. They model relationships that demonstrate acceptance, kindness, honesty, tolerance, patience, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. Horses cause all of us to become better people, better parents, better partners, and better friends. A horse can be our greatest teacher, for horses have no egos, they never lie, they're never wrong and they manifest unparalleled compassion. It is this amazing power of horses to heal and teach us about ourselves that is accessible to anyone and found in the pages of Tim Hayes's Riding Home. The information and lists of therapeutic and non-therapeutic equine programs, which are contained in the book, are also available at the book's website.