Horse Sports

There is no question that horses are fascinating, but diving in to the world of horseback riding can be daunting. There are so many options to starting to ride and so many conflicting sources of information from stables that it can make your head spin. Take a step back and get some unbiased answers. This book will look at how to go about finding a place to ride, the criteria to look for in a riding stable, questions to ask both your potential instructor and yourself, and how to think about your early riding lessons.

Although Thoroughbreds are hot-blooded, most are pretty calm and easy going when asked to do a job off the track, provided they get enough exercise. Where the problems arise is when people don't understand how racers have been trained and handled. Often OTTBs are merely responding to what they think the rider wants from the cues he is giving. With some smart handling and understanding, most people can enjoy Thoroughbreds as steady, safe and responsive companions in just about any industry discipline.

At his three-year debut in June 1960, no one could know that Mrs. Allaire DuPont’s small, deerlike gelding named Kelso would come to dominate American racing like no other horse before or since. In Kelso: The Horse of Gold, Linda Kennedy tells the remarkable story of one of the greatest athletes of the ages, recreating the excitement of "Kelly's" unique and brilliant career while placing his unparalleled achievements in the context of racing history.

With cities across the country adding miles of bike lanes and building bike-share stations, bicycling is enjoying a new surge of popularity in America. It seems that every generation or two, Americans rediscover the freedom of movement, convenience, and relative affordability of the bicycle. The earliest two-wheeler, the draisine, arrived in Philadelphia in 1819 and astonished onlookers with the possibility of propelling themselves "like lightning".

Inventing Your Horse Career is a resource and collaborative initiative designed to help you pursue your equine job passion with fun and flair. We've tapped into the knowledge and generosity of those who have forged the horse career success trail impressively to help you gain insight from experience and lessons learned the hard way. We don't feature standard career paths and media darlings, but instead offer unusual people, perspectives, and solutions for keeping the horse in the mix as you plan for a comfortable living.

A love of horses, friendship, and adventure are the key elements of the White Cloud Station series, which combines great storytelling with an in-depth knowledge of horses and horsemanship. Suzy, Alexa, and Lucy live and breathe horses. But unfortunately for Suzy, her allergies mean she is forbidden to have a horse of her own. When the three girls attend the round-up of the wild horses at White Cloud Station, Suzy falls in love with a curly-coated horse that she desperately wants to buy.

On the morning of the 1979 Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bid stepped on a safety pin in his stall, injuring his foot. He had impressively won the first two races - the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness - but finished third in the Belmont, most likely due to his injury, making him one win shy of becoming the sport's third straight Triple Crown champion. But that loss did not prevent him from becoming one of horse racing's greatest competitors.

Working with your very own horse can be one of the most wonderful parts of your day…until it’s not. In The Well-Mannered Horse: Developing an Ideal Equine Buddy, Meredith Hill is back with more insight on how to deal with some of your horse’s less enjoyable behaviors.

In this long-awaited and much-requested book based on her "Horseblog" at Book View Caf, author and horse breeder Judith Tarr answers these questions and many more. She looks at horses from the perspective of the writer whose book or story needs them as anything from basic transport to major plot device, and provides definitions, explanations, and links and references for further research - leavened with insight into the world of the horse and the humans who both use and serve him. Here is a guide to the fine art of getting it right.

Last Ride of the Iron Horse tells the tale of Lou Gehrig's final year in the Yankee lineup, as he dealt with early effects of the deadly disease ALS. For much of the 1938 season, Gehrig - dubbed the Iron Horse for his strength and reliability - struggled with slumps and a mystifying loss of power. Fans booed, and sportswriters called for him to be benched.

When divorced Wade Middleton meets wealthy Diana Buchanan, a beautiful horsewoman who relocates to Palo Alto, California, from Texas, he is introduced to the world of horses and the fox-hunt, and a whirlwind romance spins out of control. Problems arise in the relationship when Diana can't let go of her high-horse lifestyle, nor entirely separate from her powerful husband. Wade's love of poetry isn't exactly embraced by Diana, either, and they are worlds apart. Yet for some reason, the two are saddled by an attraction to each other neither understands.

Isaac Murphy, born enslaved in 1861, still reigns as one of the greatest jockeys in American history. Black jockeys like Murphy were at the top of the most popular sport in America at the end of the nineteenth century. They were internationally famous, the first African American superstar athletes—and with wins in three Kentucky Derbies and countless other prestigious races, Murphy was the greatest of them all.

The team at Silver Shoe Farm are proud to work with the World Horse Welfare Organisation caring for neglected horses. They're all thrilled when one of their rescued horses, Lulabelle, gives birth to a filly foal who Tilly names Lucky Chance.

Tilly's riding has improved by the day and now she's ready for her first Pony Club competition, riding Rosie. She's nervous, and so is Brook who is competing with his horse, Solo. He's lost his lucky talisman, but the huge surprise that he and Tilly uncover makes up for everything.

Everyone is excited for the London International Horse Show. Then Magic Spirit falls ill and Tilly must nurse him back to health. It turns out that her special skills come in useful at the horse show too, where she helps soothe a fiery stallion who no one else can get close to.

Every waking moment is about horses for pony-mad Tilly. She lives and breathes pony books and magazines and at night she dreams of ponies. At Silver Shoe Farm she is getting to know Magic Spirit better and better and growing in confidence with him. She's also enjoying making new friends both human and, with the arrival of Rosie, the perfect pony, animal ones too.

A safety guide covering all aspects of horses and horsemanship. Novice equestrians and professionals alike will find useful tips concerning the welfare of horse and rider. Aimed to simplify the world of horses and help to prevent injury to the equestrian and the horse.

Laugh out loud as you hear about the author’s remarkable family and the legends of the rodeo world who illustrate life lessons.

Here is the first full story of the Queen's racing enthusiasms and the first authentic account of Her Majesty's personal experience as a racehorse owner and racegoer, told with the help of trainers, jockeys, and others. This exhilarating volume traces the early years of the Queen's racing story, from childhood horse-lover to ebullient racegoer and owner of one of the finest string of racehorses in the world.

Great tales of the turf, from Jorrocks to Black Caviar. Jim Haynes loves the sport of kings nearly as much as he loves bush yarns, and in this volume he brings these two great loves together in the biggest book of Australian racing stories ever. Full of tall tales and true, laughter, romance and heartbreak, and chock-a-block with the best Australian racing stories, verses and yarns, Jim tells of the great champions, the tragedies, and the unique characters (equine and human) of the track.