Horse Sports

Courtney Maum is thirty-seven years old when she finds herself in an indoor arena in Connecticut, moments away from stepping back into the saddle. For her, this is not just a riding lesson, but a last-ditch attempt to pull herself back from the brink even though riding is a relic from the past she walked away from. She hasn’t been on or near a horse in over thirty years.

Fifty-six million years ago, the earliest equid walked the earth-and beginning with the first-known horse-keepers of the Copper Age, the horse has played an integral part in human history. Combining fascinating anthropological detail and incisive personal anecdotes, Susanna Forrest draws from an immense range of archival documents as well as literature and art to illustrate how our evolution has coincided with that of horses.

How do I stop my horse from being herd-bound? Is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from my blog readers and students. Because of this, I wanted to share my personal approach to dealing with herd-bound horses in this book and help you overcome this vexing issue. Herd-bound behaviors in a horse can range from annoying to outright dangerous and its outcomes can be detrimental to both your safety and your horse’s health. In this book, I have therefore categorized herd-bound behavior into three levels of severity, each with its own easy-to-follow protocol.

Laura Hillenbrand beautifully renders this breathtaking saga of one horse's journey from also-ran to national luminary. Seabiscuit: An American Legend is an inspiring tale of unlikely heroes, a classic story of three embattled individuals overcoming the odds in the Great Depression.

The Great Match Race is a captivating account of America's first sports spectacle, a horse race that pitted North against South in three grueling heats. On a bright afternoon in May 1823, an unprecedented sixty thousand people showed up to watch two horses run the equivalent of nine Kentucky Derbys in a few hours' time. Eclipse was the majestic champion representing the North, and Henry, an equine arriviste, was the pride of the South.

At the age of 19, Lara Prior-Palmer discovered a website devoted to "the world's longest, toughest horse race" - an annual competition of endurance and skill that involves dozens of riders racing a series of 25 wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian grassland. On a whim, she decided to enter the race. Riders often spend years preparing to compete in the Mongol Derby, and many fail to finish. Rough Magic captures the extraordinary story of one young woman who forged ahead, against all odds, to become the first female winner of this breathtaking race.

Every year, hundreds of horses die on the racetrack. Why? Death of a Racehorse delves deep into the horse racing world, offering intimate access to dozens of top trainers, owners, breeders, veterinarians, lab specialists, and more. The mainstream perception has been that rampant drug use is forcing these horses to run past their natural ability, resulting in heart attacks and broken legs. But this doesn’t paint the full picture.

On Horsemanship, also sometimes titled The Art of Horsemanship, is a treatise written about 350 BCE by the Athenian historian, soldier, and student of Socrates, Xenophon (c. 430-354 BC). The treatise is a "hands-on" manual which deals with the selection, care, and training of horses in general.

Own your first horse like an expert, regardless of your experience. Discover how to care for and nurture your horse, even if you’ve never set foot in a stable before. The journey from a complete novice to an accomplished rider is a meaningful and rewarding experience that simply can’t be rivaled. The love and affection between horse owners and their animals is astounding–it’s no joke when riders say their horse is their best friend.

Congratulations on deciding to take the step of adding a horse to your life! By now, you’ve made plenty of hard decisions, such as choosing the right horse and finding an ideal environment for him. But now it’s time to interact with your horse. Interaction can be intimidating regardless of how much equine experience you have.

The foundational work you do now is critical, and you’ll always have it to fall back on. Make sure your horse is never spooked in a dangerous moment again…From desensitizing and disengaging to backing up, these are fundamental training procedures you can’t afford to get wrong...and they’re not procedures you’ll only ever have to engage in once. You don’t need to spend years in equestrian school to learn these skills: You simply need access to all the essential knowledge distilled and explained in one clear resource.

Round Penning: First Steps to Starting a Horse: The changes you can make in the round pen are amazing - but training there is about much more than simply running a horse in circles. There are objective and progressive steps. This guide to the proven methods of John Lyons shows you exactly what to do, in which specific order, and why. How to Start a Horse: Bridling to 1st Ride, Step-by-Step: This book offers objective training for the unbroken horse, from first-time bridling and saddling to sacking out, bridle work from the ground, pre-mount work, and your first ride.

Jo Anne Normile was not supposed to keep the foal, an exuberant Thoroughbred with only a few white hairs on his reddish-brown forehead. But she fell in love with the young horse, who had literally been born into her arms. The breeder finally said she could keep the colt, whom she nicknamed "Baby" - but only if she raced him. It was difficult to take Baby away from the safety of his pasture. But Normile had made a promise.

With a show-jumping career spanning over 40 years, Nick Skelton is a legend in the equestrian world. No other rider has won so many major competitions on so many different horses, and he is as popular at Olympia and Hickstead as he is at Aachen, Geneva, Paris and Spruce Meadows. In 2000 Skelton was forced into retirement after he broke his neck. But following an amazing recovery, he came out of retirement in 2002. Now he tells the full story of his eventful life and matchless achievements.

It was a cold and foggy February night in 1983 when a group of armed thieves crept onto Ballymany Stud, near The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland, to steal Shergar, one of the thoroughbred industry's most renowned stallions. The thieves demanded a hefty ransom for the safe return of one of the most valuable Thoroughbreds in the world, but the ransom was never paid and Shergar's remains have never been found.

If you've always dreamed of starting a young horse under saddle but are uncomfortable with traditional horse breaking or horse training techniques that assume all horses are the same, this short book is for you. If you're a seasoned equestrian looking for a better way, you'll enjoy trying some of the ideas here too. There are some easy ways you can set up for success with your horseback riding project to keep both you and your horse happy and wanting to learn more together.

History was made at the 2015 Belmont Stakes when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown, the first since Affirmed in 1978. As magnificent as the champion is, the team behind him has been all too human while on the road to immortality. Written by an award-winning New York Times sportswriter, American Pharoah is the definitive account not only of how the ethereal colt won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, but how he changed lives. Through extensive interviews, Drape explores the making of an exceptional racehorse, chronicling key events en route to history.

The dramatic true story of two brothers living parallel lives on either side of the US-Mexico border - and how their lives converged in a major criminal conspiracy.

Few will hire competitive rider, Viola Parker, since the famous jumper, Wastrel, crashed to his death with her aboard. Not only that, her attitude just landed her out of work...again. She can barely afford her whipped-cream-in-a-can addiction. Now, before she's 30, she must keep a job for one year and receive a glowing letter of recommendation to get a surprise trust fund set up by her absentee parents. A trust fund that could represent freedom and independence - or might be worth nothing.

Of all the things that a nation, or even an individual, need to survive a crisis, none is perhaps as necessary as hope. That feeling that somehow one can survive, win even, though the odds are stacked against them and the outlook is grim. Throughout its history, the United States has been blessed, often when most needed, with hope from a strange place.