When eighth grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be than her family’s ranch—even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out he’s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring—buyers’ heads—and Abby knows Daddy won’t turn down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack’s mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners? Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley raises horses of her own, and her affection and expertise shine through in this inviting horse novel for young readers, set in 1960s California horse country and featuring characters from The Georges and the Jewels.
After several visits to study Icelandic sagas, Nancy Brown returns to Iceland to search for the perfect Icelandic horse, one she can bring back to her Pennsylvania farm and make her own. To do so, she must become part of the country's tightly knit horse-breeding community, which can be wary of outsiders and extremely protective of the world-famous breed. In this clear-eyed, evocative account set against Iceland's austere and majestic landscape, she describes what makes Icelandic horses and their owners so distinctive. She also discovers her limitations as a horsewoman and learns much about what she is looking for-in a horse and in her life.
Documents the life story of a record-breaking champion horse whose disabilities nearly caused his euthanasia at birth, in an account that also describes the contributions of his shopkeeper owner and alcoholic driver. 50,000 first printing.
Working the horse from the ground—schooling "in-hand" as it has been known for centuries—has long been an integral part of classical horse training. Now, this gorgeously illustrated book explains in clear, step-by-step lessons how the modern-day horse owner can incorporate classical groundwork in her daily interactions with her equine partner—to both their benefit and enjoyment. Whether schooling green or young horses; retraining problem horses or those with poor foundations; warming-up advanced mounts prior to workouts; confirming lateral movements on the ground before attempting them on horseback; or supplementing everyday under-saddle exercises, work in-hand provides a wonderful way to advance the horse's education, as well as the standard of communication between horse and handler. Its gradual progression of work on the longe, double-longe, long lines, short reins, and long reins is the perfect addition to the training program that has grown a little stale or boring; the manageable solution to countless problems that commonly arise in daily work with horses; and by definition, an equestrian art form unto itself. With over 100 color photographs—including many detailed series shots—to demonstrate correct body positioning, and meticulously hand-drawn illustrations to guide you through the often-confusing land of lateral work, Horse Training In-Hand is the first book ever to help shed classical groundwork's mystique while conscientiously preserving its magic. Find out for yourself how schooling in-hand can give your training program a brand new look and feel, forever transforming "workouts" and "schooling sessions" into artistic endeavors that yield breathtaking results.
Hidden atop Montana¿s Pryor Mountain, the last of the purebred Spanish mustangs still roam free. They are the direct descendants of Cortez¿s noble jennets and a rare breed. For over two hundred years they have lived in an isolated Garden of Eden, safe from the outside world and the most feared predator of all ¿ man. But in 1919, when a band of cowboys discover their whereabouts, all tranquility ends. The taking of free mustangs on Federal land becomes a lucrative but tainted business. Over the next twenty years the cowboys systematically slaughter thirty thousand horses and ship the carcasses to cannery plants hungry for cheap feed. By the summer of 1939, less than one thousand jennets remain alive. Enter seventeen-year-old Billy Bartell. Desperate to flee a macabre life as a mortician, Billy all-too eagerly takes up company among the last of the old West drovers. It seems Billy has the requisite skills to both hunt down the horses and prep the creatures¿ carcasses for the iced-down boxcars. Yet, the pact he makes with the camp boss, Captain Belial, may not have been his wisest decision. Getting out of a pact with the devil never is. Now, Billy is faced with another monumental decision: continue eradicating the herds or save the last of the good horses from extinction.
This all-in-one guide covers everything on horses and horse care, including stable management, horse grooming, breed information, and more through 600+ beautiful photgraphs.
Mean Girls meets Black Beauty in Horse Girl by celebrated author Carrie Seim--a funny and tender middle-grade novel about finding your forever herd. "This book is funny and exciting. Beautifully portrays both the pleasures and risks of riding horses and also of being a teen. Very original, and a great pleasure to read."--Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wills is a seventh grader who's head-over-hoof for horses, and beyond excited when she gets the chance to start training at the prestigious Oakwood Riding Academy. But Amara--the Queen of the #HorseGirls--and her posse aren't going to let the certifiably dork-tagious Wills trot her way into their club so easily. Between learning the reins of horse riding, dealing with her Air Force pilot mom being stationed thousands of miles from home, and keeping it together in front of (gasp!) Horse Boys, Wills learns that becoming a part of the #HorseGirl world isn't easy. But with her rescue horse, Clyde, at her side, it sure will be fun. Complete with comedic, original hoof notes to acquaint the less equestrian among us, Horse Girl delivers everything a young readers wants: mean girls, boy problems, and embarrassingly goofy dad jokes. And it does so on the back of a pony.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War II WINNER OF THE PEN AWARD FOR RESEARCH NONFICTION In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food. With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army’s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses. Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender. A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor. Praise for The Perfect Horse “Winningly readable . . . Letts captures both the personalities and the stakes of this daring mission with such a sharp ear for drama that the whole second half of the book reads like a WWII thriller dreamed up by Alan Furst or Len Deighton. . . . The right director could make a Hollywood classic out of this fairy tale.”—The Christian Science Monitor “Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.”—Kirkus Reviews
You know what happens to all those girls who are just crazy about horses? Once they discover boys, the horses are history. Or maybe not. For Lizzy, and others like her, no boy, no man who knows what's good for him, speaks the unspeakable-"It's me or the horse." It's no contest. And so Lizzy snips the threads that hold her, however tenuously, to a conventional life and begins her journey into the world of horse sports. She signs on as a working student for dressage superstar Margot Fanning, heading to south Florida with her six year old mare, for "the season." She immerses herself in an extraordinary world of high-dollar horses and ambitious women and receives an incredible education in more than just riding dressage. And she's taking notes. Welcome to The Dressage Chronicles.
This meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated book celebrates the amazing diversity of horses and ponies around the world. Starting with the universal breeds - the Arab, Barb and Thoroughbred - it provides profiles of 150 horses from every corner of the globe. Each entry includes in-depth details about conformation, color, height and use, as well as fascinating facts about the breed's history.From European horses, like the gracious Lipizzaner and the solidly handsome Noriker, to American varieties such as the distinctive Appaloosa and hardy Morgan, all 150 horse breeds are illustrated with stunning photography.
