Sean Patrick, author of the bestselling book and 4-disk DVD set entitled THE MODERN HORSEMAN’S COUNTDOWN TO BROKE, offers great clinics all year long in his sunny New Smyrna, Florida, facility. Who doesn’t think Florida sounds good at the end of January?

Sean spent over a decade as a high-country guide and packer, and now focuses on performance horse training, colt starting, working with challenging horses, horsemanship instruction, and writing. His book is praised as “superbly organized” and “one of the best books for starting horses that is currently on the market,” and the four DVDs featuring progressive lessons are the perfect complement, allowing you to follow along in “real time” as Sean works with one of his own horses through his 33-step Countdown.

Both Sean’s book and DVD set are available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

Check out what’s ahead at Pioneer Trail Reserve:

February 11, 2012: One-day clinic—Sack out saturday!  $84

February 18, 2012: One-day clinic—Control points  $84

March 2-4, 2012: Three-day riding clinic—General horsemanship  $300

March 11-16, 2012: Five-day riding clinic—General horsemanship $500

March 24, 2012: One-day clinic—Groundwork  $84

April 14, 2012: One-day clinic—Stopping & backing  $84

April 28, 2012: One-day clinic—Relaxation & rhythm  $84

May 12, 2012: One-day clinic—Hip engagement  $84

May 25-27, 2012: Three-day riding clinic—General horsemanship  $300

June 8-10, 2012: Three-day ground clinic—Groundwork  $300

June 23, 2012: One-day clinic—Sack out saturday!  $84

For more information about Sean and his Florida clinic schedule, or to schedule a clinic in your area, visit Sean’s website at www.seanpatricktraining.com (see link in our Recommended Links on right side of page).

RIDING FREE is actually for REAL horse people. Andrea and Markus Eschbach explain that with correct training and preparation, a piece of metal across the tongue isn’t necessary to control a horse, and a piece of leather over the back isn’t needed to keep your seat. If you have spent any time asking yourself why it takes so much equipment between you and your horse in order to get close to him, then this book will speak to you. Our horses can be happier and more comfortable if we take the steps to communicate with them at the most elemental level, and the riding relationship that can arise from that can defy your expectations.

On my beloved first pony Misty, at age nine, with just a halter and lead rope (and yes, I should have been wearing a helmet).

Besides, it can be good for YOU as a rider to gain the seat necessary to control your horse’s direction and speed without a bit, and to stay in place without a saddle. In his bestselling book HOW GOOD RIDERS GET GOOD, USEA Hall-of-Fame Inductee Denny Emerson asks us if it is “possible to be a centaur in the suburbs.” He describes what it may have taken for young Plains Indians to become “part” of a horse in the eighteen and nineteenth centuries: “They learned naturally, by simply letting their body accommodate to the movements of the horse, and they didn’t have a saddle between them and the animal to use as a crutch, or in any way to impede their total feel of the living entity beneath them.” Denny says that today you can still learn to ride as well as the Plains Indians, “but only if you recreate those same conditions.”

Pretty much the only time I got my little brother on a horse---bareback (just halters and lead ropes) on Asil and Katrina. This was our favorite way to hit the trail.

“I’ve always been thankful that I had all those bareback years, galloping over the hills on [my first horse] Paint with only a halter and a lead rope,” writes Denny, “because I think even now, fifty years later, hip replacement and all, I could still gallop around bareback comfortably and confidently.”

So that security gained by dealing with, perhaps, the momentary insecurity you might feel riding without a bit or without a saddle, is a feeling of being able to really ride that never leaves you. But it isn’t just about being able to “stick” that appeals, it is indeed the “centaur” sensation that is more likely to be achieved when the saddle is shed. Bareback is about as close to being “one” with the horse as we can really get.

There were actually bareback equitation classes at the 4-H shows I attended as a kid--here I'm on Asil (the gray) at the Midstate Riding Club in Randolph, Vermont.

“I’ve never spent a lot of time on a horse bareback,” says TSB Managing Director Martha Cook, “but a winter doesn’t pass (at least not yet), when I don’t indulge in a few short rides without a saddle. There’s something wonderful about slipping onto a shaggy, warm horse on a cold, snowy day. The heat that radiates through my seat on a cold day is like putting on pants fresh from the dryer. It feels good!”

In this day and age of merchandising and marketing it is so easy to think the trappings are what riding is all about. It might actually be difficult for many people to imagine taking a lesson bareback, or riding their horse on the trail with a bitless bridle, or bringing their horse in from the pasture, on board, with nothing but a lead rope looped around his neck. The thing is, really, truly, this shouldn’t be hard to imagine. It should be what we all dream about constantly—is it not the epitome of all that a horse-and-rider partnership should embody?

Misty was in her late twenties when this picture was taken...an all-out gallop across the field below my house, no saddle, no bridle. Nothing better.

I would never have thought twice about hopping on my horses without tack when I was a kid. It wasn’t just youthful bravado, it was that I could think of absolutely nothing better in the world. Bare legs on warm coat, muscle on muscle, and no ulterior motives…just friendship in a common space and time.

Bliss.

Hey donkey fans! Friend the UMass Donkey Club on Facebook!

The fundamental goal of the Donkey Club is to teach interested university students about the many uses and worldwide importance of donkeys. Throughout the semester, students work to halter-train the animals at Hadley Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts, then go on to train them to be comfortable pulling carts, get them familiar with obstacle courses, and prepare them for ridden work. Students receive classroom and hands-on instruction from local and nationally recognized donkey experts.

The Donkey Club’s work over this winter is leading up to UMass’s first no-clip donkey show, which will be held sometime in early spring. Here, both the students and the donkeys will be able to show off their newly acquired skills. In addition, club members help out in community events on the Hadley Farm.

Though there is a lot of support and enthusiasm growing on campus and in the local community, the Donkey Club is a costly endeavor. The club is in need of bridles, saddles, harnesses, and carts for both mini and standard donkeys. They are looking for donations of the items mentioned, and monetary donations are also greatly appreciated.

Everyone is welcome to attend Donkey Club meetings held at 5:00 p.m. on Monday nights at the Hadley Farm riding area. Those interested in participating should feel free to check out the club Facebook page (UMass Donkey Club) or contact club president Jacquline Celmer directly at jcelmer@student.umass.edu, or vice-president Weston Brown at whbrown@student.umass.edu.

Stephen R. Purdy, DVM teaches Equine Management and Camelid Management at UMass Amherst, and is involved in both the Donkey Club and the UMass International Donkey Project. He is the author of DONKEYS: MINIATURE, STANDARD, MAMMOTH–A VETERINARY GUIDE FOR OWNERS AND BREEDERS, a book applauded by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Reviewers said: “Readers will appreciate the author’s straightforward style of prose and the use of numerous photos and illustrations. The bulleted summaries at the end of each chapter and suggested reading lists are informative additions . . . Both novice and experienced donkey breeders will find this text to be a valuable and affordable priced guide.”

You can order DONKEYS by Dr. Stephen Purdy from the Trafalgar Square Books online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER DONKEYS TODAY!

Three-time Road to the Horse Champion and team roping competitor Chris Cox says TEAM ROPING 101 is "the essential tool for team ropers and horse enthusiasts of every age."

Chris got his hands on a copy of the new TSB book TEAM ROPING 101 by Kayla Starnes, and here’s what he had to say about it:

“TEAM ROPING 101 should be the essential tool for team ropers and horse enthusiasts of every age alike! Author Kayla Starnes takes you down the path to becoming a team roper; from picking out your first rope and first horse to your first team roping competition.

“The book begins with a ‘cheat sheet’ for those not familiar with the team roping language, including terms like ground money, scant and hondo. It then continues by explaining the background and the details about the sport, as well as other horsemanship knowledge. Horse enthusiasts can take advantage of this book with pages about how to select the correct horse for yourself and multiple horsemanship tips and exercises! Starnes maps out the details on how to choose your first horse from their body conformation and correctness to coloring and markings. She also describes a ‘pre-flight’ checklist, a way to see what level rider you are, and various exercises for you and your horse to complete.

“For team ropers, they will find this book to be of the utmost value! From beginner to professional, team ropers can learn how their ropes are created, which rope works best for which level, the groundwork on roping dummies, roping from horseback and finally their first competition. TEAM ROPING 101 is one of the most complete team roping manuals written!”

You can order your copy of TEAM ROPING 101 from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TEAM ROPING 101 TODAY.

Chris’ television show Chris Cox Horsemanship airs on RFD-TV three times a week, and he is the author of the book Ride the Journey.

The official book of the International Horse Agility Club is available from the TSB online bookstore www.HorseandRiderBooks.com.

This month TSB caught up with Vanessa Bee, founder of the International Horse Agility Club (www.thehorseagilityclub.com), and asked her about the inspiration behind the sport and its future. You may have seen the excerpt from Vanessa’s brand new book THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK in the January issue of EQUUS Magazine. It seems everyone is talking about this exciting new horse sport and where it could lead–Vanessa is thinking big! She dreams of international Horse Agility competition and one day, the Olympics!

THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK is the official book of the International Horse Agility Club, and it is available for PREORDER this month from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK TODAY.

TSB:  Can you tell us about how you came up with the idea for the International Horse Agility Club?

VB: I was teaching a frightened young girl and her big frightened horse and suddenly realized all they had to focus on was their fear. So I set up a little obstacle course and gave them a job to do. Very quickly not only were they too busy negotiating the obstacles to be afraid but ALSO they had gathered an audience!

A thought popped in to my head: “I wonder if there’s a competitive sport like dog agility for horses?” I asked myself. I came home, searched on the Internet and there was NOTHING! That was on the 13^th of December, 2009, and the rest is history!

TSB: You have a fabulous website featuring an international online video competition. Can you tell us a little about the OLHA Video League, how it works, and how popular it is proving?

VB: I had the idea for online competitions because we were getting a lot of interest from some quite remote places in the world. These people would never be able to ship their horses thousands of miles to the competitions that were currently available, so I decided we’d run an online video competition. I have been staggered by the popularity!

Every month I design a course for each of the four levels of Horse Agility. People build the simple courses in their garden, backyard, field, or arena and practice until they are the best they can be.

Then they get someone to video them going round the course. That video is then posted online for me to judge at the end of the month. It’s very simple and it means that anyone, anywhere can join in the fun and be part of this wonderful global community.

I judge entries from the Outback deserts of Australia, the paddy fields of Taiwan, the grandeur of North America, and the snows of Scandinavia. It’s a great way to “see the world”!

TSB: You explain in your new book THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK the idea of “Wild Agility,” which takes you out of the arena and cross-country. Do you see Wild Agility becoming competitive, much like the cross-country leg of eventing?

VB: Yes I do! I would like to have a three phase event with “dressage” on the ground (perhaps to music!), an obstacle course in an enclosed space, then the “cross-country” phase or “Wild Agility,”—although I might have to get a bit fitter to do that bit!

TSB:  What do you see in the future for the sport of Horse Agility and the International Horse Agility Club?

VB: In the far future I see Horse Agility becoming as popular as dog agility. I see Horse Agility as valid as any equestrian sport with the added bonus that it’s affordable and anyone can do it. That is how I would like it to be.

Consider the sport of football/soccer (the most popular sport in the world): Kids of any financial and cultural background can play it. It’s cheap, it’s easy for them to set up a couple of goal posts and kick a ball around. Now consider most horse sports: They are expensive, you need to be physically fit, and you need to have the means to move your horse around via horsebox or trailer.

I want Horse Agility to become a “street sport”—something anyone who loves horses can become involved in. You don’t even need to own a horse to compete and participate…just borrow one and get involved!

TSB: If you were trapped on a desert island with a horse and a book, what breed of horse would it be and which book would you choose?

VB: I like all horses—I am not breed-specific, but I do love my Exmoor ponies…so it would have to be an Exmoor. They are so hardy they can live anywhere…so they’d be fine on a desert island.

You will think I’m making this up but the book I would take is My Friend Flicka. I first read it when I was 10 years old and I still read it at least once a year. I get totally lost in it and always cry at the end, even though I know what’s going to happen!

TSB: What’s in your refrigerator at all times?

VB: Champagne, I’m always celebrating!

TSB: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

VB: Lying in my horses’ field on a hot summer’s day listening to the horses grazing round me.

TSB: Tell us about the first time you remember sitting on a horse.

VB: I was two-and-half. The horse was called Silver, and he was 16.2hh and dark gray. The owner made him trot—I was completely terrified but immediately hooked!

TSB: Tell us about the first time you remember falling off a horse.

VB: I must have fallen off before this first memory, but I remember being 10 and on my cousin’s farm in the Blue Mountains in Australia. We were trying to get her pony to canter so broke a stick off a bush and gave her a tap on the shoulder. She bucked me off and I learned a valuable lesson!

TSB: What is the quality you most like in a friend?

VB: Honesty.

TSB: What is the quality you most like in a horse?

VB: Honesty. The feedback given by a horse has no agenda…and sometimes that’s hard to take! Horses always tell you the absolute truth.

TSB: If you could do one thing on horseback or with a horse that you haven’t yet done, what would it be?

VB: I would love to fly! A horse with huge wings would be just so fabulous! Can you imagine the sound of those wings moving through the air?

Okay, dream over!

I would like to enter the Olympic stadium with a horse freely moving beside me as I lead the Horse Agility Teams from every country in the world to the competition arena. No bits, no saddles, no whips—just horses and humans in harmony.

TSB: What is your idea of the perfect meal?

VB: Good bread, good cheese, fine wine, good company.

TSB: What is your idea of the perfect vacation?

VB: Riding through African Savannah looking for cheetah!

TSB: If you could have a conversation with one famous person, alive or dead, who would it be?

VB: Gandhi. He didn’t say much but what he said was worth hearing.

TSB: What is your motto?

VB: LIVE!

To kick off the New Year, the bestselling book everyone is talking about, HOW GOOD RIDERS GET GOOD by Denny Emerson, is now available in Kindle and ePub formats!

Denny’s book is all you need to get where you want to go in the horse world–order the book today from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

You can order HOW GOOD RIDERS GET GOOD for Kindle on Amazon.com and the ePub version for multiple platforms on eBooks.com.

ALSO, Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation is now available in Kindle and ePub formats!

In case you missed them, here is a look back at TSB’s year in books and DVDs—there’s a little something here for everyone! All our books and DVDs are available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE!

February 2011

CONNECT WITH YOUR HORSE FROM THE GROUND UP by Peggy Cummings with Bobbie Jo Liebermann

Peggy really does have a very different way of handling and working the horse from the ground that can have a significant impact on his way of going under saddle. The before-and-after case studies featured in the book are astounding proof of just how much good her work can do.

March 2011

HOW GOOD RIDERS GET GOOD by Denny Emerson

I don’t know that I can find sufficient words to describe the value of this fantastic book. Denny’s brilliant, no-nonsense advice is what we all wish we had when we were just starting our competitive riding careers. For some, his book will jumpstart a faltering riding habit. For others, his writing will inspire true dedication to the sport they love. Whoever you are, whatever your state of equestrian latency or possibility, this book is the Magic Mirror sure to tell you whether you really are giving it all you’ve got. And, Denny’s truths are easily applied to more than just riding and horsemanship.

April 2011

JANE SAVOIE’S DRESSAGE 101 by Jane Savoie

A special new edition of Jane’s phenomenal CROSS-TRAIN YOUR HORSE and MORE CROSS-TRAINING, which are no longer in print. The only book you need on dressage basics and flatwork, whatever your equestrian discipline.

May 2011

WHERE DOES MY HORSE HURT? by Dr. Renee Tucker

Spiral-bound, fabulously illustrated, Dr. Tucker’s guide to 27 body checkups YOU can do to determine if your horse hurts, where he hurts, and whether you need to call the veterinarian, farrier, chiropractor, or saddle-fitting expert is one of the most useful books I’ve seen in my years at TSB. You can do your horse a lot of good with this book.

June 2011

MY HORSE, MY FRIEND by Bibi Degn

A terrific kids’ starter book, offering a guide to cultivating a gentle awareness when handling and riding horses through world-renowned bahaviorist Linda Tellington-Jones’ TTouch and TTEAM methods. Absolutely fantasic photos in this book.

TEAM ROPING 101 by Kayla Starnes

Endorsed by the USTRC and featuring tips from champion ropers Speed Williams, Rickey Green, and horse trainer Clinton Anderson, this book has all you need to get started in this fast-growing, family friendly sport.

July 2011

THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MIDLIFE HORSES by Melinda Folse

People always say they can come back to horses, and when women hit 40, or around there, give or take, it seems they are finally finding the time to invest their money wisely…in a horse of their own. Melinda’s bestselling book provides all the returnee or first-timer needs to find her way to the barn at last, with lots of laughs along the way. Melinda’s book is a huge e-book seller (available in both Kindle and ePub formats via Amazon.com and ebooks.com).

September 2011

RIDER & HORSE BACK TO BACK by Susanne von Dietze

Susanne made a name for herself with her terrific bestselling book and DVD BALANCE IN MOVEMENT. Now she’s back in a big way, with this new book, the DVD by the same name, as well as BALANCE IN MOVEMENT 2 on DVD. Susanne presented at the USDF Symposium in San Diego at the end of 2011.

RIDER FITNESS: BODY & BRAIN by Eckart Meyners

This book is about REAL rider fitness—this isn’t some generic workout packaged to look equestrian-specific. The exercises are deceptively easy, and hugely rewarding when it comes to improving your ability to ride well and communicate with your horse in an accurate and efficient manner he can understand.

October 2011

TEX by Dorie McCullough Lawson

A personal favorite, this completely adorable kids’ picture book brings the mystique of the cowboy and the hard-work-equals-good-work mentality to life for the under-five set. Authentic photos make it a crowd-pleaser, and the main character falling asleep at the end make it a parent-pleaser. You can’t go wrong with this one.

ANNE KURSINSKI’S RIDING & JUMPING CLINIC by Anne Kursinski with Miranda Lorraine

We’ve brought this great classic back in print, this time in paperback. Anne’s exercises on the flat and over fences, introductory and advanced, are beautifully spelled out. This book promises to be used well, and used often.

November 2011

MEDITATION FOR TWO by Dominique Barbier with Keron Psillas

A lovely book—gorgeous photos and deep thoughts for the thinking rider. Certain to appeal to the dressage rider, the classicist, or the city-dwelling horse lover with a nice coffee table and a little time for reading on quiet evenings…

RIDING FREE by Andrea and Markus Eschbach

As proponents for riding horses with minimal tack, Andrea and Markus do a marvelous job explaining how to prepare your horse with proper training so you can ride him safely without a bit, without a bridle, without a saddle, or even without all three! Inspiring reading with practical applications for those who dream of being with their horse in as natural a way as possible.

BEYOND HORSE MASSAGE by Jim Masterson with Stefanie Reinhold

Jim’s groundbreaking Masterson Method, now explained in this spiral-bound book and the DVD by the same name, has people talking. The pictures of the horses he’s worked say it all–they are obviously more comfortable after he has worked on them. Now, he tells you how YOU can give your horse the same level of comfort and release he can.

December 2011

THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK by Vanessa Bee

This introduction to this exciting new horse sport is by the founder of the International Horse Agility Club. You may have seen the recent excerpt in EQUUS Magazine—we are all really looking forward to seeing Horse Agility take off as a super-fun alternative to riding competitions!

THE ULTIMATE ENGLISH/SPANISH DICTIONARY FOR HORSEMEN by Maria Belknap

A terrifically useful resource with over 10,000 common words and phrases.

Here’s to a great year ahead, with dreams chased and dreams fulfilled, in horses and in life.

–Rebecca Didier, Senior Editor

Sales of e-readers were predicted to be astronomical this holiday season. TSB (HorseandRiderBooks.com) plans to make its bestselling list of equestrian books available in Kindle and epub formats.

Forecasters predicted that this would be the biggest Christmas ever for e-book readers under the tree. If Santa brought you one of the many reading devices now available and you’re wondering what your first e-book downloads should be, put a horse book at the top of your list!

Trafalgar Square Books, leading publisher of horse-related books and DVDs, is going digital. With a focus still on high quality, full-color print books, TSB can’t ignore the industry and social trends that tell us more and more people are reading books digitally. We want our authors—the top riders, trainers, and horse care experts in the world—and their tips, techniques, and ground-breaking methods to be available to a broad-range of equestrians, anywhere in the world.

TSB‘s backlist of bestselling horse books numbers in the hundreds, so we will be making titles available via e-book formats gradually, as we can. Currently, the following three books are available in Kindle and epub formats:

THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MIDLIFE HORSES by Melinda Folse

LESSONS WELL LEARNED by Clinton Anderson

WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS AND SO ARE THEIR HORSES by Menno Kalmann

Kindle and epub formats of these three top-sellers can be purchased on Amazon.com and eBooks.com.

Sign up to follow our blog (see link on right side of page), where new titles are announced and where we’ll keep you notified as to which of our books can be downloaded onto your new e-reader. More titles coming soon!

Check out the excerpt in the January 2012 issue of EQUUS Magazine from our forthcoming book THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK: A STEP-BY-STEP INTRODUCTION TO THE SPORT by Vanessa Bee, Founder of the International Horse Agility Club.

Vanessa is busy spreading the new sport of Horse Agility around the globe. Have you ever watched a Dog Agility class? The handlers have fun, the dogs have fun, and there is no need for prods, restraints, or bribes….now, you can have the same experience with your horse! Learn to work your horse over a course of obstacles, in hand or at liberty, then set up “play days,” official competitions, or register to compete against an international field online!

Learn more about Horse Agility and the International Horse Agility Club in the January 2012 issue of EQUUS Magazine, found wherever quality equestrian magazines are sold.

And preorder your copy of THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK at the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HORSE AGILITY HANDBOOK NOW.

“New to team roping? Or dying to give it a try? Kayla Starnes has written the book for you,” says the review of TEAM ROPING 101 in the January issue of Horse&Rider Magazine.

“Endorsed by the United States Team Roping Championships, and with a foreword by Clinton Anderson, this book has all the facts you need to get your team roping career started,” writes book reviewer Laura Downey. “It provides information on what to look for in a roping horse; what kind of tack, ropes, and other equipment you’ll need; the horsemanship skills you can’t rope without; and of course, simple drills for the roping horse from H&R contributor Clinton Anderson.

“Throughout the book, you’ll also find tips from professional team ropers Speed Williams and Rickey Green. With information covering everything from picking the right horse to roping your first steer, this book will help you on your way to becoming a great team roper.”

TEAM ROPING 101 author and photographer Kayla Starnes signed books at the Hastings in Stephenville, Texas, in November.

Some of you may have had the chance to meet TEAM ROPING 101 author and photographer Kayla Starnes during her November book signing at the Hastings in Stephenville, Texas. “It was my first book signing in my hometown, which was a really fun dynamic,” says Kayla. “I had the opportunity to visit with supportive friends and family, as well as roping enthusiasts. Some of my models for TEAM ROPING 101 are local amateur ropers, and more than one visitor was excited to discover that they recognized friends and family in the pages. That sense of community and devotion to learning about their sport is exactly why I chose to portray everyday ropers, as well as professionals, in this book.”

TEAM ROPING 101 author and photographer Kayla Starnes really enjoyed signing books in her hometown of Stephenville.

TEAM ROPING 101 is available from the TSB online bookstore, where standard shipping in the US is always FREE. CLICK HERE TO ORDER TEAM ROPING 101 NOW.