7 Clinics with Buck Brannaman Now Streaming

Just in time for holiday-movie-watching with your family! TSB is excited to announce that 7 CLINICS WITH BUCK BRANNAMAN, the Telly-Award-Winning educational video series from filmmaker Cindy Meehl, director of the documentary BUCK, is now available to stream from HorseandRiderBooks.com.

“The biggest challenge in creating the documentary BUCK was taking over 300 hours of footage and cutting it down to 88 minutes,” says Cindy. “We still hear audiences saying they didn’t want the film to end — they want more Buck!”

The valuable but unused footage shot during the making of BUCK was carefully curated to create 7 CLINICS WITH BUCK BRANNAMAN  a series of seven videos featuring over 10 hours of instruction.

In videos 1 and 2, viewers travel to several Buck Brannaman clinics to learn important groundwork techniques, including: hooking on, leading, halter work, bridling, saddling, backing up, working in circles and half-circles, using the flag, and firming up.

In videos 3 and 4, viewers learn some of Buck’s most important lessons when working under saddle, including the all-important release, which teaches a soft feel and allows the horse to attain collection and willingly move off the leg. Additional instruction covers rider form and position, riding serpentines, “getting the life up” (finding animation), perfecting the stop, and backing up.

In videos 5, 6, and 7, Buck shares more lessons on horseback — such as turn-on-the-haunches, transitions, jumping, and finding the feel — as well as ways to solve problems, including crowding, biting, striking, fidgeting, rushing, anxiousness and sensitivity, and bad attitudes. The series ends with Buck’s best advice, tips, and ideas about working with, riding, and training horses — sage knowledge imparted with the dry wit that the world has come to expect of one of the finest horsemen of our time.

All 10 hours of programming are available to stream as individual programs or a complete series, only from HorseandRiderBooks.com.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

Happy Holidays!

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.

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5 Horse Books for the Holidays

If you’re searching for gifts for the horse lover in your life, consider this: Reading a book about horses is almost as good as the real thing.

Bibliotherapy is a type of therapy that uses literature to support good mental health. “A 2011 study published in the Annual Review of Psychology, based on analysis of fMRI brain scans of participants, showed that, when people read about an experience, they display stimulation within the same neurological regions as when they go through that experience themselves,” writes Ceridwen Dovey in the 2015 New Yorker article “Can Reading Make You Happier?”

In other words, maybe you can’t buy your horse-crazy friends or family members a pony, but you can give them the same elated feeling with a good book!

Here are our Top 5 Recommended Horse Books for this holiday season: 

1

RIDING FOR THE TEAM from the USET, edited by Nancy Jaffer

A dazzling, behind-the-scenes look at the incredible equestrian athletes and horses who compete and win for the USA, with 47 riders, drivers, and vaulters from all 8 FEI sports sharing their stories of how they “made it.” “Not only informative but extremely captivating…. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed,” says Jumper Nation in their review.

 

2

FERGUS AND THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Jean Abernethy

Could be THE best holiday horse book EVER! Fergus, the world’s most popular cartoon horse, shares an epic holiday adventure inspired by the classic tale ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Recommended for ages 5 to 95. “Jean Abernethy once again provides readers of all ages with another adorable account of the famous cartoon horse Fergus,” said Equine Journal in their review. “An adventure that will make any horse lover’s heart swell.”

 

3

IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE HORSEMEN by Tik Maynard

Adrift after college, Tik Maynard decided to become a working student, and here he shares how he evolved under the critical eyes of Olympians, medal winners, and world–renowned figures in the horse world, including Anne Kursinski, Johann Hinnemann, Ingrid Klimke, David and Karen O’Connor, Bruce Logan, and Ian Millar. Through it all he studied the horse, and human nature, and how the two can find balance. And in that journey, he may have found himself. “A must-read for every horse lover out there,” Horse Journals said in their review. “An inspiring story about horses, life, and everything in between.”

 

4

HOW GOOD RIDERS GET GOOD by Denny Emerson 

Discover the 9 key character traits of successful riders and how you can learn to call each one of them your own in this revised paperback edition of Denny Emerson’s bestseller. Plus, read the stories of 23 of the world’s top riders from different disciplines and sports and how they “got good” despite facing the same kinds of challenges and setbacks you face in your own day-to-day riding. “Anyone searching for a positive boost in a quest to better himself will find Emerson’s perspective, analysis, and advice valuable,” wrote The Chronicle of the Horse in their review. 

 

5

THELWELL’S PONY PANORAMA by Norman Thelwell

Following the 1953 publication of British artist Norman Thelwell’s first pony cartoon, his name became synonymous worldwide with images of little girls and fat hairy ponies. In 2017, THELWELL’S PONY CAVALCADE, featuring many of the earliest Thelwell cartoons, was re-released in North America, reviving the artist’s fervent fandom and initiating calls for more. Now, in this second hilarious collection, readers are treated to three additional Thelwell classics: Gymkhana, Thelwell Goes West, and Penelope. “Equestrians of all ages will delight in this classic collection of Norman Thelwell’s artwork,” said Northeast Equestrian Life in their review. “Pick up an extra copy (or two) as you will find yourself wanting to share the fun.” 

 

Order by today, December 11, 2019, and you will still get FREE SHIPPING with delivery in time for Christmas!

Want a horse book but don’t see one here that’s just right? BROWSE OUR STORE to find books and videos for every equestrian.

Thank you for supporting small business and independent publishing!

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.

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Lessons in True Collection from a Cowboy

Art by Beth Preston from It’s Not Just About the Ribbons by Jane Savoie.

Collection—what it is and what it isn’t—is regularly debated in most horsey circles. While there is a tendency to segregate ourselves by discipline, the truth is, the base philosophy should really be the same, whatever saddle you ride in or sport you pursue.

In her bestselling reference DRESSAGE 101, renowned dressage coach and motivational speaker Jane Savoie provides down-to-earth discussion around the ever-hot topic of collection and self-carriage, as well as all the exercises anyone ever needs to achieve collection as an “ultimate goal.” She also shares many stories of different riding lives, including this one about Dennis Reis, who once upon a time earned his living on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit:

Dennis Reis. Photo by John Carlson.

Dennis was a cowboy who trained horses for a living and discovered he had been doing dressage without knowing it. As his ability to communicate with his animals evolved and his talent was noticed by his neighbors, who were mostly dressage riders, he found himself in the unusual position of being asked to reschool upper-level dressage horses who were brought to him with specific problems. The dressage riders sought him out even though he had no classical training himself.
 
When asked about collection, Dennis is quick to point out that it’s not just a “head-set.” “Collection isn’t conforming to a preconceived notion of a frame or a picture of what it should look like,” he says. “It’s not a reduction in speed or a shortening of frame. It’s a posture that generates deep inside the body. The horse is round, balanced, engaged, off the forehand, and his back and neck are ‘turned off’—not braced.”

In dressage terms, when the horse’s back and neck are “turned off,” the energy that originates in the hindquarters can flow to the forehand without meeting any stiffness or restriction caused by the sustained contraction of the back muscles.
 
Dennis is enthusiastic about the joys of riding a horse that is in self-carriage. “The movements are fluid and elastic, transitions are flowing and soft, the horse is light and easy to guide and willingly yields his body to the rider.”

I think we can all get there, don’t you?

Jane Savoie’s DRESSAGE 101 is available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

And watch for Jane’s new book DRESSAGE BETWEEN THE JUMPS, coming Fall 2019!

 

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.

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So a Rider Walked into a Bar…

Photo by Charles Hilton.

Apparently, equestrians played a key role in popular bar design. Never mind the obvious (sometimes a horse girl needs a drink)—theory has it, back pain, likely related to hours in the saddle, was the key influencer in this equation.

Click for info.

“Back pain affects four out of five people at some time during their lives,” explains retired neurosurgeon and horseman Dr. James Warson in his book THE RIDER’S PAIN-FREE BACK. “It is the leading cause of disability for people between the ages of 19 to 45. Back pain is second only to the common cold for causing adults under 45 to miss work. Furthermore, as we age, low back pain becomes more and more common—affecting half of the population older than 60 at any given time.”

Uplifting, right? But the kicker is, whatever causes the back pain—be it sources outside or within our equestrian pursuits—it ultimately affects our ability to ride, as well as our enjoyment of it. And that, my friends, would surely drive a man to drink.

So what does all of this have to do with bars?

Photo by Charles Hilton.

“A posture characteristic of people who have spine problems or pain is a tendency to flex the hips and knees somewhat,” says Dr. Warson. “This takes traction off the nerves—particularly the sciatic nerve—and makes them a little bit more comfortable. Extending the back—especially when standing with a straight leg—may irritate the nerves. This is why people who have severe back problems tend to bend forward somewhat, as well as flexing their hips and knees, in order to get some relief.

“In the ruins of Pompeii are a staggering number of saloons, bordellos, and bathhouses. Each of these entertainment places featured a long, low, stone step that ran in front of what was the equivalent of the bar. Since most of the people who rode horses in that era were either soldiers or politicians, and since the proprietors of the various establishments wanted to keep their elite clientele happy, the low step encouraged the power players to gather around the bar. Riders were generally wealthy and worthy of courting as patrons. Long hours in the saddle, however, contributed to a host of chronic back problems. The low step allowed clients to flex the hip and knee. It would alleviate their pain somewhat, enabling them to stay at the establishment longer—and spend more money.

“The bar owners knew that the people who rode in on horseback were probably hurting. They also knew that flexing the hip and knee would make them more comfortable. People standing at the bar could rest their feet on the step and ease some of their chronic pain. If the patrons were feeling no pain, they would tend to hang around longer, and they’d tend to drink more.

“Later on, especially in Europe, the stone steps were replaced with a brass rail, which is commonly seen and still used today at the base of bars almost everywhere.”

There you are, folks…a rider’s reason for that foot rest at the bar. Party people everywhere have equestrians to thank for their hours of comfort, belly-up.

Cheers.

THE RIDER’S PAIN-FREE BACK is available now from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.

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Fat, Hairy (Thelwell) Memories

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There is something completely timeless about a fat hairy pony, scheming to, in some way, take advantage of its naive young rider. It is a concept so familiar in size, shape, and flavor that all it takes is one word—“Thelwell“—to instantly register as an image and a memory for many.

“My father bought her from a dealer near Lucan, a village to the west of Dublin,” remembers renowned trainer and coach Eric Smiley, author of TWO BRAINS, ONE AIM. “She was 12.2 hands, dark brown, and she was called Lucky Lucy. I think the ‘lucky’ bit was only to fool my father into thinking she was a good pony. But, she was very nice…until she wasn’t! She was also very good…until she wasn’t!

“Lucy had to wear a crupper to keep the saddle from sliding forward, otherwise all that could be seen in front of you was this Black Forest of mane with two tiny black tips for ears. When she put her head down to eat you were as likely as not to end up on the grass beside her.

“This was my first pony and what I learned on.

“I had to avoid her teeth when I fed her and her heels when mucking out, although she was pretty good-humored standing all day at a show. My brother used to get on her and end up facing her tail; she didn’t seem to mind.

“This sort of learning you got from ‘doing.’ The only help we got was ‘Kick!’ ‘Pull!’ ‘Hang on!’ ‘Oh dear!’ This was a process totally uninhabited by technology or political correctness and one captured so wonderfully by that master of understatement: THELWELL. His cartoons captured the essence of ‘having a go’ and enjoying the process. A whole generation grew up enthralled by his insight.”

Did you grow up enjoying Thelwell’s on-point ridicule of the curious state we call equestrianism? Or perhaps you have discovered his work more recently but love its potent mix of nostalgia and irreverence just the same? Share your Thelwell Memories with us…we’d love to hear them!

THELWELL’S PONY PANORAMA, a collection including Gymkhana, Thelwell Goes West, and Penelope, is now available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.

CLICK HERE for more information and watch the book trailer below:

Also available, THELWELL’S PONY CAVALCADE, which features Angels on Horseback, A Leg in Each Corner, and Thelwell’s Riding Academy.

CLICK HERE for more information and watch the book trailer below:

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.

 

 

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Denny Emerson to Be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

On Thursday, February 28, 2019, TSB author Denny Emerson will be inducted into the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Hall of Fame, during their first annual induction ceremony, taking place at the National Western Complex in Denver, Colorado. Other 2019 inductees include Julie Goodnight Horsemanship, Meredith Hodges, Pat Parelli Ranch, Richard Shrake, and Dr. Robert Miller.

“I spent lots of time in Colorado, off and on, during the years that my son, Rett, was a student at Colorado State University, and during the several years he stayed in Ft Collins, working, after graduation,” ” says Emerson. “I taught numerous clinics in Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, and developed a great appreciation for the quality of the horses and horsemanship in those western states.

“Some of my all time favorite horses were Epic Win, a Colorado-bred, Foxed Again, a Wyoming-bred,  King Oscar, another Wyoming-bred, and Jetting West, a Montana-bred. So to be honored in a part of the United States so noted for its tremendous riding and horse breeding traditions is a special privilege.”

Tickets for the induction ceremony are $25 and available HERE. (Pre-registration is required to guarantee entry.) In addition to the presentation of the awards, attendees will enjoy individual spotlights and stories of the inductees, and a chance to ask a question of a Hall-of-Famer! (Questions can be submitted in advance online: CLICK HERE.)

Details:

Thursday, February 28, 2019
Reception @ 6 pm
Awards Program @ 6:45
National Western Stock Show Complex, 4655 Humboldt Street, Denver, Colorado

On Friday, March 1, 2019, Emerson will be on the grounds at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, signing copies of his new book KNOW BETTER TO DO BETTER at The Right Horse truck and trailer located at the front entrance next to the Colorado State University booth. Come meet Emerson from 1:30-2:30 pm! 40% of proceeds from the sale of his book on Friday will go to support the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance.

KNOW BETTER TO DO BETTER is Emerson’s second bestselling book, and has been called “invaluable” by Bernie Traurig, President and founder of EquestrianCoach.com, and “a treasure”by Charlotte Kneeland, Executive Director of The American Riding Instructors Association.

For more information about the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo and its 1st Annual Hall of Fame Awards and Reception, CLICK HERE.

For more information about The Right Horse and their mission to promote horse adoption, CLICK HERE.

For more information about KNOW BETTER TO DO BETTER by Denny Emerson, CLICK HERE.

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont. 

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OTTB Matchmaker: Valentine’s Edition

Photo from Beyond the Track by Anna Ford with Amber Heintzberger and Sarah Coleman.

Tomorrow is the day we celebrate those oh-so-special loves in our lives. For some of us, that means extra hours at the barn with you-know-who. But others might still be looking for Mr. Right. If an OTTB has ever caught your fancy, you’re not alone…off-track Thoroughbreds are a fabulous way to do right by a horse while getting incredible athleticism in an affordable package. And OTTBs can be a great fit for whatever kind of riding you like best. Just check out our OTTB Matchmaker tips below from Anna Ford, Thoroughbred Program Director at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption. Her book BEYOND THE TRACK has been called “breakthrough racehorse literature,” “superior,” “a winner,” and “the ultimate in training manuals.”

Here are Ford’s recommendations for finding your OTTB match:

If you intend to purchase a horse off the track or adopt one through a program, I recommend you engage the assistance of an experienced friend or trainer to help ascertain the horse’s suitability for you and your discipline. Even if you buy and sell horses all the time, a second opinion is always of value.

The most important step is to ask yourself what level of riding or competition you aspire to, as many OTTBs are athletic enough to pursue any discipline at the lower levels, and most minor injuries will hold up after proper time off. With this in mind, here are a few additional guidelines to consider when evaluating OTTBs. These are generalized suggestions—there is a lot more to consider when choosing a horse for a specific discipline. And note, the examples pictured here are right off the track. Appearance changes with added weight and muscle.

The Event Horse or Jumper* 

Photo from Beyond the Track courtesy of New Vocations.

Conformation

▶ High shoulder point (the front of the shoulder is high, with a steeply angled humerus from there to the elbow; this ensures scope over large jumps).

▶ Uphill build.

▶ Medium bone structure (extremely fine bone structure is less likely to hold up).

▶ Short- to medium-length back.

▶ Short- to medium-length pasterns (long pasterns tend to break down).

▶ Well-set knees (horses that have knees that bend slightly forward or back, instead of straight, can place increased strain on tendons and ligaments).

▶ Event horses can range in height. Note that larger horses (in height and mass) can be more difficult to keep sound as they are harder on their legs and feet.

 

Movement

Event horses need to be very athletic with fluid gaits. Prospects should have more action at all three gaits than, say, a hunter (see below). This often indicates it will be easier for them to move with impulsion in the dressage ring and that they will pick up their knees better over fences.

 

Personality

▶ Brave ∙ Athletic ∙ Hard-Working

Event prospects need to be bold, brave, and forward-going horses that have good endurance. Many of these horses could also be described as “proud” or “arrogant.” More energetic horses are often possibilities—as long as they are mentally sane and have a good work ethic, the extra energy is beneficial on the cross-country course.

*A jumper prospect will be very similar in build, action, and personality to an event horse. When looking for a jumper, put more emphasis on a stronger hind end and shoulder. A jumper does not necessarily need to be built uphill, but he should have a high shoulder point.

 

The Hunter 

Photo from Beyond the Track courtesy of New Vocations.

Conformation

▶ Long, sloping shoulder.

▶ Neck ties in well with the withers and shoulder.

▶ Small, attractive head.

▶ Flat topline.

 

Movement

Hunters should be light on their feet and have as little action in their legs as possible. A long, low, rhythmic stride that easily covers a lot of ground is desirable. The horse’s head carriage should be long and low.

 

Personality

▶ Easygoing ∙ Consistent ∙ Stylish

Hunters are judged on rhythm, style, and manners. They need to be calm in nature and consistent in gait and attitude as they move around the ring and over fences.

 

The Dressage Horse 

Photo from Beyond the Track courtesy of New Vocations.

Conformation

▶ Withers set back from the shoulder.

▶ Short back.

▶ Uphill build.

▶ Strong, well-built hindquarters.

▶ Neck ties in well with the withers and shoulder (avoid ewe-necked horses).

▶ Neck should be medium to long.

 

Movement

The horse should naturally engage and drive from his hind end. A regular, even, four-beat walk is ideal. At the trot he should demonstrate natural impulsion and extension while remaining light on his feet. Look for a canter that is not overly “large”—a shorter stride is easier to maneuver around the dressage arena and eventually teach clean flying lead changes.

 

Personality

▶ Hard-Working ∙ Sensitive ∙ Sensible

A dressage prospect should be a sensitive yet sensible horse. He needs to be very responsive to leg, seat, and rein aids rather than dead-sided or hard-mouthed. He cannot become overwrought every time he is confronted with a new task—the ideal horse likes to work and accepts new challenges eagerly.

 

 

For more guidance in how to choose the right OTTB and transition him from the track to the ideal riding partner, check out BEYOND THE TRACK, available now from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is FREE.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and DVDs, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont. 

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Shrink the Size of Your “But”

 

In January, it always feels like everyone is at the gym or on a cleanse or giving up sugar and alcohol in order to meet one resolution or another. For those of you interested in improving your inside as much as your outside, check out these recommendations for learning to tell the difference between a good mistake and a bad mistake from Coach Daniel Stewart’s book FIT & FOCUSED IN 52:

No one’s perfect (nope, not you either) so it’s just a matter of time before you’re going to mess up or throw your horse under the bus. Saying sorry to your horse, trainer, opponent, friend, or family member while riding—called an athletic apology—is a necessary stage in learning from mistakes and can be wonderfully empowering because it has an amazing way of shifting your focus away from blame and disappointment, to self-respect and confidence.

The difference between a good mistake and a bad mistake is that you own and learn from the good ones. Teach yourself to turn bad mistakes (the ones you feel bad about or try blaming away) into good ones by:

(1) saying you’re sorry,

(2) owning it, and

(3) letting yourself off the hook by committing to be better.

It might sound something like this:

(1) “I’m sorry.”

(2) “It was totally my fault.”

(3) “I promise to be on time in the future so it doesn’t happen again.”

Owning your mistakes and vowing to be better as a result of them is one of the quickest ways to go from being a good rider to a great one. You should know, however, that not all athletic apologies are created equal. When making yours, always avoid using the word “but” because it has the nasty habit of trying to justify a mistake or erase blame. For this reason, the word but is called a verbal eraser. For example, “I’m sorry, but you really made me mad.”

It’s not all about you!

Athletic apologies should also never contain “you” statements because they unintentionally attempt to shift the blame from you to someone else. When you apologize by saying something like, “I’m sorry you got mad,” you place the blame on that person instead of owning it yourself.

Here’s a little homework: 

Think about a recent mistake you’ve made involving your horse, trainer, friend, or family member, and then make a three-part athletic apology for them. Remember, you’re not perfect, so go on and prove that you have the courage to admit it. 

FIT & FOCUSED IN 52 is available from the TSB online bookstore, where shipping in the US is always FREE.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and DVDs, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont. 

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Like Audiobooks? Here’s a Great One for Riders!

TSB is proud to release our first audiobook with one of our original bestselling authors: IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS, written and read by renowned rider, coach, and motivational speaker Jane Savoie, is now available from the TSB online bookstore!

We know horse people lead busy lives, often juggling work, family, and riding, so we want to make it easy to listen to some of our top authors’ best advice while commuting, or during your morning walk, or while sweeping the barn aisle or raking the arena track. There’s no better place to start than with Jane Savoie’s contagious enthusiasm, which couldn’t be better highlighted than in an audiobook read by Jane herself.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS was the followup to Jane’s breakout bestseller THAT WINNING FEELING!, the first book ever to recognize the importance of training the mind and shaping attitude in order to achieve higher levels of riding skill. In RIBBONS, Jane shares the tools and ideas for self-improvement that she has used, not only to help herself deal with challenges, but her students—who range from Olympic contenders to intermediate riders—as well. Full of shining examples of the success of her methods of dealing with riding’s—and life’s—challenges, this book is essential for anyone who is passionate about horses but may be struggling, at some level or other, with negative emotions and frustration from slow development of riding skills.

Want to know how much Jane’s techniques can help you in both riding and life? While recording her audiobook, Jane was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. Here, in her own words (the introduction she reads at the beginning of the RIBBONS audiobook), she shares how pieces of her book gave her tools she could use in her day-to-day struggle to combat her illness:

***

Sometimes it is hard to believe that my first book about riding and sport psychology—THAT WINNING FEELING!—was published over a quarter of a century ago. Its follow-up was this book: IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS. Time has indeed flown, as they say it should when you’re having fun.

And I have, for the most part, been having fun! In addition to teaching and mentoring riders through my clinics and online courses, I discovered ballroom dancing…a pursuit that demands the same kind of relentless attention to detail and patience in the mundane practice of basics as dressage. The two “Ds”—dressage and dancing—have over time given me what my mind and body crave most: achievable short- and long-term goals, small successes to be celebrated every day, and the chance to connect with a skilled and motivated partner, as well as evolve with that partner over time.

But then, in 2015, just as I had begun recording the audio version of this book, I found out I have multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. 

My life as I knew it went on hold as I spent the winter going through a round of high-dose chemotherapy, and I actually finished recording the IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS audiobook you are about to listen to while I was in the hospital, recovering from a stem cell transplant.

It is so easy to lose yourself in the physically excruciating process of battling back from illness or injury. I realized, as I forced myself to walk, IV rattling beside me, the 40 laps around the nurse’s station that would mean I’d gone a mile, that it was techniques I talk about in this book—those habits formed over a lifetime—that got me out of bed and placing one foot in front of the other, determined to get strong enough to go home.

My positive self-talk mantras became, “I’m going to breeze through this transplant,” and “I’m as tough as nails.” I desperately craved activity, but was often too tired to do more than my laps of the nurse’s station, so I filled that void within by making myself busy with visualization. I looked up pictures of myeloma cells, and when I discovered they looked like sunny-side up eggs, I reveled in the hours I could spend mentally smashing yolk after yolk. The “As If” Principle became my go-to …when I was scared, I acted as ifI was brave. When I felt depressed, I acted as ifI was bursting with optimism. The chemistry of fake emotion is the same as the chemistry of real emotion, so I changed my physiology on my bad days—smiling at nurses and doctors when they greeted me, replying, “I’m great!” when they asked how I was feeling.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t discouraged when my blood counts didn’t improve on a particular day, but I always remembered what I wrote in this book about resilience, and the importance of being able to bounce back in the face of challenges—because that is what makes sure you stay in the game.

My wish for you is to not only learn how the tools in the chapters ahead can better your riding and improve your ability to meet your equestrian goals, but also that you find yourself, like me, better equipped to handle the kinds of trials, small and large, that prove themselves the bumps in the roads we travel.

Jane Savoie’s strategies can help you chart your course to success. Art by Beth Preston from It’s Not Just About the Ribbons.

 

The IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RIBBONS audiobook is available now from the TSB online bookstore.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

Want to read more about Jane Savoie’s dancing career? CLICK HERE

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and DVDs, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont. 

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“Tell Him He Can Run Away”—A Cure for the Horse That Shies

Photo by Coco Baptist

Wouldn’t it be cool if every horse made a New Year’s Resolution not to shy at silly, innocuous, or invisible things in 2019? Alas, I think we all know that isn’t likely, so best case scenario is we riders resolve to do better by our horses when the shy does happen.

The late Walter Zettl was a highly respected clinician and proponent of classical training principles. “My approach,” he said, “is that of complete sympathy for the horse and devotion to its happiness and well-being…. I attempt to educate riders to make their horses happy, confident, and proud to work for them.”

Here is Zettl’s advice for handling the horse that shies, from his book DRESSAGE IN HARMONY:

Young horses often shy and jump away from new objects or situations or quick movements. Older, more experienced horses may also jump away from new “goblins,” but usually time has accustomed them to weird blankets, shadows, flowers, sunbeams, and so on. One should never forget, however, that the horse evolved as a grazing animal whose main defense against predators is flight. A few months or years of training will never overcome millions of years of evolution.

To cure shying, the horse must be brought to trust his rider and himself. He must trust that the rider will let him run away if something terrible happens, and he must feel balanced and in control of his body. You often see riders trying to force their horses past a “scary” object, and the horse becomes more and more tense, and the rider resorting to more and more force. You can never beat the shying out. What is really happening in the horse’s mind is that he is being trapped near this frightening thing and that his one defense is taken away. Also, he learns to associate a whipping with an object, place, or situation, and we have succeeded in teaching him that this thing is to be feared, and he becomes more and more tense. 

When riding past a frightening place, the rider must become more relaxed, careful, cool, and quiet. When the horse trusts that he can run away, he will accept that he does not need to—yet. The rider must lightly control the horse, but always give the horse the reassurance that flight is possible. The rider must also keep the horse well balanced, so the horse feels that he can jump away. 

By positioning the horse with a good bend away from the object (shoulder-in for those horses that understand it), the horse cannot bolt away so easily through the inside shoulder, although he still sees an “escape” through the front. For example: When a horse shies from an object on his right side, he usually bends strongly right to look at the object, plants both front feet, and pushes out through the left shoulder. Keeping the bend left makes this more difficult, making it easier for the rider to keep the horse going straight past the object. Making the horse bend right and pulling him toward the object only makes the horse more frightened because escaping forward takes him toward the hazard. 

You can learn more from Walter Zettl in his book DRESSAGE IN HARMONY, available from the TSB online bookstore where shipping in the US is FREE.

CLICK HERE for more information or to order.

Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and DVDs, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont. 

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