By: April Clay

Question:

I feel I don’t have the time to devote to sport psychology.

It just seems like too much work to me and I am already overloaded with training my horse!

Is there a quick way to train my mind?
continue reading "Training Your Mind"

With photographs of everything from Roy Rogers and his fabulous palomino to the intrepid Seabiscuit, from great jumpers to Vienna’s Lippizaners, from Arabian stallions to Thoroughbred mares and their foals, from rodeos and wild mustangs to ponies and their children, The Big Book of Horses is sure to warm the hearts of horse lovers everywhere. This 384-page tome contains more than 230 images – printed in duotone – taken by such passionate horse photographs as Mark J. Barrett, Bob Langrish, and Kit Houghton.

The images are complemented by the author’s own whimsical horse drawings and by excerpts – both literary and personal – from the works of such diverse writers as Leo Tolstoy, Beryl Markham, Nicholas Evan, Cormac McCarthy, and others, and from stories and anecdotes by horse owners and aficionados. The Big Book of Horses is filled with the remarkable, the famous, the beautiful, and the bold.

Editor: J. C. Suares
Publisher: Random House of Canada
ISBN: 978-1-59962-013-8
Price: $38.95 CAD
Hard cover / 384 pages / b/w photos
To order: Contact Random House of Canada Limited at
2775 Matheson Boulevard East, Mississauga, ON, L4W 4P7,
or visit www.randomhouse.ca

By: Bob Goddard

Trail riders need to make good decisions. While riding can be fun and relaxing, it’s important to know when to stop and evaluate the situation.

As any living trail rider will attest, knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do.

Dodging cars while crossing the TransCanada Highway requires a series of good, quick decisions, but simply not crossing the TransCanada in the first place would be the best decision.
continue reading "Where Angels Fear to Ride"

Nursing and bringing a horse back to work after a long layoff can be tedious and frustrating, and is a time fraught with pitfalls. However, Dyer’s new book helps you avoid problems while keeping your spirits high as you tackle the task.

You’ll find guidance from 11 highly regarded veterinarians and professionals – all experts in reconditioning and rehabilitating horses. You’ll also read the stories of 40 amateur riders from all walks of life as they come to grips with diagnosis of tendon and ligament injuries, colic surgery, or laminitis. In addition to their heartfelt accounts, six riders who suffered nerve-shattering falls from horseback, broken legs, car accidents, and cancer surgery share their experiences as they regained lost confidence, conditioning, and locomotion in the saddle – proving just how strong our love for horses and riding can be when put to the ultimate test.

Author: Lucinda Dyer
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
ISBN: 978-1-57076-366-3
Price: $26.95 USD
Hard cover / 400 pages / b/w photos
To order: Contact Trafalgar Square Books at (802) 457-1911,
write to Box 257 Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, Vermont,
05053 U.S.A., or visit www.horseandriderbooks.com

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) is forging new ground at the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Centre (MMSC) at the Kentucky Horse Park, home of the 2010 World Equestrian Games, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Canadian horseman and author Chris Irwin along with his wife and business partner, Kathryn Kincannon-Irwin, Horses All columnist and recognized coach, will oversee the MMSC. The Irwins will be enhancing the MMSC as a centre for teaching and promoting advanced horsemanship skills for retraining retired racehorses.
continue reading "Horses All Columnist to design programs at Kentucky Horse Park"

General Motors of Canada (GM) in partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) are offering a number of grants to associations and coaches. Initiated in the spring of 2007, each year the Making Dreams Possible program will award 100 grants of $2,000 to support community level sport organizations. In addition, each year until 2010, 10 grants of $10,000 will be awarded to coaches of high performance athletes.
continue reading "Deadline for ‘Making Dreams Possible’ approaches"

The world’s governing equestrian body has released the first edition of its new dressage handbook. The FEI Dressage Handbook - Guidelines for Judging has been written by some of the most experienced FEI dressage judges in the world.

“This new ‘Bible’ will prove invaluable not only for the education of dressage judges but also to riders and trainers at all levels,” a representative from the FEI says.

“It will not only help the better understanding of the scores, but also improve the awareness of the criteria outlined in the FEI Dressage Rulebook.”

The book is on sale at 40 Swiss francs ($35 CAD) plus postage. Proceeds from the book will be used in the education of FEI dressage judges.