Horses were key to the colonial economies of southern Africa, buttressing the socio-political order and inspiring contemporary imaginations. Just as they had done in Europe, Asia, the Americas and North Africa, these equine colonisers not only provided power and transportation but also helped transform their new biophysical and social environments. In some ways "Riding High" is an attempt to chronicle the effects of an inter-species relationship whose significance was vast and lead to major changes in the history of leisure, transportation, trade, warfare, and agriculture. On another level, these stories are simply the adventures of a big, gentle herbivore and a small, rogue primate. The horses introduced to the southern tip of Africa were both agents and subjects of enduring changes. This book explores their introduction under VOC rule in the mid-seventeenth century, their dissemination into the interior, their acquisition by indigenous groups and their ever-shifting roles. In its relocation to the Cape, the horse of the Dutch empire in southeast Asia experienced a physical transformation over time. Establishing an early breeding stock was fraught with difficulty and horses remained vulnerable in the new and dangerous environment. They had to be nurtured into defending their owners' ambitions: first those of the white settlement and then African and other hybrid social groupings. The book traces the way horses were adapted by shifting human needs in the nineteenth century. It focuses on their experiences in the South African War, on the cusp of the twentieth century, and highlights how horses remained integral to civic functioning on various levels, replaced with mechanization only after lively debate. They remained useful in certain sectors and linked to totems of social power even in contemporary South Africa. "Riding High" reinserts the horse into the broader historical narrative and speculates about what a new kind of history that takes animals seriously might offer us.

From the co-founder of Flywheel and SoulCycle comes a story of perseverance and success. “Ruth Zukerman is an inspiration. She somehow had a keen sense that indoor cycling was going to be a huge trend and she wasted no time turning it into a lucrative business. I'm among the legions of Flywheel fans who make Ruth's class part of our regular routine. Her energy, enthusiasm and great playlist keeps us spinning and coming back for more." —KATIE COURIC Ruth Zukerman is the Queen of Spinning: she put the Soul in SoulCycle and the Fly in Flywheel. Recounting the pivotal moments that helped launch Zukerman as the breakout star of the boutique fitness world, Riding High is a reminder that the greatest success stories often start in the unlikeliest of places. Ruth Zukerman used her heartache–at the death of her father, the end of her marriage, and the dissolution of her first business partnership with SoulCycle, as the inspiration to reinvent herself. At 51, she co-founded a new business, the highly successful Flywheel, and built the life she’d always dreamed of. And she did it all while navigating through single motherhood and a business world that is often unkind to women, especially those who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Riding High is a prescriptive, warts-and-all journey through Ruth’s evolution, offering fresh, unexpected business and life lessons to help readers recognize their own potential and channel their passion into success. Part confidante, part mentor, Ruth pulls no punches and holds nothing back.

Designed to be used by children in their first six months of school PM Starters One and Two

From the co-founder of Flywheel and SoulCycle comes a story of perseverance and success. “Ruth Zukerman is an inspiration. She somehow had a keen sense that indoor cycling was going to be a huge trend and she wasted no time turning it into a lucrative business. I'm among the legions of Flywheel fans who make Ruth's class part of our regular routine. Her energy, enthusiasm and great playlist keeps us spinning and coming back for more." —KATIE COURIC Ruth Zukerman is the Queen of Spinning: she put the Soul in SoulCycle and the Fly in Flywheel. Recounting the pivotal moments that helped launch Zukerman as the breakout star of the boutique fitness world, Riding High is a reminder that the greatest success stories often start in the unlikeliest of places. Ruth Zukerman used her heartache–at the death of her father, the end of her marriage, and the dissolution of her first business partnership with SoulCycle, as the inspiration to reinvent herself. At 51, she co-founded a new business, the highly successful Flywheel, and built the life she’d always dreamed of. And she did it all while navigating through single motherhood and a business world that is often unkind to women, especially those who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Riding High is a prescriptive, warts-and-all journey through Ruth’s evolution, offering fresh, unexpected business and life lessons to help readers recognize their own potential and channel their passion into success. Part confidante, part mentor, Ruth pulls no punches and holds nothing back.

When it’s time to get back in the saddle again, there’s no better place than the picturesque mountain town of Nugget, California . . . A financial whiz with her own advice show, Gia Treadwell is passionate about helping people maximize their potential. But when her boyfriend—make that ex-boyfriend—steals millions with an epic Ponzi scheme, Gia is promptly run out of town. It’s the perfect opportunity to revisit an old dream—one that apparently involves naked cowboys . . . Flynn Barlow didn’t expect anyone to walk in on him showering at the empty ranch where his family’s cattle have always grazed. Even more surprising, the new ranch owner plans to turn it into a residential training program for women who need a hand up. A smart, gorgeous woman with a worthy cause? In Flynn’s experience, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Sharing the ranch doesn’t mean Flynn and Gia have to get along, but riding together isn’t the problem. It’s the scorching chemistry they can’t ignore. And if they figure out a way to add trust to the mix, they’ll soon be sharing more than just a ranch . . . PRAISE FOR STACY FINZ “Stacy Finz is a unique new voice. Nugget, California, is a charming small town filled with inventive characters and sweet romance.” —Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author “Tender and touching, Stacy Finz writes romance with heart.” —Marina Adair

Riding High is packed with untold episodes from the Jupiter journey of Ted Simon's book Jupiter's Travels: his confrontations with a murderous military in Chile, his farcical arrest in India, bizarre customs in Thailand and Malaysia, his hilarious entanglements with a bottle of bad Dubonnet in Ecuador, and many more. Simon contrasts them with the touching and turbulent events that followed his return to domesticity, and explains what became of him in 'life after travel.'

A new Sons of Chance story from New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson There ain't a rider that can't be thrown. And large-animal veterinarian Regan O'Connelli was thrown hard when he discovered his fianc e with his best friend. Now he's starting his life over at the Last Chance Ranch, run by the tightly knit Chance clan. But damned if his libido hasn't perked up over the spirited redhead who looks a lot like trouble.... Lily King is the queen of anti-structure. Turns out, that makes running a horse sanctuary a challenge. Regan's help is exactly what Lily needs--not to mention the seriously sexy sparks that are flying between them. Now she just has to convince this fallen cowboy to dust himself off and get back in the saddle...and into her bed Collect all three in this sizzling hot trilogy Riding High Riding Hard Riding Home