Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

Why invest in a book on saddles and saddle fit?1) Does your horse move away when you bring the saddle out? 2) Or nip, stomp or swish it's tail when you girth up? 3) Does your horse stumble, buck, or run off? 4) Or maybe your horse has trouble bending in turns or holding his head too high when you are riding?Don't you want to be a detective and discover where these behaviors are coming from? Because they are all signs of body pain and saddle fitting problems. Whether you are in the market to buy a saddle or are evaluating a current saddle, this guidebook offers a simple checklist of items you will want to take into consideration for your horse's health and well-being.Plus, it includes detailed step-by-step instructions with color photographs to help you learn (and practice) three short, simple and effective bodywork routines designed to release tension in your horse's shoulders, back and girth area.The author provides a complimentary copy of Saddle Fit Simplified and personalized training when you purchase a one-hour saddle fitting and education session from www.SaddleFitSimplified.com. But this service is only available to a limited geographic area and that became the impetus of putting this information into print.Some people think a book like this should be an encyclopedia ... but you already own those and they are mostly unread and gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. Consider the price of horse training, equine supplements, or vet lameness bills ... before you judge the size of Saddle Fit Simplified, get out in the barn and use it and you will notice positive change in your horse over time!This book may be small but it is ACTIONABLE! And when you apply the easy-to-understand information within Saddle Fit Simplified, you are not only investing in your horse's health and well-being, you are saving money in the long run by being proactive. But the best part is you reap the rich reward of a happy and satisfying partnership with your horse.

Relieve Soreness, Improve Flexibility, and Keep Your Horse Sound Does your horse have a nagging soreness that won't go away? Does a mystery lameness come and go without obvious cause? Has your horse's performance deteriorated over the past few months? Do you want to prevent these problems from happening? If your answer is yes, then equine massage can help! Massage therapy is an excellent tool for preventing and relieving muscle soreness in horses. With the simple step-by-step techniques outlined by sisters Candy Sipka and Cherry Baldridge, you'll be able to identify and solve muscle soreness, on your own or with the assistance of a professional equine massage therapist. You'll learn the proper massage techniques and where to use them on a horse, simple stretches that can restore or improve a horse's flexibility, and even the proper position to take when working hands-on with a horse.

"De-Spook" Your Horse An umbrella opening, a tree branch creaking, a tarp flapping in the wind, a dusty shadow in the back of the barn -- what seems benign to the human eye often terrifies a horse. His immediate response? Screech to a halt, buck, twirl, and run like the dickens! What can a rider do but hang on? In fact, there is plenty a rider can do to "de-spook" a horse, and Teaching Your Horse to Overcome Fears tells you how. Following the advice of renowned trainers such as John Lotito, Pat Parelli, and Mark Rashid, you'll learn how to reprogram your horse's fear response so that, when startled, he may unnerve you, but he won't unseat you. These trainers offer proven tips on training your horse in a manner that is gentle, effective, and long-lasting. And you'll delve into the most exciting "alternative" therapies for high-strung horses, including herbal remedies, aromatherapy, shamaniac healing, and body work.

How do you train a horse to get in and out of a trailer safely and calmly? With the renowned trailer-training method taught by the late Dr. Edwin Goodwin, long-time equine professor at the University of Maryland, it's simple. In Trailer Training Your Horse, journalist and equine enthusiast Laura Harrison McBride brings to publication for the first time the lessons and advice of Dr. Goodwin. The step-by-step training technique works quickly on green horses, it works fairly quickly on older horses that have already been led; and it works a bit more slowly on horse that have have negative trailering experiences. Most important, it works, almost without fail, and it can help your horse overcome fear, stubbornness, bad training, and bad handling. To accompany the training, you'll learn how to choose the right trailer, as well as how to prepare your horse for the trip and what supplies you need to make the trip as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

A Good Life for a Horse's Golden Years. The aging of horses in your care is inevitable and, in fact, you may prefer to work with older horses to take advantage of their experience and patience in teaching young riders. But what can your expect of an older horse? Does he have special needs? Is he capable of carrying a workload, or should he be allowed to retire? How do you keep him healthy and happy? Jessica Jahiel answers these questions and more, covering such vital topics as proper feeding, general care, and the importance of regular exercise and companionship, all of which result in an excellent quality-of-life for your older horse. With her practical, expert advise, your aging horse will remain your trusty, trusting steed for years to come.