A practical guide to using reward-based training techniques to create a true partnership with your horse. This leads to lifelong connection, effective problem-solving and joyful performance.

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.

It's time to get real—that is, real, do-it-yourself horse training. Professional trainer Sean Patrick has created the ultimate guide to the "complete" riding horse—whether a performance, working, or "just for fun" prospect. Quite simply, you begin at Lesson Number 33 and count your way down through the basic exercises—the "primary education"—every horse needs. And when you get to Lesson 1, you've done it; you've prepared your horse for advanced work in any number of equestrian disciplines. You can't get lost along the way. There's no room for confusion. Sean clarifies the point and explains the gist of every step. The happy result? He trains you to be a trainer. Whether your horse is a foal or five, guilelessly green or imperfectly veteran, he will benefit from the Countdown—a true "foundation" program, serving to prepare him for the endless variety of activities and "jobs" horses perform today. From indispensable handling, "sacking-out," and tying exercises, to how you, the rider, can control the different parts of the horse’s body from the ground and the saddle; from mounting on both the left and the right to performing flawless flying lead changes, you’ll be amazed at how effective and efficient this program is.

If you broke your horse to saddle and rode it for the first time yesterday, this book (chapter 1) is where you'd start tomorrow. If you have an older horse and you've taught him everything you know and he still don't know nothin', this book is where you'd start, (chapter 2). It's a roadmap to building the foundation every horse needs, regardless of age, breed or background, regardless of what you've got ultimately planned for that horse. Afterwards, when your horse knows this book back to front, go train for barrels, roping, eventing, jumping or dressage. But today, basics are basics. Section I is the stuff your horse needs to know. Section II is the stuff (the theory) you need to know. Practice the first handful of chapters in order, as written. Beyond that, you should feel free to mix and match depending on your needs or abilities. Some chapters are dependent upon others - but in those cases, I've spelled out necessary prerequisites. Question: "I just bought a horse. What do I do now?" Answer: "Buy my book, 'What I'd Teach Your Horse.'" Contents: SECTION I, BASICALLY TRAINING YOUR HORSE - Legs Mean Move (Step 1 if This Is "Day 2" for Your Young Horse) - Hip Control, Part I - Hip Control, Part II - Classic Serpentine - Train Your Horse to Travel Straight - Clockwork: How to Teach Anything to Your Horse - Shoulder Control - The Reverse Arc Circle - How to Fix Leaning Shoulders - Serpentine: Indirect to Direct - Speed Control - Slow Down, Part I: Move the Hip - Slow Down, Part II: Wherein We Train the Brain - Balky Horses: Comatose One Minute, Hot to Trot the Next - Crossing Creeks and Scary Stuff - Teach Your Horse to Lower Its Head While Standing - Better Back Ups - Simple Steps to Power Steering - Diagonal Movement ("Leg Yields Without the Legs") - Softening - Getting Leads - A Fix for Cross-Firing (aka "Cross-Cantering") - Hips, Get Behind the Shoulders (And Stay Put) - Hips-in (aka "Haunches-in" or "Travers") - Neck Reining How-To SECTION II, TEACHING YOU, THE THEORY BEHIND THE PRACTICE - The First Thing I Do - Each Time You Mount Up, Do This - How to Pick Up Your Reins Like a Pro - Training Magic: Release on the Thought - What You're Feeling For - Reins Tell Direction, Legs Tell Speed - Talking Horse - See Yourself Leading When Riding - Perfect the First Time - Six Easy Ways to Improve Your Training - Rider Checklists - Diagnosing Problems Books by This Author Meet the Author: Keith Hosman "If I had a dollar for every email I get asking "what to do" to make a riding horse out of the mare Uncle Emo just traded for the old RV—or how to retrain a horse that's grown rusty—or some version on either theme, I'd be the world's first gazillionaire. With the publication of this book then, I'm hoping to grab that distinction."

Riding Home:The Power of Horses to Heal, Horse Nation's must read book of 2016, is the first and only book to scientifically and experientially explain why horses have the extraordinary ability to emotionally transform the lives of thousands of men, women and children, whether they are horse lovers, or suffering from deep psychological wounds. It is a book for anyone who wants to experience the joy, wonder, self-awareness and peace of mind that comes from creating a horse/human relationship, and it puts forth and clarifies the principles of today's Natural Horsemanship (or what was once referred to as "Horse Whispering") Everyone knows someone who needs help: a husband, a wife, a partner, a child, a friend, a troubled teenager, a war veteran with PTSD, someone with autism, an addiction, anyone in emotional pain or who has lost their way. Riding Home provides riveting examples of how Equine Therapy has become one of today's most effective cutting-edge methods of healing. Horses help us discover hidden parts of ourselves, whether we're seven or seventy. They model relationships that demonstrate acceptance, kindness, honesty, tolerance, patience, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. Horses cause all of us to become better people, better parents, better partners, and better friends. A horse can be our greatest teacher, for horses have no egos, they never lie, they're never wrong and they manifest unparalleled compassion. It is this amazing power of horses to heal and teach us about ourselves that is accessible to anyone and found in the pages of Tim Hayes's Riding Home. The information and lists of therapeutic and non-therapeutic equine programs, which are contained in the book, are also available at the book's website.

Begging your horse to enter the trailer is frustrating at best. Forcing your horse into the trailer is dangerous. And, unfortunately, you can't just leave the little bugger there at the fairgrounds, so you're stuck. Who needs the aggravation? The next time you're running late for a show and the kids are driving you nuts and you need to get your horse boxed up and you're running really late... wouldn't you love to have a pro horse trainer appear and show you what to do? Well, the bad news is, I'll be twenty states away that day. The good news is... you can bring my book! Trailer training is actually very easy - it's just a matter of knowing what steps to take, how long to do each, and what to emphasize. To that end, I've compiled a simple set of instructions, a guidebook to getting your horse loading smoothly using the proven methods of John Lyons. Train your horse to: - Load immediately and willingly - Unload easily and in a controlled manner - Lead politely You'll find the book broken down into five "Days" or segments: - Day 1: Easy trailer loading begins by solidifying great ground manners - Day 2: Refine your control over specific body parts, gaining respect along the way, setting yourself up for success - Day 3: Two different ways to get your horse into the trailer - Day 4: Exercises for "hard-luck" cases, training tips for everybody - Day 5: Do's, Don'ts and What-To-Do-Ifs, plus notes on tying, horses that won't unload, horses who "thrash" and more - And... learn to use a round pen to teach your horse to actually look for open trailers! You point, and your horse runs over and hops in! I call them "days" but you should take this work at your own speed. Each chapter gives you a plan, a goal, theory and homework. Some segments, or "days," will be easier than others. And, while you can breeze through everything in hours, you might want to split it up over days or weeks. It's completely up to you. Whatcha waiting for? Don't wait till the morning you're leaving to find out if your horse loads!

Insight to Equus is a uniquely and professionally designed, full-sized (8.5 x 11 inches) hard cover book that explores our adventures with equine animals, our ties to the Earth and how all our natural characteristics are important to consider. With 248 packed pages and over 350 color pictures, it will take you on a reading adventure, exploring ourselves and our environments, housing and habitat development, nutrition and herbs, herd structure and behavior, hoof and dental care, parasite control, vaccination and finding support. Several real and entertaining stories help paint the big picture of how holistic equine health looks and feels. There are hundreds of ideas for improving your life with these animals, including:--79 pages of hoof care discussions and philosophy, including close-up pictures of maintenance and specialized hoof trimming techniques for founder, heel issues, contraction and multiple other challenges.--65 pages of dental care discussions, also with close-up pictures of teeth work, in-depth descriptions of philosophy and techniques, case studies and never before published data on 1015 horses, exploring the amazing connections between hoof, teeth and body balance.This is a hard cover reference you can keep close at hand to remind yourself of critical information and show your friends, veterinarian, dentist, trainer, family and kids what incredible equine health considerations look and feel like. I know it will be a valuable addition to your library, and a book you can read multiple times without every getting bored.