Sports & Recreation : Equestrian

From a legendary horseman?the definitive guide to training horse and rider Charles Wilhelm earned acclaim for his remarkable horse-training talent. What made him a bona fide celebrity was his equally uncanny gift for coaching people?novice and expert, trainer and weekend rider alike. more...

Price: $24.99

On Horsemanship written c. 350 BC by Xenophon is one of the earliest extant treatises on horsemanship in the Western world (the oldest is the one written by Kikkuli of the Indo-Aryan Mitanni Kingdom). In it, Xenophon details the selection, care, and training of horses for the use both in the military and for general use. One of the most important qualities in a horse, Xenophon writes, is that it have a fleshy (or "double") back. This presumably is due to the fact that Xenophon wrote this treatise before the invention of the saddle. Xenophon's On Horsemanship is one of the oldest surviving Western works detailing the principles of classical dressage, including training the horse in a manner that is non-abusive. In On Horsemanship , Xenopohon himself pays tribute to better established works by apparently more celebrated contemporary horsemen -- in particular, a trainer and writer referred to only as "Simon" -- but no known copies of these other texts have survived into the modern era. [Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Horsemanship under the terms of the GNU-FDL] more...

Price: $5.99

A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades. more...

Price: $17.99

Learn to evaluate the fitness of any horse—in the stable and in the saddle. This guide helps horse owners, riders, and trainers at all levels learn how to assess any horse's fitness, strengths, and weaknesses. If you're buying a horse, this will help you pre-assess prospects before getting the complete veterinary examination. If you own a horse, these techniques will help you better understand your horse's aptitudes, customize a training program, identify signs of strain, and provide better care for your horse. With step-by-step instructions and almost 200 photos and drawings showing the proper positioning and approach for each technique, you'll learn:.:. ;. Hand palpation skills, several basic massage movements, and simple stretching exercises. ;. A Riding Evaluation Program (REP) that helps you identify abnormalities in gaits, tight- muscle groups or sore joints, and more. ;. The Palpation Evaluation Program (PEP), in which you use your fingertips to pinpoint problems. ;. How to perform an assessment of the horse's musculoskeletal system, with twenty-five points on each side. Fitness Evaluation of the Horse teaches you to evaluate the soundness and fitness of a horse in a hands-on manner so that you can fine-tune your training program, improve your performance, and enhance your relationship with your horse. more...

Price: $39.99

This fun and witty exposé of horse racing in America goes behind the scenes at the track, providing a serious gambler's-eye-view of the action. Ted McClelland spent a year at tracks and off-track betting facilities in Chicago and across the country, profiling the people who make a career of gambling on horses. This account follows his personal journey of what it means to be a player as he gambles with his book advance using various betting and handicapping strategies along the way. more...

Price: $21.00