Trafalgar Square Books

Over time, horses (like people) acquire postural habits, compensate for soreness and injury, and develop poor movement patterns. This limits performance ability, causes unsoundness and health issues, and ultimately undermines the horse's overall well–being.

Jec Aristotle Ballou has made a name for herself advocating for the horse and providing sensible instruction in his schooling, conditioning, and care. Her bestselling books and popular clinics are designed to enable any horse person to correctly apply proven principles that bring measurable progress while avoiding boredom and confusion.

In her latest collection of mounted and unmounted corrective exercises, Ballou demonstrates how we can actively work to improve the horse's posture and movement, whether he is:

• An active performance or pleasure mount.
• An aging or older horse that benefits from gentle exercise.
• A horse being rehabilitated following injury, illness, or lack of conditioning.

Ballou's positive cross–training techniques are free of shortcuts, and her guidelines for analyzing the horse's posture and way of going help readers gain a new awareness of the equine body. Applicable for all disciplines and full of quality color photographs to explain the exercises, this is an integral collection that optimizes how the horse uses his body and helps ensure he stays sounder and healthier for more years of his life.

A humorous look at the world through the eyes of a horse, peppered with satirical observations about the equestrian world.

Sharif, an easily spooked Arabian, is trying to find his life’s calling, but between the truly

terrifying dangers of everyday life and the strange hoofless beings that wave their tiny tentacles at his nose, it is proving a challenge! Barely do his newborn hooves touch the ground for the first time and already he’s in mortal danger—and the hoofless beings really aren’t helping anything. The world is full of monsters and mysteries as far as the eye can see! 

As he ventures out beyond the paddock he shared with his mom, Sharif gets dragged into all manner of dark worlds and questionable jobs, and is constantly surrounded by unusual characters he’s not sure he can trust, including The Chicken, The Fat Boss, and Dumb-as-Rocks. But even when the threats behind every bush grow more menacing, he doesn’t lose sight of his ultimate goal: to be the most famous and beautiful show horse under the sun. 

Then, just before his greatest triumph, the hoofless betray Sharif to cold-blooded criminals, and everything—even really, this time, his life—seems to be at stake. Can one little Arabian horse stretch his courage and reach his dream?

This hilarious, unusual, superbly imagined illustrated novel for “grownups who like horses” is destined to be a hit with anyone who enjoys a little bit of ridiculous and a slightly cynical take on the subcultures that bind us.

The horse owner’s go-to guide in an emergency, when you need information and guidance you can trust.

Most horse owners know that injury and illness can be part of life with an equine in your care. Veterinarians, farriers, and urgent care clinics are usually on speed dial—just in case. But there may come a time when you’re faced with an emergency health crisis when professional care is difficult to access. When that happens, what should you do for your horse while you’re both waiting for help to arrive?

The internet is full of information, but in the immediate time surrounding an emergency and while awaiting professional veterinary help, you want a source you can absolutely trust. That’s why highly regarded veterinarian Dr. Nancy Loving has brought together specific strategies you can use in health care emergencies in this illustrated guidebook. Her strategically organized, practical, and verified advice gives you what you need to both help your horse right now while also improving the outcome once the problem has been addressed by a professional.

In this book, readers learn:

• What constitutes an equine emergency.
•  Safe places to treat and safe ways to restrain a horse who may be in pain.
• What to have in a first aid kit.
• How to administer emergency medication.
• How to take vital signs.

In addition, Dr. Loving highlights many common emergencies that horse owners face. You’ll find specific steps you can take to help your horse through:

• Intestinal Issues, including diarrhea and colic
• Choke
• Fever
• Dehydration or shock
• Heat stress
• Tying Up or myositis
• Respiratory concerns
• Eye injuries
• Allergic reactions 
• Insect and spider bites and stings
• Wound trauma
• Hematoma/seroma and firm swellings
• Snake bite
• Poisoning
• Acute lameness 
• Stone bruise or foot abscess
• Laminitis
• Tendon or ligament injury 
• Serious limb injury or fracture
• The cast or trapped horse
• Neurologic abnormalities

As a responsible horse owner, you always want to do what’s best for your horse. This is the book we all need to ensure we can do just that.

An engaging handbook chock full of all the right information for fitting English saddles to both horse and rider, ensuring comfort, health, and performance at a glance. 

If horseback riders could do one thing that would save them money, ensure their horse’s health and performance, and help them ride better (and feel better afterward), it would be assuring that their saddle fits their horse correctly, and that it is suitable for their own body and desired activities. Unfortunately, most riders don’t have access to or the money to pay experienced saddle fitters, who can analyze their equipment and help them determine whether the fit is passable or problematic. This means that a large number of riders just “hope for the best” with what they have, or struggle to grasp lengthy explanations of optimal fit and how to achieve it. And, in the end, a large number of horses suffer the consequences. 

Beverly Harrison started as a rider herself, and when she opened a tack shop, she quickly noticed the need for someone to guide horse owner’s in choosing a new saddle or refitting an older one. In order to be better informed for her customers, she became a Qualified SMS Saddle Fitter, and she made it her mission to help educate anyone involved with horses: 4-Hers, backyard riders, competitors, veterinarians—you name them, she’s probably taught them. 

Harrison figured that her educational efforts would benefit from colorful visual aids to engage her students. And so, a handbook full of her own delightful hand-painted illustrations was born. Readers easily gain a basic understanding of the different parts of the saddle, how they work and how they should fit, as well as what the addition of a rider means to it all. Topics include:

• Terminology and saddle construction
• Basic anatomy and physiology of horse and rider relative to the saddle
• Safety of materials and condition
• Step-by-step evaluations of fit for both horse and rider
• Instructions for creating a paper template
• Indicators of fit under saddle
• Impacts of girths and saddle pads
• Repair and maintenance advice

A saddle is part of most horses’ lives. It is anything but a benign piece of equipment: its placement on the horse’s back—a vital source of strength and locomotion—and its location between horse and rider, means that it can have either a negative or a positive impact on everything from health to performance. Harrison’s book makes it easy for all of us, wherever we are and whatever we like to do with our horses, to ensure our saddles are not the source of a problem, only an additional means of connection and communication. She empowers us by showing what is right, what is wrong, and what the next steps should be. And in the end, our horses are happier, healthier, and better able to do what we ask of them.

Progressive training plans and interactive programs that transform boring ring work into invigorating horse play.

More and more horse owners hope to engage their horses’ minds as much as their bodies during the time they spend together, both under saddle, and on the ground. The happy news is that the training activities we have come to know as “groundwork” not only have an important place in starting colts and schooling young horses, they can also serve to diversify the means of skill-building as any horse matures. In addition, exercise in hand can serve as an important part of reconditioning a horse after extended time off, rehabbing following illness or injury, and allowing horse and handler an alternative means of connecting and spending time together when riding can’t be, or just isn’t, part of the picture.

Using dozens of detailed color diagrams to “map out” exciting ideas for on-the-ground training courses at a variety of levels, as well as instructional photographs to demonstrate horse and rider position as they navigate specific obstacles, German Equestrian Federation (FN) accredited trainer and judge Waltraud Böhmke provides an excellent source of training inspiration in these pages. Known for her incredibly beneficial in-hand courses, Böhmke’s guidance helps readers train their horses to be well-behaved, collaborative partners. And when good behavior and teamwork are achieved, both horse and handler are more relaxed and respectful in each other’s company. With numerous opportunities to establish meaningful boundaries, which ensure your horse feels secure in your company as you come to trust and rely on each other to navigate obstacles of different kinds, the partnership between you can grow.

Inside find:

• Dozens of “tasks,” activities, and obstacles, along with clear instructions so you can learn and practice them individually before incorporating them in a series or course.
• Sensible suggestions for sequences of exercises to consolidate and review the individual lessons.
• 26 complete courses for you and your horse to try on your own or with friends, providing valuable training feedback so you can adjust plans and schedules according to your horse’s progress and needs.

With expert guidance to provide the horse with positive training experiences while improving the handler’s timing and self-confidence, this book is a handy and digestible reference for anyone looking for new ways to keep their horse engaged, happy, and connected as you strive for educational growth and understanding.

Achievable, riding-specific fitness for equestrians looking to up their game, get back in the game, or stay in the game.

In this accessible, highly illustrated guide, former Dartmouth Equestrian Team Coach Sally Batton shares her secret to 30 years of winning riders and championship teams: a unique series of progressive, mounted exercises that improves cardiovascular and muscular fitness for riders of all abilities and levels. Batton’s proven program, which she calls Equicize, can be used as part of a horseback rider’s daily warm-up by targeting specific muscle groups, or it can be a more intense workout in the saddle once or twice a week, making up the bulk of a mounted training session. Easy to learn and flexible by design, riders can pick and choose the Equicize exercises that best address their personal “problem areas,” or they can dedicate a specific number of rides per week to performing an entire sequence. As Batton explains, there are literally hundreds of ways to adjust, modify, and adapt this fun fitness program to suit specific circumstances.

No matter what level of fitness a rider starts at, when the Equicize system is practiced regularly, everyone will see improvement in balance, strength, coordination, and flexibility. And Batton has made it easy to incorporate her training into the modern rider’s full and complex life, with exercises designed to fit seamlessly into time that has already been set aside for grooming, tacking up, and riding. With sensible, achievable goals, easy-to-implement steps, progressive how-to photographs, and dozens of QR codes to scan and view engaging instructional videos to help readers perform the exercises for the best result, this book is both a superb launch point for ambitious riders looking to grow their abilities and a stable lynchpin for those aiming to stay in the game, and in the saddle, as long as possible.

The go-to reference for riders and trainers aiming to improve equine conditioning in ways that are strategic, engaging, and fair to the horse.

For just about everything we do with horses—from trail riding to top level competition—a healthy state of fitness is key to both performance and longevity. Every horse will go better for longer if his mind and body are well prepared for the “ask.”

When it comes to improving fitness, whether for humans or animals, the success of an exercise relies on dosage. How an exercise is applied, the duration and frequency of execution, and the weekly schedule within which it is incorporated determine its impact on fitness.

Equine training and conditioning expert Jec Aristotle Ballou has now provided a book that takes the guesswork out of fitness gains. It clarifies how long and frequently to do a particular exercise and provides guidance in how to combine it with others for best results. The result is maximized health and athleticism in the horse.

The 33 workouts in these pages help accomplish the performance goals that many riders strive for but fall short of reaching—stronger, more agile, and more balanced horses. They do this by circumventing the tension, both physical and mental, that often spoils conditioning attempts made within a discipline-specific or skill-based training session. By providing the right amount of stimulus while avoiding boredom, fatigue, and habituated neuromuscular patterns, Ballou’s workouts lead to positive physiological gains. Her plans include:

• Ways to measure a horse’s current fitness.
• Guidelines for active and passive rest.
• Basics for stretching, warming up, and improving mobility.
• Unique groundwork that keeps both you and your horse engaged.
• Hill hikes and terrain tests with multiple benefits.
• Suggested schedules for basic fitness goals, as well as special considerations for young horses and trail riders.

With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and clear illustration, this book is a fundamental piece of any conscientious rider’s training plan and a key component to keeping horses performing happily for more years of their lives.

Fundamentals from the world’s “long-reining maestro."

If long-reining (long-lining) is an essential building block in a horse’s training, this book is the essential building block in every horse person’s education. Readers are primed in classically correct long-reining basics by renowned German trainer Wilfried Gehrmann, giving them a safe and solid launch point for the development of a sport horse in a variety of disciplines. General guidelines are given for:

- Preparing the horse for work in long-reins and the related equipment.

- Handling the reins and whip.

- Positioning of the handler’s body—both when moving with the horse and when asking the horse to move in longe circles and other figures.

- Development of lateral work.

- Long-reining over ground poles and jumps.

- Starting the driving horse.

- Working the vaulting horse.

- Acquiring the skills needed for advanced movements in-hand and under saddle, such as piaffe and passage.

Clever ways to improve your horse’s performance when groundwork is all you can do.

There are dozens of reasons you might not be able to ride your horse. Weather can have an impact on your riding and training choices, sometimes keeping you out of the saddle, as can an injury to you or your horse, or changes in lifestyle or horsemanship goals. But time not riding does not need to be time wasted, explains trainer and popular instructor Vanessa Bee. As Founder of the International Horse Agility Club, Bee brings to the stable a unique set of skill-building techniques and exercises that anyone can use to better understand how the horse moves and how to influence that movement, resulting in better behavior on the ground, improved performance under saddle, and strengthened connection whenever and however you and your horse interact.

Bee's degree in education and experience as a teacher, as well as a horse trainer and riding instructor, informs the way she presents her easily achievable lessons that you can do right in the barn with limited equipment, including:

• Exercises to help you get to know your horse better.
• Safe handling techniques.
• Specific ways to build a trusting relationship.
• Fun games and ideas for engaging the horse's mind and body.
• Challenges that test willingness, balance, and focus.

With five foundation skills providing a clear place to start, and step-by-step instructions for 50 individual tasks and activities on the ground that not only engage both horse and rider but build toward immense rewards under saddle, this vibrantly illustrated book delivers for riders of all ages and abilities. Whether your goals are better dressage scores or quiet trail rides, or just safe and fulfilling time spent in the company of horses, Rainy Day Horsemanship has the positive steps you can take, starting today, whatever the season, whatever the weather.

How a Grand Prix dressage rider competed at the highest level before finding her way to liberty work, and the extraordinary lessons that molded her perceptions, understandings, and feelings along the way.

In her deeply personal and strikingly beautiful book, Froment traces her evolution as a horsewoman, a dressage competitor, and now a world-renowned performer and trainer of liberty horses—horses that perform free of anything on their bodies. Readers meet the ponies she learned on, and the challenging mounts that helped her grow as a junior rider. There were horses she immediately loved and horses she had to work to connect with—and eventually there were Mistral and Sultan, who she calls her “yin and yang,” and who elevated her aspirations both beside and on the back of a horse. It is with these two special souls that Froment further explored riding the Grand Prix movements with only a neck rope—no bridle or bit, and often bareback as well—and demonstrating to the world the potential that is there for all riders to enjoy, if they are open to the experience and are willing to take the time for it to evolve.

Readers will be entranced by Froment’s willingness to bare her soul, powerfully articulating her feelings when confronted with jealousy, with performance expectations, with the possibility of losing the horse she loved to an unknown buyer, with retiring a beloved partner, and with the changing circumstances and altered allegiances of her heart when her daughter Louise is born. As tender as a story about riding, competing, and performing with horses at the highest levels can be, The Horses Who Made Me is first a story of one woman’s personal journey, eternally questioning herself, and second, an inspiration for anyone who is forever striving for a better way of training horses, because of the profound beauty you just might find.

A searingly beautiful tribute to wild Mustang family groups that have been reunited after suffering roundup and separation in the American West.

Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary covers over 9,000 acres in Malibu, California, and Bend, Oregon, where wild horse advocates are working tirelessly to save captured Mustangs and return them to freedom. To date Skydog has rescued over 300 wild horses and 50 donkeys and mules, with a special focus on finding and reuniting bonded families who may have once roamed the American West together but who were separated during the roundup process. 

In this striking book, gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of dramatic photographs, Skydog founder Clare Staples recounts heartbreaking tales of liberty lost and the dramatic extents to which some Mustangs will go to flee captivity or rejoin their family bands. She describes the mission that drives her and the Skydog team to identify and locate iconic wild horses that have been removed from public lands, and then secure them in order to assure them freedom at the Sanctuary for their remaining years—whenever possible, in the company of their original wild herdmates. 

Readers meet twenty-one horse families, including that of Blue Zeus, the stunning Wyoming stallion who Staples admired in the wild for years before, in the fall of 2020, his herd was slated for roundup and captured, in one day losing both their freedom and each other. The story of the urgent search for him and his mares and foals, and their eventual reunion in the hills of Oregon, encapsulates all that Skydog hopes to accomplish for hundreds more horses in the years ahead. Incredibly moving, inspiring, and offering the hope of wildness and beauty preserved for future generations, this book is for every animal lover and all those who honor the natural inhabitants of the American West.

A percentage of all sales goes toward supporting Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary.

Improve your dog's movement, comfort, and longevity while opening exciting new doors to better communication and a more meaningful relationship.

We all want our dogs to live pain-free, and we all want ways to connect with them. The Masterson Method® is an interactive approach to animal bodywork that follows and uses responses of the animal to your touch to find and release tension in areas of his body that affect:

A lifelong horse person, Jim Masterson developed his method for the purpose of releasing tension and improving movement in the performance horse. An interesting benefit was that it led to improved communication and trust, and a better overall relationship with the horse. Since dogs go with horses “like peanut butter and jelly,” Jim says, it was only natural that he began to use his bodywork on canines, too.

The techniques used in the Masterson Method rely on reading and following the subtle changes in the dog's body language as you work with him. Once you learn to read his body language, you will be “on the same page” and communication is established. Your dog recognizes that you understand what his body language is saying, that there is no threat to his well-being, and that he feels better when you work with him. In these pages you will learn the steps to incorporating the Masterson Method in your dog's life, bringing happiness to both of you.

By using these techniques, and knowing the responses to look for, you will be able to:

This book includes:

The Masterson Method is practical, easy to use, and results oriented. You see the results in the dog's responses during the bodywork, and in his behavior, comfort, and movement afterward. Beyond Dog Massage is the ideal instructional guide for all those seeking a better quality of life for and deeper connection with their dogs.

Three hundred years ago, Norwegian fishermen went to sea no matter the wind or weather—and they needed warm, comfortable, durable sweaters to protect them from the cold while they worked. Now, photographs and documentation of surviving examples have been brought together to form the foundation for this collection: timeless traditional patterning applied to modern styling and shaping, for a selection of sweaters, cardigans, hats, mittens, vests, and more, for men and women, rooted deeply in the rich tapestry of Norwegian history.

• Learn the stories behind traditional handmade knitwear: who made it, the lives they lived, and where and how it was used
• Explore techniques including stripes, blocks, lice, ribbing, cabling, and more
• Adapt reimagined designs to your own style—pullover or cardigan, buttons or zipper, scoop neck or boat neck, in any combination

A kid-friendly introduction to safe and proper horse care from the best in the business.

Whether taking their first lessons, handling horses when visiting friends, or enjoying the challenges of first-pony ownership, children need to learn more than just “how to ride.” When it comes to horses, the most important lessons begin on the ground, not only to keep all involved safe, but also to ensure the fair and proper care of the horse so that he remains healthy and happy. This highly illustrated, easy-to-use book is the most complete and correct guide available for horse-crazy kids and their families to learn basic horsemanship standards and responsibly apply them in the barn, in the arena, at home, and at competitions.

Professional grooms and authors of the bestsellers World-Class Grooming for Horses and World-Class Braiding-Manes and Tails, Cat Hill and Emma Ford are both lifelong horsewomen who have managed barns and strings of horses for top riders in all disciplines, including Olympians and World Champions. They travel the country teaching clinics in proper horsemanship and grooming to aspiring young riders. Now they have put their wealth of experience in these pages with over 700 professional color photos and clear, numbered steps that teach readers:

• Catching, leading, and handling
• Daily grooming
• Tacking up
• Post-riding or lesson care
• Tack cleaning
• Barn chores
• Packing for shows and competitions
• Bathing, clipping, and braiding
• And more!

With cool tips and tricks they've learned over the years, and an emphasis on safety and detail without detracting from the fun of being around horses, Hill and Ford have created an instant classic—a much-needed resource that will not only encourage young readers to become complete “horse people” as well as “riders,” it will preserve and pass along the management skills honed over a lifetime in barns held to the highest standards. Hands down, this book is the must-have starter kit for every young rider. Ages 8-12.

A highly illustrated guide to the most effective and beneficial stretches for horses.

Stretching is a necessary part of any athlete’s exercise and maintenance routine. Long recognized to promote flexibility and prevent injury in humans, stretching can bring the same benefits to horses when made part of their daily care. This illustrated handbook makes it easy for riders and owners to include simple exercises that improve performance and increase longevity in their usual training schedule.

Optimal equine performance requires strength, flexibility, coordination, and resilience. The practice of stretching makes it possible to develop and maintain all these elements in harmony. It also provides valuable transition time from hours that may have been spent in a stall to the gymnastic expectations we have for horses under saddle: rhythm and elasticity of the gaits, willingness to go forward, beautiful and dynamic movement, reliability and surefootedness, and more.

With clear descriptions of the anatomical and physiological principles of stretching, readers gain an understanding of the exercises that may be best for their horses and disciplines in mind. Then, detailed instructions are provided explaining:

• Simple, quick-to-do joint and muscle evaluations.
• Stretches targeting specific muscle groups.
• Stretches to promote suppleness and relaxation.
• Stretches to warm up and prepare for work.
• Stretches for cool down and recovery.

Color photographs demonstrate evaluations and stretches step-by-step, supplemented by detailed explanations of what you may discover in your horse’s reactions. Perhaps best of all, readers are provided a therapeutic reason for more hands-on time with their horses, and new ways to listen to him, to understand him, and to ultimately improve his well-being and performance.

Maja Karlsson—an experienced and beloved knit designer, and the author of Traditional Swedish Knitting Patterns and Maja's Swedish Mittens—is back with an all-new selection of toe-tapping socks you won't be able to resist! Knitting socks is fun and fast, and there's no limit to the possibilities: from easy single-color socks that keep it simple for beginners to beautifully complex designs for the sock veteran, there's something in this collection for everyone. Kick-start your sock skills with technical tips to help with shaping and finishing; follow along with step-by-step instructions and charts; and fall in love with Maja's endlessly inspirational designs, drawing from the natural world, traditional motifs, and the deeply-rooted cultural history of Sweden.

• Socks for multiple skill levels, in a wide variety of colors and styles
• Easy-to-follow tips and explanations of sock-knitting techniques
• Gorgeous full-color photographs brimming over with inspiration for the sock-loving knitter

An innovative and easy-to-use application of Pilates principles to the training, conditioning, and rehabilitation of horses.

This highly illustrated how-to manual provides a clear guide to new ways of thinking about how to prevent injury in the horse, and when injuries do happen, to help the horse's body recover in a mindful and safe way.

As a Pilates teacher for humans, horsewoman and eventer Laura Reiman has seen first-hand how consistent, quality exercise can ward off strain and injury, as well as heal. When her young horse was diagnosed with extreme back pain and a neurological disease, she turned to her knowledge of Pilates—the method she'd used to ease back pain in human clients for years—for help. She began to find ways to “bridge the gap” between the horse's mind and body to help increase his body awareness and core engagement.

The result is a cohesive series of original exercises that can be taken in parts or as a whole and seamlessly incorporated into an existing training program to be a:

• Preventive tool to increase the horse's strength, balance, mobility, and stability.
• Framework for a new program to help ease a horse back into work following an injury or time off.

Readers will find chapters dedicated to:

• Observation–Basic anatomy and how to “know” your horse's body and movement.
• Stretching–Including incentive, supported static hold, and dynamic mobilization stretches.
• Core work–Such as the cat stretch and bridging.
• In-hand strengthening work–With exercises like criss-cross and ground pole progressions.
• Exercises on the longe line–Transitions, bending, and spiraling.
• Lessons under saddle–Gymnastics, hillwork, basic dressage, and tips for a successful warm-up.
• Alternative bodywork–Temperature therapy, massage, stability pads, bands, and more.

Pilates for Horses is an ideal instructional guide for all riders and trainers looking to build and maintain a solid foundation of strength and comfort for their horses.

The centuries-old art of Fair Isle knitting evolved on the Shetland Islands, inspired by colors and forms found in nature, for a distinctive look that’s instantly recognizable. Now, Carina Olsson, one of Sweden’s leading experts in Fair Isle knitting, is here to guide you through this technique’s fundamental principles: how to choose and combine colors in vivid, organic palettes, with over 20 sample patterns for sweaters, mittens, hats, and gloves, ready to adapt to your favorite motifs—plus inspiration and instructions for designing a Fair Isle sweater of your own.

Inside, you’ll find:

• 22 designs for garments and accessories, with pattern panels of varying size and complexity
• A pattern library of traditional motifs ranging from edgings for cuffs and necklines to classic Nordic stars and eight-petaled roses
• Technical tips and easy-to-follow explanations to help you decide how to arrange Fair Isle patterns, understand what ribbing and texture will do to the overall look of a design, and use colors and contrast to their maximum effect

Everything you know about riding and the horse’s movement isn’t what you think it is! Did you know that:

In these pages, physical therapist and equine movement specialist Stefan Stammer uses a startlingly unique collection of color illustrations to make movement patterns in the horse visible to the human eye, in order to help riders better understand the principles of energy and motion happening within the horse. By forming new mental images for the rider, Stammer’s goal is to profoundly impact the rider’s daily work with her horse so that it is harder for her to make common mistakes or interfere with the horse’s natural mechanisms.

With his hind end as his engine, the horse generates kinetic energy (the energy his body possesses due to its motion). For optimal movement and performance, this energy should flow through the horse’s body to the horse’s mouth, where it is fine-tuned with the rein aids before cycling back to the hind end. However, this movement flow is often unintentionally disrupted on its way through the horse by the rider. When, however, the cycle of kinetic energy within the horse is supported through the correct understanding and application of biomechanics—the mechanical laws relating to his and his rider’s movement and structure—the outer shape of horse and rider together achieve “positive tension.” This is the rhythmic stimulation of all the neuromuscular functions necessary to perform harmoniously and at peak ability.

Most importantly, once the rider understands the basic principles of the biomechanics of a horse in movement, her “feeling” in the saddle will improve. Better “feel” is an integral building block for the small and subtle steps of progress, which should accompany a rider for her entire life with horses. This smart, fascinatingly composed book is for any horseperson looking to limit riding and training mistakes, grow an understanding of how the horse best functions, and optimize equineability and performance.

A wealth of stylish patterns, inspired by the textile history of Norway.

One of the oldest textile factories in Norway, Salhus Tricotagefabrik (1859-1989) operated outside Bergen for over 130 years, producing thousands of sweaters and other durable everyday clothes such as wool and cotton underwear and woolen socks. The technical limitations of the knitting machines of the day gave rise to timeless geometric motifs with strikingly distinctive features―motifs which inspired some of Norway’s best-loved knit designers to come together and create this striking collection of all-new contemporary handknit garments, now translated into English for the first time.

• A detailed introduction to Salhus Tricotagefabrik
• Sweaters, jackets, skirts, home décor, and more, for children and adults
• The best of both worlds: bold, dynamic, fashionably retro designs, and flattering contemporary shaping and cut!
• Full-color photographs and step-by-step instructions, with patterns that include both complex finishing for veterans and simpler raglan shaping
• Featuring designs from Birger Berge, Kristin Wiola Ødegård, Siv Dyvik, Berit Løkken, and others

Engaging new ways to understand and implement time-proven systems of horse training. 

The “Scales of Training,” “Training Scale,” and “Training Pyramid” are familiar terms to riders. Around the globe and across disciplines, equestrians hear reference to them or study them as a part of their equestrian education. Dressage rider and trainer Sue Grice grew up with these concepts, too, and like many, found them to be not only fairly boring, but also confusing when it came to actually implementing them as part of daily training. In the course of her work with other riders, she came to realize that although many seemed to know about the Scales of Training in theory, few actually applied them in practice. Grice determined that this was because there was really no clear framework or methodology for implementing the system in a progressive manner. 

So Grice conceived a new approach based on the standard but with a focus on a better rate of success. Success could be achieved when the rider was engaged with the system and understood how to continually adhere to it, even as advances (or falters) might occur. For over 30 years she has continued to develop and apply her ideas, and now she has finally brought them together to share with the world in this book. 

Here readers find a detailed plan for applying what Grice calls the “Training Spiral.” She does not try to rewrite what history has shown to work in the development of the riding horse, but instead simply provides a fresh framework that enables riders and trainers to: 

• Apply the classical elements of the Training Scale in a more progressive and logical manner, and,

• Employ them systematically within daily training as well as over a longer period of time. 

Grice provides clear explanations of how to use each of the six elements (Rhythm, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, and Collection), how the elements are to be used in order, and what can go wrong if they are applied in the wrong order. Clear examples are given at all levels of training, and detailed case studies demonstrate how the Training Spiral can succeed where traditional systems have failed. The spiral structure provides a means of applying the Scales of Training in practice that is not just logical but also extremely easy to follow. The clarity of Grice’s approach also helps horses understand what is being asked of them, leading to a happier relationships between horses and riders, and training that progresses more quickly and easily overall. 

The Training Spiral is an invaluable and immensely practical guide for trainers and riders at all levels, from novice to advanced. 

The only complete reference explaining classical arena tracks and how to use them. 

Rider and trainer Christian Baier has been educated in horses and equitation all over the world. In his work to develop an international rider and trainer education and certification system, he realized the equestrian lexicon lacked a practical reference that brought all the classical “arena tracks”—patterns and figures used in training the horse in a schooling area—together in a simple way that is easy to understand. The arena tracks guide the rider in how to safely work the horse within a specific space in an organized way. They are also an integral tool in the conscientious trainer’s development of the horse’s body and conditioning. For the instructor, arena tracks are an important tool for communicating with the student. 

Ultimately, these classical tracks are at the foundation of everything we do in an arena with a horse, from the beginner rider just off the longe line, learning basic navigation around the ring, to the most experienced rider working a horse at the highest level of international competition. Even jumping courses consist of a combination (or variation) of arena tracks strung together from start to finish marker! 

In these pages readers not only find handy quick-reference sections on the correct arena tracks for training and riding, but also a unique collection of over 50 select exercises for using them in the development of a sport horse on the flat and over fences. Putting the arena tracks into practice is the basis for correct systematic training and education in both dressage and jumping. Baier shows the reader exactly how, with distinct sections devoted to clear illustrations of where to go and fundamental explanations for what to do. Progression in ability and understanding of both horse and rider is the goal, with tracks featured from simple to most complex, and the sections dedicated to cavalletti and jumping moving from the very first time riding over a pole to advanced exercises and courses at a very high level. 

The exercises shared in this book, used in combination with a working knowledge and understanding of the classical arena tracks, can lead to huge leaps in the growth and advancement of horse and rider—sometimes even after years of feeling “stuck.” Arena Tracks is a fabulous reference for all riders to keep in the barn and for any instructor dedicated to teaching the classical art of riding, as well as being a much-needed learning tool for equestrian federations, associations, and schools worldwide. 

TAKE YOUR KNITTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Domino knitting has taken the crafting world by storm, with its flexible modular structure—easy-to-join squares, combined and recombined—and boundless design potential. Now, Vivian Høxbro, a Danish knitting expert with decades of design experience, takes the principles of domino knitting and applies them anew, with striking, dynamic results.

Dive into quick, straightforward lessons for knitting endlessly adaptable design elements, one for each of eight classic, fundamental shapes that can be worked in repeating rows to create just about anything. From stripes to squares, circles to shells, learn the basic shaping technique with a practice swatch, and then test your skills with dramatic designs, including jackets, vests, shawls, scarves, pillow covers, and more! Includes step-by-step instructions for each fundamental shape, with accompanying full-color photographs.

Kari Hestnes has been a knit designer for almost 40 years—and she's a perennial fan favorite for her focus on gorgeous details and stunning embellishment, her flattering garment shaping, and her playful, vivid use of color. Now, she's revisited those four decades of challenging and endlessly rewarding work in order to bring together the best of the best, in one extraordinary collection: classic cabling, dynamic textures, and brilliant multicolor patterns for sweaters, cardigans, and tops, all featuring Hestnes's inimitable style and characteristic aesthetic flourishes.

• Patterns using a variety of techniques and design elements, with instructions included for a minimum of five sizes
• Full-color photographs of each project—plus additional nature photos were taken by Kari herself
• Decades of timeless design inspiration, now available in English for the first time

Renowned weaving expert Tina Ignell (Favorite Scandinavian Projects to Weave, Favorite Rag Rugs, Simple Weaves) turns her attention to the deceptively simple and endlessly adaptable category of plain weaves, in this exhaustive overview of techniques, sample projects, and inspirational possibilities. Combine a wide variety of materials, setts, beats, and other effects with just two shafts—though sometimes four is preferred for the sake of space—and you'll be astounded by the technical complexity, visual and textural effects, and stunning pattern styles you can achieve.

• Project photographs as close to "actual size" as possible, to allow a true-to-life look at pattern structure and threading
• Descriptions, instructions, and tips for dyeing, finishing, specialty techniques—everything necessary to master plain weave from start to finish
• Variations including open rep with weft showing, using a fan reed, weaving in pleats and other textures, ikat and other patterned dyeing techniques, knotted paper yarn, and more

The must-have reference for effective and responsible shoeing for the good of the horse.

All horses have four hooves that are integral to their overall health, their athletic ability, and ultimately, their longevity, whether their “job” is simply grazing in a pasture or competing at the highest levels. But not all horses are the same—the individual needs of each horse require an understanding of responsible, informed hoofcare on the part of the owner, rider, or trainer. This highly illustrated guide by one of the world’s leading minds in the area of farriery provides an unparalleled look at advances in shoeing and general hoof maintenance, with the goal of helping owners to comprehend the “whys” of certain choices, recognize variations in shoeing options, and become better consumers of horse shoes and horseshoeing all around.

Steve Kraus, Head of Farrier Services at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and instructor at the Cornell Farrier School, is uniquely qualified to provide a varied and thorough exploration of hoof-related topics, including: 

• Equine conformation—how to assess it in relation to soundness and performance, and how farriers use it to guide shoeing choices.
• To shoe or not to shoe? Using sense and science to analyze which horses are better served with shoes and which may be comfortable and healthy barefoot.
• Types of horseshoes and traction devices, modification devices, adhesives, materials, and more.
• Shoe loss—why it happens and how to prevent it.
• Farrier training—where and how it happens, how to find a good one and what you should expect.
• Horse handling for shoeing—how to prepare your horse and yourself.
• The future of farriery with 3D printing.
• And so much more.

 With plenty of “adventures from the road” and lessons learned during his years of shoeing horses professionally, Kraus provides a guide that is not only massive in value, it’s entertaining, to boot. An excellent resource for all serious horse people who wish to keep their horses comfortable and performing their very best while making informed decisions and having intelligent conversations with hoofcare professionals.

Granny squares are a crochet classic for a reason: they're colorful, quick to work, and fun to make! But the true potential of these dependable design standbys comes in the infinite possibilities offered by their patterning—and the manner in which they're combined. Here, Swedish crochet innovator and graphic designer Maria Gullberg explores a whole new side to the familiar squares, demonstrating how to create fresh, exciting projects by working and joining grannies in clever new ways to form fascinating textures, eye-catching color effects, and more!

• Step-by-step instruction in stitches from foundation chain to treble crochet.
• Guidance in where and how to swap colors as you work.
• Tips and techniques for working, finishing, and joining granny squares.
• Dozens of adaptable and brilliantly patterned designs that create compelling, dramatic visual effects.

The Textile Museum in Blönduós in northern Iceland houses a unique and fascinating collection of handknit Icelandic mittens, dating back centuries. Now, Guðrun Hannele Hentinnen, an expert with a degree in textile studies—and the owner of a yarn shop located in Reykjavík—has reconstructed patterns and charts based on those historical examples, and breathed new life into a stunning selection of mittens and gloves for the modern knitter.

From design concept to choice of materials, draft and tie-up to completed weave, understand the ins and outs of modern handweaving, guided by experts in the craft. Arianna Funk and Miriam Parkman are professional weavers, textile artists, and teachers, and with the help of sketching prompts to spark creativity and sample weaving drafts, they explore the process of developing a weave from beginning to end—whether you want a sturdy, utilitarian textile or a decorative hanging for the wall, or anything in between—and give all weavers the tools and the confidence to weave their way.

Bring joy, color, and style into your life with this exceptional collection! Celebrated designer Bente Presterud took a deep dive into the comprehensive pattern archives of Rauma Garn, a respected Norwegian yarn company founded in 1927; she chose dozens of her best finds to form this curated compilation. Featuring fashionable, comfortable, visually striking garments and accessories of all shapes and sizes, this selection of the best of Rauma's decades-deep treasure trove is creative inspiration no knitter should be without.

Eight equestrian-specific workouts to suit any rider's body, age, ability, and schedule.

It is no secret that riders often neglect their own needs in order to ensure their horses' are met. Countless dollars go toward massages, chiropractic work, and various other therapies that keep our equines comfortable and performing their best. We carefully schedule their training programs to achieve peak fitness at just the right time, and we juggle our personal lives—careers, family, you name it—around it all. But horse sports are a partnership, and if we want our horses to be at their best, then we have to be at ours, and that means paying careful attention to our own athletic bodies. Most riders argue they simply don't have the time to work out and still give their horses the time they need, so certified personal trainer Laura Crump Anderson has written a book that specifically targets the ever-present dilemma of how to fit fitness into a horse-crazy lifestyle.

Beginning with explanations of why strength, flexibility, and balance is important to achieve out of the tack, Anderson provides important rules and guidelines for stretching, weight training, and cardio to keep you safe. A lifelong equestrian herself, she then approaches the scheduling issue head-on, helping readers determine where best to fit in the minutes they need in the places they need to be anyway—the tack room, the arena, the barn aisle. Using only basic items you are likely to find around the stable, she keeps equipment needs straightforward, recognizing that the less likely it is you forget something, the more likely it is you'll get that workout in.

Readers are then treated to eight original fitness routines and two stretching routines. Full color photographs of top riders, including Jan Byyny, Sloane Coles, Kaitlin Clasing, Lauren Sprieser, and Sharon White, and USEA Groom of the Year Rachael Livermore demonstrate how to perform exercises effectively, and step-by-step instructions ensure you get it right.

Anne Bårdsgård grew up in Selbu, and has always had a close relationship with her hometown and its rich knitting history—her relentless interest in the traditional mittens that made Selbu famous worldwide became the groundwork for her first book, the stunning all-in-one historical reference, design compendium, and mitten pattern guide Selbu Mittens. Now, she's delved into the wider realm of sweaters, cardigans, socks, and hats, with this companion collection: over 450 motifs that can be adapted and combined using any of the foundational garment patterns included, based on extensive and thorough documentation of photographs, drawings, and preserved samples of historical knitted items from Selbu. The result is a unique and unequaled look into the traditional knitting culture of the Selbu region—and an endlessly inspiring pattern resource.

• Dive into a comprehensive survey of decades of design work by professional knitters whose work was exported and sold worldwide
• Choose from among the basic patterns for multiple garment types, and pick your favorite motifs from a carefully organized library of hundreds
• Embrace the local knitting tradition that sparked an entire home industry, with a pattern reference guide unlike any other

Designer and weaving expert Åsa Pärson and professional textile curator Amica Sundström have come together to create the modern reference book that weavers worldwide have always longed for—both inspiration and essential guidebook, for the novice and the experienced weaver alike, filled with engaging sample projects, in-depth discussions of techniques and materials, review of cloth textures and types, and explanations of weaving methods and levels of quality.

• Try out sample projects ranging from the elegantly simple to the increasingly complex, covering a wide range of weaving techniques
• Understand the principles behind the arrangement and preparation of the loom
• Learn about weaving tools of all shapes and sizes, and how to use them
• Discover the differences between various fibers and fabric types, and their looks, feels, and visual effects
• And so much more!

An exciting follow-up from the bestselling author of How Good Riders Get Good and Know Better to Do Better.

We all start somewhere with horses. As a toddler on a pony. As a teenager with friends who ride. As an adult who always loved horses, but life just got in the way…until now.

Some of us start over. We sell our horses to go to school, to have careers or babies (or both). We decide to quit dressage and start reining. We fall off…and get back on.

There are all sorts of beginning places, and they can be for the first time or after a “gap.” They can mean you are beginning, or your horse is. They can mean you barely got started, or you started badly. Renowned horseman Denny Emerson knows all about the importance of these beginnings. Through an impressive career in the saddle that spans decades, he has worked with all different breeds, competed at the top international levels of eventing and endurance, lost horses and found new ones, taught young riders and adult amateurs, traded Western tack for English and back again, been injured…only to rehab, climb back in the saddle, and start over.

In his third book, Emerson once again masterfully intertwines his entertaining reflections from a life embedded in the equestrian world with serious philosophical questions faced by the industry today and practical advice honed by his immense experience. Readers will discover:

• How to make your beginning with horses easier…and how to make it harder.

• How having the right horse versus having the wrong horse can affect a beginning…or mean you should begin again.

• The importance of a team (family, friends, trainers, coaches) you trust and rely upon.

• Ways to identify how you learn, see, hear, and feel, and how to apply that knowledge with horses.

• The need for knowing how far you want to go and how much are you willing to give up to go there.

With inspirational stories of beginning and beginning again from top equestrians, as well as personal reflections from “regular” horse people around the world, these pages promise to inspire a start or a change, and provide a roadmap we all can follow, whatever our ambitions. Emerson reassures us that it doesn’t matter where your beginning point is—start where you are. And, even better, there is a do-over button—you just have to decide to push it. This book is for every horse person who continues to dream of something else or something more, and just needs someone to say: “Begin.”

Dozens of knitting patterns for sleeping and swaddling from a Norwegian designer.

In so many ways, handknit blankets are the perfect projects: They can welcome newborns to the world, settle tired toddlers down for afternoon naps, or just let busy parents know you're thinking of them. This comprehensive collection of soft, sweet patterns is a wonderful place to find inspiration. With dozens of designs—ranging in size from snuggly cuddle bags to complete child-sized bedspreads, and including a variety of colors, styles, and difficulty levels—there's something here to offer every family warmth and comfort.

Birger Berge is a study in apparent contradictions: he's a trained historian ... and an Instagram star—a trend-setting contemporary knitter ... who's deeply passionate about traditional patterns and their origins. Berge learned to knit as a child from his mother and grandmother, and for him handcrafts have become a source of comfort and creative energy, and a well of endless inspiration. Now, he combines his own distinctly modern style, a love of contrasts and dynamic color combinations, and the classic beauty of Norwegian patterning in a collection of gorgeous knitwear designs freshly adapted for an American knitting audience.

• Eye-catching and varied knitting projects, including sweaters, cardigans, scarves, hats, mittens, and home décor and accessories
• Striking, wearable garments for women and men, featuring timeless motifs in vivid colors and compelling combinations
• Beautiful full-color photographs, easy-to-read charts—and Birger Berge's characteristic attention to detail and flair for composition, indulged to the fullest

Nina Granlund Sæther has captivated knitters intrigued by the textile history of Norway, with deep dives into the rich pattern traditions for both mitten- and sock-knitting that have formed in various regions of the country. Now she expands her scope to knitwear of all kinds, including shawls, sweaters, cardigans, hats, and more, in this brand-new collection. With her trademark attention to detail and patience for painstaking reproduction of knitted patterns, based on archival photographs and examples preserved in museum collections, Nina guides readers through the history and origins of each design, in a fascinating step-by-step tour of Norwegian knitting tradition no knitter should be without.

Inside, you'll find:

• A wide variety of styles and techniques, including colorwork, relief stitch, openwork, cabling, and more
• Adaptable patterns for men and women in sizes from S to XXL
• Tips and tricks covering multiple knitting skills, including working in multiple colors, finishing necklines and sweater edges, and picking up and completing thumbs and heels
• A deeper understanding of Scandinavian knitting history—and of the living cultural traditions that follow in its footsteps today

Over 30 exquisitely adapted patterns from the timeless Norwegian classic by Annichen Sibbern Bøhn. A fully translated facsimile edition of the original 1929 book is included within this lovely package!

Contemporary style and fresh modern colors meet classic Norwegian knitting patterns in this magnificent collection! Annichen Sibbern Bøhn's timeless and beloved Norwegian Knitting Patterns, first published in 1929, has been a guiding light and a source of inspiration for knitters around the world for decades—and now, working from Bøhn's original set of charts, knit designer Wenche Roald has created brilliant, vividly rejuvenated patterns for everything from wrist warmers to sweaters, mittens to baby blankets, for children and adults.

But that's not all: included in a slip pocket at the rear of the book is a fully translated facsimile edition of Annichen Sibbern Bøhn's 1929 classic. It includes the original foreword and introduction, and all of Bøhn's pattern charts and black-and-white photographs as they first appeared.

Dive in and explore as what's old is made new again, in a stunning pattern compendium no knitter should be without!

Swedish knitting phenom Ivar Asplund learned how to work cables from his grandmother and was smitten right away—such marvelously intricate designs, and yet at their heart the underlying principles were so simple. A few stitches trading places here and there, and suddenly flowing braids, interwoven figures of eight, or classic x-and-o patterns came to life before his eyes.

In this compelling collection, available for the first time in English with US terminology and measurements, Asplund invites knitters to join him in exploring the possibilities, combining his grandmother's well-loved lessons in time-tested cabling techniques with the exquisite simplicity of modern Scandinavian style:

• Over 20 projects, ranging from sweaters, cardigans, and ponchos to scarves, wrist warmers, and hats–for children and adults.
• Attractive patterns showing off a balance of historic and modern elements, designed for superior fit.
• Step-by-step pattern instructions to guide novice cablers through straightforward reversible projects and eye-catching cable repeats.
• Larger, more complex garments with multiple cable patterns to let veterans test their skills.
• A tutorial section that explains the fundamentals of working and combining cables in any design to achieve a variety of striking effects.

From playing with plastic ponies and taking their first riding lessons, to finding success in the arena, thousands of horse lovers hope they can one day represent the United States in international competition. Riding for the Team chronicles the lives of those who dreamed about competing for their country and “made it,” sharing inspirational stories from the international governing organization’s eight equestrian disciplines:

• show jumping
• dressage
• eventing
• driving
• vaulting
• reining
• endurance
• para-dressage

Readers are immersed in the fascinating histories of the medal-winning riders, drivers, and vaulters who have dominated American equestrian sport over the past 28 years, such as:

• McLain Ward
• Karen O’Connor
• Debbie McDonald
• Tim McQuay

Get the inside scoop on legendary horses who have become household names, including:

• Flexible
• Biko
• Verdades
• Gunners Special Nite

Offering exclusive insights, Riding for the Team gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of top-level equestrian sport. Athletes tell their stories and those of their horses during the years they honed their talent and dedicated their lives to representing their country in the Olympics, World Equestrian Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games. Beautifully illustrated with breathtaking photographs from prestigious competitions held around the world, Riding for the Team not only provides a dazzling record of American equestrian accomplishment, it promises to inspire the next generation of champions.

The classic elegance of lace knitting is undeniably eye-catching—and daunting, at first glance! But now, Denise Samson, popular Scandinavian designer and author of Ponchos to Knit and The Cable Knitter's Guide, is back with an all-new helpful handbook perfect for crafters who want to take their knitting to the next level. Translated from the original Norwegian for the first time and adapted for an American knitting audience, with sample swatches photographed in full color and easy-to-read charts, this indispensable guide puts the beauty and intricacy of lace knitting and openwork at your fingertips.

• Dive into the history behind stunning lace knitting techniques.
• Review the fundamentals of chart-reading, blocking, and choosing your tools and materials.
• Discover 40 openwork patterns, introduced to you step-by-step.
• Explore full-color photographs, charts, and instructions that guide you from the deceptively simple to the beautifully intricate.
• Exercise your newfound mastery with 30 gorgeous designs for garments, accessories, and furnishings―from socks, scarves, and hats to napkins, pillows, and coverlets.

In this highly illustrated book, equine physical therapy expert Helle Katrine Kleven begins with a comprehensible introduction to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, as well as an instructive conversation covering biomechanics basics, then explores the major areas of physical therapy in detail.

Readers will find practical how-to guidance in the most popular therapeutic modalities, as well as cutting-edge alternatives that are currently gaining ground:

• Fascia work
• Stretching
• Massage
• Stability and strengthening exercises
• Laser therapy
• Kinesiotaping
• And much more.

With this incredible course in preventive and rehabilitative techniques, horse owners and professionals will be thoroughly prepared to ensure their horses’ comfort and well-being. The book includes:

• Over 300 color photos and illustrations.
• Facts and tips in easy-to-read callouts throughout.
• A section on preventive measures to stop problems before they start.
• Handy anatomical guides to the equine skeleton, muscle layers, and fascia.

Single-color relief-stitch patterns in a rare and singular Scandinavian style. 

From a little-known chapter of knitting history comes the Danish “night sweater”—part of women's traditional dress in the 1800s, these sweaters have long been overlooked in surveys of Scandinavian handcrafting and design. But now celebrated Danish knitting expert Vivian Høxbro has brought together diligent research, comprehensive charts, and her own painstaking efforts to reconstruct these carefully-preserved garments to create a unique collection of single-color relief patterns. Knitted, purled, and crossed stitches form hundreds of classic star motifs, edgings, horizontal and vertical pattern panels, and striking “traveling stitch” designs—with descriptions, explanations, and instructions now available in English for the first time. 

• Learn the history of night sweaters in Denmark, with a rundown of special techniques and regional knitting practices.

• Dive into a neatly-organized library of 200 charts for motifs of all kinds.

• Follow step-by-step instructions as you reconstruct traditional Danish sweaters in contemporary sizes.

• Work traditionally-inspired patterns for a stole, top, tunic, and more.

• Or use these motifs, edgings, and decorative panels in projects of your own design.

The ultimate compendium for any Norwegian mitten enthusiast, this gorgeous and inspiring resource was produced in conjunction with a one-of-a-kind exhibition of gloves and mittens from Selbu at the Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum. A thoroughly researched and illustrated account of the rich history of Selbu patterning—instantly recognizable for its dramatic contrasts and intricate motifs—covers the development of the designs themselves, and the essential role these knitted accessories have played in the cultural and economic development of the Selbu region. Then, dive into pages upon pages of over 500 colorwork charts, organized according to the source of their inspiration, from classic stars, snowflakes, and flowers to elk, spiders, and coffee beans. Complete patterns are included for 35 mittens and gloves from the original museum collection, accompanied by short biographies of the original designers—or choose from an overflowing selection of motifs for palms, thumbs, cuffs, and even patterned edging techniques for joining around the hand, to create endlessly fascinating combinations.

Every equestrian wants to know: what is the difference between the horse that “dances” when you are on him, and the one that doesn’t? According to Visconte Simon Cocozza, Trainer and Examiner for the La Fédération Française d'Equitation (FFE), it all comes down to the horse’s posture.

The horse’s ability to use the powerful mechanisms already built into his body relies not upon the strength we can see on the outside but the strength on the inside. This invisible and complex arrangement of internal “core” muscles control the horse’s posture, suppleness, and agility. Their good condition is the key to the dance.

Equine core muscles are very difficult to isolate with the traditional training techniques common to horse sports. However, by examining what we do with the human body when faced with a weak core, we can find new methods for conditioning these areas of the equine body. Cocozza has taken principles of the human practice of yoga and used them to develop novel ways of reaching deep within the horse’s body and:

• Gently “unlock” areas that may be a little “rusty.”
• Improve core fitness.
• And even relieve pain related to conditions such as kissing spine.

In this highly illustrated book, he provides step-by-step instruction explaining easy mounted exercises that enhance the horse’s posture, and boost his confidence in his body and movement, making him easier to ride, and ultimately, the dance partner you’ve always imagined.

When a horse or pony is still in the future and not in the barn outside, learning about how to ride and care for him is the next best thing! Horse Fun is for all horse-crazy kids, whether they ride “now” or “not yet,” combining real horse knowledge with super-fun games, quizzes, crafts, and activities.

• Readers go to “riding school” and learn the basics of horse care and equitation.
• They can test themselves and their friends with equine trivia.
• Easy-to-follow instructions show how to make tote bags, picture frames, dream catchers, jewelry, and hobby horses to compete in hobby horse shows!
• Plus, kids can follow along with Maxi, a horse-crazy kid just like them, who shares her thoughts in a journal throughout the book.
• Includes hundreds of color photos and illustrations by renowned Manga artist Anika Hage.

Having horses in your life is joyful, enriching, exciting…and FUN. That's why Horse Fun is the perfect book for both those who love to saddle up.

Expert knitters—and longtime dog enthusiasts—Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne are famous for knowing exactly what to give dog lovers who knit, which we all discovered in their bestselling book Knit Your Own Dog. Now, they’re back with even more ways to knit a new best friend, or show the world the kind of canine pal you favor. Dogs on Sweaters features patterns for 18 popular dog breeds, as well as designs for comfortable, stylish sweaters that are perfect for featuring them. And don’t worry if your pup is a rare breed or a delightful mutt—Muir and Osborne have you covered, providing instructions for customizing a dog pattern all your own.

• Projects can be shaped and styled to suit men, women, and children.
• Add words, initials, or your favorite dog’s name!
• Work dog-adorned accessories like hats and scarves, a baby blanket, and even a charming dog coat.
• Choose from patterns for Labradors, Beagles, Dalmatians, Pugs, Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas, Labradoodles, Jack Russells, Border Collies, West Highland Terriers, Dachshunds, and more!
• Or learn how to adapt whichever pattern comes closest to suit your four-legged best friend.

Over the course of her riding and horse training career, Kathrin Roida has progressively gained a deep appreciation for the benefits of gymnastic exercises, particularly those that can be taught to the horse from the ground. “In-hand” training has long been used to help develop the dressage horse, conditioning and suppling his body while at the same time preparing his mind to grasp the movements that may eventually be expected.

Roida relies on these techniques when working with young horses, which she prepares for under-saddle training with exercises first learned on the ground, improving balance and enhancing confidence by refining the horse’s sense of his body and where it is in space. Roida also uses in-hand techniques to vary the training of the fully schooled riding horse and to solve problems that may be more safely dealt with from the ground. In this book she details her methods, sharing the stories of a number of horses of different ages, breeds, and training backgrounds, and demonstrating the steps to teaching them:

• shoulder-in
• travers
• renvers
• pirouettes
• half-pass
• piaffe & passage
• canter work
• the Spanish walk

Throughout her conscientious attention to what is best for the horse ensures that not only do the lessons result in a horse that is healthy in body but also one that is healthy in mind and happy in his work.

Each horse, no matter the riding discipline, benefits from working with cavalletti. Dressage and eventing rider extraordinaire Ingrid Klimke explains how training with ground poles and cavalletti is one of her secrets of success. Cavalletti training improves the gaits; promotes rhythm, suppleness, and cadence; and increases the fitness of your horse. This newly revised guide shows cavalletti work on the longe, provides valuable new ideas specifically for dressage work, and numerous updated diagrams for jumping gymnastics, along with all new color photographs.

Discover the what, the how, and–most importantly–the why of more than 100 dressage movements.

• Color photographs of riders of various levels and on different breeds of horse show how each movement should look when ridden correctly.
• Each movement is clearly defined.
• Explanations include common mistakes and how to avoid them.
• Readers find out the benefits of each exercise and how it contributes to the “bigger picture” of the dressage training scale.

“This book appealed to me,” says gold-medal-winning Olympian Isabell Werth. “Especially important is the emphasis on the meaning of the individual dressage movements within the overall context of a horse’s training. Only the rider who understands why the movements are important and what their purposes are can build a dressage horse systematically. This applies to both the development of the horse's muscles and the development of his mind.”

Throughout, emphasis is placed on the horse as an individual and how it is the rider's responsibility to learn to customize movements and lessons to benefit any horse, with his particular physical and psychological characteristics in mind. Practical and easy-to-follow, this valuable resource provides explanations in seconds that will last a lifetime of rides.

How to achieve the ultimate connection with a horse. 

Within these pages lies an ambitious study of the interplay of mechanisms put in motion when man and horse meet, communicate, and ultimately become one. Dominique Barbier and Dr. Maria Katsamanis examine how "lightness" is generated, using the simple and elegant basics of the universe—atoms and molecules—which exist all around us. Scientific findings and theoretical underpinnings allow us to better understand how lightness with a horse occurs—and how to harness it.

Discover practical guideposts for the mechanics of "riding in lightness," including:

• Five common misconceptions about riding and horses
• Seven keys to meeting the challenges we so often face when working with horses
• Four elements necessary to ensuring the horse's comfort and willingness to join us in"the dance"

What does the horse feel when a rider is crooked in the saddle? What is it like to go faster or slower, to round curves and travel straight, with an unbalanced load to carry? What goes through the horse's mind when he is over-flexed and over-aided...when he is forced into biomechanically unsound positions? What happens when a prey animal (the horse) must learn to defeat his own preservation instinct and perform on cue with a predator (humankind) clinging to his back?

In this important book, Dr. Ulrike Thiel—a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, sport psychologist, dressage rider, riding instructor, judge, and Xenophon Society classical trainer—examines these important questions, and others. With the use of exercises and astute comparisons, Thiel gives readers an eye-opening tour of the realm of the ridden dressage horse, ensuring we all work to make the job of "being ridden" part of a mutual pursuit—a dance involving two engaged and caring partners, a friendship binding mind and body.

Safe and easy lessons in natural horsemanship for kids ages 6-10!

How do horses “talk” to each other? How do they “talk” to you? How can you “talk” back? Horse trainers Andrea and Markus Eschbach have created easy lessons in “horse speak” for horse-crazy kids. Inside this bright, colorfully illustrated book, find:

• Dozens of pictures that explain the basics of horse body language and how to “talk back” in a way horses understand, using body movement, expression, and physical distance.

• An introduction to easy groundwork exercises kids can do to learn to read a horse’s body language.

• Instructions in how children can use their own posture and movement to ask a horse to go forward, stop, turn, and follow.

• An illustrated dictionary of common horse body signals to help get kids started.

With a focus on groundwork that is safe and fun for children, this bestselling book offers a one-of-a-kind introduction to the keys to natural horsemanship and how good communication can keep you safe in everything you do with your horse. An ideal primer for youngsters interested in working with and riding horses, and their parents.

True liberty, says Jonathan Field, is much more than simply removing equipment and stepping outside the pen or arena: It is moving with your horse, communicating only with intention, and creating a seamless, smooth, and rhythmic dance. "When you do liberty right, you become one with the herd," he writes. "And not only do you develop an amazing connection with your horse, but it's one of the most fun things you will ever do."

Developing communication skills and your relationship with your horse through liberty benefits all that you do, whether on the ground or in the saddle, whether competing or riding for pleasure. Quick responses to subtle cues, clear aids, and a relaxed and attentive horse: These are the keys to liberty, and they are also objectives when you ride, drive, or interact with the horse on the ground around the barn. Liberty, therefore, teaches you to be an all-around better horseman or horsewoman.

With Jonathan Field's step-by-step liberty training method, you learn to have a better "feel," to reward the horse sooner, and to time your aids just right to ensure you get the response you want. Plus, you discover how to approach things from the individual horse's perspective—an important key to getting a horse to act because he wants to, rather than because he has to. Fabulously illustrated with hundreds of action-packed photographs taken on Field's spectacular ranch in British Columbia, this book can change the way you are with horses and change the way horses are around you.

How to best communicate with the horse has long been pondered, studied, and deciphered. From a handler’s body language on the ground to the rider’s use of “aids” (seat, legs, reins) when in the saddle, the ways we convey our wishes to the horse are the essential foundation of the partnership we seek with him. Although the basic aids are taught at the most elementary levels of equitation, renowned classical dressage trainer Sylvia Loch feels that most riders never fully realize how their weight when mounted impacts the horse in hundreds of nuanced ways—both good and bad. Developing an understanding of “weight aids” ensures that riders cultivate better balance and “feel,” ultimately riding with more empathy and a finer connection.

Here, Loch provides an image-driven visual guide that shows how each tiny shift of the rider's weight affects the horse's balance. With the help of dozens of illustrations and fabulous color photographs, she demonstrates the minute changes in rider position that determine a horse’s comprehension of instruction as well as his physical ability to perform. With this book, novice riders will develop a much greater awareness of their own bodies and abilities, as well as those of the horse, from Day One, while more experienced riders will discover new avenues that lead to successful riding performance and fulfilling relationships with their horses.

A proven classic for improving every rider's functionality on horseback. 

5 minutes a day is all the time you need to achieve:
• Better balance in the saddle
• Improved body control from head to toe
• Increased influence with your seat
• Flawless leg position and subtle aiding
• Quieter, softer hands and contact your horse can trust
• Less physical stiffness, tension, and riding-related pain
• Confidence in your ability to communicate with your horse

PLUS, in just 5 minutes you can improve a horse that's:

• Unwilling to go forward or "dead" to the leg
• Hollow-backed, high-headed, or above the bit
• Heavy on the forehand and unbalanced
• A chronic "puller," "leaner," or "head-tosser"

Start or end your riding sessions with Wendy Murdoch's 5-Minute Fixes, and you'll be amazed how quickly you can replace old habits with new ones, get out of your "riding rut," and transform what you can't do to what you can do…naturally, capably, comfortably, and consistently alongside a happy riding partner — your horse.

A devilishly good guide to riding dressage!

Like the classic Seven Deadly Sins, the seven deadly sins of dressage presented in this innovative guide—

• ignorance
• timidity
• pride
• fear
• gluttony
• impatience
• sloth

  wreak havoc on both rider and horse development and training. Calling attention to common mistakes and offering new strategies for avoiding age-old pitfalls, this entertaining and instructive manual addresses the philosophical issues of incorrect dressage training by examining each vice in depth. Using a touch of humor and sound advice, this guide comes complete with practical exercises, enlightening photographs, and useful information for becoming a better rider and person.