The Soul of a Horse - Life Lessons from the Herd

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
 
Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. The recent Dutch immigrant recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up nag and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry’s modest farm on Long Island, he ultimately taught Snowman how to fly. Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping. Their story captured the heart of Cold War–era America—a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. They were the longest of all longshots—and their win was the stuff of legend.

Don’t know a horse’s head from its tail, a trot from a canter, withers from a fetlock? No problem. Coauthored by a medal-winning equestrian and nationally respected equestrian trainer, it tells you what you need to know about that elegant animal, body and soul, to become an accomplished rider. And it trains you in all the technical basics of riding for fun or competition, including how to:

• Find a good stable and instructor
• Select riding gear
• Warm up and keep riding muscles fit
• Establish a rapport with a horse
• Cue a horse to walk, jog, trot, lope, and cantor
• Ride in the ring and on trails
• Improve your balance and timing
• Compete in horse shows
• Buy and care for your own horse

Stop dreaming about it and learn to ride like the wind with Horseback Riding for Dummies—the ultimate beginner’s guide to all things equestrian.

Spooking is the number one email subject that comes to me as an equine problem practitioner from people around the world with horse problems. The number one DVD of my entire inventory people order is my Despooking DVD.

Spooking is the number one horse problem because it is so deeply ingrained in horses. Spooking and horses go together like quacking and ducks.

Spooking is unpredictable and when its unexpectedness or severity catches someone by surprise they get on the net looking for "the cure."

Strangely, spooking catches so many by surprise because most of the horses they see or are around aren't spooking all that much. And then there are those who know horses spook but think it can easily be eliminated with a little desensitization or "sacking out." And then there is the degree of spookiness in the horse - it may be spooked by some things and not other things.

I continually see ads selling or looking for horses that contain the phrase, "Bombproof, child safe." There is no such animal. There are horses who are less spooky than others for whatever reason, but all horses are subject to unexpected reactions.

This ebook is intended to explore the subject of spooking in horses; what it is, it's causes and various techniques used to address it.

This ebook covers a surprisingly unknown despooking technique that takes advantage of the horse's natural herd dynamics of self-preservation rather than item specific desensitization using "flags," plastic sheets, treats or what have you. Herd dynamics despooking takes advantage of the horse's natural instinct rather than an item specific investigation. With herd dynamic despooking we are taking advantage of a concept - when spooked, whatever the reason, look to us for the solution.

The dynamics of the herd are not for the good of the herd. They are for the good of the individual. The herd exists for the good of the individual. The herd dynamics, or as many call them, the pecking order, can be summed up by, "I am more worthy, or important, than you are." Strangely, this summation is accepted by all the herd and is the basis for the horse's natural preservation. Spooking is the act of self preservation.

This ebook will immerse you into the world of horses and bring you to a new awareness of yourself and horses.

Read this book from beginning to end. Each chapter builds on the one before and it is important to understand all the nuts and bolts involved in despooking your horse using the horse's natural genetically pre-programmed instincts.