The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets The Black Stallion in newly released young adult fiction, Rodeo Dreams

Here’s what fifteen-year-old Cindy Crowe knows for sure: high school sucks; fathers (earthly and heavenly) are a major disappointment; and perfect, rich ex-BFFs get all the breaks. Her truest friends have head to toe body hair and live in a barn.

With determination and horse power from an adopted mustang named Arion, Cindy pursues a dream of barrel racing fame. If only she can keep from being distracted by disappointment, rhinestoned rodeo queens, and a certain cute bull rider.

Ultimately, Cindy discovers that any dream worth having has the power to break your heart…and change your life forever.


Author Catherine Madera spent her early years curled up with a good book or riding a naughty (and nice) Arabian gelding named, Sunny. Her favorite stories always featured animals and included Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Black Beauty, The Chronicles of Narnia and books by James Herriot. Catherine began writing in high school and later found a niche in inspirational non-fiction. Her work has been widely published in regional and national magazines, books, and e-zines. Rodeo Dreams is her first work of fiction. Catherine lives in the Pacific Northwest with one husband, two children, and three horses.

Visit Catherine online and read excerpts of the book at: www.catherinemadera.com. Rodeo Dreams can be purchased for $9.99, plus shipping, from the author’s website using Pay Pal or through Barnes and Noble/Amazon.

PLAYING WITH LUKAS BOOK RELEASE

World's Smartest Horse Book Available Now

Walnut, California, March 8, 2010 - Due to popular demand, Playing With Lukas is available immediately as an e-book or a print version. The "Million Hit Horse" had so much interest in his story that owner/trainer Karen Murdock decided to release Playing With Lukas earlier than the original planned Spring date, based on Lukas' world-wide attention. "What's so amazing about all of this has been the mainstream appeal and wide-spread interest in a very touching and charming journey," according to Murdock. Lukas, an ex-racer, has attracted global acclaim for his liberty moves, cognitive abilities and the bond that he and Murdock share.

Comparisons of Lukas to Beautiful Jim Key, the smartest horse ever to have lived, abound. Lukas is currently honored on both Yahoo and Google with the title of "World's Smartest Horse" (living) with over seventy four thousand references to him on Google alone. The popular Thoroughbred has many media friends who have made him an internet sensation over the last six months. Kim Miller of Riding Magazine wrote, "Lukas is a poster boy for the potential of all horses, especially those facing bleak circumstances." "People used to say that Thoroughbreds were too 'flighty' to train," wrote Esther Marr of The Blood Horse Magazine, "With a world-renowned trickster named Lukas to prove them wrong, who would dare say that again?" "Karen Murdock is proud of her horse and the tricks he's learned, all at liberty and without a whip in sight," said Lisa Kemp at the Equine Chronicle. "She hopes that his accomplishments can inspire other success stories. It's amazing what you can do with training methods based on kindness, patience, and a foundation of positive reinforcement."

Murdock's system has the advantage of incorporating and complementing two major areas of learning: that which the animal does on his own and that which we can produce. By combining two teaching styles - clicker training and shaping - the effectiveness of the schooling is magnified tremendously. The former refrain "Horses are not supposed to be able to do that" is now expanding people's perceptions of animal capabilities and emotional qualities and new ways to approach training.

A fascinating glimpse into the world of horse intelligence and behavior combined with the triumph of overcoming extreme hardships makes Playing With Lukas one of the most important contributions to the study of horse training and horse-human interactions available.

Playing With Lukas can be ordered at www.lulu.com as an e-book or a print version.

The Centaur’s Promise

By Nancy Cole Silverman

When the war of the ancients had ended in 320 B.C. and Chiron, the leader of the Centaurs, commanded the battle to “stop!” and for all the Centaurs to leave their world, he turned and made one final promise to mankind before he too disappeared. “We will leave,” he said, “but we take with us the hearts of your best women, and through them we will rule your world for all eternity!”

Why do women love horses? Was the Centaur’s promise real?

Cynthia Szantos is lost in a dead-end job and a failing romance when she nearly hits a horse that bolts in front of her car on a busy Southern California freeway and finds her dreams are invaded by Chiron. “This was no accident,” he tells her, but an opportunity to rediscover her talents by helping to save thousands of America’s wild mustangs from slaughter. Together with a veterinarian who comes to her aid moments after the big horse is hit, Cynthia learns how the mystical power of the horse – retold in stories from Greek mythology to Native American folklore – can create a spiritual and physical connection to the universe that modern man forgot about long ago.

The Centaur’s Promise touches not only the hearts of women, but all who love horses, and who understand their destinies and ours are intertwined.

About the Author: Nancy Cole Silverman, publisher and founder of The Equestrian News, is on a mission to help us rediscover the powerful bond between humankind and horses and to help save the thousands wild horses now being removed from their homes throughout the Southwest. Before becoming a novelist, she worked as a journalist and copywriter. Born in Seattle, Silverman now lives in Los Angeles with her husband. She is currently working on two more novels.

Publisher’s website: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TheCentaursPromise.html
ISBN: 9781609112455

Caballo Press of Ann Arbor to Publish Children’s Book

Kansas native Sally Schrock will have her debut children’s book, Hayseed’s First Race, published by Caballito Children’s Books, an imprint of award-winning publisher Caballo Press of Ann Arbor. The book was written and illustrated by Ms Shrock. The story follows Hayseed, a tennis shoe wearing Thoroughbred of a “different color”, around a race track as he tries to win his first race. Hayseed’s efforts are hampered by Prince Perfect, a champion Thoroughbred who thinks that he is perfect in every way. Prince Perfect chides Hayseed about his appearance and tells him that he does not belong. Hayseed does not listen to him until he finds himself in last place. But, just as he is about to lose all hope, Hayseed remembers what his mother taught him as a yearling, “Love yourself for who you are, and never, ever, let anyone tell you that you don’t belong.” With renewed vigor, Hayseed charges forward. Only a photograph of the finish will reveal if Hayseed has won his first race.
Hayseed’s First Race was inspired in part by the fact that Ms Shrock, an Olathe, Kansas resident was born deaf, the result of her mother contracting rubella, or German measles, during her pregnancy. With her mother’s assistance, she learned to speak and lip-read. Ms Schrock earned her B.A. in English at Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C., the world’s only liberal-arts institution of higher learning for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
At a young age, she discovered her passion for art and horses. As a sophomore at Gallaudet in 1981, she began drawing cartoons, and shortly thereafter Hayseed was “born.” She has been drawing him ever since. Hayseed is loosely based on an Appaloosa gelding she owned as a teenager, named Rainbeau Shayne. Her early artistic influences came from Walt Disney’s classic animated films, and more recently, from the brilliant films produced by Pixar Animation Studios.
Of the decision to publish the book, Caballo Press’ CEO Rudolph Alvarado noted, “As a publisher I was taken by Ms. Schrock’s talent as a storyteller and illustrator, as well as by the fact that the story lined up perfectly with our mission and standards. But, as a father, I was quite taken by the book’s message and its ability to impact the lives of children, who are, after all, the future of our industry and country.”
The Autism Society of Washtenaw County in Michigan recently released a statement endorsing the book. In part, the statement read, "This simple children's book delivers the ageless message that 'you should always love yourself for who you are, and never, ever let anyone tell you that you don't belong.' For children with autism... and other disabilities, embracing this belief can be life-changing. Every child and adult can benefit from this lesson...."
In regards to the book, preschool teacher, Sophie Bowen, wrote that it was “an inspirational heart-warming story about taking a chance and following your heart. It encourages children to be themselves and give their all.” Echoing Bowen’s sentiments was grandmother Linda Wright of Texas who wrote, “I have fallen head-over-hoof in love with Hayseed! He captured my heart and the message from his beautiful story leaps out of the book and offers children a hero. He’s not perfect on the outside, but inside, Hayseed is full of courage, self-respect, determination and pride in himself. What a beautiful message for a child to embrace: love yourself for yourself! I’m already looking forward to Hayseed’s next adventure!”
Hayseed’s First Race will be released on April 14 in English and Spanish. At present, parents and children can meet Hayseed at the book’s website, www.caballopress.com/Hayseed and children can join Hayseed’s Posse, as well as print out educational worksheets. Once the book is released, teachers will be able to access a webpage containing curriculum ideas based on the story. Hayseed’s First Race can be pre-ordered at www.caballopress.com. Part of the proceeds from every book published by Caballo Press is donated to a non-profit organization related to the equine industry, in the case of Hayseed’s First Race, a percentage of profits will be donated to Anna House, a childcare center founded in part by hall of fame jockey Edgar Prado and located on the grounds of Belmont Race Track.

PLAYING WITH LUKAS BOOK LAUNCH

World's Smartest Horse Book Soon To Be Released
The world may never be the same again

Walnut, California, February 13, 2010 - Playing With Lukas. the long-awaited saga of "The Word's Smartest Horse" is available now as an e-book!! Lukas, ex-racer “Just Ask Mike,” is a rescue that has become a shining beacon to horse lovers across the globe. He’s as adored for his cognitive abilities as much as for his liberty maneuvers and special relationship with owner/trainer Karen Murdock. A remarkable true tale of an extraordinary journey of two cast-offs and some unusual surprises are sure to keep readers riveted. As much a love story as a training guide, Playing With Lukas is a touching and inspiring adventure that celebrates hope and happiness and a change in the world for the better.
Many of our friends are featured in Playing With Lukas and it is a tribute to what can be accomplished with love and determination. What has made Lukas' story so compelling is the convergence of mainstream concern about the treatment of horses and the transformational shift in the way animals are viewed and treated. Lukas' superstardom—he's been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, HLN, Equisearch, EquineVIP, RFD-Radio, and Pet Life Radio—has been for the sole purpose of sharing the happy results of kind training and to show how wonderful and intelligent animals are.
“Animal lovers are passionate about their pets,” says Murdock, “and with Lukas I’ve just demonstrated what they already knew about their own animals. I wrote this book because I wanted to show not only horse owners, but all owners of pets what they could accomplish with a little patience and a lot of love.”
A fascinating glimpse into the world of horse intelligence and behavior combined with the triumph of overcoming extreme hardship makes Playing With Lukas one of the most important contributions to the study of horse training and horse-human interactions available. Sometimes, we can change the world, even if it takes a horse to do it.
The book is available at www.PlayingWithLukas.com as an e-book, and will be released in the spring as a print book at Amazon.com.

Horse Fans Can Now Follow Their Favorite Riders and Trainers on the Trafalgar Square Books Blog and Facebook Pages

Sneak Peaks of New and Upcoming Books, Breaking News Stories; and Schedules of Clinics, Expos, and Special Appearances
All Featured on TSB Online Outlets

Since publishing the international bestseller Centered Riding in 1985, Trafalgar Square Books (www.horseandriderbooks.com) has made it their mission to produce highly illustrated, how-to books by the most esteemed riders and trainers in the equine industry. Now, in an effort to further connect aspiring riders and horse trainers around the globe with the talented individuals who inspire them, TSB has launched an online blog (http://horseandriderbooks.wordpress.com/) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Horse-and-Rider-Books/41578819871).

These online outlets will offer viewers and “friends” day-to-day and week-to-week close-ups of the books and DVDs in the world-famous TSB “stable,” as well as the authors who’ve written and created them. Readers will find updates on shows, clinics, expos, demos, and tours (not to mention behind-the-scenes glances at the making of books and DVDs). You’ll get special stories you can’t read about anywhere else, and tidbits from the professionals that you haven’t seen before. Plus, the months ahead will feature appearances by famous TSB authors, offering you a chance to hear what they think about a variety of topics, as well as news and updates on what they’re up to now and where they’re headed next.

Stay tuned, horse fans–it’s gonna be a great ride!

For more information contact: Rebecca Didier, Senior Editor, rdidier@sover.net.
Trafalgar Square Books, Box 257, Howe Hill Road, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
800.423.4525 ∙ www.horseandriderbooks.com

Quarter Horses & Western Pleasure Horse Competition Featured in “LOPE” – The First Born Be A Rider Novel to be released

Lope is the first of a trilogy of books written by Laurie A. Cerny that captures the horse world culture including AQHA horses and showing.

“I wanted to write a novel that would be something I would enjoy reading as a horse owner,” Cerny said. “Unfortunately, until now, there have been only a handful of titles that deal with horses and horse industry themes. Most of these have been set in the world of Thoroughbred racing or rodeo, or have had themes showcasing the English disciplines.”

Cerny, who has also authored “Horsin’ Around The USA Guide to Marketing & Promoting Your Horse Business”, has owned horses for more than 35 years and shows open, AQHA, and International Ranch Horse Association approved shows. “Every time I went to the library or a book store I looked for fiction titles with horse themes,” she said. “Most of the time, I went home empty handed.”

Lope follows Faye Cassidy, a 30+ year-old Quarter Horse owner and competitor on her journey to regain her true self. It is a return to a life she once knew showing horses and living a rural lifestyle. It also means opening her heart to new opportunities. Lope tells her story while taking the reader inside the world of competing on a western discipline horse show circuit.

Cerny has a Master’s Degree in English and teaches writing and journalism at the university level. She lives on a horse farm in southwest Michigan and plans on writing two more books with continuation of themes introduced in Lope.

Lope can be ordered from Amazon, iUniverse, and Barnes & Noble. It can also be ordered for $12.95 + $2 S/H from One Horse Press @ 70883 39th Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079

Lisa Hamilton, noted author, to speak at Four States Ag Expo on “unconventional” agriculture

Over the past forty years, many American farmers and ranchers have been told to “get big or get out.” Corporate agribusiness on a massive scale has altered the way America grows its food, leaving widely acknowledged environmental and economic damage in its wake. Consumer concern is rising not only about the consequences to human health and well-being today, but also about the dangers to the farm lands which must remain viable for future generations. Now, across the country, farmers and ranchers with a courageous vision for the future are taking decisive action to change this direction.

The Four States Ag Expo is honored to present journalist and photographer Lisa Hamilton as a featured speaker on Saturday, March 20 at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds in Cortez, CO. For two years, Lisa researched these issues in agriculture and profiled three families who have adopted a new approach to farming on a small scale. Her basic question: what practices result in a sustainable food supply, and how do farmers and ranchers embrace these good practices while remaining economically viable? It’s a complicated matter, but there are provocative solutions which Lisa will present at the Ag Expo, beginning at 11 a.m.. A panel discussion at 3 p.m. will address the topic as it applies to different aspects of agriculture, such as sustainable cattle ranching, boutique specialty farming, the community-supported agriculture movement, and the 21st century grange.

One preview hint: change might be demanded by consumers, but the work itself must start with the knowledge and commitment of the farmers and ranchers themselves. As award winning food guru and restaurateur Alice Waters says, “The food revolution taking place in this country cannot be truly successful without an agricultural revolution.” A call to action, true, but agriculturalists need more than inspiration—they need information. And Lisa Hamilton will bring that to her presentation at the Ag Expo.

Lisa Hamilton is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness, published in 2008 by Counterpoint Press.

Children’s Book Available for Your Equine Event

If your equine organization is holding an event related to children and you’re looking for a gift to present to the children, please consider presenting them with a copy of Caballo Press of Ann Arbor’s children’s book, Hayseed’s First Race. Caballo Press will work with you to design the book’s back cover in order to incorporate your company’s logo, as well as the event’s name and purpose. The book will be released on April 14. Pre-release reviews have all been extremely positive. The book centers on Hayseed, a Thoroughbred race horse of a “different color” and teaches the life lessons that children should love themselves for who they are and never, ever, let anyone tell them that they don’t belong. You can take a look at the book’s website at: http://www.caballopress.com/Hayseed. The book retails for $12.47, but the price charged to buyers will depend on the number of copies ordered. Interested parties should send an email to yvette@caballopress.com.

New Online Equestrian Book Club reading about famous Long Rider

Horse fans embarked on an online literary adventure on The Seattle Times horse forum and are reading "Tschiffely's Ride" as their third book.

The book by by Aimé Tschiffely was written by the famous Long Rider about his endeavor to travel with his two horses some 10,000 miles from Buenos Aires to New York. Their feat remains unmatched.

Forum members started the Online Book Club, reading "Seabiscuit" in December and "Beyond the Homestretch: What I've Learned From Saving Racehorses" by Lynn Reardon.

Forum members are striving to read one book a month and are looking for recommendations to add to the reading list.

Readers post comments about the book on the forum at their convenience. The forum and book club are free and open to any interested horse fans.

The book thread is near the top of the board. Directions for registering to participate in the forum are also at the top of the board. There's no separate registration for participating in the book club.

The Northwest Horse Forum celebrated its first anniversary last fall. Horse enthusiasts from the Pacific Northwest and beyond are talking about everything from horsekeeping in the rain to the best places to ride. Popular topics include training, trails, tack, hay, shows, events and what to do if your horse eats a plastic grocery bag. Veterinarians occasionally answer questions.

The forum is one of several operated by The Seattles Times.

"More niche forums are planned as a way to reach out to the community and offer a place for people to share ideas," said Bob Payne, director of communities at The Seattle Times.

"The forum is a chance to give horse folks and their interests more visibility. We're building a good consumer-oriented forum," said Joan Deutsch, forum moderator. "If you're not interested in the current discussions on the forum, you can start your own."

The forum is building a list of good horse-related sites. If you have a site, please send a link, Deutsch said.

www.seattletimes.com/horseforum
Joan Deutsch
jdeutsch@seattletimes.com
425-417-9028

Donkeys: Miniature, Standard, and Mammoth A Veterinary Guide for Owners and Breeders STEPHEN R. PURDY, DVM

Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the publication of Donkeys: Miniature, Standard, and Mammoth by Dr. Stephen R. Purdy. This essential manual for all donkey owners and breeders, as well as veterinary students, is the one book that covers: how donkeys differ from horses and mules—genetically, anatomically, and medically; donkey behavior—when handling, feeding, training, breeding, and treating; basic nutritional needs, including energy sources, vitamins, minerals and hydration; diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal parasites; infectious disease control and biosecurity for herds and farms; management of the digestive tract, plus special sections on liver disease and colic; lameness diagnosis, with a focus on joint disease and laminitis; reproduction, including ultrasound procedure and artificial insemination (AI); castration—why, how, and when; and care of the pregnant jennet, foaling, lactation, and foal development.

“We highly recommend that everyone who deals with donkeys in any capacity—from pet or rescue, to breeding and veterinary work—buy this book and read it carefully.” —Paul and Betsy Hutchins, Founders, The American Donkey and Mule Society

Dr. Stephen R. Purdy received his DVM degree in 1981 from the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. He is Associate Professor of Veterinary Education, Director of Camelid Studies, and Director of the Fund for Education and Research in Large Animal Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is also the director of the Camelid Reproduction Center at UMass Amherst. Dr. Purdy’s special interests include reproduction, neonatal care, nutrition, and infectious diseases, as well as the preventive medicine aspect of the management of livestock. He is involved in practical research and educational projects that promote improvement of farm animal health, and he emphasizes a hands-on practical approach to caring for livestock, while keeping their environment as stress free and natural as possible.

Dr. Purdy is committed to teaching practical large animal subjects to undergraduate and graduate students, and to helping undergraduate students gain admittance to veterinary school in preparation for a career as a large animal veterinarian. Donkeys have been a special interest of his since he first worked on one in 1995. “If you are having a bad day,” he says, “spend some time hanging out with a donkey.”

168 pp · 7 x 10 ½ · 64 color photos, 16 charts & illustrations · 978 1 57076 418 9 · $26.95 hc


Note: Sections of this book may be appropriate for reprint as FREE excerpts in print and online publications. High res jacket images are also available.
For more information or to request a review copy, contact rdidier@sover.net.
To order contact: Trafalgar Square Books, Box 257, Howe Hill Road, N. Pomfret, VT 05053 800.423.4525 ∙ www.horseandriderbooks.com

Wholesale Copies of Caballo Press’ Upcoming Books Available

Wholesale priced copies of Caballo Press of Ann Arbor’s Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name by Lovers of Horses Everywhere and the children’s book, Hayseed’s First Race, are available for purchase by retailers. Interested parties should send an email to bookorders@caballopress.com. The suggested retail price of Horsenameogrphies is $21.47. The book is being offered at a 30, 40 and 50% discount depending on the number of copies ordered, while Hayseed’s First Race is offered at a 30% discount off the suggested retail price of $12.47. In pre-release book reviews Horsenameographies has been praised by Jay Hovdey, Claire Novak, Marion E. Altieri, Audrey Korotkin and John Hernandez. Hayseed’s First Race, the first children’s book to be published by Caballito Children’s Books, an imprint of Caballo Press, recently received a glowing review by Ms. Altieri. This book is available in English and Spanish. Both books will be released to the general public on April 14. However, wholesale priced copies will be mailed to retailers by March 31. To learn more about the titles and to take a look “inside” the books, go to www.caballopress.com and click on the appropriate hot button.

Contact: Yvette Robertson
Caballo Press of Ann Arbor
yvette@caballopress.com
734-678-7774

Horsenameographies, A Unique Concept – A Book Review by Audrey Korotkin

Horsenameographies, the latest title from award-winning author Rudolph Valier Alvarado and Caballo Press of Ann Arbor, should be filed under the category of “Why didn’t somebody think of this before?” Perhaps it takes the insight and imagination of a relative newcomer to the horse-racing publishing world to see the possibilities. So many of us think about what it would be like to have a horse named after us (mine, Pretty Audrey, is a pony rescued by a friend), but Alvarado has taken the opposite view: If we could name a horse in a way that reflected our lives, what would it be called?
Alvarado may not have been sure he’d touched a nerve with this question, but the 800 submissions from all over the world should reassure him. From pony enthusiasts to small-time trainers to writers to gamblers, horse lovers have shared not only their names but also their lives. Some described who they are (“True Survivor”) or wish to become (“Airplane Goddess”), while others described everyday life (“Organized Chaos”), what it’s like to be a tough old plotter (“Reliable Me”) or a bit high-strung and bold (“Runs With Scissors”).
But the constant theme that runs throughout is the way horses have stolen the hearts and impacted the lives of so many people (“Soul Saver”); reading through the submissions becomes an exercise in life affirmation. It is quite remarkable that so many people were willing to share the intimate details of horrendous childhoods, life-threatening illnesses, and devastating personal losses to describe the seemingly miraculous ways in which horses have healed them in body and spirit. The life experiences, and the names that flow from them, are proof not only of the powerful bond between human and horse, but also the way in which we channel the power, beauty and determination of a horse to give our lives new direction and purpose.
Pre-orders of Horsenameograpies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name can be made at www.caballopress.com.

-Audrey Korotkin is an Eclipse-Award winning writer based in Lexington, Kentucky

Pre-Orders Being Accepted for the Equine Industry’s Most Anticipated Book of 2010

Pre-orders for Caballo Press of Ann Arbor’s Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name by Lovers of Horses Everywhere are now being accepted. The book is available exclusively at www.caballopress.com. In September 2009, horse lovers were asked to submit their life stories in a race horse name with the idea that the best-of-the-best would be published as a collection. In a little over three months, over 800 names from all over the world were submitted via the internet.

“Yes,” Caballo Press’s publisher and the book’s editor and designer, Rudolph Alvarado commented, “we were extremely surprised by the response and the cord that the concept of horsenameographies struck with horse lovers. However, we were even more surprised by the race horse names and the stories that went with them. Some stories were extremely humorous, some were uplifting, and some were tragic, but all of them made me stop and take stock of my own life. I am sure that it’s going to do the same for horse lovers throughout the world.”

Galley proofs of Horsenameographies have been in the hands of reviewers across the country for a couple of weeks. In one recently published pre-release book review, equine essayist Marion E. Altieri wrote, “Wrapped in platinum, with a bow made of golden stars, this book will bring us to our knees and to tears of joy. But the most compelling thing that this book will do is move each reader to settle down for a while and genuinely go within. . . . I tell you, as a writer, a horse lover and as an Alpha Mare who wants to help shield you from the storms and guide you to safety--this book will bless you immeasurably, and help you grow the garden that is your beautiful Life.”

Here is a sample of what reviewers are raving about.

One horse lover wrote that “Nervous Breakdown” captured his life in a race horse name, because, as he jokingly revealed, “I’m sound physically but unsound mentally! I must be to be in this sport."

“SOULSAVER,” was submitted by a thoughtful horse lover who wrote, “I chose this name because 10 years ago a race horse named Kim's Rahy came into my life. He was injured and his racing career was over. At that time, I was feeling as broken as he was. People say I saved a race horse - but what really happened was that we saved each other! So definitely : SOULSAVER !!”

The race horse name, “Lonely Runner” was contributed by a widow. In explaining the name, she lovingly wrote, “Missing Mel. I still miss my husband & soul mate of almost 58 years. I now find myself having to run the race of life on my own. Miss you, Mel.”

Horse lovers were also allowed to submit photographs that captured the essence of their race horse names. Forty-one of the photographs and drawings will be showcased in the book. “Being a book full of memories, the black and white photographs that accompany some of the stories offer us the time to ponder what we’re reading,” Alvarado offered, “ and it gives us an opportunity to meet the person we’re reading about face-to-face. It’s funny how you feel you know them after reading a small piece of their lives.”

The book is being edited and each race horse name appearing in the book is being carefully designed by Alvarado, the winner of the 2009 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. Alvarado won the honor for his biography of race caller Joe Hernandez. Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name by Lovers of Horses Everywhere will be released to the general public on April 14, just two weeks before the Kentucky Derby. Ten percent of the book’s profits are being donated to ReRun Thoroughbred Adoption Program and Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue.

ECLIPSE PRESS RELEASES REVISED EDITION OF UNDERSTANDING EQUINE HOOF CARE

LEXINGTON, KY — January 12, 2010 — Widely published equine authority Heather Smith Thomas has added new material about hoof maintenance, shoes and boots, and diagnostics to the revised edition of Understanding Equine Hoof Care, now available from Eclipse Press.

This handy reference covers a wide array of topics including cleaning and trimming, basic shoeing, types of shoes, and common foot problems. In addition, Understanding Equine Hoof Care covers how domestication has compromised the equine hoof and offers instruction on how horses’ feet can be returned to a more natural, and healthy, state through conscientious care. Thomas provides the reader with a wealth of information on how to maintain hoof health, treat minor problems, and know when it is time to work with a vet or farrier.

About the author:
Heather Smith Thomas, who resides on a ranch in Salmon, Idaho, cares for and shoes her own horses. She has raised and trained horses for 45 years and has published more than 9,000 stories and articles in horse and livestock publications. Thomas writes regularly for more than 40 horse publications, including Chronicle of the Horse, Equus, The Horse, and Quarter Horse Journal. She has written 20 books on horse health care and training including Care & Management of Horses: A Practical Guide for the Horse Owner.

Praise for the original book:

“The breadth of her experience is evident as you read.”
— Maureen Gallatin, Executive editor, John Lyons' Perfect Horse

“Heather Smith Thomas, an experienced horsewoman of over 40 years, provides equine enthusiasts, whether they’re novice or professional, with practical yet sensible advice for the care and management of their horse.”
— HorseCare magazine

Publication date: January 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58150-333-3
Pages: 160; Bound Size: 6” x 9”
Retail price: $16.95 Paperback

Available at your local bookstore or from Exclusively Equine

1-800-582-5604 (www.ExclusivelyEquine.com)

Rookie Reiner

How to Survive and Thrive in the Show Pen

HEATHER COOK Featuring tips from Bob Loomis and Stacy Westfall

Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the publication of Rookie Reiner by Heather Cook. Rookie Reiner is your one-stop shop for everything the beginning reining competitor needs to know—whether “green as grass” or several years in. You’ll get the lowdown on how the sport of reining is organized, how shows are run, and how you fit into the mix. Find the right trainer for your budget; determine whether your current horse has the attitude and ability to make it in the show pen; and ensure your tack and equipment is legal, safe, and appropriate for the sport. Get to know the required maneuvers—what they demand of your horse, and of you—and how they play out in the 11 official National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) patterns.

Plus, discover how to look the part—groom your horse so he stands out in the show pen, and dress yourself with just the right amount of style. Bone up on the intricacies of judging rules and scoring, and learn how to evaluate your runs so you can learn from both your “plusses” and your penalties. >From packing the trailer, to warming up before your run, to dealing with “butterflies” when you enter the pen, this book has it all.

With dozens of tips from top reiners and trainers, such as NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee Bob Loomis, and a special chapter on creating your own Freestyle featuring NRHA Champion Stacy Westfall, you’re bound to feel primed and ready for your next show season—whether its your very first, or just your first step toward someday riding the perfect slide at the highest levels of competition. Remember, even if you are a rookie, you can still be a star.

HEATHER COOK has written extensively on the reining horse industry for publications such as Western Horse Review, the Quarter Horse News, and The Reiner, the official publication of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). She lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (www.heather-cook.com).

152 pp • 8 ½ x 11 • 144 color photos & illustrations • 978 1 57076 414 • $27.95

Bestselling Mystery Writer Tami Hoag Announces Professional Rider Status

Wellington, FL (January 4, 2010) - New York Times bestselling mystery writer Tami Hoag has long enjoyed a dual career as a suspense novelist and adult amateur dressage competitor. After many years of successfully competing as an adult amateur Grand Prix rider, Hoag recently announced she is now becoming a professional rider.

“I feel good about this change of status. Even though I make my living as a writer, not a rider, I have always approached my riding in a very professional way,” Hoag said. “I've always looked at it as a second career in terms of dedication. My first Grand Prix was with Feliki at the Gold Coast Opener in January of 2001. It was a big open class and we placed sixth and I never looked back.”

Hoag won’t immediately jump into the ring, however, as she will be embarking on an 11-city tour for her new book Deeper Than The Dead in January. “I won't be able to get my show season under way until February. Then I'll be making the rounds of the Wellington shows,” Hoag said. “I'm really excited to be finally getting into the show ring with Bacchus de Light, my top Grand Prix horse who has been out for a year rehabbing an injury. He's coming back into great form.”

Hoag will also be competing her green Grand Prix horse, Rush Hour 4, and Fhilosopher, a ten-year-old Westfalian gelding who will start at fourth level then move up to Prix St. Georges. In addition to showing and promoting her book, Hoag has attracted sponsors that want to have her name attached to their products. “I’m flattered that sponsors have sought me out. I'm in a unique position of being a celebrity in my actual profession, and a highly visible person in the dressage community. That combination makes me desirable to sponsors,” Hoag said. “Considering the cost of the sport and the fact that I make no money at it, sponsors are equally desirable to me!”

Hoag’s fame is widespread, evident by the fact that 14 of her novels have appeared on the New York Times bestselling list. Despite her success, Hoag isn’t taking any time off, but is already busy working on the sequel to her newest novel Deeper Than The Dead.

“I wish I could take the show season off from writing, but someone has to buy the feed,” Hoag said. “I've just started the sequel to Deeper Than The Dead called Secrets To The Grave. It is already scheduled to go on sale in December of 2010, so no time to dilly-dally. My day consists of riding in the morning, the gym in the afternoon, and working in the evenings.”

For more information about Tami Hoag, or to see a list of her novels, visit her website at www.tamihoag.com.

Program Your Position, a review by Johnny Robb

My New Years resolution is improve my riding. If you share a similar goal or resolution, I can recommend an incredible tool that I have been using, Program Your Position. This is an amazingly effective “program”, and I can honestly say it has helped my position immensely.

The program, developed by Ruth Hogan-Poulsen and Jane Savoie, has three components. These include 5 DVD’s, 3 audio CD’s and an illustrated pocket guide.

No matter how you absorb information most effectively, Program Your Position has you covered. Personally, I like all the audios and illustrated pocket guide the best. But I must add that the DVD segments are like attending a clinic.

For me, Program Your Position is better than a clinic because the series teaches you to use a simple set of buzz words to “program” your position corrections. I ride around saying the buzzwords and correct my riding position almost effortlessly. The buzzwords are easy to remember and effective, and the program also encourages you to add your personal buzzwords too.

The CD portion is so convenient, I listen while I am driving in the car and also sometimes in the morning before I ride. It feels like cheating since the ”programming” is almost subconscious.

The program is great for those who ride on their own or for keeping yourself in an effective riding position between lessons. While I am amateur rider, I’m confident this program would also be helpful for instructors to communicate simple cues to their students (especially at a show). In fact, at my first show after really incorporating the program, I got an 8 for my rider’s score. I am sure that reviewing the buzzwords from Program Your Position in my warm up made the difference!

I am also a visual learner and like to review the illustrated pocket guide before I mount up. It only takes a few seconds and really makes a difference. I think the pocket guide would make an excellent wall poster for the tack room (hint, hint, Ruth and Jane!)

The other great thing about this program is the price. The Program Your Position set retails for $137. It is about the price of a clinic but easier to fit into your schedule. Plus, you can take the clinic over and over until it is truly programmed into you mind.

One place the program could be improved is the video editing. Because I am used to the fast pace of TV, there were a few places where I felt the video lagged and the editing could have been tightened up. This may be intentional to give the viewer time to absorb the information. But for my fast paced approach to life and learning, it felt a bit slow in a few places on the video.

Regardless, there is not another tool that I have used that has been so dramatically effective in helping me improve my position. And these improvements in my position are spilling over into improvements in how my horse is performing. The results are really pretty amazing. But considering the talents of the two coaches who developed Program Your Position, I guess it is to be expected.

Jane Savoie was the reserve rider for the Olympic dressage team in 1992 and has coached at 3 Olympic Games. She has written five books, produced numerous home study training courses, and trains riders via her interactive online coaching site, Dressage Mentor.

Ruth Hogan-Poulsen has been an FEI competitor, trainer and coach for over 20 years. She specializes in developing a unique program for each student and horse that she works with. Ruth also creates musical freestyles for professionals and amateurs alike. Many of her freestyles have been seen internationally at venues such as the Young Rider World Cup in Germany and WEG selection trials.

Jane and Ruth have been friends for over 25 years and often teach clinics together. They got the idea to combine their key teaching components into a program that everyone could have access to and also decided to make it diverse so that it would be effective for any rider regardless of their predominated learning style. It took them a year to produce the series, but I can tell you first hand that you will see results in just a matter of weeks!

So if your goal is like my New Year’s Resolution for 2010, I highly recommend you try Program Your Position. You may find yourself riding around saying things like “Slinky”, “Frog Legs”, “Laser Beams”, or “Washing Machine” but regardless, the results will be improvement to your riding position. That 8 or 9 on your rider’s score will make it all worthwhile!

Program Your Position is available online at www.janesavoie.com/programyourposition.

Mystery Writer and Dressage Rider Tami Hoag Kicks Off Book Tour For Newest Novel

Wellington, FL (December 31, 2009) – New York Times bestselling mystery writer and accomplished dressage rider Tami Hoag is kicking off a book tour for her newest novel Deeper Than The Dead, which will be released December 29. Hoag’s 11-city tour will include an additional stop in Wellington on Monday, January 11, where Hoag will sign books at Sho Clothes’ dressage boutique’s “Shop Talk,” a monthly gathering for dressage enthusiasts.

“I love speaking to fellow dressage riders. Even though I make my living as a writer, riding and showing is what I look forward to,” Hoag said. “After the book tour I will return to Wellington and start showing.”

Hoag’s tour will include stops in: Rochester, Minnesota on December 29; Scottsdale, Arizona on January 4; Houston, Texas on January 5; Winnetyka, Illinois on January 6; Beaverscreek, Ohio on January 8; Wellington, Florida on January 9; Delray Beach, Florida on January 12; Plantation, Florida on January 13; and Naples, Florida on January 14. Hoag will appear at “Shop Talk” at the Sho Clothes dressage boutique on January 11 from 6:30 to 8 pm. Sho Clothes is located at 3220 Fairlane Farms Road in Wellington.

In Deeper Than The Dead, Hoag features a character named Jane Thomas, based on a real life person of the same name – Jane Thomas, daughter of Peggy and E. Parry Thomas, owners of Olympic dressage horse Brentina. Thomas earned the unique opportunity to become part of a Hoag novel when she bid $20,000 and won the chance at a fundraiser last year at a United States Equestrian Team Foundation auction.

Fourteen of Hoag’s spine-tingling mysteries have appeared on the New York Times bestselling list, including Dark Horse and Alibi Man which are set in the equestrian show world in Wellington. “After the book tour I will be excited to finally get into the show ring with Bacchus de Light, my top Grand Prix horse who has been out for a year rehabbing an injury. He's coming back into great form,” Hoag said.

Hoag’s fans have eagerly been waiting for dressage’s top mystery writer to deliver a new thriller and Hoag isn’t disappointing her fans. Deeper Than The Dead is set in 1985 in an idyllic California college town and opens with four children running through the woods and literally falling upon the body of a murder victim. The investigation is headed by hotshot young detective Tony Mendez, and joined by one of the FBI's pioneers of criminal profiling, still a fledgling science at the time. Also drawn into the investigation is the children's fifth grade teacher, Anne Navarre, who must protect her students and at the same time try to delve through family secrets that run Deeper Than The Dead.

Hoag fans are in for an even bigger treat, as Hoag is already hard at work on the sequel to Deeper Than The Dead called Secrets To The Grave. For more information about Tami Hoag, or her upcoming book tour, visit her website at www.tamihoag.com.

Fine Tuning Barrel Horses by Jessi Mead offers detailed instructions on how to master barrel horse training

SHERIDAN, Wyo. (MMD Newswire) December 21, 2009 -- On the rodeo circuit, barrel racing can be a lucrative sport with the potential for millions of dollars to be earned, notes experienced barrel racer Jessi Mead. Her new book, Fine Tuning Barrel Horses, is a comprehensive, easy-to-read training manual that shows readers how to train and fine-tune a barrel horse, which is a horse who tries to complete a clover leaf pattern around prearranged barrels in the fastest time. As one of the country's top professional barrel racers and trainers, Mead has included numerous diagrams in the book that detail the actual training methods that have earned her over a quarter of a million dollars on barrel horses she has trained.

"Not only does the book explain all of the nuts and bolts of barrel racing, but it also breaks down the barrel pattern to determine the fastest way to complete it," she says. "By using the theory that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, I have calculated and determined the _shortest distance' path through the barrel pattern by using mathematics and geometry. I have also taken into consideration the physical limitations, gravity forces and the demands made on the horses' body and muscles to achieve the necessary positioning to follow the _shortest distance' path and I show the readers how it applies to barrel racing and a successful run."

Additionally, Fine Tuning Barrel Horses strives to teach the reader the necessary skills and exercises to train his or her horse to follow the "shortest distance" path, as well as being able to compete with the best in the business. In an effort to illustrate the training process, Mead offers a step-by-step format to make it easy for the reader to learn how to successfully train his or her own barrel horse.

Fine Tuning Barrel Horses is available for sale online at Amazon.com and through additional wholesale and retail channels worldwide.

About the Author
Jessi Mead owns and runs a ranch in Wyoming, home of her registered quarter horse breeding program. Now with three decades of experience training more than 200 horses and producing champions, Mead is one of the country's top professional barrel racers and trainers. Her most recent accomplishments include the Barrel Racing Championship title at the 2009 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association rodeo in Douglas, Wyo., and finishing in the top 15 of the Women's Professional Rodeo Associations 2009 barrel racing year-end standings for the Mountain States Circuit.

Mystery Writer Tami Hoag Offers Sneak Peek Of Newest Novel During USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser

West Palm Beach, FL (December 21, 2009) – Two lucky silent auction winners at the recent SUCCEED® and Wellington Classic Dressage USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser went home with copies of New York Times bestselling mystery writer Tami Hoag’s newest novel Deeper Than The Dead. Hoag, an accomplished dressage rider and strong supporter of the USET, donated two pre-press copies of Deeper Than The Dead to the silent auction held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach.

In addition to unveiling her newest novel at the USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser, Hoag also unveiled a new character that appears in Deeper Than The Dead named Jane Thomas. The character of Jane is based on a real life person of the same name – Jane Thomas, daughter of Peggy and E. Parry Thomas, owners of Olympic dressage horse Brentina.

Thomas earned the unique opportunity to become part of a Hoag novel when she bid $20,000 and won the chance at a fundraiser last year at the USET Foundation auction. “I love supporting the USET Foundation and this was a great way to raise money for them,” Hoag said, adding that she even wrote a tribute to Thomas in the front of Deeper Than The Dead. “In the book, as in real life, the character’s name is Jane Thomas. I hope the real Jane enjoys her character as much as I enjoyed writing it.”

Fourteen of Hoag’s spine-tingling mysteries have appeared on the New York Times bestselling list, and while at the USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser Hoag signed copies of her novels. Hoag isn’t saying whether the character of Jane Thomas will appear in the sequel to Deeper Than The Dead, but Hoag is already hard at work on the sequel called Secrets To The Grave.

In January, Hoag will embark on an 11-city tour for the new novel, thrilling fans at each stop. “After the book tour I will return to Wellington and start showing. Even though I make my living as a writer, riding and showing is what I look forward to,” Hoag said. “After the book tour I will be excited to finally get into the show ring with Bacchus de Light, my top Grand Prix horse who has been out for a year rehabbing an injury. He's coming back into great form.”

Deeper Than The Dead will be on bookshelves beginning December 29, 2009. For more information about Tami Hoag, or to see a list of her novels, visit her website at www.tamihoag.com.

New book shares memories from life spent with horses

My Top Ten Favorite Horse Stories and the Lessons Learned by Gail B. Veley seeks to entertain and inspire through stories about training and working with horses

ST. GEORGE, Utah (MMD Newswire) December 16, 2009 -- My Top Ten Favorite Horse Stories and the Lessons Learned by Gail B. Veley is a collection of stories from the author's experiences in raising, training and riding horses.

When Veley arrived at her boarding stable on a cold, drizzly March afternoon in 2002, she never expected to find the horse who would become one of her most beloved companions. But fate had other plans and she soon felt a strong connection to the exhausted mare who has suffered through a difficult birth the night before. That mare would later earn the show name "Meant to Be" and etch her story on Veley's heart. That story, along with nine other autobiographical accounts collected in the book, strives to inspire readers.

"This book was swirling around in my head for years before I put it on paper," Veley says. "I knew my unique experiences would help others who find themselves crossing similar roads on their personal horse journey."

The book includes anecdotes and descriptions from Veley's 25 years of working with horses. The stories feature memorable horses including Teeka, Midnight, Missy, Danube and more. In addition, the book aims to offer practical guidance and instruction for readers interested in training or competing with horses.

My Top Ten Favorite Horse Stories and the Lessons Learned is available for sale online at Amazon.com, BookSurge.com, and through additional wholesale and retail channels worldwide.

About the Author
Gail Veley is a writer and has spent virtually every day for the better part of 25 years riding, training and working with horses. A graduate of Ohio State University, she earned a degree in journalism and has worked as a reporter and freelance writer. She has been certified for 15 years with The American Riding Instructor's Association, an organization certifying individuals based on honesty, integrity and knowledge. Veley has competed in equestrian sports at the local and national levels and has judged dressage schooling shows, hunter shows, 4-H shows and general breed shows. She has taught both English and western riding lessons for Ohio State University.

New USDF President George Williams Featured In New Book On Small Equines

Wellington, FL (December 16, 2009) – The riding life of international dressage rider George Williams, the new President of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), is featured in a new book called The Big Book of Small Equines: A Celebration of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies. (Skyhorse Publishing, $29.95 Hardcover). While Williams has been a leader in the U.S. dressage world for many years and has recently served as Vice President of the USDF, Williams began his illustrious career on the back of a Shetland Pony.

The beginning of Williams’s riding career is told in delightful form in The Big Book of Small Equines in the chapter titled, “They Started Small.” Williams’s first pony was a Shetland Pony named Mitzi and George recalls, “I would use a ladder to climb up on her rump to get on her.”

Mitzi was quite a character with a bad habit of unseating Williams while he was riding in the woods. “There was a point on the trail where she had her own ‘special’ path that she liked to take which had an especially low branch on it. She could easily fit under the branch, but if left no room for the rider,” Williams recalls in the book. “No matter how determined you were, you could not dissuade her from taking this path. Mitzi always waited on the other side of the branch for the rider to catch her and get back on. Despite this routine, I remember spending many enjoyable hours riding Mitzi.”

Mitzi passed away when Williams was only five years old, and the family bought a second Shetland Pony named Goldie. It was while riding Goldie that Williams began to dream about representing the United States as a dressage rider. “I was in Pony Club in 1964, and the district commissioner of our Pony Club held a mock Olympics in the spirit of the Mexico City Olympics. I chose to represent Mexico, and I proudly rode down the center line for my entrance. I halted at X, saluted, and Goldie seized that moment to put her head down and eat grass. I was unsuccessful in bringing her head up and unceremoniously burst into tears,” Williams recalls.

Williams went on to say that he was excused from the ring and to this day has no memory of how he eventually left the arena. “Needless to say, Mexico did not do well in those Olympics. But that experience with Goldie was the start of my dream to compete internationally for the United States. Part of my dream was realized nearly forty years later when I represented the United States in the 2003 World Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, on the wonderful mare Rocher.”

Williams isn’t the only famous dressage rider featured in the book. New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag, a dressage rider who makes her living writing suspense novels, also began her career on the back of a Shetland Pony. Hoag’s story is featured in the book, and the prolific writer also took time out from her busy schedule to write the foreward for the book.

The Big Book of Small Equines, A Celebration of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies, by Johnny Robb and Jan Westmark, captures the charm and delight that small equines have brought to so many riders. The book is available online at Skyhorse Publishing, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. It is also available in bookstores throughout the country.

Clinton Anderson’s Lessons Well Learned Book A Best Seller

World-renowned trainer and clinician, Clinton Anderson’s new book, Lessons Well Learned, is an instant hit among horse enthusiasts. The 170-plus page book that chronicles Anderson’s rise to one of the most respected trainers in the world, ranked in Amazon’s top 10,000 for the first two weeks following its release. It holds a 5-star customer rating and currently sits in Amazon’s top25 in three different categories: #12 Home&Garden/Pets/Horses-Showing and Training, 2) #16 Home&Garden/Pets/Horses-Riding, and 3) #22 Sports/Horses/Equestrian.

Anderson is a native Australian who turned a boyhood passion for horses into the desire to help people create a better relationship with their equine partners. Today, he has dedicated his life to inspiring the dreams of horsemen and runs Downunder Horsemanship based in Stephenville, Texas where he travels extensively sharing his training Method.

In Lessons Well Learned, Anderson reveals through his personal insights a deeper look at the unparalleled effectiveness of his Method. Packed with dynamic color photography and specific examples, all delivered with Anderson’s trademark wit and engaging style, the book entertains as it educates — and enlightens as it inspires. As readers apply Anderson’s Lessons Well Learned to their own knowledge and understanding of horses, they will discover for themselves why this is the training method that works for any horse.

For more information or to order a copy of Lessons Well Learned, visit the Downunder Horsemanship website: http://www.downunderhorsemanship.com/products2.cfm/ID/559/name/Lessons-Well-Learned.

Downunder Horsemanship
2285 North US Hwy 377
Stephenville, TX 76401.
Phone: (888)287-7432
www.downunderhorsemanship.com

New Western Horseman Book: Legends 8

Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 7, 2009)—Western Horseman has released the latest addition to its Legends Series. Frank Holmes, a longtime contributor to the popular books, has written Legends 8: Outstanding Quarter Horse Stallions & Mares. As with the previous seven volumes, Legends 8 profiles horses having lasting influence on every segment of the equine industry, from racetracks and ranches to competitive arenas and, of course, the breeding barns.

Each chapter includes a four-generation pedigree, show and/or race summary, and progeny record for the selected horse. The chapter also relates the formative experiences, as well as contributing factors from owners and trainers, that led to that horse becoming a standout in his or her time and a legend in time to come. Vintage photos throughout the book accompany the chapters, as do more recent shots from top equine photographers.

Among these remarkable horses, for example, is Marion’s Girl, who, with the equally legendary Buster Welch aboard, became one of the cutting industry’s first superstars. Acclaimed racehorses range from Miss Panama in the 1940s to Special Effort much later in the 20th Century. Show-ring standouts include all-around sires, such as Watch Joe Jack, and such rail-performance specialists as Hotrodders Jet Set. Doc’s Hickory and Nu Cash, for example, have strongly impacted cattle class competition, just as Sun Frost-bred horses continue to affect rodeo and barrel-racing events.

These 20 equine legends represent every decade from the 1940s to the millennium, and each horse has made a lasting mark on the Quarter Horse industry. Review copies available upon request.


Western Horseman, established in 1936, is a monthly magazine covering ranching, Western horsemanship, rodeo and equine events, and cowboy culture. The magazine is a member of the Morris Equine Group, which includes Barrel Horse News, Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar, and Quarter Horse News. The Morris Equine Group is owned by Morris Communications, a Georgia-based media company.

ECLIPSE PRESS RELEASES UNDERSTANDING YOUR HORSE’S WEIGHT

New Book is Practical Guide for Keeping a Horse at Optimum Body Condition

LEXINGTON, KY — December 7, 2009 — Eclipse Press is proud to announce the latest addition to its popular Horse Health Care Library – Understanding Your Horse’s Weight. Knowing whether your horse is overweight and understanding how to manage the problem is crucial to your horse’s well being because of diseases such as laminitis.

Written by Shannon Pratt-Phillips, Ph.D., Understanding Your Horse’s Weight is a practical guide to maintaining your horse’s optimum weight and body condition. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book takes readers through the step-by-step process of determining whether they have an overweight horse and discusses the best practices for correcting the problem. It also offers insight into the equine diseases directly linked to obesity such as laminitis and insulin resistance. Also written with the underweight horse in mind, Understanding Your Horse’s Weight explains how to put weight on your horse safely and how to maintain the appropriate weight level.

About the author:

Shannon Pratt-Phillips earned her Ph.D. from the University of Guelph in equine nutrition and physiology. She is currently an assistant professor at North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She has done research on equine nutrition and exercise physiology, including glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Pratt is a regular contributor to the leading monthly publication The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care.

Publication date: December 2009
ISBN: 978-1-58150-212-1
Pages: 109; Bound Size: 6” x 9”
Retail price: $16.95 Paperback

Available at your local bookstore or from Exclusively Equine
1-800-582-5604 (www.ExclusivelyEquine.com)

Tracey Elliot-Reep: “I want to encourage people. Life is about overcoming obstacles. You can live your dream.”

Tracey Elliot-Reep crossed the USA from south to north in an epic six-month horseback journey. A vivacious slip of a brunette this Dartmoor native is not the first person you would pick from a line-up as someone with the necessary gift for a gruelling solo voyage across a mountain wilderness. Neither would you have her down a visionary who quotes scripture fluently. Yet she is both.

Tracey is a woman of faith, but rarely goes to church; she is a lover of the outdoors and a poor speller, yet she is disciplined enough to sit at a computer for many hours to write, design and lay out a 300-page hardback book for which she took all the photographs.

Her book, Across America: Riding by Faith From Mexico to Canada is visually stunning. Through rich colour pictures, sketches and writing it follows her six-month trek across thousands of miles. Why does she do it?

She says America has always been a dream since playing cowboys and Indians on her ponies on Dartmoor having grown up on a pony farm, the Shilstone Rocks Stud in Widecombe-in-the-Moor. But her appetite for adventure has always been strong and America was not her first trip. She has trekked on horseback down the length of the British Isles, around Ireland and from tip to tip of New Zealand.

She says it’s the search for a great adventure. She has many horrifying tales but faith is an important part of her adventures. Sometimes you have to dig deep to overcome fears, and her American journey was met with opposition from the start. She was told dreadful stories of riders shot in the Rio Grande while swimming, mistaken for illegal immigrants, cowboys mauled by hears or dragged by stirrup over a canyon edge, a woman without health insurance bitten by a poisonous snake (no insurer was bold enough to take Tracey on). But she found many warm-hearted Americans who help her practically and emotionally on her journey.

And the glorious sunsets, dunes of red sand and the cry of solitary eagles in the mountains made it worth it. She says she has to pinch herself to remember the challenges she and her horses Pistol and Smoky faced and what they achieved.

And that is the essence of Tracey’s adventures. “I want to encourage people. Life is about overcoming obstacles, and you can tell when you’re doing what you were made to do. You can live your dream. If I had a message, I suppose it would be: if I can do it, you can do it. After all, I’m nobody special!”

Bestselling Author Tami Hoag Writes Foreward for Miniature Horse and Shetland Pony Book

Wellington, FL (December 3, 2009) – It’s no mystery why bestselling author Tami Hoag has written the foreward for a new book on Shetland Ponies and Miniature Horses – Hoag is a fan of small equines. Hoag, who has 14 New York Times bestsellers to her name, penned the foreward for the new book The Big Book of Small Equines: A Celebration of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies. (Skyhorse Publishing, $29.95 Hardcover).

“I asked my parents for a pony every chance I got when I was growing up,” Hoag said, adding that her dreams came true when her parents bought her a Shetland Pony named Dan. “He was my best friend and my confidant and he taught me joy and confidence.”

In the foreward to The Big Book of Small Equines, Hoag writes that Dan was the dream pony that every horse crazy kid imagines. “My very first horse show was with Dan. I drove him in a homemade cart with wheels salvaged from a Model-A car. We placed fifth out of five, but I got a big pink ribbon and never looked back.”

Today, Hoag competes at the highest level of the sport of dressage and in the book’s foreward she says, “My mounts are taller at the shoulder than I am, and graceful beyond imagining. But they owe a debt of gratitude to their much smaller cousins for helping to shape me into the rider I am today. Ponies taught me responsibility, compassion, and sportsmanship. Ponies provided the opportunity for family togetherness and the basis for building friendships. Ponies were my partners, my companions, my confidants. I remember them all fondly and with a warm heart.”

The Big Book of Small Equines: A Celebration of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies, written by Johnny Robb and Jan Westmark, details the love affair America has with Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies. The book is filled with colorful stories of small equines, as well as beautiful full-page color photographs from some of the country’s most recognized equine photographers.

Hoag, who will always have fond memories of her early days on the back of a Shetland Pony, has incorporated her love for equines of all sizes into two of her bestselling novels. Dark Horse and Alibi Man take place amidst the exciting action of the show jumping world and are based in Wellington, Florida, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival.

While Hoag fans will be pleased to read her account of growing up on the back of a Shetland Pony in the foreward of the small equine book, they will also be thrilled with Hoag’s latest mystery. Deeper Than The Dead will arrive in bookstores on December 28, 2009. For more information about Tami Hoag, or to see a list of her novels including Kill The Messenger, Cry Wolf, Still Waters, Lucky’s Lady, Dust To Dust and Ashes To Ashes, visit her website at www.tamihoag.com.

New Book On Small Equines Celebrates Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies

Wellington, FL (December 1, 2009) – A new book on small equines is celebrating the small but mighty Shetland Ponies and Miniature Horses in a big way! The Big Book of Small Equines, A Celebration of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies, by Johnny Robb and Jan Westmark (Skyhorse Publishing, $29.95 Hardcover) is now available and being embraced by horse enthusiasts everywhere.

Filled with colorful stories of small equines, as well as beautiful full-page color photographs from some of the country’s most recognized equine photographers, the book embraces America’s love affair with small equines. New York Times Bestselling author Tami Hoag penned the foreward for the book, detailing her own love of a Shetland Pony named Dan that began her life-long love of horses.

Hoag writes in the foreward that Dan was the dream pony that every horse crazy kid imagines. “My very first horse show was with Dan. I drove him in a homemade cart with wheels salvaged from a Model-A car. We placed fifth out of five, but I got a big pink ribbon and never looked back.”

The Big Book of Small Equines also takes a look at several well-known equestrians who all started their riding careers on small equines. International dressage competitor George Williams, who represented the United States in the World Cup in Sweden and in Germany, is featured in a story about his Shetland Pony Mitzi “I would use a ladder to climb up her rump and get on her,” George fondly recalled.

Television star and style guru Carson Kressley, known for his shows Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and How to Look Good Naked, also began his career on Shetland Ponies and Miniature Horses. Today, in addition to being a fashion and design expert Kressley is a Champion Saddlebred rider but says he will always have a soft spot for small equines.

The Big Book of Small Equines, A Celebration of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies, captures the charm and delight that small equines have brought to so many riders. The book is available online at Skyhorse Publishing, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. It is also available in bookstores throughout the country and through the American Shetland Pony Club American Miniature Horse Registry website at www.shetlandminiature.com or call (309) 263-4044.

THE DEFINITIVE RACING AND BREEDING RECORD OF AMERICA’S MOST IMPORTANT BROODMARES

Irvine, Calif., Nov. 30, 2009— Foundation Mares examines the racing and breeding records of more than 50 of the most important broodmares of the 20th century. Each meticulously researched chapter details the racing accomplishments of the mare and her offspring and includes numerous historical photographs that depict the mare’s exceptional racing career. Each chapter also features an easy-to-read chart that depicts the mare’s pedigree.
The book also documents the accomplishments of the breeders, plus all those who played a role in the development of the family. Foundation Mares provides a unique perspective on the history of the American Thoroughbred industry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
John P. Sparkman began his career in the Thoroughbred industry in 1972 at Windfields Farm in Maryland. He moved to Kentucky in 1974 as director of cataloging for Jockey Club Information Systems, and a few years later, he became the general manager of William DuPont III’s Pillar Stud, where he supervised the building of an international broodmare band and stallion operation. Sparkman became the bloodline/sales editor of Thoroughbred Times in 1994. Now semi-retired, he continues as the magazine’s bloodstock editor and still manages his private consulting firm, JPS Inc., serving clients in the Thoroughbred industry.

ABOUT THOROUGHBRED TIMES:
Thoroughbred Times produces the racing industry’s leading weekly publication, as well as the annual Original Thoroughbred Times Racing Almanac. Tens of thousands of owners, breeders, trainers, and racing fans trust Thoroughbred Times Books to provide a treasure trove of authoritative racing information, unique historical perspective, and groundbreaking current topics.

ISBN: 978-1-933958-81-1
$79.95 ($88.95 Can.)
Hardcover, 480 pages
12 x 9
Full-color and vintage photographs

Alvarado Biography Screenplay Rights Optioned

The screenplay rights to 2009 Thoroughbred horse racing’s Book of the Year, The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita, by Rudolph Valier Alvarado, have been optioned by Thoroughbred columnist and essayist, Marion E. Altieri. To celebrate the occasion and in time for the Christmas Holidays, the price of Alvarado’s award-winning biography, which includes a CD of Joe’s timeless race calls, has been lowered 25%. The book can be purchased online at www.voiceofsantaanita.com.

Altieri became interested in writing the screenplay for the award-winning biography after reviewing a copy of the Special Edition for her Saratoga.com column, “Mairzy Doats.” In her review of Alvarado’s book Altieri wrote, “The author has crafted a work of art that stands on its own: It cannot be compared with any other biography (racing or otherwise) because it is the only member of its species.”

Shortly after her review of the Hernandez biography was published, Altieri contacted Alvarado in an effort to secure the rights to pen the screenplay. In discussing his decision to sell Altieri the screenplay rights, Alvarado stated, “I was struck by the passion with which she spoke to me about the piece, as well as the clear vision she had for the screenplay. Of course, I was well aware of her reputation as a Thoroughbred essayist and was pleasantly surprised to discover that she also had a background in screenplaywriting and drama.”

Altieri has written several screenplays and seven plays for the stage. In college, she earned a Minor in Technical Theatre from Mount Holyoke College. In explaining her interest in the story, Alitieri shared that she “was moved to write the screenplay because the book was honest, and did not avoid the hard stuff of Truth.”

“Not everyone grows up in a privileged household, with a perfect family,” Altieri added, “In fact, I am suspicious of people who claim that their lives have always been perfect. Perfection happens only in Heaven--and we're not there yet. Rudy showed Joe Hernandez' life, warts and all, as they say--and it is precisely these bumps and bruises of Joe's life journey that makes this a story that will compel potential audience members to buy that ticket to the theatre and then buy the DVD after the film's theatre run.”

Altieri’s interest in adapting Alvarado’s biography is timely. There are currently two major motion pictures related to Thoroughbred horse racing slated for production in the coming year. One of them is the life story of Julie Krone, the hall of fame jockey. The movie is based on her autobiography titled, Riding for My Life. The second is a Disney-backed period film about the iconic race horse Secretariat starring Oscar-nominated actress Diane Lane.

Altieri sees the primary audience for her adaptation of Alvarado’s biography as being composed of race horse fans. However, she believes that, “because Joe's story speaks to the entire spectrum of human emotion and experience, it, too, will bring in audience members who relate to the role of a man who was very human, and who lived life fully to the best of his ability.”

Commenting on Hernandez’s Latino heritage, Altieri stated that, “The Latino community, has a genuine hero in Joe Hernandez! He was named Santa Anita's race announcer from Day One (Christmas Day, 1934)--in a time when many Latinos were being repatriated to Mexico by an ignorant American government. Latinos have always had a long, hard road in America--the fact that Joe was recognized for his great talents 75 years ago, when it was even harder than now to be Latino in America--well, that's perhaps the most amazing testimony to his universal appeal and tremendous gifts.”

Once the screenplay is completed, Altieri will first offer close friends in Hollywood an opportunity to produce and direct the piece. However, if it is not a story they feel fits in well with their studio, she plans to speak with other friends in the movie industry.

Caballo Press of Ann Arbor’s The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita won the 2009 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, an award that recognizes Thoroughbred horse racing’s Book of the Year. The prestgoius prize comes with a $10,000 cash prize, which makes it one of the richest book awards in the world. The contest is sponsored by Thoroughbred Times and Castleton Lyons. Alvarado’s biography was also named a finalist for an additional six national book awards.

Castleton Lyons and Thoroughbred Times Sponsor 4th Annual Book Award

Lexington, KY — Castleton Lyons and Thoroughbred Times announced today that they will be co-sponsoring the Fourth Annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award and are now taking entries for the prestigious prize. Presented to the author of the best book about Thoroughbred racing published in 2009, the award comes with a $10,000 cash prize, making it one of the richest book awards in the world.

“We are proud to again co-sponsor the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award,” said Shane Ryan, president of Castleton Lyons. “This gives us an opportunity to both recognize great writing and help promote the sport of racing we love so much. I know we will have some outstanding works entered this year.”

Named for the late founder of Castleton Lyons who conceived the award in 2006 to reward literary excellence, the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award is presented annually to the author of the best book published about an aspect of Thoroughbred racing.

“This is a tribute to Dr. Ryan’s vision,” said Mark Simon, president of the Lexington-based publication company Thoroughbred Times. “This award is unique in racing in that it is the only one that recognizes authors of books. This is their Eclipse Award competition, so to speak.”

The deadline for submissions for the 2009 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award is December 31, 2009. The semi-finalists will be announced in February and the three finalists will be named in March.

The announcement of the winner of the 2009 Book Award will be made in April 2010. The winner also receives a crystal trophy. The runners-up will each receive a trophy and a check for $1,000.

Nominees for the Book Award can be in any category: fiction, non-fiction, handicapping, training, children’s, health care, photography, etc., as long as it pertains to an aspect dealing with Thoroughbreds. Judges selected by Thoroughbred Times will critique books on content, plus design, layout, and artwork, when relevant, to select the 2009 winner.

To submit nominees to the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, authors or publishing companies should send seven (7) copies of the book, along with the nomination form (available on the Thoroughbred Times website at: www.thoroughbredtimes.com), to: Book Award, Thoroughbred Times, 2008 Mercer Rd, Lexington, KY 40511. Entries must be received by December 31, 2009.

The 2008 Dr. Tony Ryan Award winner was Rudy Alvarado for The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita. The runners-up were Vic Zast, author of The History and Art of 25 Travers, and Dick Francis and Felix Francis, authors of Silks.

Past winners of Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award:
2008 — Rudy Alvarado, The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita.
2007 — T. D. Thornton, Not By A Long Shot: A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track.
2006 — Joe Drape, Black Maestro.

For more information, contact:
Mark Simon, President and Editor in Chief, Thoroughbred Times (859) 260-9800 or msimon@thoroughbredtimes.com

About Castleton Lyons:
Castleton Lyons, whose president is Shane Ryan, is a full-service Thoroughbred farm in Lexington that is situated on land with a distinguished history with horses dating back more than 200 years. The 1,200-acre farm stands the stallions Bernstein, Action This Day, and Toccet, and in 2009 campaigned one of the year’s best horses, homebred stakes winner Gio Ponti.

Castleton Lyons, 2469 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 455-9222

About Thoroughbred Times:
Thoroughbred Times Company publishes the THOROUGHBRED TIMES, a weekly newsmagazine for owners, breeders, trainers, and racing enthusiasts worldwide. Thoroughbred Times also publishes an annual Stallion Directory, the Buyer’s Guides for auctions, an annual Auction Review, the daily electronic newsletter THOROUGHBRED TIMES TODAY, and maintains a comprehensive website at http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com.

Thoroughbred Times, 2008 Mercer Rd., Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 260-9800

Newly released horse book started from essay in The Texas Thoroughbred magazine

In August 2006, Lynn Reardon approached The Texas Thoroughbred magazine with a short article about Spider, a young Thoroughbred who had recently wrangled with a rattlesnake. Reardon was well known to the publication - her nonprofit racehorse adoption group, LOPE (LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-racers), had placed many Texas racehorses into new homes after their racing careers were over. The Texas Thoroughbred Association had also sponsored LOPE for its charitable work with the horses.

Denis Blake, editor of The Texas Thoroughbred, liked the article and decided to run it in the magazine. "Spider's Bad Day" appeared in the November/December 2006 issue.

"Taking care of ex-racehorses has always been very important to the Texas Thoroughbred Association and its members, so we've run many stories about it but never had a reaction like we did after this article," said Blake.

Many readers contacted Reardon after the story ran - they wanted to know more about Spider and the other horses at LOPE. The strong response led Reardon to take on a surprising new project.

"People kept telling me how much they liked the article," she said. "Over and over, I heard 'Hey, you should write a book about the horses at the LOPE adoption ranch.' And that's what I finally did."

"Spider's Bad Day" became the first chapter of Reardon's newly released book, Beyond the Homestretch (ISBN: 978-1-57731-580-3). At the LOPE adoption ranch near Austin, Texas, Reardon encountered dozens of unruly racehorses, all with special needs and vivid personalities. As she helped them make the shift to new careers, they returned the favor - by becoming her most memorable mentors in horsemanship and life philosophy. The horses themselves are a central focus of the book, with their fascinating racing careers, spirited natures, and gripping veterinary needs. Reardon's own story, that of a stressed-out office worker turned capable ranch hand, is told through her experiences with the horses.

"Without the enthusiastic encouragement from The Texas Thoroughbred magazine and its readers, I never would have thought to write an entire book," said Reardon. "And the fact that I had been published in such a quality magazine really helped attract publishing industry interest in my book project."

For more information about LOPE, visit www.lopetx.org, and for more information about the book, visit www.beyondthehomestretch.com.

Deadline Set for Horsenameographies Book Submissions

Award-winning publisher Caballo Press of Ann Arbor has set December 14, 2009, as the deadline for horse lovers to submit their life stories in a race horse name. Selected names will be inclued in their upcoming book, Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name by Lovers of Horses Everywhere. The deadline was moved up months in advance due to the large number of contributions. In two-and-a-half months over six-hundred names have been submitted, and it is expected to climb to well over 850 by December 14.

The book will be released on April 14, two weeks before the running of the 2010 Kentucky Derby. In order to make sure that the first printing meets demand, pre-orders will be accepted starting on January 14. The book will be available exclusively through Caballo Press of Ann Arbor’s website, www.caballopress.com. In a show of appreciation, copies of Horsenameographies will be released to those selected for inclusion in the book two weeks prior to its nation wide release.

Horsenameographies have ranged from the comical to the inspirational to the heart wrenching. “Nervous Breakdown” captured J. De La Torre’s life story in a race horse name. In explaining the name De La Torre jokingly shared, “I'm sound physically but unsound mentally! I must be to be in this sport.”

“Entirely Special” was contributed by N. Treusch in tribute to a special person in her life. In submitting the name, Treusch wrote, “This guy saw me through breast cancer treatment; was my partner on many incredible rides; fate brought us together. He was, indeed, Entirely Special.”

The touching race horse name, “See You at the Wire,” was submitted by K. Toler who wrote that, “Horses have given me the inspiration I have needed throughout my life to attain many goals for myself and my daughters. When it seems we can't or the struggles seem too hard -- Horses have made me see that the impossible is very possible.”

Photographs that capture the essence of a person’s horsenameography have accompanied a number of the submissions. At least twenty-five of these photographs will be featured in the book.

Life stories in a race horse name can be submitted up until December 14 at www.caballopress.com. Official Jockey Club rules which limit the number of letters, spaces and punctuations for the naming of race horses to eighteen will not being enforced in order to allow contributors to be as creative as possible. The book will be designed and edited by Rudolph Valier Alvarado, the recipient of the 2009 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, formerly known as the Thoroughbred Times/Castleton Lyons Book Award.

Author Tells the Story of a Young Girl’s Love for Horses

Jessica Perkins, almost nine years old, sits quietly beside the hot, chlorinated swimming pool, waiting for her sister and brother to finish swim practice. They are both competitive swimmers. But how long before she has a special interest of her very own? When a friend of her mom’s recommends horseback riding lessons, Jessica’s aquamarine eyes light up.

Massachusetts author Joni Perkins shares this true story in her new book releasing nationwide titled, “Struck by Lightning.”

Published by Tate Publishing & Enterprises, the book tells the story of a little girl’s first experiences with horses and how she finds happiness and discovers her identity and self-esteem.

The book is available at any bookstore nationwide or can be ordered through barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, target.com or directly from the publisher at orders@tatepublishing.com. An audio version of the book also is available from the publisher.

Perkins resides in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Winner to Get Call from Magali Delgado and Frédéric Pignon

Trafalgar Square Books contest for Gallop to Freedom features 15 memorable minutes by phone with founding stars of Cavalia

North Pomfret, Vermont (Nov. 11, 2009) -- If you had 15 minutes to talk with Magali Delgado and Frédéric Pignon, what would you want to say? Thanks to a novel contest that Trafalgar Square Books is running November 12 to December 16, 2009, you may win yourself such a personal chat, simply by purchasing a copy of their new release Gallop to Freedom: Training Horses with the Founding Stars of Cavalia from www.horseandriderbooks.com.

Every copy of Gallop to Freedom bought on www.horseandriderbooks.com counts as an entry (ie.10 copies=10 entries) and automatically puts you in the running to receive a live phone call from Magali and Frédéric, who will be calling you from France. The winning entry will be chosen on December 18, 2009 and notified via email and telephone before New Year’s Day.

And, the lucky winner’s name will be featured on the Gallop to Freedom web page, too.

Magali and Frédéric’s amazing abilities with liberty and dressage horses gained worldwide recognition on the stage of Cavalia, the acclaimed equestrian spectacular that they helped conceive and starred in for six years on tour. Since “retiring” from Cavalia, the couple has been home at the family farm in the South of France training horses and breeding more beautiful Lusitanos. Released on October 19, 2009, Gallop to Freedom soared to become the #1 horse book in all major categories on Amazon.com in its first week and has held that ranking since. (Sorry, no contest entries via Amazon.)

Date and time of the phone call from Magali and Frédéric to the winner will be decided according to authors’ and winner’s respective schedules--and time zones. Meantime, consider what you’d ask--would you want to discuss how their training philosophy applies to your own horse? Or, how Magali came to have her wedding dress designed by Jiki, who also designed Princess Caroline’s of Monaco!

Available at www.horseandriderbooks.com, major bookstores, select tack shops, and www.Amazon.com, Gallop to Freedom ($29.95 hc) presents a touching, mind-opening perspective on horses and life as Frédéric and Magali share the events, experiences, and the horses that shaped their training philosophy and the principles they embrace. The “Win-a-Phone-Call” contest is available only at www.horseandriderbooks.com.

HORSE LOVER’S GUIDE TO KENTUCKY BLOG DEBUTS ON THEHORSE.COM

Lexington, KY (November 11, 2009) – A new weekly blog based on veteran travel writer Patti Nickell’s book, Horse Lover’s Guide to Kentucky, makes its debut today on TheHorse.com (http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/horse-lovers-guide-kentucky). Just like the book, the blog will be the ultimate guide to the equine capital of the world and each week will feature a different destination with related photos, video (when available), and upcoming events.

The blog is an essential tool for visitors planning to attend the 2010 World Equestrian Games, and will run up until the Games’ September start date. It will also be a place where new visitors, frequent visitors and residents alike can come to discuss the commonwealth’s most unique attractions.

“We hope this blog will quickly become the ‘the place to go’ to find out what to do when in town for the World Equestrian Games,” said Kim Brown, publisher of The Horse. “Whether someone is looking for how to visit a Thoroughbred farm, trying to decide where to stay during the World Equestrian Games, or simply seeking a unique restaurant off the beaten path, they will be able to find that information on this blog as well as in the book.”

The book is available at your local bookstore or from Exclusively Equine by calling 1-800-582-5604 or at www.ExclusivelyEquine.com.

Clinton Anderson’s Lessons Well Learned

Why My Method Works for Any Horse
CLINTON ANDERSON with Melinda Kaitcer

Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the publication of Clinton Anderson’s Lessons Well Learned. Frustrated by a horse that’s lazy and slow-to-learn? Frightened by an aggressive, disrespectful mount? Unsure of how to take your good show prospect and make him great? This one-of-a-kind book dishes out sensible solutions to all these common problems, and more, as Clinton Anderson guides you through the best ways to become a more confident, efficient, and proactive horseman.

It is in the spirit of “teaching people” as much as “training horses” that Clinton shares 20 of the most valuable lessons he’s learned—from horses and those that work with them—throughout his career. His theory is that if you know how he learned—just a regular old kid with a passion for horses and a desire to work with them—then you, too, regardless of your age or experience, can reach the next level with your horsemanship. Plus, you’ll get the inside scoop on some of Clinton’s most challenging training cases, most frustrating personal moments, and the errors he’s made—and learned from—over the years.

The transition from being an unknown horse trainer in Australia to one of the most renowned clinicians in the world has not been easy, but the history behind CLINTON ANDERSON and Downunder Horsemanship® is inspiring. Clinton was born and raised in Australia, where at the age of six his family recognized a natural ability with horses and cultivated his interest, buying him his first horse at age nine. When he was 15, he started an apprenticeship with nationally acclaimed horse trainers, Gordon McKinlay and, later, Ian Francis. Just three years later he started his own training facility in Australia and trained over 600 horses. In 1996 Clinton traveled to the United States and apprenticed with Al Dunning, and in 2000, he took a huge gamble, becoming the first clinician to develop and launch an hour long, specifically “made-for-TV” weekly training program on RFD-TV. In 2003 and 2005, Clinton won the prestigious “Road to the Horse” colt-starting competition with a focus on educating the audience by demonstrating what’s possible if you have a solid training foundation. Clinton now travels extensively conducting clinics and appearing as a headlining speaker at many of the major equine events throughout North America. His business is based in the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” Stephenville, Texas, where he pursues his core purpose of “Inspiring the Dreams of Horsemen.”

184 pp · 8 ¼ x 10 ¼ · 142 color photos · 978 1 57076 435 6 · $29.95 hc

Improved fitness, flexibility, balance and strength mean better communication to the horse—what are you doing to get it?

EQUESTRIAN PILATES® is your route to a great ride. It gives you the tools you need to develop self-awareness of body movement and simple but profound exercises that allow you to do what you want on horseback.

The ability of the rider to do what is necessary in the saddle is just as important as the quality of the horse. Through EQUESTRIAN PILATES®, Elizabeth Hanson will show you how to optimize and super-charge your equestrian body.

These e-books will show you how we all fall into compensation patterns that throw off our balance, decrease our strength and cause muscular tension. Then it will show you how to re-teach your body what it needs to make your ride all you want it to be.

The other main purpose of the book is to help you keep your body healthy so you can enjoy your profession or hobby for years to come. EQUESTRIAN PILATES® can help you address many riding “problems” such as:

trouble sitting the trot,
low back pain,
gripping with the arms and legs for balance,
soreness after riding
and more!

Whether you are an international competitor or an occasional trail rider, whether you ride dressage, western or hunter/jumper, you will find ways to increase performance, communicate more effectively with your horse and enjoy your ride more fully.

Try it out to see what a powerful team you and your horse can be!

These three e-books are available for purchase at www.equestrianpilates.com.

For more personalized attention, there are also clinics and private sessions taught by Elizabeth Hanson, offering over 20 years of riding and Pilates expertise, that are held by special request at private and public stables nation and worldwide. For more information and future clinic dates please contact Elizabeth Hanson at 805/338-5765 or by email at elizabeth@equestrianpilates.com

Elizabeth has written magazine articles for several publications including Dressage Today, The Gaited Horse, Polo Player’s Edition, Paso Fino Horse World and others. Please contact her if you would like her to write for your magazine. Please email her at elizabeth@equestrianpilates.com for sample articles.

If you would like a free copy of these e-books for review please email elizabeth@equestrianpilates.com.

Your Life Summed Up in a Race Horse Name

“MommyMommyMommy”; “SOULSAVER”; “OhMyGodSeven!” – from the hearts of horse lovers come the story of their lives summed up in a name they’d give themselves if they were a race horse.

The idea is the basis for Caballo Press of Ann Arbor’s upcoming book, Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name by Lovers of Horses Everywhere. The publisher is asking horse lovers to reflect on their lives and then contribute a race horse name that sums up their life. Submissions can be made at http://horsenameographies.caballopress.com.

Since September 3, over five-hundred names have been contributed and many have elected to forward a photograph that captures the essence of their life in a race horse name as well. Some race horse names have been funny and some have been quite moving. One horse loving mother contributed the name “MommyMommyMommy”, because, as she jokingly explained, “It seems appropriate for me right now, as I'm sick of hearing my son say that every ten seconds for the past three years of his six-year-old life!!"

“SOULSAVER,” was submitted by a thoughtful horse lover who wrote, “I chose this name because 10 years ago a race horse named Kim's Rahy came into my life. He was injured and his racing career was over. At that time, I was feeling as broken as he was. People say I saved a race horse - but what really happened was that we saved each other! So definitely : SOULSAVER !!”

Even Caballo Press’ CEO and publisher Rudolph Alvarado, the author of the acclaimed biography on race caller Joe Hernandez took a turn at capturing his life in a race horse’s name. “My name,” Alvarado shared enthusiastically, “that’s easy, ‘OhMyGodSeven!’ because that’s what most people say when I tell them how many children I have!”

In order to assist with creativity, Caballo Press will not adhere to the strict rules governing the naming of actual thoroughbreds, although, obscene and questionable names will not be allowed. In regards to the project, Alvarado stated, “We’re asking horse lovers to stop and reflect on their lives. We want them to think of a race horse name that captures their personality, their likes, dislikes, or their hopes, dreams, or desires and to submit that name today.”

Due to its popularity, pre-orders for Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name will be accepted starting in mid-January. The book will be released on April 14, two weeks before the running of the 2010 Kentucy Derby. As Alvarado explained, “We want the book to be a part of everyone’s Kentucky Derby party, and we want to make sure that the first printing meets the growing demand for the book.”

Ten percent of the profit generated from Horsenameographies will be donated to ReRun, Inc. Thoroughbred Rescue and Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue, two non-profit agencies dedicated to the betterment of horses. “At Caballo Press,” Alvarado explained, “we’re committed to giving back to the community that supports our efforts. For that reason, a percentage of every book we publish will be donated to a non-profit organization related to horses.”

Horsenameographies: Life Stories in a Race Horse Name will be edited by Rudolph Alvarado.