Written by Mark Rashid
In Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse, Mark Rashid is yet another talented horse clinician who has to balance the bottom line of his business and get results with horses fast, when Buck the ranch horse comes into his life. Buck will not be homogenized into one-size-fits-all training, responses, and behavior. This unassuming ranch horse remains persistent in who he is, and what he knows to be true. Buck lives his life in a gentle, non-confrontational manner with the humans and other horses he encounters. Mark is stumped by some of Buck’s refusals under saddle until he begins to understand the myriad ways Buck is patiently offering information and waiting for Mark to hear it. This quiet horse teaches Mark about himself, and about life.
Mark and Buck’s story is from the heart of a horse and a man, and a reflection of what is often missed: listening, observing, and processing information fresh in each moment. Buck will leave you with a feeling of admiration for his infinite patience, and with an opportunity to peruse, as Mark did, the self.
Life Lessons From a Ranch Horse is not a training book, but instead a glimpse into the expansion of what is possible when we learn to listen with more than old beliefs guiding how and what we hear.
Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse will leave you with a thread to follow, if you choose to pursue it.
(Publisher Johnson Books 2003) $17.50
Written by Trafalgar Square Books
Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the publication of 50 5-Minute Fixes to Improve Your Riding by Wendy Murdoch. Did you know that 5 minutes a day is all the time you need to achieve: better balance in the saddle; improved body control from head to toe; increased influence with your seat; flawless leg position and subtle aiding; quieter, softer hands and contact your horse can trust; less physical stiffness, tension, and riding-related pain; and confidence in your ability to communicate with your horse.
TLC - Trust-Based Leadership and Compassionate Communication 
One normally associates the concept of a massage with humans. But in “Equine Muscle Magic”, Jackie Nairn shows you that the term can not only apply to other animals, and to horses in particular, but that through equine massage you can reach a new, multi-level connection with your horse. This book will give you step-by-step instructions for each of the interactions that you will want to perform. It will show you how to give your horse a “10-Minute Massage” for use between full-body massages. It will also show you how to build a “body map” of your horse, locating all the places where his muscles are in need of work. And finally, it will provide you with the complete procedure for giving your horse a full-body massage from head to tail. Your horse will thank you for learning and using the techniques from this book.
