Taking Up The Reins

A personal memoir chronicling an American woman's intense year in Germany studying with the great dressage master Walter Christensen.

This delightfully written book gives readers a first-hand, behind-the-scenes look at what dressage training abroad entails. In this personal memoir, the author chronicles the year she spent in Germany studying with the great dressage master Walter Christensen. A fascinating read for anyone familiar with the challenges often faced by those who choose to seriously pursue a riding sport.

A young rider encounters well-known horses and new friends in the final installment of the Ellen & Ned trilogy by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley. Ellen's family has moved to a new town...but some things, like her love for horses, remain the same. Ellen is now the proud owner of her own horse, Tater. She's learning new skills and challenging herself as a rider...but she still can't stop thinking about Ned, the feisty former racehorse she sees on the ranch during her lessons. In the meantime, Ellen's making new friends and encountering old ones. Most exciting of all is Da, a boy from a riding family who is possessed of a spirit of mischief and daring and knows his own mind. Ellen still has a lot to learn...about horses, friendship, and herself. And will she ever be able to get Ned off her mind?

Christina considers a career in veterinary medicine after she has a horse racing accident. Melanie continues to pursue her career as a jockey and strives to have a good relationship with Christina.

When Sasha Silver and her horse, Charm, arrive on the campus of the elite Canterwood Crest Academy, Sasha knows that she's in trouble. She's not exactly welcomed with open arms. One group of girls in particular is used to being the best, the brightest, and the prettiest on the team, and when Sasha shows her skills in the arena, the girls' claws come out. Sasha is determined to prove that she belongs at Canterwood. Will she rise to the occasion and make the advanced riding team by the end of her first semester? Or will the pressure send Sasha packing?

Curtis loved to rope. In his early years he rode bulls and spent much time around the rodeo scene. Now that he was older his preference was team roping...He would spend hours upon hours taking a young horse through the same process until perfection was accomplished. Sandy would sit on the back deck and watch how patient he would be with his horses.Sandy Armstrong was only eighteen when her husband was killed in a gun accident, and she was left to raise their son on her own. Waitressing part-time to pay the bills, she enrolled in cosmetology school and began to rebuild her life. One night at a dance hall, she met Curtis, a handsome, rugged cowboy with a son of his own. After a quick courtship, the two were married. Neither realized they both had pasts that could ruin their future together. Curtis's patience with horses did not extend to his family, and he was often harsh with them. He frequented the bars and slept with other women. Sandy almost left him several times. But Sandy knew Curtis had a big heart, and she forgave him. Many years later, when Curtis was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, Sandy stood by his side as he underwent treatments, eventually selling their wedding rings to pay bills. When Curtis passed away, Sandy remembered his words to her: 'You move on with your life. My life is ending, but yours has not.'Taking Life by the Reins, Sandy started to rebuild her life once more.

An executive’s transition into any leadership role can be a challenge. Such transitions do not always go smoothly, and the negative consequences can be significant. This is particularly so for Chief Information Officers (CIOs), as the role has evolved significantly over the years yet remains deeply ambiguous. This is despite information and technology moving from the periphery of an organization to a fundamental driver of innovation and competitive advantage. This book is to help the newly appointed CIO “take charge”: the process of learning and taking action that the newly appointed CIO goes through until s/he has mastered the new assignment in sufficient depth to be effective in the role. This book provides keen insights into the challenges faced by today's CIOs while transitioning into a new role and enlightens readers on how to navigate the organizational environment in order to implement necessary changes. With plenty of practical tools and insights it will help you to: • Decide how best to approach the job • Prioritize the first areas of the business you should attend to • Draw up your goals for the first few weeks and months into the role • Find out if there are there any decisions that you can postpone making Based on over 200 interviews with CIOs, CxOs, and recruiters, this book offers readers guidance on how to take on the role of a business executive with special responsibility for information and technology, with ten key prescriptions to maximize success.

Timid and small for her age, nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann discovers her own abilities and gains a new perception of the world around her when she goes to live with relatives on a farm in Vermont.

Are you ready to discover the answer to getting unstuck from an unsatisfying job, relationship, or life? Well, the truth is you won't find the answer in this book, or any book. There is no singular solution for any two people. Why? The answer is inside of you.Using an integrated approach to address the whole person-mind, body, spirit, and soul-is the only way to uncover what's keeping you stuck. Hint: it's not what you think. In Take Back the Reins, Bigliardi reveals: - How to identify the real cause of why you're stuck - Why many traditional models and methods fall short - Powerful insights that will improve your life and relationships - Proven methods to lead you to your breakthrough If you've tried traditional therapy, coaching, or self-help methods, and you're still feeling stuck, Bigliardi's approach provides hope through proven results. Learn why mind-focused processes fail and how fundamental change requires including the body, spirit, and soul. Change also requires action. Start now by exploring Bigliardi's methods.

Before Bobby Pendragon. Before Saint Dane. Before the war . . . Every territory of Halla has a Traveler. They lived for years—some even for decades—before learning of their true destiny. What was life like for Bobby Pendragon's fellow Travelers before they joined him in the fight to save every time and place that has ever existed? What led up to their becoming the guardians of Halla? The answers are here! In this first of three thrilling Pendragon prequels, read about Vo Spader's death-defying adventures in the underwater world of Cloral, Gunny Van Dyke's race to find a murderer in 1930's Manhattan on First Earth, and the tough challenges Kasha faced on Eelong well before Bobby Pendragon arrived . . .