The Old Mares Foal

Many kinds of equine characters grace these pages, from magnificent war horses to cowboys' trusty steeds, from broken-down nags to playful colts, from wild horses to dream horses. We encounter the famous Trojan horse in Virgil's Aeneid, only to see it from a quite different perspective in Matthea Harvey's whimsical 'Inside the Good Idea'. Longfellow shows us Paul Revere defying an empire from the back of a horse, while Shakespeare's Richard III vainly offers his kingdom for one. Robert Burns's 'Auld Farmer' dotes affectionately on his ageing mare, while Paul Muldoon's 'Glaucus' is devoured by his fierce young fillies. Robert Frost's little horse stopping by the woods is gently puzzled by human behaviour, while Ted Hughes is dazzled by a stunning vision of horses at dawn, 'grey silent fragments/Of a grey silent world'.Mythical and metaphorical horses cavort alongside vividly real ones in these poems, whether they be humble servants, noble companions, beloved friends or emblems of the wild beauty of the world beyond our grasp.

Now in a much-anticipated two-volume new edition, this gold-standard reference stands as the most comprehensive and authoritative text on equine reproduction. Serving theriogenologists, practitioners and breeders worldwide as a one-stop resource for the reproductive assessment and management of equine patients, Equine Reproduction, Second Edition provides detailed information on examination techniques, breeding procedures, pregnancy diagnosis and management, reproductive tract diseases and surgery, and foaling. A companion website offers hundreds of images from the book in color. For the Second Edition, the stallion, mare and foal sections have been thoroughly updated and revised to include the latest information on every subject. New topics include discussion of nutritional and behavioral factors in the broodmare and stallion, parentage testing, fetal sexing and the health and management of older foals, weanlings and yearlings. Additionally, this outstanding Second Edition features a new section on assisted reproductive techniques, including detailed information on artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and technology.

A book chock-full of answers to horse-behavior questions that will change your horse's life for the better. Horses want partners they trust. Meeting their need for security makes them more tuned-in, calmer, and more reliable. In her engaging book, highly illustrated with professional color photographs, certified riding instructor Lynn Acton, MS, shows you how, with practical step-by-step instructions. You’ll see that progress can be surprisingly fast with methods that are gentle, time-tested, backed by science, and that make intuitive sense to your horse. Discover how to earn trust and make training more efficient by engaging horses’ innate intelligence, maintaining clear two-way communication, and considering their point of view. This leadership approach has been used successfully for centuries by people of all backgrounds and skill levels on horses at all levels of training. Acton refers to this relationship as Protector Leadership because you are the horse’s protector. In these pages, she combines extensive horse experience and an academic background in social dynamics with in-depth research. She interprets and cites the scientific findings that explain why Protector Leadership works, and offers valuable insights into equine psychology while exposing myths that are sources of problems. Plus, Acton includes “Things to Try” at the end of each chapter—fun and easy-to-implement exercises that help you engage your horse as a thinking partner Throughout, the narrative includes stories of Acton's progress with her own horses, including mistakes and hindsight, and especially the transformation of the book’s "cover girl" Brandy from a dangerous throwaway to a happy, reliable partner. Clear, detailed photographs show the subtle body language of horses and people, and illustrate critical interactions that make a real difference in our relationships, communication, and training. These are a few of the concrete skills you will learn: · Earn trust starting the moment you meet a horse. · Recognize “misbehavior” that actually means your horse is thinking like a partner. · Turn pressure into clear communication instead of stress. · Use Positive Reinforcement for better learning, behavior, and reliability. · Turn anxiety and spooks into confidence building situations. · Discourage unwanted behavior without punishment. · Allow your horse appropriate choices and freedom. As your bond strengthens, you can enjoy watching your horse’s true personality blossom. A thoughtful, progressive book for riders of all disciplines and students of the horse of all experience levels.

A swift, effective method for pernamently shaping a horse's lifetime behvior.

This book is a reflection of my heritage with horses. It comes from both sides of the saddle, so to speak, because both of my grandfathers were excellent horsemen. One grandpa was Cherokee and rode with the Kiowa horsemen in the early days of Indian Territory. They call it Oklahoma today. He gave credit to the Kiowa people for our unique way of working with a mare in-foal in order to blend our spirit with the foal. My other grandpa was an early day cattleman in Indian Territory and was known for his good-minded cutting and roping horses. I was blessed to have been born into this rich mix of horse and cow savvy. As a kid I was careful to take the best of both worlds, the Indian World and the Cowboy World, and develop my way of working with horses. The horses and mules like it. The day-to-day steps of working with the foal and mare ensured a lifetime of harmony with that horse. Each of the 37 chapters takes the reader or rider through each progressive training phase, emphasizing the easy, patient way the movements should be presented to the horse. The spirit blending starts with the mare first then progresses to the unborn foal. This special attention is continued right through the birthing process with the highlight coming at two years of age when the young horse is ridden for the first time. The foal is first taught to lead and "soft" tie at one and two days old. By the time it reaches two years of age it has been taught to readily load into a trailer, stand tied, yield to rope pressure from each leg, stand tied with a snubbed down head, back on voice and body cues, and to be ground led across country as well as ponyied from the mare. I term the essential ingredient of my technique, once the foal is born, "assurance pressure". It creates a sound foundation and willing mind in a horse. It is the glue that holds the spiritual blend together. It lasts for a lifetime with your horse. Praise for Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, An Old Way Continued Dear Mr. Wadley: I LOVE your book Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, An Old Way Continued. It is a priceless bit of Western History, and horsemanship, and equine behavior... Robert M. Miller, D.V.M. (Thousand Oaks, CA)