Miscellaneous

Advanced Techniques of Dressage, German National Equestrian Federation

Translated from the official instruction handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation, this teaching manual provides an instruction course in advanced level dressage for horse and rider. Using the German training system – a clear and logical system that has consistently produced international champions for many decades – the manual describes in detail the criteria governing each stage of dressage training – from transitions and extensions to piaffe and passage – giving the aids and training methods to be used for each movement or exercise. Respecting both purity and classical traditions, its aim is to create true harmony between rider and horse, and therefore mutual trust and confidence.

The Anatomy of the Horse, Way and Lee

“The Anatomy of the Horse” by Robert Way and Donald Lee is a comprehensive book on the topic of horses, focusing on their anatomy. Published in 1965 by Blackwell Scientific Publications in the United Kingdom. Written in English, this original work offers a detailed exploration of the horses’ physical structure, making it a valuable resource for horse enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Run with the Horses, Eugene H. Peterson

A Formatio book. We all long to live life at its best–to fuse freedom and spontaneity with purpose and meaning. Why then do we often find our lives so humdrum, so unadventuresome, so routine? Or else so frantic, so full of activity, but still devoid of fulfillment? How do we learn to risk, to trust, to pursue wholeness and excellence–to run with the horses in the jungle of life?In a series of profound reflections on the life of Jeremiah the prophet, Eugene Peterson explores the heart of what it means to be fully and genuinely human. His writing is filled with humor and self-reflection, insight and wisdom, helping to set a course for others in the quest for life at its best.

Healing Power of Horses Lessons from the Lakota Indians, Wendy Beth Baker

Wendy Beth Baker’s The Healing Power of Horses is devoted to the world’s greatest horsepeople, the Oglala Lakota Indians of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. She begins the book by sharing the philosophy of these great horse-loving people: “There are those who feel the sun rises and sets on the back of a horse, and no matter what obstacles life sets in their way, they never dismount.” The spirit and fortitude of the Lakota Indians inform Baker’s words as she describes how this once-nomadic tribe came to view the horse as sacred and assigned it great significance in their culture, religion, and lifestyle. The Indians who live on the Pine Ridge Reservation have grown spiritually and as a community through their relationship with their horses, and it is through this connection to the natural world that the power of healing and ultimately, health, flows.

With photography by Hope Vinitsky, The Healing Power of Horses tells the individual stories of over a dozen Lakota Indians and how horses have affected each of their lives. Baker was able to interview each of these inspiring individuals for inclusion in this book. The empowering stories told come from Wayne Waters, Marlin “Moon” Weston, Eugenio White Hawk, Wendell Yellow Bull, Aldeen Twiss, Phillip Jumping Eagle and Billy, Dale Vocu, Emma and Shelly Waters, Wilmer Mesteth, Vernell White Thunder, Pat Heathershaw, Lester Waters, and the Carlows. While the stories of each of these exceptional men and women are different, the common denominator in each is the horse’s transformative power to heal their minds, spirits, and bodies. These are stories of artists, athletes, and common noble folk, all of whom have struggled to overcome life’s many obstacles to thrive and become better people.

The author’s intention in this book, as she describes in the final section “The Future of the Lakota Horsepeople,” is to have her readers gain a better understanding of horses in Lakota culture while at the same time affording some of the Lakota people an opportunity to reconnect with their cultural identity. In reading this book, it is clear that the Lakota people have preserved the emotional power of their ancient culture and strength as a people by maintaining their connection to horses, animals that they deeply love. Fiercely loyal to the United States, the Lakota horsepeople are a strong, proud, and brave community who have much to teach all people about life and the pursuit of healing.