When owning, training, riding, and showing horses, there is a certain “look” to which one aspires. World-class “turnout”—a horse in peak condition, perfectly coiffed and luminous with health, outfitted with gleaming and well-fit tack appropriate for his sport—can take your breath away. And while it can certainly play a significant role in a competitive rider’s success, it is just as appealing to have any horse “groomed to the nines,” whether he’s headed for an afternoon lesson or just out on the trail. Achieving this superior look is not just about clean tack, shiny brass, spotless stockings, or perfect braids. The most important steps are in the day-to-day nitty-gritty of grooming and caring for the horse: noticing “something not-quite-right” about the way the horse looks or moves before it becomes “something wrong”; brushing and combing and trimming a little every day so the horse’s skin and coat remain healthy; knowing how to prepare a horse properly for training, and how to cool him down afterward. Now, two of the best professional grooms in the business share their trade secrets, with over 1200 color photographs accompanying the ultimate modern-day guide for all riders who want their horses to look and feel their best.

A handy quick-reference with step-by-step color photos and easy-to-follow instructions from two top professional grooms. Braiding a horse’s mane kind of comes with the territory—who can resist playing with all that hair? While it may begin as a downtime activity on a rainy afternoon or fun with friends after riding lessons, braiding takes on a life of its own when it comes to competition. Professional grooms and others who braid on the show circuit can make a living doing just that when they have the skills to do it fast and do it well. Professional grooms Cat Hill and Emma Ford, co-authors of the bestselling World-Class Grooming for Horses, have braided thousands of horses for a variety of disciplines over the course of their esteemed careers in the equestrian industry. Now they’ve highlighted those skills in a book conceived to be a helpful barn companion—one you can take with you and keep in your tack trunk, providing a go-to reference whenever you need it. Chock full of full-color photographs that illustrate every step of the process, readers learn techniques for: Braiding down—a nice, tight, smooth braid is the key to a sophisticated finish. Using thread, yarn, or rubber bands. Properly finishing and removing braids to avoid hair damage. Button braids two ways. Hunter braids. Running braids. Unpulled manes and long manes. Braiding forelocks. With their expertise, top-tier standards, and trademark clarity as professionals who have made teaching their trade an integral part of their lives, Hill and Ford provide everything you need to know to turn a horse out with professional polish, ready to impress the judges and wow the crowds.

With easy-to-follow instructions and clear photographs, this guide shows you everything you need to know to safely and effectively handle and groom your horse. Veteran trainer Cherry Hill shares expert techniques for haltering, tying, clipping, bathing, braiding, leading, blanketing, and more. Learn how proper horsekeeping not only helps your animal look and feel its best, but can enhance the special bond between horse and rider. Horse Handling & Grooming will help riders of all abilities improve, and even expand, their horsekeeping skills.

When owning, training, riding, and showing horses, there is a certain look to which one aspires. Often it is set by the horses seen on television, at special events, in public performances, and in top competition around the globe. World-class turnout --a horse in peak condition, perfectly coiffed and luminous with good health, outfitted with gleaming and well-fit tack appropriate for his sport--literally takes your breath away. And while it can certainly play a significant role in a competitive rider's success, it is just as appealing to have any horse groomed to the nines, whether he's headed for an afternoon lesson or just out on the trail. But achieving this superior look is not just about clean tack, shiny brass, spotless stockings, or the perfect braids. The most important steps are found in the day-to-day, nitty-gritty of grooming and caring for the horse: noticing something not-quite-right about the way the horse looks or moves before it becomes something wrong ; brushing and combing and trimming a little every day so the horse's skin and coat remain healthy and he always has a neat appearance. It is knowing how to prepare a horse properly for training sessions on the flat or over fences, and cool him down appropriately afterward. It's protecting his body from injury, whether at work or play, and treating it when necessary. No one knows how to do all of this better than those working as professional grooms in the barns of the world's top riders and trainers. It is the responsibility of these elite experts to keep their four-legged charges happy, healthy, and primed for peak performance--in body and mind. Now, two of the best professional grooms in the business share their trade secrets, with over 600 color photographs demonstrating how to clean the horse from nose to tail; wrap, clip, braid, and ship him; prepare him for or present him in various English competitive scenarios; and care for him after work or showing so he is rested and ready to do it all again. This book is everything you need to know from the pros: The ultimate modern-day guide for all riders who want their horses to look and feel their best.

The Howell Equestrian Library is a distinguished collection of books on all aspects of horsemanship and horsemastership. The nearly fifty books in print offer readers in all disciplines and at all levels of competition sound instruction and guidance by some of the most celebrated riders, trainers, judges and veterinarians in the horse world today. Whether your interest is dressage, show jumping or Western riding, or whether it's breeding, grooming or health care, Howell has a book to answer your needs. Get to know all the books in the Howell Equestrian Library; many are modern-day classics and have achieved the status of authoritative references in the estimation of those who ride, train and care for horses. The Howell Equestrian Library

This fabulously illustrated book covers training, conditioning, and competing in all three phases of events: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. In addition, Dutton includes full chapters describing the special needs of the event horse, with tips and advice from the top experts who make up his internationally respected eventing team—his groom, his farrier, and his veterinarian. You'll find guidance in everything from daily maintenance to braiding and turnout, and from hoof care and studs to common health issues and "vet box" care of your horse during competitions. With tips for finding the right event prospect, whatever your level of experience, as well as Dutton's own schooling exercises, both on the flat and over fences, the book promises to give you the leg up you need for a safe and confident start in the sport.

Horse Speak is not a training method or technique—it is a practical system for “listening” and “talking” to horses in their language, instead of expecting them to comprehend ours. Horse Speak can be used by anyone who works with horses, whether riding instructor, colt starter, recreational rider, or avid competitor. It promises improved understanding of what a horse is telling you, and provides simple replies you can use to tell him that you “hear” him, you “get it,” and you have ideas you want to share with him, too. The result? Time with your horse will be full of what horse trainer and equine-assisted learning instructor Sharon Wilsie of Wilsie Way Horsemanship calls Conversations, and soon the all-too-common misunderstandings that occur between horse and human will evolve into civil discussions with positive and progressive results! Learn Horse Speak in 12 easy steps; understand equine communication via breath and body language; and discover the Four Gs of Horse Speak: Greeting, Going Somewhere, Grooming, and Gone. Practice regulating your intensity, and sample dozens of ready-made Conversations with your horse, as step-by-step templates and instructional color photographs walk you through the eye-opening process of communicating on a whole new level.