The Grass is Riz', I Wunder Where the Birdies is!

Yep, we're a bit giddy here at Half Halt Press: spring always makes us that way. Riding's a joy again, instead of feeling like a chore as it sometimes did on those cold dreary days of winter. Even our horses have the spring-spirit, with lots of "airs above the ground" in the pasture.

With the sense of renewal that comes with spring, why not make it a time of rededication to your horsemanship, to being the very best horse person you can be? We've got some great books to help you do that, educational and inspiring. Your horse will love it too!

Back in Stock! After being unavailable for a while, both Principles of Riding and Advanced Techniques of Dressage are now in stock. These two official instruction handbooks of the German National Equestrian Federation are on both USDF's and USEA's required/recommended reading lists.

We also recommend: Walter Zettl's newest book The Circle of Trust, Reflections on the Essence of Horses and Horsemanship. This is truly his magnum opus and not to be missed by Walter's fans.

Another great read is Making Magic: Breeding and Birthing a Healthy Foal by Leslie McDonald and Meredith Weller, DVM. This unique and instructive book combines solid information on breeding and foaling with the author's personal journey of breeding her mare. Whether you're dreaming about breeding a foal or already on that path, you'll enjoy this one.

For kids (of all ages), we've The Big Book of Hidden Horses: Puzzles, Quizzes, Trivia & More by Deb Rubin.

With puzzles ranked by degreee of difficulty, this one will provide hours of entertainment, with a little education thrown in.

OUR NEWEST BOOKS
The Threshold Picture Guide series from our colleagues at the Kenilworth Press Ltd. in England now numbers 54 volumes in all. There's a good reason for that: they're just super! Here are the three newest picture guides:

Lameness by Stuart Duncan is a straightforward guide to a problem that affects almost every pony or horse at some point during its life.

Worms and Worming, Threshold Picture Guide #52, by Russell Lyon is an easy to understand guide to the critical topic of internal parasites.

Side-Saddle, Threshold Picture Guide #53 by Jane Pryor is a wonderful introduction to a subject we've been asked about through the years; seems many of you want to know the basics and this new picture guide is just the ticket.

Here's a beautiful new book for our driving customers, Sports Driving: A Complete Guide to Horse Driving Trials by Amanda Saville, with a Foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. If you're interested in the sport, this one is not to be missed!

MORE NEW BOOKS!
Here's a riddle for you: What do pilates, essential exercises for training horses, two donkeys, lesson plans, and one $700 pony have in common? Answer: They're all subjects of recent new books. Take a look!

We're not quite sure how Half Halt Press became established as the leading humor publisher of the equestrian community, but with The Chronicles of the $700 Pony by Ellen Broadhurst, we clearly have. This book is absolutely laugh-out-loud funny.

A Tale of Two Donkeys by Malcolm Carter is both delightful and moving and makes a perfect gift book for the any season.

Instructors know just how much time it takes to develop a repertoire of exercises to suit all ages and all abilities. Themed Lesson Plans for Riding Instructors by Melissa Troup, BA, BHSII, has the answer. The book provides a wide range of ideas for lesson plans, with detailed information on how these can be adapted and developed for different levels of rides, beginner to advanced, whether children or adults. A wonderful tool for busy instructors!

In Pilates for the Dressage Rider, dressage rider and Level 2 Pilates Instructor Janice Dulak has compiled a program of Pilates exercises specifically designed to help the dressage rider enhance her ability for success in dressage.

While they use different terms, both Pilates and dressage share an emphasis on the torso, or "Powerhouse" in Pilates-speak, and achieving core strength, good posture and muscle flexibility. The goals of a Pilates program are often identical to what riders try to achieve in the saddle in the sport of dressage. The August issue of USDF Connections has an excerpt from this book; see page 32 of the magazine.

This one is not to be missed.

From the best-selling author of Common Sense Dressage and Practical Eventing comes Essential Exercises for Training Horses: An Illustrated Guide.

This beautiful new book shares exercises designed for the progressive training of the horse, from earliest lessons through piaffe and passage and is the result of Sally's years of experience.