5 minutes a day is all the time you need to achieve: • Better balance in the saddle • Improved body control from head to toe • Increased influence with your seat • Flawless leg position and subtle aiding • Quieter, softer hands and contact your horse can trust • Less physical stiffness, tension, and riding-related pain • Confidence in your ability to communicate with your horse! PLUS, in just 5 minutes you can improve a horse that's: • Unwilling to go forward or "dead" to the leg • Hollow-backed, high-headed, or above the bit • Heavy on the forehand and unbalanced • A chronic "puller," "leaner," or "head-tosser"! Start or end your riding sessions with Wendy Murdoch's 5-Minute Fixes, and you'll be amazed how quickly you can replace old habits with new ones, get out of your "riding rut," and transform what you can't do into what you can do…naturally, capably, comfortably, and consistently alongside a happy riding partner—your horse.

A horse can get to a speed of 30 mph in three to four seconds and weighs about half a ton--it is best to know what you are doing and how to control the horse!

Get jumping! This collection presents a logical series of fun and rewarding exercises that are designed to develop your horse-jumping skills. With straightforward instructions and clear arena maps, this guide can be hung on a pole and easily referenced from the saddle. In addition to clearly articulated goals and progressively difficult variations, each exercise also includes encouraging advice on what the rider should keep in mind while jumping. Saddle up and get ready to fly through the air with grace and confidence.

This is the one guide that anyone who writes--whether student, business person, or professional writer--should put on the desk beside pencil, pen, typewriter, or word processor. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, this valuable, easy-to-use handbook can help you solve any and all writing problems.

When you don't believe in yourself, everything is more difficult. 100 Ways to Boost Your Self-Confidence will literally help you change your life by changing the way you feel about yourself. Not only will you have faith in who you really are, but the people you love and work with will believe in you as well. 100 Ways to Boost Your Self-Confidence will show you how to: Discover the essence of your personal power and belief in yourself. Create the life you want with practical "feel good" behaviors. Reduce your doubts, increase your self-worth and make your world a better place. Improve the quality of your relationships by changing the way you think about yourself and how others think about you. Become your best self by employing these easy-to-use techniques.

"First published in two volumes: Cross-train your horse and More cross-training in 1998"--T.p. verso.

Step-by-step lessons teach riders of all ages basics, including developing a good relationship with the horse, mounting and riding, and progresses to more advanced skills, including jumps.

The classic text on writing well, now refreshed and updated—an essential text for writers of all ages. This is the one guide that anyone who writes—whether student, businessperson, or professional writer—should keep on his or her desk. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing can help solve any writing problem. In this compact, easy-to-use volume you'll find the eternal building blocks of good writing—from grammar and punctuation to topic sentences—as well as advice on challenges such as writer's block and creating a strong title. It is a must-have resource—perfect for reading cover to cover, or just for keeping on hand for instant reference—now updated and refreshed for the first time.

Widely known for her innovative teaching philosophy stressing body awareness, the value of "soft eyes," proper breathing, centering, and balance, Sally Swift has been a pioneering riding instructor for half a century. In book form for the first time, her methods enable horse and rider to achieve harmony, working together naturally, without pain. Unlike traditional teachers, Sally Swift does not believe in forced training techniques that cause stiff bodies and tense riding. Instead, through the use of vivid, unusual, and highly creative images that transcend mechanics ("Pretend you're a spruce tree; the roots grow down from your center as the trunk grows up"), plus a thorough knowledge of human and equine anatomy, this wise and inspiring teacher enables the conscientious equestrian to reassess habitual responses, in order to ride in natural positions, break through frustrating plateaus, and achieve ever-rising goals with comfort, vitality, and precision. Precise illustrations and photographs never before used in riding books explain anatomy and image work to give mind and body new and relaxed approaches to the inner process of riding. Centered Riding is for those with little experience all the way up to world class.

Addressing the psychology of competing in equestrian events, this handbook helps riders confront and alleviate the anxiety that often presents itself in competition. Pressure, stress, nerves, distraction, and anxiety are feelings that go hand-in-hand with participating in such events, forcing riders to deal with the competitive nature of showing. Walking riders through specific tools and tricks that can be used to manage and overcome the panic that can hinder performance, this training manual also offers advice on how to embrace and enjoy every minute of performing with an equine partner. From “Plan the Ride, and Ride the Plan,” to overall mental training, this must-have book is a fantastic tool for any competitor who wants to conquer their show jitters and do their best at every competition, while feeling confident and happy throughout the experience.