Discover why you have pain and tension, learn how they affect your horse and riding, and master techniques for treating and preventing pain and injury in the future. Pain-Free Horse Riding is the first book to combine exercises for horseback riders to increase strength and flexibility and improve riding and address the pain they suffer from and how to relieve it. Horse rider and Myofascial Release therapist Nikki Robinson offers realistic ways to improve common conditions--back and neck pain, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, joint pain and stiffness, and repetitive strain injury--without giving up the activity you love. The book provides an introduction to fascia, covers how your body reacts to injury, and addresses common symptoms such as pain, tension, and inflammation. A key chapter focuses specifically on riding posture--the position of your head, shoulders, back, buttocks, and legs--including exercises to solve your riding problems with myofascial techniques. Also included are personal stories from riders who have had success with these methods. The format of the book allows readers to start at the beginning and read all the way through or to go straight to the sections that address their particular condition. There are cross-references throughout to direct readers where to find additional information if they are interested.

When your horse suddenly develops a performance problem or a bad attitude and neither seem to be remedied by new training techniques or medical care, you often face months—even years—of frustration and career limitation. Dr. Joyce Harman, veterinarian and respected saddle-fitting expert, states that 75 percent of horses with such issues are simply reacting to pain caused by ill-fitting saddles. And, as she explains in this thorough and highly illustrated book, poor saddle fit can be corrected with patience and know-how.

Over 90 percent of the US population seeks help for back pain at one point or another during the course of their life. If you're a horseperson, back pain is of particular concern as it not only robs you of the joys of riding—it threatens your livelihood, as well. From grooming and tacking up, to performing a flawless reining pattern or jumping a clean round, to stacking hay bales or pushing a wheelbarrow, everything we do on and around horses demands a supple, strong, healthy back. Now, in his unique, easygoing style, Dr. Jim Warson—a neurosurgeon who also happens to be a lifelong horseman—provides all the practical information you need to understand the diagnosis and treatment of back pain—whether caused by equestrian pursuits, outside activities, illness, or heredity. More importantly, he shows readers how to prevent back problems before they have a chance to unseat you. This book includes: • "Normal" back biology and function • Congenital conditions, trauma, arthritis, and infection • Understanding symptoms and pinpointing problem areas • Tack's impact on the physics of riding • How your horse's conformation can affect your body • Traditional and alternative treatments and therapies • Techniques for saddling and mounting without stress • Recommendations for pregnant riders. In addition, Dr. Warson provides a section specifically geared toward improving rider flexibility and strength. You'll find step-by-step instructions and photo series for 10 stretches and 8 exercises for a healthy, stress-free back, allowing you to not only enjoy your riding but all your day-to-day activities, whatever they may be.

This marvelous book, borne of a unique collaboration between Dr. Allen Schoen—a world-renowned veterinarian and author—and trainer and competitor of many years Susan Gordon, introduces the 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation. These Principles, conceived by Dr. Schoen and Gordon, are a set of developmental guidelines, encouraging a level of personal awareness that may be enacted not only through the reader's engagement with horses, but can be extended to all humans and sentient beings he or she encounters. The 25 Principles share stories and outline current, peer-reviewed studies that identify and support methods of training, handling, and caring for horses that constitute a safe, healthy, non-stressful, and pain-free environment. Through their Compassionate Equestrian program, the authors encourage all involved in the horse industry to approach training and handling with compassion and a willingness to alleviate suffering. By developing deeper compassion for their own horses, and subsequently, all equines, equestrians transcend their differences in breed preferences, riding disciplines, and training methodologies. This leads to the ability to empathize and connect more closely with the “global collective” of horses and horse people. In doing so, a worldwide community of compassionate equine practitioners and horse owners will emerge, which will not only benefit the horses: People involved with horses are found in many influential segments of society and have the potential to affect wide circles of friends, acquaintances, and co-workers from every walk of life. These are simple changes any horse person can make that can have a vast impact on the horse industry and society as a whole.

Humans and horses have been joined for thousands of years, and for much of that time, one thing has served as the primary point of physical contact between them: the saddle. However, for many horses and many riders, the saddle has been no less than a refined means of torture. Horses have long suffered from tree points impeding the movement of their shoulder blades; too narrow gullet channels damaging the muscles and nerves along the vertebrae; and too long panels putting harmful pressure on the reflex point in the loin area. Male riders saddle up despite riding-related pain and the potential for serious side effects, such as impotence, while female riders endure backache, slipped discs, and bladder infections, to name just a few common issues. We must ask ourselves: How much better could we ride and how much better could our horses perform if our saddles fit optimally? If they accommodated the horse’s unique conformation and natural asymmetry? If they were built for the differing anatomy of men and women? The answers to all these questions are right here, right now, in this book.

Most horsemen agree that timing, feel, and balance are the holy trinity of horsemanship. The balance is brilliant: scientific facts and the empirical evidence to support those facts assembled by two highly respected professionals in their respective disciplines.

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.

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.