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You love horses...

Maybe you rode as a kid, but haven't done it in years. Maybe you just bought your dream house and realized you could put a horse in your backyard. Or maybe your child has started to ride, and you've decided that it would be a great thing to do together. With visions of "The Black Stallion" galloping in your head, you buy a horse.

You quickly learn this is not just a big dog, and reality hits. You love your horse, but you're overwhelmed by all you need to know to be safe and successful as a horse owner. How do you avoid making painful, costly mistakes? By letting me share with you the lessons I learned the hard way in my early years as a new owner.

Teachings of the Horse

will guide you through the confusing, often times deceptive world of breeders, trainers and tack and help you learn about caring for your horse.

I've been riding since I could walk, but actually making the commitment to owning my own horses was a whole different story. In the past nine years, my horses taught me more than I learned in decades of riding lessons. Think of all the mistakes and embarrassing moments you've had at the barn. Been there. Done that. Learned my lesson. I'll tell you all the things I wish someone had told me when I was starting out. I've been lucky to have my Quarter Horse, Silk, as my greatest teacher, and now her filly is furthering my equine education. For several years, I helped new horse owners and beginning riders while working at one of the finest tack and feed stores in the world. When I'm not busy being a cowgirl, I'm also a writer and tv and film producer.

There was a farm down the road where I grew up. My mother used to walk with me in my baby buggy past it. When I saw the horses in the pasture, my face would light up and I would begin waving and laughing with excitement. I rode horses from the time I could walk until I finished college and moved to New York City. Then, full of career ambitions as a television and film producer, I put aside all dreams of horses. It wasn't until my own daughter was born that I re-connected with my earliest love. I guess the "horse gene" was passed on to my child because she reacted the same way I did when she was a baby. It re-awakened something very important that I had buried for many years.

The horse has been man's companion for centuries, helping us travel safely in the unknown. Along the way, some of us have abused our horses' trust and loyalty, but others have been wise enough to celebrate it and embrace it. When I was finally lucky enough to have a horse of my own, I had to carefully sort through the advice and instructions of the "experts" to find the ones who treated their horses with kindness and respect. Along the way, I encountered a fair number of people who cared more about themselves and their egos than about the horses.

I began writing down the stories about my horses because I hope that I can pass along some information that will help others before they hurt themselves or their four-legged companions. When faced with a twelve hundred pound animal rearing up in your face, you can feel very alone and frightened. How you respond and why it happened can tell you a lot about yourself if you are open to really seeing it truthfully. In the truth of our stories, we can find ourselves in each other and learn that we are greater together than alone

Enjoy the excerpts from the book, and please check back for more information about it .

Happy Trails!

Victoria Cummings

 

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