Do you still watch those old horse movies that you've seen a dozen times, just for the scenes of the horse galloping in slow motion? Do you hold your breath just a bit? Do you get something in your eye?

We've been besotted with horses since they had three toes. From the popular Relaxed and Forward blog comes training advice combining the everyday fundamentals of dressage with mutual listening skills. Blake writes with a profound respect for horses and an articulate voice for humans, blending equal parts inspiration and un-common sense. It's serious training communicated with humor and lightness, because horses like us when we laugh.

Most riders want to build a better relationship with their horse. These short essays are geared as much toward attitude as technique, and include topics ranging from reading calming signals from your horse to using breath as your best communication tool. Blake's writing uses clear descriptions, storytelling, and humor to inspire meaningful, positive communication. Less correction and more direction. Horses are honest; they answer us in kind. If we want a better response, a more fluid conversation and relationship with a horse, we have to be the ones to change first. The other word for that is leadership.

By Anna Blake, the author of Stable Relation, A Memoir of One Woman's Spirited Journey Home, by Way of the Barn.

The outside of my ski jacket is saturated. As the pit-a-pat of raindrops increase, I’m sure the water will come through to the inside any second. Thankfully, thoughts of this impending soaking are magically blown away because right now I have the sensation of gliding above the ground. Bringing up the rear of a lengthened procession of horses, Gjáska is bowling down the hill in tölt. The tölt is a smooth easy to sit gait, and I relish every stride. Because the rain obscures everything apart from the road and track, I use this period to delight in my Icelandic horse and the gait she is giving me to experience on this ultimate ride.

So, ends the final ride on a riding holiday in Iceland. Where Northern Lights dance across the night sky, and geysers erupt. It may be the end of the trip, but it’s the start of a journey. A journey that takes Rachel Lofthouse to the pyramid fields outside Cairo; an industrial past in the UK, and to a Mediterranean retreat on the island of Mallorca. Against these backdrops, Rachel faces her fear of jumping, experiences the exhilaration of galloping in the Sahara and the sensation of swimming with her horse. There is an unintentional canter on the road, a reluctant equine partner on a beach ride and another who performs a circus trick. With each experience, a more confident and skilled rider emerges, who knows her limitations.

By sharing these exceptional experiences, Rachel hopes to inspire the reader to have a horse-riding adventure of their own. Rachel’s remarkable equestrian travel journey has begun, maybe it’s time to start yours.

The revealing autobiography of one of the world's top horsemenAndrew Nicholson is one of the world's leading event riders. At only 23, he rode in his first Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, and has represented his native New Zealand in six Olympic Games and six world championships, winning medals of every color. Andrew is respected and admired by his peers and sporting fans as a brilliant rider and competitor. Now in his 50s, he is at the peak of his powers and, with the best team of horses he has ever had, is focused on winning one of the very few prizes to elude him-an individual gold medal-at the 2016 Rio Olympics. This book tells the story of the boy from a farm in New Zealand who came to Britain as a raw 19-year-old and conquered one of the most demanding sports in the world. Illustrated with superb photographs of Andrew's career and life with horses, it reveals how he got to the top and how hard he still strives to up his game. We discover the personalities of his top horses, and the secrets he has learned in his 35 years as a horseman.

A warm, engaging and witty memoir from the star of Channel 5's The Yorkshire Vet.This is the life story of vet Peter Wright, charting his working relationship with the famous 'James Herriot', from work experience with him as a lad, to taking over his practice in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.Packed full of laugh-out loud moments, heartbreaking stories and transporting tales of his love for the animals and people of this breathtaking part of the country. Covering his bucolic childhood growing up on a farm right through to the heady days of his successful Channel 5 TV series, Peter's warm nature and professional attitude shine through every page.

An entertaining and inspiring autobiography. In 2008, 26-year old Tik Maynard faced a crossroads not unlike that of other young adults. A university graduate and modern pentathlete, he suffered both a career-ending injury and a painful breakup, leaving him suddenly adrift. The son of prominent Canadian equestrians, Maynard decided to spend the next year as a 'working student'. In the horse industry, working students aspire to become professional riders or trainers, and willingly trade labour for hands-on education. Here Maynard chronicles his experiences - good and bad - and we follow along as one year becomes three. What began as a casual adventure gradually transforms, and a life's purpose comes sharply into focus.