Yet only in very recent years have scientists begun to turn the tools of modem science on this remarkable animal that has been so wrapped up in human dreams and legends. Now modern scientific research is beginning to explain long-standing mysteries about the true nature of the horse. How well can horses really see? What causes breakdowns in racehorses? How intelligent are they compared to other animals, and are some breeds smarter than others? Does nature or nurture matter more in creating a great sport horse? What causes cribbing and other vices? In this beautifully illustrated, compelling narrative, Budiansky tells the story of the origins, behavior, intelligence and language of the horse. For the first time, horse lovers will have access to cutting-edge research on topics of interest including new information on horse vision, horse biology and movement. Introducing the latest archeological findings, Budiansky presents a fascinating discussion of how the horse evolved as well as a dramatic and provocative history of man's use and abuse of the horse from prehistoric times to today. In a revealing chapter on horse intelligence, he debunks the commonly held belief that horses are stupid and also presents compelling new scientific information on horse language which will greatly benefit the horse rider and trainer. Finally, drawing together the latest research on horse physiology, genetics and biomechanics, Budiansky asks the million dollar question -- what makes for a winning racehorse? Anyone who loves horses will find this an invaluable resource as well as a fascinating read.

    Alydar, all muscle with a fearsome closing kick, was already the popular favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. Affirmed, deceptively laid-back streamlined elegance, was powered forward by his steely determination not to settle for second place. In the Sport of Kings, the Triple Crown is the most valued prize, requiring a horse to win not just one race, but three: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. And 1978 would not be just for the record books, but also one of the greatest dramas ever played out in the racing world. There were names to conjure with, worthy of the Sport of Kings. The bloodline of Native Dancer. The teen wonderboy jockey Steve Cauthen. The once unbeatable Calumet Farm—the Damn Yankees of the racing world—now in eclipse and hoping for a comeback. The newcomer Harbor View Farm—owned by brash financier Louis Wolfson, who wouldn’t let even a conviction and a prison sentence for securities violations stand in the way of his dreams of glory. And the racetracks themselves: Belmont, Saratoga, Pimlico. And, of course, Churchill Downs. It has been thirty-five years since Affirmed and Alydar fought for the Triple Crown, thirty-five years when no other horse has won it. Duel for the Crown brings this epic battle to life. Not just two magnificent Thoroughbreds but the colorful human personalities surrounding them, caught up in an ever-intensifying battle of will and wits that lasted until the photo finish of the final Triple Crown race . . . and Alydar and Affirmed leaped into the history books.

    Jay Withgott and new co-author Matt Laposata present the latest coverage of environmental science and introduce new FAQ sections to address common student misconceptions. Note: This is the standalone book if you want the book/access card order the ISBN below: 0321752546 / 9780321752543 Essential Environment: The Science behind the Stories Plus MasteringEnvironmentalScience with eText -- Access Card Package Package consists of: 0321752902 / 9780321752901 Essential Environment: The Science behind the Stories 0321754077 / 9780321754073 MasteringEnvironmentalScience with Pearson eText -- Valuepack Access Card -- Essential Environment: The Science behind the Stories (ME component) "

    Maggie was shot 17 times and subjected to cruelty and torture, before being rescued from Lebanon and brought to live in the UK by a determined and loving young woman called Kasey.As Maggie struggled to overcome her injuries, every day was a fight to rehabilitate her. But Kasey was convinced that what she had found in this little dog was someone just as determined to live and love as she was.This is the incredible story of their journey together: a story of hope, unconditional love and never giving up.

    In this deeply moving account, you will hear about Rambo, a sheep who informs the staff when another animal is in trouble; and Paulie, a former cockfighting rooster who eats lunch with humans; Dino, an old toothless pony who survived a fire; and many more. Alongside these horses, roosters, pigs, sheep, rabbits, cows, and other animals is a staff of loving humans for whom every animal life, even that of a frog rushed to the vet for emergency surgery, has merit. Reading this book can profoundly—and joyously—change your life.

    She met midlife agita not head-on, but ass-on, fulfilling a childhood curiosity about donkeys by answering a for-sale ad for a Large White Saddle Donkey in the American Donkey and Mule Society's magazine, The Brayer. Hilarity ensues, alongside life-threatening injuries and spirit-enriching insight. As listeners walk with Winslow and Caleb the donkey through training traumas, expert-baffling antics, and humiliating races, they also share in the author's gradual understanding of Caleb's true, undeniable gifts: a willingness to speak truth to power, to trust, and to forgive. Winslow incorporates these lessons into her life, and as Caleb and Winslow learn to thrive, listeners not only cheer them on but also learn a thing or three about being true to their own pure and powerful self.

    Kay Bratt explores these ideas in All (my) Dogs Go to Heaven. Touching on relevant Biblical scriptures, she chronicles her tumultuous past— including a traveling childhood and a near decade of domestic abuse— revealing how her beloved pets helped her cope, and instilled hope for better days ahead. Interspersed within this memoir are short essays from real people who have experienced signs from their departed pets as proof that they are still around in spirit. Included in the back of the book is a Grief Guide to help get us through those first devastating days after our loss.Insightful and fascinating, Kay Bratt has ultimately given us a message of hope with All (my) Dogs Go to Heaven. -Judy Morgan, Founder of Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas

    Into the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and tradition comes the most unlikely of horses—a drab white former plow horse named Snowman—and his rider, Harry de Leyer. They were the longest of all longshots—and their win was the stuff of legend. Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a bleak winter afternoon between the slats of a rickety truck bound for the slaughterhouse. He recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up horse and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry’s modest farm on Long Island, the horse thrived. But the recent Dutch immigrant and his growing family needed money, and Harry was always on the lookout for the perfect thoroughbred to train for the show-jumping circuit—so he reluctantly sold Snowman to a farm a few miles down the road. But Snowman had other ideas about what Harry needed. When he turned up back at Harry’s barn, dragging an old tire and a broken fence board, Harry knew that he had misjudged the horse. And so he set about teaching this shaggy, easygoing horse how to fly. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping. Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo, based on the insight and recollections of “the Flying Dutchman” himself. Their story captured the heart of Cold War–era America—a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. Elizabeth Letts’s message is simple: Never give up, even when the obstacles seem sky-high. There is something extraordinary in all of us.

    In The Horse, the journalist and equestrienne Wendy Williams brings that story brilliantly to life.Williams chronicles the 56-million-year journey of horses as she visits with horse experts around the world, revealing what our biological affinities and differences can tell us about the bond between horses and humans, and what our noble companion may think and feel. Indeed, recent scientific breakthroughs regarding the social and cognitive capacities of the horse and its ability to adapt to changing ecosystems indicate that this animal is a major evolutionary triumph.Williams charts the course that leads to our modern Equus-from the protohorse to the Dutch warmbloods, thoroughbreds, and miniature horses of the twenty-first century. She observes magnificent ancient cave art that signals a deep respect and admiration for horses well before they were domesticated, visits the mountains of Wyoming with an expert in equine behavior to understand the dynamics of free-roaming mustangs, witnesses the fluid gracefulness of the famous Lipizzaners of Vienna, contemplates what life is like for the sure-footed, mustachioed Garrano horses who thrive on the rugged terrain of Galicia, celebrates the Takhi horses of Mongolia, and more. She blends profound scientific insights with remarkable stories to create a unique biography of the horse as a sentient being with a fascinating past and a finely nuanced mind.The Horse is a revelatory account of the animal who has been at our side through the ages, carrying us into battle and traveling with us across the plains. Enriched by Wendy Williams's own experience with horses, The Horse is a masterful work of narrative nonfiction that pays tribute to this champion of the natural world.

    Counting down the days until she can leave school and work towards making her dream of riding round Badminton a reality, Georgia James spends her mornings exercising Thoroughbreds at the track. The rest of her time is spent at event rider Rose Holloway's yard, and thinking about Loxwood, whose future as a racehorse is uncertain. Always on the sidelines, is Georgia's hard work and patience about to pay off?

    But in short order, he proudly owned 35,000 pristine grassy acres. The opportunity then dropped into his lap to establish a sanctuary for unadoptable wild horses previously warehoused by the Bureau of Land Management. After Day successfully lobbied Congress, those acres became Mustang Meadows Ranch, the first government-sponsored wild horse sanctuary established in the United States.The Horse Lover is Day’s personal history of the sanctuary’s vast enterprise, with its surprises and pleasures and its plentiful dangers, frustrations, and heartbreak. Day’s deep connection with the animals in his care is clear from the outset, as is his maverick philosophy of horse-whispering, with which he trained fifteen hundred wild horses. The Horse Lover weaves together Day’s recollections of his cowboying adventures astride some of his best horses, all of which taught him indispensable lessons about loyalty, perseverance, and hope. This heartfelt memoir reveals the Herculean task of balancing the requirements of the government with the needs of wild horses.

    Intent on burying the past, Taylor determines to keep busy in the present. This includes following in her mother's footsteps (whether she likes it or not), a part-time job learning the art of the perfect latte from a sharp-tongued barista, and volunteer hours at an animal shelter. At the shelter, Taylor meets a savagely wounded mare whose strength and grace mysteriously touch her own damaged spirit, reawakening old ghosts and inviting new healing. With the help of friends - including a handsome veterinarian with saving hands - Taylor discovers second changes are found in unlikely places and that, against all odds, love restores a broken heart.

    But when an injury cost Joey his show career, he moved from one owner to the next, ultimately experiencing severe abuse and neglect. A rescue group found Joey nearly dead from starvation--and blind.Then he came to Hope Reins--a ranch dedicated to helping hurting kids who had been abused, emotionally wounded, or unwanted. By teaching these children to care for rescued animals, the Hope Reins staff were convinced they could reach kids with love and hope and show them that we are never forgotten by God.But could the financially struggling ranch afford to take care of a blind horse that no one else wanted? Could Joey somehow learn to trust people even though the world had hurt him so badly? And what would happen--to Joey, the kids, and Hope Reins--if they failed?A true story of friendship destined to become a classic, Joey will touch your heart and reveal the power of finding light in the darkness.

    A single mother of three, Harris was crippled by bipolar depression, until she discovered the miraculous healing and calming effect of horses—a revelation that ultimately enabled her to manage her illness, conquer the sexism of her field, and triumph as a champion jockey in the male-dominated world of horse racing. A fascinating, courageous, and ultimately redemptive true story, Long Shot has won high praise from Phyllis Chesler Ph.D., author of Women and Madness, who says, “[Harris’s] attempt to find balance, joy, connectedness, and purpose in life constitutes a great adventure story.”

    They not only make a name for themselves but also add value and name to their institutions and countries.This book will give you an insight into the life, times, and world of some of these people. It takes you through the little-known journeys of these true achievers, who are leaders in their fields and have set examples in merit, excellence, and dedication. Their lives were never beds of roses. There were times when conditions were adverse and luck betrayed them, and yet, they refused to stop, and emerged winners in the race of life. There is the story of man who had only $8 in his pocket when he went to the US and became the greatest engineer of modern times—today, he is known as the ‘Father of the Pentium Chip’. There is the journey of a small town boy becoming a ‘Hall of Fame’ investor as per Forbes. From the son of a school teacher, an ordinary boy became a world-famous scientist, having 30 patents and 22 books to his credit. There is the tale of a man who once seemed to be “uninterested in academics” but went on to found one of India’s most popular online fashion portals—Jabong.com. Another is the story of a Delhi boy who founded billion dollar companies like MTC and Soin LLC.This book aims at not only giving the reader the story of these stalwarts, but also spur them to be inspired and motivated to do something different in their own lives.