Download or read book The Perfect Horse written by Elizabeth Letts and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2016-08-23 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War II WINNER OF THE PEN AWARD FOR RESEARCH NONFICTION In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food. With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army’s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses. Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender. A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor. Praise for The Perfect Horse “Winningly readable . . . Letts captures both the personalities and the stakes of this daring mission with such a sharp ear for drama that the whole second half of the book reads like a WWII thriller dreamed up by Alan Furst or Len Deighton. . . . The right director could make a Hollywood classic out of this fairy tale.”—The Christian Science Monitor “Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.”—Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book The Perfect Horse written by Elizabeth Letts and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2019-02-12 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this inspiring young readers adaptation of the New York Times bestseller, one American troop will save the world's most precious horses during the final stretch of World War II. When American Colonel Hank Reed and his soldiers captures a German spy, they uncover an unexpected secret: Hitler has kidnapped the world's finest purebred horses and hidden them in a secret Czechoslovakian breeding farm. But, starving Russian troops are drawing closer and the horses face the danger of becoming food instead. With little time to spare, the small American troop cross enemy lines to heroically save some of the world's most treasured animals. Elizabeth Letts details the terrifying truth of Hitler's eugenics program during World War II and shares the story of the courageous American troop dedicated to stopping it. Highlighting bravery in the face of incredible odds, this tale will shed light on a little-known piece of our past and speak to history fans and animal lovers of every age. ★ "Spellbinding...a must-read." —Booklist, Starred review A Junior Library Guild Selection

Download or read book A Good Horse Has No Color written by Nancy Marie Brown and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2001 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After several visits to study Icelandic sagas, Nancy Brown returns to Iceland to search for the perfect Icelandic horse, one she can bring back to her Pennsylvania farm and make her own. To do so, she must become part of the country's tightly knit horse-breeding community, which can be wary of outsiders and extremely protective of the world-famous breed. In this clear-eyed, evocative account set against Iceland's austere and majestic landscape, she describes what makes Icelandic horses and their owners so distinctive. She also discovers her limitations as a horsewoman and learns much about what she is looking for-in a horse and in her life.

Download or read book Brother Mendel s Perfect Horse written by Frank Westerman and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-08-02 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ' "When you touch a Lipizzaner, you're touching history," Westerman was once told. His elegant book offers fascinating proof' Financial Times Frank Westerman explores the history of Lipizzaners, an extraordinary troop of pedigree horses bred as personal mounts for the Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Following the bloodlines of the stud book, he reconstructs the story of four generations of imperial steed as they survive the fall of the Habsburg Empire, two world wars and the insane breeding experiments conducted under Hitler, Stalin and Ceausescu. But what begins as a fairytale becomes a chronicle of the quest for racial purity. Carrying the reader across Europe, from imperial stables and stud farms to the controversial gene labs of today, Westerman asks, if animal breeders are so good at genetic engineering, why do attempts to perfect the human strain always end in tragedy?

Download or read book Dressage for the Not So Perfect Horse written by Janet Foy and published by Trafalgar Square Books. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tens of thousands of riders pursue the sport of dressage in North America, and the majority do so on a budget and with the horse they already have—or quite simply, the one they can afford. This means riders are facing the challenge of mastering one of the world's most esteemed equestrian events on horses that may not be bred specifically for the task, or even if they have been, may not be top prospects for any number of reasons. International dressage judge, clinician, and riding coach Janet Foy has ridden many different horses—different sizes, colors, and breeds—to the highest levels of dressage competition, and now she has compiled her best tips for training and showing in one highly enjoyable book. Her expertise, good stories and good humor are destined to bring out the best in dressage riders and their "not-so-perfect" horses everywhere.

Download or read book The Eighty Dollar Champion written by Elizabeth Letts and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2011-08-23 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The dramatic and inspiring story of a man and his horse, an unlikely duo whose rise to stardom in the sport of show jumping captivated the nation Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. The recent Dutch immigrant recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up nag and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry’s modest farm on Long Island, he ultimately taught Snowman how to fly. Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo. 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. Their story captured the heart of Cold War–era America—a story of unstoppable hope, inconceivable dreams, and the chance to have it all. They were the longest of all longshots—and their win was the stuff of legend.

Download or read book How to Create the Perfect Riding Horse written by Perry Wood and published by David and Charles. This book was released on 2007-09-10 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An honest and encouraging guide for everyone who wishes their horse could be the perfect riding horse Essential tools and clear step-by-step photography for training the horse and rider help you create your perfect riding horse for any discipline or level of ability Inspirational advice and ingenious tips take you through choosing the right horse, mastering the basics of groundwork, schooling and introducing jumping Perry Wood's skill as a coach of both horses and people puts these effective methods within easy grasp of everyone, transforming any rider into a real trainer.

Download or read book Uncover a Horse written by David George Gordon and published by . This book was released on 2009-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sculpted three-dimensional model of the anatomy of a horse will help children learn all about this amazing animal.

Download or read book The Ride of Her Life written by Elizabeth Letts and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The triumphant true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Horse and The Eighty-Dollar Champion “The gift Elizabeth Letts has is that she makes you feel you are the one taking this trip. This is a book we can enjoy always but especially need now.”—Elizabeth Berg, author of The Story of Arthur Truluv In 1954, sixty-three-year-old Maine farmer Annie Wilkins embarked on an impossible journey. She had no money and no family, she had just lost her farm, and her doctor had given her only two years to live. But Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died. She ignored her doctor’s advice to move into the county charity home. Instead, she bought a cast-off brown gelding named Tarzan, donned men’s dungarees, and headed south in mid-November, hoping to beat the snow. Annie had little idea what to expect beyond her rural crossroads; she didn’t even have a map. But she did have her ex-racehorse, her faithful mutt, and her own unfailing belief that Americans would treat a stranger with kindness. Annie, Tarzan, and her dog, Depeche Toi, rode straight into a world transformed by the rapid construction of modern highways. Between 1954 and 1956, the three travelers pushed through blizzards, forded rivers, climbed mountains, and clung to the narrow shoulder as cars whipped by them at terrifying speeds. Annie rode more than four thousand miles, through America’s big cities and small towns. Along the way, she met ordinary people and celebrities—from Andrew Wyeth (who sketched Tarzan) to Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx. She received many offers—a permanent home at a riding stable in New Jersey, a job at a gas station in rural Kentucky, even a marriage proposal from a Wyoming rancher. In a decade when car ownership nearly tripled, when television’s influence was expanding fast, when homeowners began locking their doors, Annie and her four-footed companions inspired an outpouring of neighborliness in a rapidly changing world.

Download or read book How to Fly a Horse written by Kevin Ashton and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2015-01-20 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a technology pioneer at MIT and as the leader of three successful start-ups, Kevin Ashton experienced firsthand the all-consuming challenge of creating something new. Now, in a tour-de-force narrative twenty years in the making, Ashton leads us on a journey through humanity’s greatest creations to uncover the surprising truth behind who creates and how they do it. From the crystallographer’s laboratory where the secrets of DNA were first revealed by a long forgotten woman, to the electromagnetic chamber where the stealth bomber was born on a twenty-five-cent bet, to the Ohio bicycle shop where the Wright brothers set out to “fly a horse,” Ashton showcases the seemingly unremarkable individuals, gradual steps, multiple failures, and countless ordinary and usually uncredited acts that lead to our most astounding breakthroughs. Creators, he shows, apply in particular ways the everyday, ordinary thinking of which we are all capable, taking thousands of small steps and working in an endless loop of problem and solution. He examines why innovators meet resistance and how they overcome it, why most organizations stifle creative people, and how the most creative organizations work. Drawing on examples from art, science, business, and invention, from Mozart to the Muppets, Archimedes to Apple, Kandinsky to a can of Coke, How to Fly a Horse is a passionate and immensely rewarding exploration of how “new” comes to be.

Download or read book Horse written by Geraldine Brooks and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2024-01-16 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Brooks’ chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling.” —The New York Times Book Review “Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art.” —TIME “A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and beauty . . . the evocative voices create a story so powerful, reading it feels like watching a neck-and-neck horse race, galloping to its conclusion—you just can’t look away.” —Oprah Daily Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award · Finalist for the Chautauqua Prize · A Massachusetts Book Award Honor Book A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack. New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.

Download or read book Perfect Timing written by Patsi B. Trollinger and published by Viking Juvenile. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With stunningly vibrant illustrations by Coretta Scott King Awardwinner Jerome Lagarrigue, Perfect Timing tells the story of Isaac Murphy, the grandson of slaves who escaped a life of labor and poverty by turning a chance offer to ride a horse into one of the most successful jockey careers in the history of racing. Many of Isaac's records remain unbroken today. Filled with paintings that capture the excitement, tension, and movement of a horse race, Perfect Timing is a winning combination of sports, biography, and the inspiring story of an African American who made racing history.

Download or read book Stretch Exercises for Your Horse written by Karen Blignault and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Occupational therapist and equestrian trainer Karin Blignault illustrates how the controlled stretching of muscles long used to enhance human athletic performance can also be applied to the horse to prevent injury, alleviate pain, and improve performance. Includes color photos and diagrams and spiral binding for easy at-the-barn reference.

Download or read book The Rider Forms the Horse written by U. D. O. Burger and published by . This book was released on 2024-01-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Because of the great demand for the book: "The Rider Forms the Horse", which was first published in 1939, and the ongoing topicality of this topic, Xenophon Press decided to reissue this unique work. In this book, the authors Udo Bürger and Otto Zietzschmann describe the requirements for successful training and ultimately for a long and healthy life as a riding horse in a very understandable and clear way. The authors explain physiological findings as the basis for riding lessons and explain important clues for training the horse and recognizing and resolving training problems. This is confirmed by the team Olympic champion and former national trainer of dressage riders Klaus Strahlhol: Countless top horses disappear into obscurity due to improper training, never to be seen again, while other difficult and rather averagely gifted horses are transformed into top horses with good trainers. What is needed is an understanding of the connections between muscle activity and the skeleton in the interaction during the various training phases and lessons, regardless of which branch of riding you choose. Target group: For all responsible riders and trainers who are involved in the training of horses as well as for tournament judges and equine veterinarians

Download or read book Teach Your Horse Perfect Manners written by Kelly Marks and published by . This book was released on 2010-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book demonstrates how to communicate with horses through eye contact and body movements, in order to teach them rules of good behavior.

Download or read book The Ultimate Horse Book written by Elwyn Hartley Edwards and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Truly remarkable in that it is one of the most complete and well-illustrated breed compendiums to date. It should fit into every equestrian's library". --Horse Illustrated

Download or read book Perfect Manners written by Kelly Marks and published by Random House. This book was released on 2002 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kelly Marks, who gets spectacular results in her exhibitions with the most fiery and recalcitrant of horses, says the secret is to talk to horses in their own language, establishing a relationship of trust and respect, using considerate and consistent techniques. You will find it helpful to formulate your own 'code of conduct' for your horse and while you're at it, for yourself as well, making consideration a way of life. Perfect Manners starts with the philosophy and concepts behind Kelly Marks' techniques and moves on to foundation exercises and groundwork training. There are also sections on Join Up and Body Language, Training Halters, Biting, Spooking and Shying and the 'Lovely Head Rub'. A must-read for horse owners everywhere.