New Books Coming Soon!

Along with the recent publication of Horse Head: Brain Science & Other Insights, two additional books will soon be published under the emerging Cayuse Communications label.

Amy Skinner at the BHPS 2018

Talented riders and instructors, Katrin Silva and Amy Skinner, will debut their books in the coming months. It’s an exciting development, spurred by the generosity of Mary Ellen Spaite (a Best Horse Practices Summit steering committee member), the graphic design work of TJ Zark, and Maddy Butcher’s editorial consultation.

Silva, who lives in New Mexico and is a BHPS presenter, will author Dressage for the Rest of Us.

Skinner, from North Carolina and fellow BHPS presenter, writes To Catch a Horse: Thoughts on Improving Your Partnership.

Here are sneak peaks at these exciting new paperbacks:

From Dressage for the Rest of Us

Silva writes in her introduction:

When you google the word ‘dressage’, you will find many videos of huge horses performing spectacular dance moves inside a large sandbox surrounded by letters spelling nothing that makes sense. Their riders wear a totally impractical black-and-white uniform, with ruffles at the neck, and tall boots that look like they would make walking painful. The outfit looks vaguely Victorian, except for the crash helmets.

Katrin Silva

All of this makes it easy to dismiss dressage as a fascinating but somewhat bizarre fringe sport that has little in common with the kind of riding the majority of horse owners practice today.

I urge you to look past the white gloves and extravagant movements to the basic principles that serve as the basis of the sport. At its core, dressage is a way of riding that can make all types of horses more athletic, more beautiful, and ultimately happier. Regular dressage practice keeps horses sound longer and makes them easier to ride. It is not the exclusive domain of horses with long, German-sounding pedigrees. The opposite is true: Dressage is good for every horse, no matter the breed, size, age, or background.

Amy Skinner’s To Catch A Horse is an intriguing and informative look into the philosophy behind working mindfully with horses. With personal accounts, insightful articles, and a horse’s view of daily interactions with us, To Catch a Horse is a must-read for anyone looking to work in lightness and develop a better relationship with their horse.

Dr. Steve Peters wrote in the book’s foreword:

You are in for a treat in having Skinner’s words here to contemplate and put to use for both you and your horse’s benefit. If you are like me, I am sure that after reading To Catch A Horse, you will hear her comments resonating in the back of your mind and they will become familiar guides.