This book is dedicated to every horse owner who has seriously considered leaving the gate open and spilling a trail of corn out to the highway. I've been there, my brothers and sisters. I feel your pain. Horses can be an amazing high - but can also drive ya nuts faster than you can say "Why would you do this to me when I pay all the bills?" This book is also dedicated to all you folks who, new to horses, ignored all sensible advice and bought a young horse, figuring you could "learn together." Doubtless, you're starting to doubt the sanity of that decision... but relax, it's our little secret. Cram what you can of this material each night; amaze your friends in the morning. Section I: The lion's share of challenges faced by riders and owners revolve around some form of "fear," the rider's - or the horse's. Here we deal with "fright" in it's myriad forms. Section II: Neglect your lawn, get weeds. Neglect your car, break down. Neglect your horse... collect trips to the ER. Here's what you need to know to keep your horse tuned-up and out of trouble. Section III: Find step-by-step fixes for the "most popular" (notice the quotes?) problems faced by horse owners. You are a horse owner with problems. This is a book with solutions. CONTENTS SECTION I: FEAR, IN ALL ITS FORMS How your horse gets scared determines how we go about fixing it. - Retraining the Flighty or Bratty Horse Horses are herd animals and instinct tells them that there's gotta be a boss. If it's not you, it's gotta be them. Here's how to get and maintain control. - Whoever Moves First, Loses Here's training for a rainy day that puts you back in charge. Plus: - Scared of My Horse - Despooking: Scary Things - Despooking: Scary Moments - Despooking: Scary Places - Say Good-Bye to Mr. Jiggy - How to Slow Down Your Too-Fast Horse - Calm Down Now SECTION II: KEEPING YOUR HORSE ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW What you do today determines the horse you'll ride tomorrow. Perfect the First Time If you're guilty of being a bit heavy-handed (as evidenced by a stiff-as-a-statue horse) here's a Top Five Horse Training Concept that will soften your horse fast. 6 Easy Ways to Improve Your Training Six horse training tips, each designed to simplify your training and make big changes fast. Rider Checklists Here are 3 "Rider Checklists." Together, they'll keep you safer - and accelerate your training to boot. The First Thing I Do Here's the first thing you should do with your horse today - and with any horse that's "new to you." When You Get On, Do This First Here's one small thing you can do to keep your horse's attitude in check - and prevent mount-up problems from taking root. Is My Horse Hard to Train... Because of His Feet? If your horse stumbles, cranes his head to the ground, takes halting steps, doesn't want to "move out," or has grown irritable, it might be that his feet are hurting him. Here's how to tell. SECTION III: OVERT VICES Here's how to fix some of the most common problems you might face with your horse: easy, objective, step-by-step. Covered: - Biting Horses - Cinchy Horses - Horses That Won't Go - Leading Stubborn Horses - Help Picking Up Feet