Over Christmas, the amazing people at Trafalgar Square Books decided to play a game of Twelve Books of Christmas. They posted a video on their Instagram every day about one of twelve of their books with a hidden letter in the video, and if you could find all the letters you would be put in for a chance to win all twelve books.
And . . . I won!
I am so excited because I love their books, and being able to add twelve more to my collection is a dream!
Here I'm going to share with you my first impressions of six of the twelve books. Make sure to check back next week for my first impressions of the last six books.
For the Love of the Horse: Looking Back, Looking Forward by Mark Rashid
I get a very calm feeling from this book. It feels like Rashid has years of wisdom to share, and he really does care about the horse first and foremost which I love.
It also has a very meditative vibe coming from it, which is only enforced by what Dr. Steve Peters says in the forward, "This same theme of kindness, calm, and quiet when dealing with horses is felt throughout the book" (viii).
I think this book will help guide me to where I want to go with my horsemanship journey, and I am excited to read it.
Find this book here.
Instagram voted for me to read it first and I am really enjoying it so far!
Essential Horse Speak: Continuing the Conversation: Fundamental Communications for Training, Riding and Caring for Your Horse by Sharon Wilsie
I've had my eyes on this book for a while and am so excited to read it! I think this will really help me build a better relationship with my horses.
This book does build off a previous book by Wilsie and I'm not sure if I need the first one to understand this one completely or not.
Even with my excitement for it, this book does look like it may be pretty intense reading at times. It reminds me of a textbook which can be a bit scary. However, this is something I really want to learn about, and I am very eager to get started on it.
Find this book here.
A Man Walks into a Barn: Navigating Fatherhood in the Flawed and Fascinating World of Horses by Chad Oldfather
This is a book I've seen around online a lot recently. I think this will be a really fun and insightful read.
This memoir is told from the perspective of a father of horse girls. In two ways, this is going to be a new perspective for me. I haven't read anything from the point of view of a father or from the point of view of a newfound horse parent. It will be interesting to see what it's like from the other side since I was a young horse girl and know what that's like.
When I've seen this book online, I have to say the bold cover design didn't draw my interest. I saw it for sure but didn't love it. However, having it in my hand and looking at it closely, I actually love it! I also love the interior design of the book.
Find this book here.
Stretch Exercises for Horses: Build and Preserve Mobility, Strength, and Suppleness by Jean-Michel Boudard
This is another book I've had my eye on for a while. I have learned some equine massage and bodywork skills and want to continue my education. As my horses have been getting older, this is something that interests me more and more. I want to help them stay feeling as good as possible.
This book has a lot of helpful illustrations. I think this will be an easy book to understand and follow. It does not have an overwhelming feeling of a textbook. Plus, it has a very calm vibe to it.
Find this book here.
Life with Horses Is Never Orderly: Cartoons for Riders Who Are in on the Joke by Morgane Schmidt
This looks like a hilarious book that will be so much fun for everyone. It's not what I would typically pick up for myself, but I think I will really enjoy it. It feels like a great book to share with friends since it is full of happiness and has a light-hearted tone.
Find this book here.
The Horse is My Teacher: Lessons from the Ranch: Training, Riding, Luck, and Love by Van Hargis
This book has feelings of wisdom, calmness, and humbleness about it. I feel like it will teach me more about myself than horses, but sometimes learning about myself is the best way to help my horses. I think it will be an enjoyable read that will teach me a lot and help me on the horse journey I want to be on.
Find this book here.
Overall, I have really positive impressions of each of these books. I honestly have nothing bad to say about them and am excited to get reading!
Thank you so much Trafalgar Square Books for hosting this giveaway! I feel so lucky and grateful to have these beautiful new additions to my book collection.
What book do you want to read first?
Want more book recommendations? Read all my book reviews here.