Going Steady: More Relationship Advice from Your Horse

by Anna Blake

Going Steady takes up where Relaxed & Forward, Relationship Advice from Your Horse, left off. These bite-sized essays on affirmative horse training, rescue stories, and "gray mare" thoughts are geared toward encouraging creative, affirmative partnerships. Blake's writing uses clear descriptions, a joy of storytelling, and some sideways humor to inspire meaningful, positive communication. Sometimes irreverent but always honest and you have to offer is more than enough and your horse is just as magical as he ever was.*Leadership is a humble service given with kindness. Security exists when both sides truly understand that for trust to exist, there is no place for intimidation.*In riding, don't be fooled by smoke and lights. Anyone can spur a horse into speed and jerk them to a halt. If you want to know true connection, look for partnership between the movements. Because the art is always in the transition. *Be the change you want to see in your horse. If he is hot, you cool your body movements. If he is reluctant to walk, you lighten and lift your body movements. Correct yourself.  *Let's redefine leadership as the one who breathes and smiles the Let an inhale relax your body, let an exhale leave soft shoulders and a soft belly. Let a smile give you a soft jaw.*Be seriously patient and your horse will offer his heart. Be seriously grateful and it will change your heart. Most of all, be seriously lighthearted because horses like us that way.*The arc of a horse's life (or our own) doesn't look like a golden rainbow. It looks more like the jagged readout of a heart monitor. There are ups and downs in each heartbeat. It's how you can tell we're alive. Relaxed & Forward Training is firmly rooted in theprinciples of traditional Dressage; training relaxed and forward gaits withresponsiveness and balance for the horse and rider. I combine this with aspecial focus on listening to Calming Signals, the natural language of thehorse, for a partnership of understanding, confidence, and pleasure. I takehorses and riding very seriously, but I do it with humor and lightness becausehorses like happy riders.

Genres: Horses

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2019

About the author

I’m an animal advocate, award-winning author, solo RV traveler, old-school feminist, dog companion, unabashed lover of sunsets, and professional horse trainer/clinician. I’m sixty-nine years old. I’ve done just about everything and done it well. No longer auditioning.

My books include:

Stable Relation, A memoir of one woman’s spirited journey home.
Relaxed & Forward: Relationship advice from your horse.
Barn Dance, Nickers, brays, bleats, howls, and quacks: Tales from the herd.
Horse Prayers, Poems from the prairie.
Going Steady, More relationship advice from your horse.
Horse. Woman. Poems from our lives.
Undomesticated Women: Anecdotal Evidence from the Road

I was born in Cavalier County, North Dakota, in 1954, the youngest daughter in a farm family. Now I live at Infinity Farm, on the flat, windy, treeless prairie of Colorado with a herd of reprobates, raconteurs, and our moral compass, Edgar Rice Burro. Previously, I was a self-employed goldsmith, showing one-of-a-kind artwork in galleries from coast to coast. My Denver studio and gallery was shared with generations of good dogs.

Early writing included a few screenplays, one of which was produced independently, and articles for several periodicals. Every Friday since 2010, I have posted an unconventional and popular blog about life on the farm and horse training. My unique perspective combines Calming Signals and Affirmative Training for a special method of understanding, training, and respecting animals.

Thank you for stopping by.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a horseperson seeking a better relationship, better understanding, clearer communication, with your horse, you MUST buy this book. MUST!

This is a follow-up to "Stable Relation" which I also rated a 5. I typically read about 250 books each year, and it's a rare year in which I rate more than 8-10 books a 5.

I've already read the book twice, and am on my third reading, because this book, like Anna's other books, are so perfectly written and communicate so much that unless you have an eidetic (photographic) memory, your mind cannot absorb everything in one reading. At least I sure can't!

Anna has a blog, a website, and a Facebook page, and does clinics all over the world. I follow her blog and FB page and HIGHLY recommend them, but there's nothing like having a physical book of your own to which you can add bookmarks, stickies, and highlights.

[Kathy Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Blake has so much knowledge to share and makes it relatable for readers. Love her books!

[Mary Valley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking to improve your relationship with your horse then this book is for you! Do you want your horse to trust you? Then this book is for you. Don't have a horse yet, but dream about owning a horse? This book is for you. This book is a collection of short, easy to read essays with practical advice. It will make you smile, laugh, and maybe even teary at times. I highly recommend this book.

[Deb Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Blake just makes so much sense as a human and a horsewoman. She is an astute and wry observer, and a keen writer. A wonderful collection of essays and education. I will happily read anything she writes, regardless of the topic.

[Loni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Anna Blake's perspective. Great winter reading to prepare for riding season.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much wisdom between the covers. A must read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how to connect with horses in a meaningful way. I learned, I laughed and I cried and mostly I didn’t want to it to end.