For every equestrian star in the spotlight, there's a support team that has made that moment possible. For every medal, there are dozens whose care, expertise, and effort helped secure the place on the podium.
At TSB we recognize all that it takes to make a winning combination in equestrian sport, and that includes the individuals who ensure every equine athlete is cared for and prepared for competitive tests in fair, meticulously correct, and continually improving ways, as well as those who guide the human side of the partnership to make the best decisions for the horse while achieving top performance.
As our celebration of the 2024 Paris Olympics continues, we're highlighting some of our books by the experts behind the expertise, and the stars behind the stardom. When you peruse our EQUESTRIAN OLYMPIC COLLECTION, you'll find the incredible books these individuals have written in an effort to pass along the knowledge they've gained in their fields.
STRIDE CONTROL
"Teaching Icon" Jen Marsden Hamilton (author of STRIDE CONTROL) coached a number of Olympians, including 2024 New Zealand Eventing Team Member Clarke Johnstone. "Correct basic training," she writes in her book, which teaches how to count strides and develop the rider's eye, "opens the door to the Olympics."
"In this book," says Johnstone in the foreword, "you will find insights, tips, skills, and exercises that will help you in your quest for jumping success."
RIDE BIG
"Mistakes help you learn, develop, and grow," says 2024 Individual Eventing Gold Medalist Michael Jung in the book RIDE BIG by performance coach John Haime. "If you don't make mistakes, it's very difficult to get better."
"Each time you challenge yourself, you expand the size of your comfort zone," writes Haime in RIDE BIG. But he highlights how there are different ways you can do that successfully. For example, Michael Jung might go one, two, even three steps back in order to build confidence for both horse and rider in order to ultimately go forward.
"This builds confidence for both you and your horse," he says. "It takes pressure off both."
WORLD-CLASS GROOMING FOR HORSES
Professional grooms Emma Ford and Cat Hill have earned the honor of working for many top international riders over the years. Ford ran gold-medal-winning Olympian Phillip Dutton's barn for years. "The pride they take in their work and the skill they exhibit in both keeping horses at home and preparing them for competition are unparalleled," writes Dutton in the foreword to their first book WORLD-CLASS GROOMING FOR HORSES.
We couldn't say it better ourselves.
Visit our entire Olympic Collection HERE.
Trafalgar Square Books, the industry authority in equestrian publishing, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.