Horse Show Mom's Survival Guide

At some point in a mothers life, her child--most likely, her daughter--will smile sweetly and say, "Mommy, I want to learn to ride a horse. And then I want to win a blue ribbon."
Whats a mother to do? (Or for that matter, a father, since hell become involved too, even though ferrying the child to and from lessons and competitions is far more often the equivalent of a Soccer Mom.) Even people who rode when they were younger may not remember the ins and outs of the sport, and especially the way its played these days.

Riding to the rescue comes Susan Daniels, an experienced and accomplished Horse Show Mom. Taking the perplexed parent under her wing, she provides advice on locating a suitable lesson stable (including how to tell whether a particular instructor is right for your child, and what to do if he or she isnt), determining when - or whether - to buy a horse or a pony, outfitting horse and rider (must the animals leg wraps and the childs ponytail ribbons match?), and understanding and coping with stable politics (such as when its appropriate for barn managers and instructors to pay more attention to another youngster than to yours).
When it comes to horse showing, the author explains how to tell when your child is ready for competition, whats expected of horse and rider at various levels of proficiency, which supplies Moms should always have on hand (safety pins and hair nets lead the list), how to deal with your childs triumphs and tears, and how to understand the complicated but crucial national and regional championship points systems.

With pages of warm and encouraging humor, sound advice and illustrative true-life adventures from the worlds of hunter/jumper, Western, combined training, and dressage competition, The Horse Show Moms Survival Guide is a valuable "leg up" for any parent whose youngster has that blue-ribbon gleam in her eye.