If I Were To Train a Horse

"This is a must read for the avid horseman, from the beginner to the most accomplished professional"

"Bravo....A legendary horseman shares his 50 plus years of unmatched insight into performance horses...."

Glory Ann Kirtz
Ex Editor
Quarter Horse News

Legendary trainer, breeder and teacher Jack Brainard is a master-storey teller, and he will open your mind to challenges, enjoyment and fulfillment of training young horses. I  know of no horse trainer who is a greater student of horsemanship than Jack. He has continued to improve his own skills and knowledge through his associations with master horseman like Tom Dorance and Ray Hunt, and by his intensive reading of classical horsemanship. This coupled with 50 years of training horses and producing some of the world's greatest reining horses has given him the vast wisdom that he shares here with you. You will be amazed at how he takes complex training procedures and simplifies them through his understanding of the horse's mind and movements.

This book reads like Jack is having a conversation with you. Without realizing it you will be getting lessons in equine history, anatomy, psychology and a touch of philosophy but most importantly, he conveys to you in easy to understand language how to develop the following attitudes and/or maneuvers in your horse:

Impulsion, Collection, Circles

Relaxation, Forequarter Control, Lead Changes

Willingness, Hindquarter Control, Stops

Bit Acceptance, Straightness, Spins

You will also appreciate the original drawings of noted western artist, Justin Wells and Jack's reflections on living his life as a horse trainer. Jack has been a friend, mentor, and inspiration to me. I am so glad that he wrote this much needed book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Larry Kasten Professor
Department of Animal and Food Science
University of Wisconsin – River Falls

Cowboys Past, Present and Future

In his unique homespun cowboy vernacular, Jack Brainard traces the development and history of the American Cowboy. Jack begins by explaining the western expansion of America that followed the Louisiana Purchase. Acknowledging that the existence of the cowboy is due to the grass of the Great Plains, longhorn cattle and the mustang, he takes us from the great trail drives of the mid-1800’s to the life of the modern day cowboy. In between, he chronicles the origins and development of the longhorn and mustang, the big spreads, the men who built them and the cowboys who worked on them. Never before has the history of the cowboy been better defined.

From the Texas cowboy to the California vaquero to the buckaroo, we learn of their equipment, clothes, horses, habits, and abilities to adapt to a changing environment.

Throughout the book, Jack shares with us his personal experiences and encounters with men who helped make “Cowboying” a “way of life”. In his own masterful way, he combines history with a little bit of story telling that makes for easy reading.

This book is for anyone who has ever pulled on a pair of boots, is or wants to be a Cowboy, and for all who cherish this life style. It is a remarkable tribute to an icon of American culture, the Cowboy.

Larry Kasten, Professor
Department of Animal and Food Science
University of Wisconsin – River Falls