It wasn't hard to find the landmarks Roland had told him to look for in the foothills. He saw more grass than he had ever expected to find. Hills lay as sloping shoulders on either side suggesting the shape of a valley that turned to a rock-ribbed canyon after a few miles. Wind began to rise and he tugged his hat down snug. The horse turned south without being asked. The boy leaned forward, occasional bursts of sand stinging his face, full of expectation that the horse would find the water. Roland's voice came rolling across the expanse of his mind unbidden.

This book is a reflection of my heritage with horses. It comes from both sides of the saddle, so to speak, because both of my grandfathers were excellent horsemen. One grandpa was Cherokee and rode with the Kiowa horsemen in the early days of Indian Territory. They call it Oklahoma today. He gave credit to the Kiowa people for our unique way of working with a mare in-foal in order to blend our spirit with the foal. My other grandpa was an early day cattleman in Indian Territory and was known for his good-minded cutting and roping horses. I was blessed to have been born into this rich mix of horse and cow savvy. As a kid I was careful to take the best of both worlds, the Indian World and the Cowboy World, and develop my way of working with horses. The horses and mules like it. The day-to-day steps of working with the foal and mare ensured a lifetime of harmony with that horse. Each of the 37 chapters takes the reader or rider through each progressive training phase, emphasizing the easy, patient way the movements should be presented to the horse. The spirit blending starts with the mare first then progresses to the unborn foal. This special attention is continued right through the birthing process with the highlight coming at two years of age when the young horse is ridden for the first time. The foal is first taught to lead and "soft" tie at one and two days old. By the time it reaches two years of age it has been taught to readily load into a trailer, stand tied, yield to rope pressure from each leg, stand tied with a snubbed down head, back on voice and body cues, and to be ground led across country as well as ponyied from the mare. I term the essential ingredient of my technique, once the foal is born, "assurance pressure". It creates a sound foundation and willing mind in a horse. It is the glue that holds the spiritual blend together. It lasts for a lifetime with your horse.

Praise for Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, An Old Way Continued

Dear Mr. Wadley:

    I LOVE your book Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, An Old Way Continued. It is a priceless bit of Western History, and horsemanship, and equine behavior...

Robert M. Miller, D.V.M. (Thousand Oaks, CA)

Horses are often more than a hobby. For many people, especially girls, they are a passion. The horses at Friendly Horse Acres walk, trot, and canter across the pages of The Hoofbeats of My Heart. Their stories, and the stories of their family, will bring smiles and perhaps a few tears. Hopefully they will temporarily quench the need for one more horse story.

Many of the stories about the horses at Friendly Horse Acres have been published as individual articles. This is the first time they appear as a unit.

All profits for The Hoofbeats of My Heart go to Friendly Horse Acres, a nonprofit organization that puts children, especially at risk children, together with "friendly" horses.