The Unscheduled Dismount: And Other Humor from a Life With Horses

Renowned horse trainer Jec Ballou takes up her pen in The Unscheduled Dismount to reflect on flashy breeches, tattooed trainers, hormonal mares, disheveled breeders, and everything in between. Ballou's perspective is forged from a lifetime in the equine industry and tickles both the heart and funny bone of anyone who has fallen in love with horses.

Charming and witty, this collection of essays chronicles the often-bizarre nature of life with horses. It covers everything from an ordinary day at the barn to the frustrations of training and riding lessons. In The Unscheduled Dismount, Ballou draws from her personal experience to create these accounts. "Does this Spandex Make Me Look Fat?" provides a fresh perspective on the outdated, unfashionable, and sometimes absurd riding apparel. With tongue-in-cheek humor, "Greener Pastures" laments California's lack of wide open pastures for the horses to romp in and roll in the dirt. In "Move Over, Hank Williams," Ballou confesses her love of country music, which is synonymous with equestrians.

Ballou, both a professional equestrian and award-winning journalist, captures the ups and downs of this industry with a perfect combination of reflection and laugh-out-loud humor.

Jec Aristotle Ballou is a journalist and instructor. She was raised in a horse training family and is the author of 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider and Equine Fitness. She has presented at Equine Affaire, Western States Horse Expo, and breed associations. She trains and teaches in California.