Winning with Horses: How One of the Best Polo Players of All Time and a Sport Horse Veterinarian Balance Human Goals with Equine Needs - Paperback

by Shelley Onderdonk (Author)

A compelling look at a lifetime of success competing with horses, and what it takes to make sure it is the horse that always wins. Is it possible to be simultaneously passionate about winning in an equestrian sport and about the welfare of horses? Professional polo player Adam Snow and sport horse veterinarian Shelley Onderdonk answer this undeniably twenty-first-century question with a resounding, "Yes!" They have spent a lifetime together, nurturing Adam's astounding career at the top of his sport (he is the last American polo player to achieve the perfect 10-goal handicap) with the artful, conscientious care and training of the equine partners he needed to be the best. And Shelley's twenty-five years as an equine veterinarian have been spent helping sport horses compete at the highest levels in other disciplines, as well

Author Biography

Shelley Onderdonk, DVM was born and raised in San Mateo, California. She is a graduate of Yale (BA '89) and University of Georgia (DVM '97), and has continued her medical education through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and The Chi Institute. Shelley's integrative veterinary practice, active since 1998, incorporates the best of Western medicine, acupuncture, manual therapy, equine sport science, and rehabilitation for the benefit of her patients. She is an avid environmentalist, rider, writer, and yogini. Adam Snow played polo professionally for 34 years, achieving the highest rating of 10 goals in 2003. Career highlights include winning two US Open titles, competing in the Argentine Open in 1998 and 2004, winning many Best Playing Pony prizes for his horses, and twice being named Player of the Year. He was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 2014. Retired from tournament polo, he now gives back to the sport via coaching, mentoring, writing, as well as announcing polo games for television. Adam grew up in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and received a BA from Yale, where he also played ice hockey and lacrosse.