Starting in the Middle: How Horses, Those Who Study Them, and 265 Minutes with One Colt Helped Me Find Myself at Midlife

What if the next chapter of your life demanded more courage than the first? In this deeply honest and uplifting memoir, Tik Maynard confronts midlife not with crisis--but with a colt, a countdown, and a call to grow.

After building a dream life in equestrian sport, family, farm, and a clear purpose--Tik Maynard found himself haunted by uncertainty. Was he still learning? Still evolving? Or simply coasting? Starting in the Middle chronicles his year-long journey to rekindle passion, chase challenge, and redefine mastery--by accepting an invitation to compete in the Road to the Horse, the high-stakes World Championship of Colt Starting.

This gripping follow-up to his bestselling memoir, In the Middle Are the Horsemen, blends heart-pounding personal stakes with intimate storytelling as Maynard studies with elite trainers, faces self-doubt, and prepares for 265 make-or-break minutes with an untouched colt. Along the way, he explores the very core of connection--between man and horse, student and mentor, father and child.

Whether you're an equestrian, a lifelong learner, or simply someone standing at life's crossroads, this book offers both inspiration and a blueprint for growth.

Inside, you'll discover:

A behind-the-scenes view of the Road to the Horse competition
Lessons from leading voices in natural horsemanship and animal behavior
Deep reflections on parenting, identity, and personal reinvention
Powerful metaphors that bridge colt-starting and midlife evolution
Candid insights from a rider unafraid to rethink everything he knows

Tender, philosophical, and fiercely compelling, Starting in the Middle reminds us that real transformation often begins just after we think the story's already been written

Author: Tik Maynard
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
Published: 04/29/2025
Pages: 464
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 1.80d
ISBN: 9781646012480

About the Author
Tik Maynard spent much of his twenties competing full time in the sport of Modern Pentathlon (running, swimming, shooting, fencing, show jumping). He was on the Canadian National Team and won the National Championships twice, and he competed at multiple World Cups, World Championships, and at the 2007 Pan-Am Games in Rio de Janeiro. Maynard has evented at the Advanced level and been Long-Listed and Short-Listed for the Canadian National Three-Day Event Team. He won the Freestyle twice at the Thoroughbred Makeover (2015, 2018) and judged it once (2017). Maynard won the Road to the Horse World Championship of Colt Starting in 2024 and 2025. He travels year-round, teaching clinics in the United States, Canada, England, and Scotland, and is an online instructor for The Horseman's University and the Noelle Floyd Equestrian Masterclass. He is a regular guest on podcasts and a contributor to many equestrian magazines and online news sources. He is the author of In the Middle Are the Horsemen and Starting in the Middle. Maynard lives with his wife Sinead, a top American eventer, and their two children in Citra, Florida, where they run Copperline Farm (copperlineequestrian.com).