Life Lessons From A Ranch Horse

In this heartwarming and instructive book of horsemanship, highly-respected horse trainer Mark Rashid shares what he learned from a very special, and very challenging, horse. Through a lot of hard work, Mark comes to understand the potential for powerful communication that exists when two beings take the time to understand each other. Although his realizations are inspired by work with horses, readers will discover that Rashid’s six guidelines for interaction can improve our relationships with the people in our lives as well. In this second edition of the beloved title, with a new brand-new afterword, Rashid invites us to enjoy his all-new reflections on the lessons learned from a life spent with horses.

Learn the underlying principles of speaking both “horse” and “human” from an internationally acclaimed horseman. Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse describes celebrated horse trainer Mark Rashid’s experiences with one special—and especially challenging—horse named Buck. Mark finds that Buck’s unique personality teaches him a wealth of information about how to build a strong relationship with what may initially seem like a difficult horse. During his time with Buck, Mark not only trains Buck but also observes how Buck “trains” other horses in order to maintain a stable and respectful group. Mark comes to understand that there are six underlying principles to both Buck and Mark’s most successful horse training techniques: non-confrontation, planning ahead, patience, persistence, consistency, and “fix it and move on.” The second half of the book is devoted to demonstrating how horse owners can apply the six principles to their own experiences in horse training. Mark Rashid is unique among writers of horse training books for his skill at teaching trainers to lead by example rather than by force, using clear and consistent methods. In the afterword, Mark Rashid reflects on what he has learned since first writing about Buck, and how Buck’s life allowed Mark to dramatically improve his own emotional and physical well-being. Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse is essential reading for all compassionate horse owners who care about cultivating a mutually respectful and satisfying relationship with their horses.

A Colorado clone of James Herriot reveals the evolution of his trainingskills through well-told...

These stories tell of Mark's life working on cattle ranches and guest ranches before he became famous worldwide for his work with horses.

Many horse trainers, even those who espouse the so-called natural horsemanship approach, take the position that horses who fail to obey a human's request are doing so as much out of perversity as ignorance. That's not Mark Rashid's view. In his words, "If we understand that horses can't separate the way they feel from the way they act, then we can start to see that unwanted behavior isn't bad behavior at all. More times than not, it's just the horse expressing the way he feels at that particular moment in time. . . .How we perceive that information dictates how we respond to it." Whole Heart, Whole Horse focuses on this idea, covering such subjects as gathering information from the horse, turning rider/trainer mistakes into positive experiences, developing realistic boundaries between you and your horse, understanding how and why horses release energy from real or perceived traumas, and reaching a comfortable balance point between horse and rider. Rashid analyzes developing softness, consistency, dependability, trust, and peace of mind in both horses and humans, as well as how to become a leader whom your horse will willingly want to follow and work with. Full of examples that extend beyond the training pen, Whole Heart, Whole Horse offers good sense and information that will make you a more astute, capable, and sensitive horseman and person.

In Think Like a Horse, veteran “horse whisperer” and leadership expert Grant Golliher applies his hard-won horse sense to teach invaluable lessons anyone can use to live a fuller, more successful life. Grant Golliher is what some would call a “horse whisperer,” able to get a wild horse to calmly accept a saddle and a rider without the use of force. Through training thousands of horses, many traumatized or abused, Golliher was able to learn essential lessons about communication, boundaries, fairness, trust, and respect—lessons that apply not just to horses but to humans as well. It’s why celebrities, Fortune 500 ex­ecutives, professional coaches, supreme court justices, and even ordinary families from around the world flock to his Wyoming ranch every year to take part in what one CEO called “the most transformational experience I have ever encountered.” Horse whispering may sound like magic, but as Grant explains in Think Like a Horse, it’s not really all that mysterious. The lessons he shares are as fundamental and ageless as the relationship between horses, the people who ride them, and the beauty of the West. In fact, it’s an approach that anyone can learn, and should learn, in order to better understand our common humanity, overcome trauma, foster more fulfilled relationships, and unlock untapped potential in virtually every aspect of our lives. All you have to do is think like a horse.

A heartwarming story of a couple and their horse exploring what caring for a horse can teach us about companionship—whether it’s with a four-legged friend or a fellow human. A surprise birthday gift plunged Joe and his wife, Kathleen, into the world of horses as complete neophytes without a clue as to what a horse needed or wanted. They searched for logic and sense in the rule books of traditional horse care. What they found was not what they had expected. Written for everyone who has ever loved a horse or ever loved the idea of loving a horse, this memoir leads us on a voyage of discovery as Joe and Kathleen navigate uncharted territory on their way to achieving a true relationship with their horses. Joe Camp’s inspiring book unlocks the mystery of a majestic creature who has survived on earth, without assistance, for fifty-five million years and teaches us that the lessons he learned apply not only to horses but also to our relationships with people.

“His stories are timeless lessons of living, loving, and learning the Western way of life that will inspire all generations.” —Stuart Rosebrook, author of At Work in Arizona If you’re served a piece of humble pie, thank the server and choke it down. So says H. Alan Day, an award-winning author and American cowboy, who grew up on a 200,000-acre southwestern cattle ranch, made a hand at age five, and lived adventures most of us only witness on Netflix. While interacting with cowhands, horses, and the land, Alan learned valuable life lessons about loyalty, trust, humility, forgiveness, persistence, failure, innovation, and success. Now, this cowboy is ready to share his hard-earned wisdom with those who may never own or even ride a horse, much less rope a cow, train a wild mustang, or witch a well, but who, like Alan, contend day-in and day-out with the true grit of life. Cowboy Up! is a collection of thirty-five personal stories narrated by Alan Day in his authentic western voice. These stories touch on topics that affect us all: friendship, family, business, politics, community, and conservation. As Alan learned early on, a true friend has your back for life, whether that friend has two legs or four legs. If you don’t learn to listen, you may end up swinging from your suspenders on a bunkhouse hook; and if your pickup is about to get washed away in a flash flood, you better do some quick, two-step thinking. Alan’s stories not only explore what it means to be human, they evoke laughter, disbelief, wonder, joy, and more than a few heartfelt tears. FINALIST New Mexico-Arizona Book Award FINALIST Arizona Authors Association Book Award