Whole Heart Whole Horse

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 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.

In Horses Never Lie, renowned horse trainer Mark Rashid challenges the conventional wisdom of “alpha leadership” and teaches the reader to become a “passive leader”—a counterpart to the kind of horse other members of a herd choose to associate with and to follow. Applying Rashid’s principles and techniques helps cultivate horse personalities that are responsive and dependable regardless of the rider. Reliving Rashid’s experiences with him, you will come to feel the same sort of compassion and appreciation for your horses that you do for the people in your life. This new edition features added introductory notes for each chapter that contribute to a more complete understanding of Rashid’s methods and philosophy.

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

Eastern philosophy enters the stables in this unique guide to horsemanship. Allan Hamilton describes how horses understand and respond to the flow of vital energy around them. They use this energy, called chi, to communicate with their herd, express dominance, and sense predators. Hamilton shares safe, simple techniques to make you more receptive to your animal’s chi, so you can develop a calm and effective training style that will not only help your horse follow commands, but strengthen the spiritual bond between horse and rider.

Presents the author's techniques and philosophy on training horses, advocating a concept of the "passive leader" as the preferred approach which results in horses that are more dependable and responsive to their riders.

This all-in-one guide will teach you the minutia of horse breeds, what it take to ride, how to speak to horses on their terms, and more.

A guide to owning, riding, and caring for a horse, with information on selection, apparel, stabling, health, grooming, feeding, equestrian sports, tack, and other subjects.