Natural Horse World BookReviews

an excerpt - Harrowing pasture
Harrowing is often suggested as a preventative measure for worm control but in fact it actually increases worms. Horses with plenty of room on which to graze will divide their grazing into two distinct areas, 1) roughs and 2) lawns. They do nearly all their droppings in the rough area, an area with overgrown grass and weeds, an area which horses will not graze down. The lawns are the areas which horses do graze, and on which they rarely do droppings. Clearly then, most of the worm eggs are in the roughs. This is a natural system for horses to keep down their worm burdens.
Harrowing, mowing or dragging increases worm levels by transferring the high levels of worm eggs from the 'roughs' to the 'lawns.'
If done at all, harrowing or mowing should be carried out at the hottest time of year, and the horses should then be kept off the area for several weeks. However, in cooler regions, harrowing at the end of the grazing season has been shown to reduce the survival of infective stages of worms over winter.
Get the book for 122 pages of up to date info on worming horses and donkeys from the Natural Horse World Store

Natural Horse Care the Right Way by Dr. A Nyland
Ann Nyland could have titled this book ‘Myth Busting Natural Horse Care’ because that’s exactly what it does. If you’ve been using natural or alternative supplements, then you really must read this book. It reveals the truth about many natural products such as apple cider vinegar, garlic, sulphur, herbal wormers, copper, along with many other herbs, minerals and feeds we are using. The contents of this book are backed up by an incredible amount of research with the sources listed in the 21 page bibliography and 17 pages of end notes!

As Ann says “Just because we use natural products doesn’t mean we should leave our brains at the door and see science as the enemy of all things natural. In this book I’m not saying ‘Do not use it because science hasn’t yet found that it works’. I am saying ‘Here is cold hard evidence that certain things will harm your horse!’.
Personally, I have used many of the products Ann has examined in this book because I was following someone else’s anecdotal evidence that they worked. I am so glad that someone has now gone to the trouble of researching and verifying claims made by other ‘natural horse care’ practitioners. While my horses haven’t seemed to come to any great harm, I suspect some conditions were not improving due to my belief I was treating them correctly, when in fact, I wasn't.

The great thing about this book is Ann also supplies evidence for the usefulness of some natural minerals and herbs, and discusses the benefits of having our horses barefoot, bitless and treeless. In fact I was honoured to be asked to write the section on bitless bridles, no doubt due to the large amount of research I’ve conducted in that area.
It’s an easy book to read written in laypersons terms, and if you own a horse, this book is a must have so you can make informed decisions about the everyday care of your horses.
The Natural Horse World Store now sells this book or if you would like to find out more go to www.horsecarenatural.com or if you’d like to join in the discussion on all things natural, join the Mythbusters Natural Horse Care Yahoo group.

Hoof Prints more stories from Proud Spirit by Melanie Sue Bowles
If you want some holiday reading that warms your heart and emotions then this is the book.
Melanie Sue Bowles along with her husband, Jim, is the founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, now located in Mena, Arkasas. It is one of the longest exisiting, privately run sanctuaries for horses in the USA. Over 150 abused, neglected, elderly and unwanted horses have come there to live out their lives in peace and safety.
Melanie's fist book 'The Horses of Proud Spirit', introduced readers to the early herd members and the stories of how they came to be with her.
This book continues to tell heart warming and heart breaking stories as more new horses find their way to Proud Spirit, so many in fact that a move to a larger property was required.
I loved reading about all the individual characters and how they taught Melanie more about horse relationships than most of us would ever realise horses are capable of.
You can purchase her books from www.horsesofproudspirit.com knowing that the proceeds help this self funded sanctuary to keep providing a wonderful natural herd based life for many horses in need.

Conversations with Cadbury by Dolores Artse
If you've ever had difficulties training your horse or just getting along with a particular horse, this book will resonate with you.
By following the real-life story of accomplished horse and dog trainer Dolores Atrse, we learn to overcome these hurdles and step into the realm of true relationship.

This book will help you understand the art of relationships with horses, dogs or humans. Its a fascinating read of struggles, successes and even failures as Cadbury becomes the teacher that changed Dolores life forever.

While it isn't a 'how to train your horse' book, Dolores does explain her training which draws from natural horsemanship and clicker training with clarity, enabling us to follow the path that lead her to ultimate succes and a strong connection to a very difficult little morgan horse called Cadbury.

You can buy it direct from Dolores at www.zenhorsemanship.com

Empowered Horses by Imke Spilker

Horsemanship is a continuing journey of learning and evolving. This book is one of those influentual steps in the journey, taking horsemanship to another level by truly considering the horse first.

"Having a dialogue with horses necessitates aquiring a brand new view of things. It means perceiving horses differently. It means being on their side.
How does what I am doing feel to my horse?
How does he feel when I'm doing it?
What could I do to make things easier for him, to make him feel better? "

These are some of the questions Imke answers and asks more.
"Does your horse truly have a choice?
We give them freedom of space but do we allow them the freedom to choose to be with us, play with us or leave us?
We dream of transformation and new paths, yet our actions manifest as dominance and control. We want to find freedom but we take it away from our horses with every single step. To horses such actions are incomprehensible and oppressive."

Collective consiousness is evolving to a higher level of awareness about horses as beings that think, feel and act at a level we strive to understand.
This book empowers not only horses, but people to change and grow, and is a must for all who seek a truly equal relationship with their equine friends.

Click Here for the English version website on Imke Spilker's Communicative Horses.

Click Here for an article by Imke – 'The horse Is Allowed to Say No'.

Click here to read more about this book in a very good review written in Horses For Life magazine by the translator of the book from German to English– Kristina McCormack.

Available from www.amazon.com or for a copy already in Australia go to www.pathofthehorse.com.au

Feet First: Barefoot Performance and Hoof Rehabilitation
by Nic Barker and Sarah Braithwaite
This is a well written and easy to understand book that is perfect for all those learning about barefoot hoofcare, especially in relation to performance.
Written by the founders of the UK Natural Hoof Care Practitioners who compete in eventing, hunting, endurance and showjumping, it is based on their years of experience as trimmers and riders. The hundreds of horses they have rehabilitated have provided the personal accounts of issues most likely experienced by many readers too.
I like this book because of the holistic approach taken. Diet is addressed first, then environment/work to stimulate the hoof and finally the trim.
“Hoof problems: holistic, not simplistic
The common theme here is that hoof problems are not normally caused by a single disease or failure. Hoof function is grounded on a good diet which allows a hoof to grow and maintain its integrity, and an environment that stimulates and strengthens the whole hoof. Healthy hooves and correct biomechanical function are intrinsically linked to each other and interdependent.”

The authors suggest that the concept of an iceberg explains how it all relates with the top 10% being the trim that we see, to the middle 25% being the exercise and environment, with the bottom 65% being the diet – the part we don’t see when we just look at the hoof.

Therefore this is not a ‘how to trim’ book but a how to feed, exercise and understand the hoof to achieve maximum function for performance.
It has lots of clear colour photos and diagrams, and defines what a healthy hoof looks like and what it can achieve.
The Chapter on ‘How hooves work’ is helpful, but the most important advice is the chapter on ‘diet and feeding for the healthiest hooves’.

I would highly recommend this book to all horse owners who care for their own horse’s hooves, and I will be suggesting it as a reference book for the Polytechnic Equine Hoof Care Course students.

Feet First: Barefoot Performance and Rehabilitation is published by JA Allen and available direct from www.performancebarefoot.co.uk

Now available from www.naturalequipment.com.au

Let Horses Be Horses – the Horse Owners Guide to Ethical Training and Management by Lesley Skipper.
Published in 2005, this 244 page hard cover book with lots of descriptive photos is a must read.
Author, Lesley Skipper questions everything we do with horses in a constructive way, dispelling many myths with her thorough research and practical knowledge of horse care, breeding, training and psychology.
She argues her point with clarity and really gets you thinking about whether your current practices with horses can be improved upon.

There is a very good section on how horses learn where she describes the process of positive and negative reinforcement and other scientific terminology, in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand.
My favourite sections in the book were on ‘The best start in life’ where foal training and weaning is discussed deeply. I found we were definitely on the same wavelength.
There is also good information on stallions, mares and geldings with their differences in temperament, training and care are examined.

I like this book because of the way its helps you have balanced views and indeed Lesley aims to help you keep an open mind and listen to your inner feelings.
She reminds us to be flexible as each horse is an individual, and to always listen to the horse for the answers.
This book allows us to find a nice balance between providing a life as natural as possible for our domestic horses, while making allowances for the constraints a domestic situation imposes.
It is published by J.A. Allen and I borrowed a copy from the State Library but you can also purchase it from www.amazon.com.

Bobby's Diaries by Jenny Pearce (and Bobby).
There's a saying that goes 'When you're ready to learn the teacher appears' so I just had to investigate this book when I saw a review in the Organic Horse magazine. This book is very different and as Jenny says, she's been sharing her concepts of relating to horses with other people quietly for some time now, but "It's time to step out of the closet and share this with everyone".

I knew Jenny (pictured below on Bobby) from way back when we attended the first Parelli International Study Centre courses in 1996 but as we progressed with our horsemanship away from Parelli, I saw nothing of her. We had made contact a few years later when I called upon her healing abilites to help a young horse with health issues, but until now, Jenny has been quietly going about her business of helping people and horses through her totally alternative medicine horse hospital in Tanjil South, Victoria.

Dissastisfied with the progress she was making with Bobby, her 'difficult' thoroughbred, Jenny almost gave up on him in frustration and anger, turning him out to forget about him. But some time later when he was bought back into work because Jenny had no other horse to ride, she started carrying a notebook when she rode to write down ideas for another book she felt 'brewing'.

That's when Bobby started acting on 'thoughts' Jenny had about problems she was trying to 'fix' and without having to do anything else but write them down, he acted on those thoughts and fixed himself. That was the beginning of Jenny being able to 'hear' what Bobby was trying to communicate to her, leading to Jenny then teaching others how to listen to their horses (and Bobby) in their workshops.

Some of you will think this is crazy - we can't hear our horses 'talk' - but when you read this book (and there are lots of others written about animal commnication too), you will understand that we can 'hear' our horses and what they have to say, if we just take the time to learn to listen.

Communication with horses is progressing - first we learned how to 'read' them through their body language and now that we're getting good at that, the next logical step is to learn to hear and listen to them.
Jenny and Bobby not only teach you about this in the book, they teach about true leadership, about how to work in both your comfort zones and to gradually expand them, about how to stay safe and overcome fear.

Jenny's 'no bullshit' language makes this book enjoyable and funny to read with statements such as "Practice makes perfect - but practicing crap only makes perfect crap". Topics start with understanding our horse, ourselves and how we both operate together, through to riding 'like a gifted rider', solving all sorts of problems, horse health and inspiring success stories.

The best thing about this book is its an E-Book which means you can buy it now online (secure system) and be reading it in a few minutes time - even with a slow dial-up connection it doesn't take long to download.
For less than $35 (including the book price, paper and ink) you can print out the 229 pages so you can refer to it again and again easily. This is one book you can flick open anytime and find enlightening information so have a look at Jenny's web site where the contents of the book are revealed www.bookswithspirit.com or order your copy now through the Natural Horse World Store

One With the Herd - A Spiritual Journey by Liz Mitten-Ryan

This is one truly inspirational book full of beautiful photos and paintings by the author.
Liz Mitten-Ryan lives a life with her horses many (and definately me) would be envious of.
On 320 acres in the big sky country of British Columbia, Liz and her family of people, horses, dogs and cats are surrounded by picture perfect landscapes.
These inspire Liz's art and her writing about her spiritual experiences of communicating with her herd of well bred warmbloods.

Liz says "For me, having horses is not just about riding and training and competition, but about the special relationship we share with them, and the pure joy of smelling, touching, and basking in their presence."

For over six years, Liz lived with her horses, breeding and raising their babies and learning more about horsemanship by studying Parelli, Monty Roberts and other great horseman. But she learned the most from listening to her horses:

"This is what animals have to teach us: the rightness of listening to our intuition, living in the moment, and experiencing true freedom.
We have taken a spiritually evolved creature who's life was choreographed to dance like the wind, and crushed their spirits by our fear, our need to control and capture. Thinking we can own their joy along with their bodies, we try to take it from them, and we crush it in the process. It is no longer theirs to share. They develop all the neuroses that thrive in captivity: cribbing, weaving, kicking and biting their captors. solitary confinement has taken its toll."

The horses, living as they would in the wild, but with the benefit of loving and supportive humans, share their secrets through the concept of 'Equinisity' - the gift of finding the unexpected and truly important perspective through the clear vision of the equine.

This 200+ page beautifully presented hard cover book is highly recommended as a gift for any horse lover and is available from Liz's web site (along with book 2 - the Truth According To Horses) at www.onewiththeherd.com or through www.amazon.com.

ZEN CONNECTION WITH HORSES
- By Jenny Pearce.
“Zen Connection with Horses” is a book and CD combination with a world first method of delivery.
The book, with its powerful and emotional insights, gives all the information in an easy 122 page read, and the audio CD supports the person with eight simple lessons.
Just load it onto your MP3 player and you have Jenny’s calm soothing voice taking you step by step through discovering your particular talent for communicating with your horses mind.
…. And then step by step, how to use that communication to get results with your horse that will blow your mind.

Jenny says “Some of the things people have experienced with this extraordinary communication have been practical achievements like riders dancing with their horses in just days, or a rider becoming a better rider, or a “problem”, even dangerous horse co-operating kindly and happily.
Others have been emotional achievements where a frightened horse or a frightened person has found a freedom from fear.
One of my most beautiful clinic experiences was being privileged to help a wonderful guy who was beating up on his horses discover how to get a handle on his rage.”

In the book’s introduction Jenny sets the scene for learning this way of communicating by telling of her experiences as a clinician.
“I’ve come to a theory that we all come into horses because we are yearning for
the connection with this amazing creature. And that we go hunting for that
connection in all sorts of ways, from racing them, to keeping miniatures in the
back yard and everything in between.
It’s a connection that is sooo… satisfying to your soul when you get it.
And that’s where this book comes in. It’s a road to an amazing practical and
spiritual connection with your horse and a simple foundation that you can use
wherever and however you want - into any discipline, any sort of riding. It’s a
road to any sort of connection with The Horse, whether it’s the racehorse that
you part own, the much loved pet or that horse you admire or even yearn for
down the road.”

“Zen Connection with Horses” is available from the Natural Horse World Store and will be released as an E Book in the near future.

Through The Eyes Of The Horse by Carlos Tabernaberri

This is a little book that's big on wisdom. Packed into its 144 pages are all of Carlos' philosophies on horses which for me rang true - at last, someone has written from the heart and from the horse's perspective.
At the start of the book there is a quote from Buddha about beliefs and as I read further it seemed Carlos could be described as the Buddha for horses. Everything he teaches is for the benefit of the horse and ultimately the human who needs to become what they want their horse to be. There's no truer saying than "Your horse is a reflection of who you are".

Carlos is known worldwide for the remarkable results he achieves with foals, starting young horses and rehabilitating abused horses. He has been described as the gentlest horseman to touch a horse and rejects the use of the bit. His approach uses consistent, confident and kind leadership to develop trust, obedience and respect in the horse.
His approach doesn't require you to use a system, memorise a series of steps or purchase a lot of expensive tools. However the book does explain with concise analogies and colour photos how to understand horses and how our actions and attitudes influence them.
Most importantly this book will show you how to consider your horse's mind and spirit in all the work you do with him or her. As Carlos says "Once you have your horse's heart and mind, his body will follow".

Marty Schiel helped record and produce this wonderful book and says that Carlos is driven to be a sort of 'equine advocate' working tirelessly to help another horse, another person. "Time and again I have witnessed the great honesty and courage with which he challenges people to change their thinking and to give up their spurs, whips and bits."

To purchase this book go to the Natural Horse World Store

Hoofworks: Barefoot Basics by Peter Laidley

The back of the CD jacket says “Natural Hoofcare…. For horse owners young or old…this is hoof care made easy!!!
Teach your horse to enjoy hoof care.
How to trim your own horse’s hoofs, Tools, Examples, Stories, Anatomy….and much more.”

This is the first Australian work as far as I know on natural hoofcare and is really a reference book on CD which allows interactive learning complete with short video clips to demonstrate various trimming techniques.
Peter’s introduction on the CD explains his philosophy.

This series is about horses feet…
There has been a lot written about “natural lifestyle”, environment,
nutrition, exercise and medication for horses. Without undervaluing these subjects I want to concentrate on understanding the normal form and function of the horse’s foot and the process of trimming to best maintain that form and function.
I assume that every horse was born Barefoot and make no apology for the fact that I remove horseshoes whenever I can. It is the way I do things and it solves a lot of problems
I do not need to pretend that I work miracles every day or that my horses, or my clients’ horses, are particularly special other than to me and their owners. Each horse is an individual with individual strengths and weaknesses. Most of my clients do not have big budgets or expensive horses, rather many of them have companions and friends
that they just want to keep as healthy as possible.
We have seen remarkable improvements in health and performance when we changed these animals from either being shod, or unshod but neglected, to being high performance “Barefoot”. Conditions which defied healing with expensive therapeutic shoeing responded better to economical care. Muscle pain which kept re-occurring when the horse was shod now responded to the massage or chiropractic treatment.
And my greatest reward has been to see young (and some not so young) owners learn to communicate with, and care for, their own horses.
Although I have tried to put as much practical instruction into this material as I can, there is no substitute for “hands on” training, with an instructor or a more experienced friend. Each specific horse, and hoof, has its own challenges and rewards so having a friend or group of friends to talk to about your progress can be a great help.

If you have any interest at all in Natural Hoof care, then I highly recommend this CD as a fantastic reference and a great starting point. It is available from the Natural Horse World Store or you can order it direct from Peter’s website… www.hoofworksaustralia.com

The Natural Horse by Audrey Townley

Although this book was first published in 1993, it still has tons of relevent information which must have been quite a new approach back then.

Ausdrey Townley is a Fellow of the British Horse Society and has taught riding as well as competed in all areas of the sport. She is also author of Natural Riding published by Crowood.

The Natural Horse puts the relationship between human and horse back in perspective and explains how you can get the most out of this unique partnership. Its written in a clear, readable style and is a practical guide for all those wishing to develop a deeper awareness of the horse's psyche. The book describes techniques for improving communication and enhancing performance, offers practical advice on solving problems and has over 130 photos and drawings.

Audrey Townley has a particular empathy for the horse that is demonstrated in her thoughts on competition and winning.

"If we can explore our motives in wanting to win, we can achieve fulfilling success while enjoying the process instead of being a slave to it, and so avoid exploiting the horse in our drive to succeed. Whatever choice you make in your quest for pleasurable riding, do remember that the horse should share the enjoyment".

Her philosophy on how to pass on your newly aquired knowledge without offending people is evident with this quote - "There are still black spots in horse welfare, but those that seek to know more, cast a ray of light on the horse's lot by setting a good example to others."

And finally, Audrey quotes Richard Bach when relating stories about difficult horses who have taught her more about relationships than anything else:

"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.
You seek problems because you need their gifts."

HORSE FOLLOW CLOSELY – Native American Horsemanship by GaWaNi Pony Boy & photos by Gabrielle Boiselle.

GaWaNi Pony Boy is mixed blood native American and after attending college, spent 3 years travelling the US with a Native American drum group performing on weekends at various universities, cultural events and pow wows. During these on the road years he was able to compile the ideas, methods and techniques contained in this book. By seeking the advice and council of tribal elders from many different nations and backgrounds, he was better able to understand the beliefs and methods used by the nation’s first great horsemen.
By weaving the ‘old ways’ with his own already successful training methods, Pony has developed ‘Relationship Training’ . When not writing, he can be found presenting clinics and seminars throughout the world in an effort to help people get more enjoyment from the companionship of the horse, and on a deeper level, to help people have a better understanding of our relationship with all things.
Horse and rider are one. Theirs is a relationship of trust, harmony and respect born of a way of life that is all but lost. In this magnificent book, GaWaNi Pony Boy illustrates the traditional training methods that are steeped in the common sense and age old wisdom of his ancestors.
The stunning full colour photos and simple eloquence takes us back to the days when horse training was not merely about getting results but about creating a bond for life.
An inspiration ofr riders and a feast for horse and native American enthusiasts, Horse, Follow Closely forges a relationship with readers that few books can ever hope to achieve.

SAFER GRASS CD'S - by Kathryn Watts.

Forage and Pasture management for Laminitic Horses
and Dietary management of the Carbohydrate Intolerant Horse

Kathryn Watts has over 25 years experience in agricultural research and her web site has helped many people understand how to better manage horses and ponies prone to grass founder.

For those of us who want to know all the facts, so we can make better decisions in the day to day management of our horses, this CD set has valuable information in the 2 + hours of presentation which featured at the recent Laminitis Forum held in Kentucky, USA.

Kathryn’s research has discovered that excess non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) may exaccerbate laminitis along with EPSM, colic, tying up and developmental orthopedic disease.

The NSC content of grasses and hay may range from 1-35% which is a huge range when you discover that most horses can only tolerate around 10% NSC.
Understanding the factors that affect the carbohydrate content of forage is vital to successfully manage horses with these conditions.

Although some of the information is available on Kathryn’s web site www.safergrass.org , the point form presentation style and verbal explanation on the CD’s make it easier to understand and refer to.

This information is relevant to all horse owners as all horses are prone to laminitis or serious cases of founder.
These CD’s contain important information that will enable you to manage your horses so that laminitis and founder is avoided or minimised. It will even help you grow and harvest better hay for horses which have needs quite different from that grown for cattle.

The CD’s are available from the Natural Horse World Store
Proceeds from their sale go towards further research into grasses suitable for horses.

THE HORSE NUTRITION BIBLE – By Ruth Bishop
The comprehensive Guide to The Correct Feeding of Your Horse

Everyone has questions about the type and quantity of feed to provide for their own particular horse. In this book, Ruth Bishop, Horse & Hound columnist and Spillers Horse Feeds nutritionist, explores all the options and offers down-to-earth advice on what to feed.
This is one of the easiest to understand reference books on feed that I’ve come across and is essential reading for all horse owners.
In the introduction the author refers to the phrase “No Hoof, no Horse” which clearly indicates that if you don’t look after the feet, you have an unusable horse, and laments that there isn’t a similar phrase for feeding. But I would like to point out that the two are already linked closely as in recent years we have become more aware of how feed can affect the horse’s feet.
Most feed books don’t have enough information on grass, which is the staple diet for most horses in Australia especially, so its nice to see over a dozen pages devoted to the feeding of grass and hay with some useful tables to gauge how much of these a horse should be given at different times of the year.
Another important aspect covered is the care of teeth and how you feed affecting their health which in turn affects the whole horse’s health.
Not only is the whole spectrum of horse feeds looked at individually, from forages to mixes, to supplements and even treats, there is a chapter on Feeding Principles to help you make the right choices.
Other chapters address feeding to specific requirements such as the older horse, the breeding horse, the orphaned foal, to put on or lose weight. Then Diet related ailments are covered with good basic info on colic, laminitis, ulcers, allergies, choke and even behaviours.
Feeding Myths address sugar in a horse’s diet, Feeding bran and performance boosters while the last chapter helps us understand in lay-mans terms the nutrition fundamentals of water, energy, carbohydrates, oils and fats, minerals and vitamins.
In All, this is a wonderful, easy to understand book on feeding, recently published in 2003 and 2005 for the paperback edition and is published by David & Charles in the UK and available from www.amazon.com for approx. $25.

Not sure about E-Books?

E Books are essentially books available online or on a CD in PDF format ready to print. They bring the cost of the book down considerably as you’re not paying for expensive printing, binding and distribution.
They allow you to read your book on the computer, on a book reading device such as a ‘Kindle’ (see www.amazon.com) or to print it out and have it spiral bound.
I’ve found the easiest and cheapest solution to printing it (much easier to read and refer back to) is to print double sided (saves paper) and then laminate the front and back covers and spiral bind it at the local post office, print shop or library.
This usually costs about $10 all up in paper, ink and binding and still results in a very presentable readable A4 book.

Some E-Books are also available through the Print On Demand (POD) process and this gives you a professional looking book at a similar price to regular printed books. The only difference is each book is digitally printed as it’s ordered which has to be better for the planet in terms of less waste from large print runs that may not all sell.

Horsonality – an insight into Equine Behaviour by Andy Beck. E-Book.

If you wanted just one book on horse behaviour this is the one!
But it doesn’t just cover behaviour as such – it goes into how our choices regarding the way horses are kept, fed and ridden, affects their behaviour.
Andy raises many questions and while showing how he feels horses prefer to interact with humans and each other, he leaves it up to the reader to decide which way is best for them.
All the information is provided for you to make good choices for whatever you want to do with your horses and how best to keep them physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.
Andy relates his discoveries of herd behaviour over a 15 year period of studying two herds, a foundation group, and their progeny, in a relatively natural environment in New Zealand so this book will be of particular interest to the breeder.
I found it invaluable in understanding how horses live, behave with each other and how their social structure works within a herd. Knowing things like how a horse has its own personal space and who it allows into that space for what periods of time can be valuable in our interactions with them.
This wonderful E-Book has many photos and diagrams to illustrate everything from environment, safe fencing, treeless saddles, bitless bridles, body language and herd interactions. It has a comprehensive bibliography at the end of each chapter and is filled with interesting insights so we can truly get to know the horse as a unique species.
The contents list below gives you an idea of the wealth of information contained in the 200 plus pages of this E-book that comes so highly recommended by me that I’m selling it through my web shop for just $29.
Chapter headings:
Evolution
Domestication and Tameness
Foundations of psychology and behaviour
The Equine family
The bachelor group – making of a stallion
Behaviour and enclosure management
Body Language – Kinesics and Proxemics
Training and the psychology of learning
The tack we fit; gadgets and gimmicks or the paraphernalia of servitude?
Welfare, Ethics and Rights, Work and the 5 Freedoms.

To read some articles related to the book go to www.horse-behaviour.com or to purchase go to the Natural Horse World Store

'The Soul of a Horse' - Joe Camp
Review by Ysabelle Dean

Lately I have read a number of books that seek to explain and satisfy the human yen to connect physically, emotionally and even spiritually with the horse. And yet The Soul of a Horse is the only one I’ve come across that speaks with a totally resounding note of truth. Coincidentally (or not?) it’s also the only one I’ve read that is written with the unflinching insight that a deep and satisfying connection with another individual – human or otherwise – requires us to set aside our own aspirations, expectations and needs in order to clearly understand those of the other.

The horse has largely lost its traditional place in human affairs as the ubiquitous beast of burden. But we still tend to value these generous and beautiful animals mainly for what they can do for us, whether it’s feeding our egos through winning ribbons or races, or providing therapeutic release from the stresses and strains of life.

The Soul of a Horse examines the biological, physiological and emotional needs of the modern domestic horse and how successfully these are met by widely used and accepted methods of husbandry, handling and training. A delightful blend of autobiography, critical analysis and storytelling, this book engages the reader intellectually and emotionally from start to finish. Joe Camp presents his ‘life lessons from the herd’ with the same humble, gentle yet persuasive persistence we admire in the very best horse trainers.

A heart warmingly affirmative read for the barefoot horse owner, this book is also a ‘must read’ for any person who has ever owned and loved a horse.

You can read more of Joe Camp's writings on his web site. He has an informative newsletter and lots of great info on natural horse keeping including some new info on natural worming so check it out here.

ALL HORSE SYSTEMS GO – Nancy S. Loving
In this full-colour comprehensive volume, Dr Nancy S. Loving, noted equine veterinarian and dressage, event and distance rider, addresses the challenges of keeping the working horse ‘working’.
Dr Loving provides a thorough understanding of the intricacies of the equine body as well as a ready reference for solving common problems and handling emergencies.
Never again will you lack concise guidance on what can go wrong, what to do when it does, and when to call in professional assistance.
This is not just another veterinary manual, however. While diseases are clearly explained, and relevant diagnostic tools and methods of prevention and treatment are offered, Dr. Loving sets her book apart by describing valuable methods of conditioning the various systems of the horse, from strengthening hoof and bone and developing muscle, to maintaining cardiovascular and respiratory health, including health concerns related to transport stress and competition.
You are introduced to the horse’s complicated digestive system and its common problems as related to poor dentition, improper feed and supplementation, parasite infestation, and psychological stress.
Along with a thorough review of nutritional requirements there is guidance in worming and vaccination programs, and controlling sources of equine anxiety.
Over 600 pages, 500 colour photos and 4,000 index entries enrich this consummate text.
All Horse Systems Go is integral to ensuring the horse can perform to the very best of his ability, whether the task is as simple as carrying you on a ride with friends or performing at the highest levels of competition.
This is a 5 star Veterinary book, first published in 2006 and highly recommended to all horse owners as a concise veterinary reference manual.
This book and most of the others reviewed here are available from www.amazon.com

HORSES AND HEALING – by Pam Brownlie
This spiral bound glossy full colour book is a wonderful field guide and reference for anyone wanting to treat horse health problems naturally.
It presents easy to use procedures for treating horses by using herbal remedies, L.E.D. Therapy or Acupressure and includes clear charts for the relevant acupuncture points to treat five main areas.
These being First aid, the Immune System, the Respiratory System, Arthritis and Soreness.
This handy guide also details several case histories and has a good reference section for further more detailed reading.
Definitely a book to keep in your first aid kit that is easy to work from in the field.
It is available online from www.naturalequipment.com

Straight From The Horse's Mouth by Amelia Kincade

This book is an in depth look at communicating with animals by using and developing our natural ability to use intuition. The stories of Amelia's own experiences are intriguing and she details some wonderful meditational exercises to help us get in touch with and listen to our pets, including our horses.
How many times have you said to your horse "If only you could tell me what's wrong?"
Well, here is a book that will lead you to the answers if you're willing to practice and to trust your intuition.
However, I feel the most valuable piece of information in this book is learning that animals can tune into our thoughts and will act accordingly. True unity with horses happens when we think something and our horse does it without us physically having to cue him/her. Many top horsemen experience this feeling of being incredibly in tune with their horse... it feels so good to just thik stop and your horse is sliding before you even lift the rein, or you think "I'll canter when we reach that marker and your horse does it before you even lift your energy.
Unfortunately this can happen in a negative way too and cause problems to occur, such as when a rider fearful of cantering thinks "I hope he doesn't buck" and the horse only hears the word 'buck' so obliges. If we can think of positive outcomes, it will not only boost our confidence but your horse will also really understand what you want.
In this example, if the rider thinks 'Lets have a nice flowing, easy going canter' they are more likely to get exactly that from the horse.

So... next time you pull your horse up for anticipating.... watch your thoughts!!

Keeping a Horse the Natural Way by Jo Bird
As its title suggests this is a new book on the market, making the most of the interest and awareness which currently prevails in keeping horses more naturally.
When I first picked this book up and flicked through it I was impressed by the number of quality photos and diagrams on almost every page helping to convey a clear and thoughtful message.
With a forward by Pat Parelli and a section from his Partnership System I was immediately attracted to read it from cover to cover.
It is a book packed with so much good, sound advise I wish it could come with every horse sold like the manual your car has.
Not only does it deal with equine inter-relationships, it covers your relationship with the horse and other horse care subjects such as Stabling from the horse’s point of view, Field and grazing requirements, Nutrition the natural way, Healing and Natural Remedies, Tack, bits and gadgets and Caring for your horse throughout its life.
Although it is written with a Northern hemisphere slant, there is still a huge amount of relevance for our Australian conditions. It’s 200 pages encased in a hard cover, are packed full of advise on just about every aspect of having horses.
While an invaluable reference for the new horse owner, there is still plenty of important information for experienced horse owners, particularly those interested in a more natural approach.
The author does a great job of backing up her explanations with sound reasoning – very much common horse sense really.
Her philosophy of horse care is simply “Think about it from the horse’s point of view” and this shines through her message with many references to horse psychology and how a horse would think or react to certain situations.
She has also cleverly selected photos to show situations as most people would know from the everyday horse world – the book is not so naturally radical that it would put off further investigation by traditional horse owners.
Priced at $59.95 (2003), it falls into the valuable reference category and that’s exactly what this book is. The many diagrams, charts and amount of scientific information make it well worth the money.
This book is published by Barrons Eduactional Series and Interpet in 2002 and is Highly recommended.

Horses Never Lie - The Heart of Passive Leadership by Mark Rashid
Building on the concept of his previous books - Considering the Horse and A Good Horse is Never a Bad Colour, Rashid clearly defines the difference between alpha and passive leaders. He explains how to become a passive leader (leading by example rather than force) and illustrates with compelling stories how horses change from being indifferent or unwilling participants to becoming enthusiastic partners with their owners.
As he did in his other books, Rashid writes about his experiences with real horses, always featuring his sense of humour and overriding compassion for the horse. His instructive anecdotes reach back to when he was a youngster under the mentorship of "the old man", and continue to his experiences today as a horse trainer and a popular clinician who has travelled the world to teach his remarkably effective methods of natural horsemanship.
This book talks a lot about developing a 'feel' for the horse and the essence of this is summed up in a letter written to Rashid by one of his students…Here is an excerpt from that letter;
" Overall, I feel like I'm just trying to rediscover the connections I had with horses when I was a kid and I rode by the seat of my pants and didn't 'know' anything."
"I think I was riding with my heart and not my head back then. I was basing pretty much everything on feel because that’s all I had. If I got too cocky, my horse would 'remind' me to pay attention to the feel. Somehow I lost touch with that."
"I have always had a habit of discounting my accomplishments or losing sight of them completely. Instead, I tend to put all the emphasis on the things yet to be learned or the 'problems'. That puts a lot of pressure on me and my horse. Its awful to fall into the role of nitpicking and nagging the horse, slipping into the 'problem solving' mode - looking for the mistakes, so I could set out working on fixing them."
"I now know I could have done a better job of acknowledging all the great things my horse and I were doing and spent less time focusing on what we weren't doing or what I thought we needed to do better. I'm not saying that I think goals are bad. They can give direction and purpose. But the problem I see with being too goal oriented is that it can be awfully easy to lose sight of the moment, to become so focused on the destination that you miss the journey."
This book is available through the internet - www.markrashid.com .

The Sound Hoof - Horse Health from the Ground Up by Lisa Simons Lancaster

This is the ideal introductory book into the world of natural hoof care. It offers a road map for the responsible horse owner and a prescription to finding a new level of enjoyment with your horse through its hooves. Lisa's 21st century holisitic hoof care philosophy is not only backed up by credible research, it is based on the often over-looked but all-important principle that every horse is different, no two owners are alike, and that what works in one barn may not work in the one next door.

Rather than endorsing any single method for achieving soundness, this book has presented principles to help you assess and choose from a variety of trimming and shoeing methods, and gives you new tools for understanding your horse's feet and taking charge of hoof care.

While its not a complete 'How to' book - it does cover all aspects of 'Why to' ... understand that hoof care is an essential part of good horsemanship.

With lots of good quality photos and diagrams, it is easy to read and understand, giving you all the knowledge you will need to improve your horse's health.... from the ground up.

YOU CAN TRAIN YOUR HORSE TO DO ANYTHING – On Target Training: Clicker training and beyond by Shawna and Vinton Karrasch.

Everyone involved with horses wants them to consistently behave well, and perform to the best of their ability. But as is all too well known, many horses do not cooperate, and this is because they are not motivated to do so.
Shawna and Vinton Karrasch are co-founders of the On Target Training program – a revolutionary method that combines the basics of ‘clicker training’ widely used on marine mammals – killer whales, dolphins, and sea lions – as well as dogs, with another reward reinforcement program known as ‘target training’.
Shawna trained marine mammals at Seaworld in San Diego, California, before joining up with Vinton who had years of experience riding grand-prix show jumpers. Together they have developed this highly successful system of training horses.
Clicker training initially motivates a horse to perform correctly, because the handler rewards him every single time he does what is required. Later the horse comes to associate the sound of the clicker with an up-coming reward, so a rider can tell the horse that he has performed correctly without having to stop and give a pat or a treat. This frees the rider to continue the movement he is performing while communicating to the horse that he is doing it right.
Target training takes reinforcement of correct behaviour to a stage further. The ‘target’ is a tool – either fixed to a stationary object such as a fence or held in a trainers hand – that the horse learns to focus on completely.
Because the horse is motivated to perform well to gain his reward, he can be trained to happily follow the person holding the target.
The On Target Training method is easy for both horse and trainer to learn. There are dozens of practical applications covering every area of horsemanship, from stabling and handling issues to groundwork, and on to riding. And, just for fun, the Karrash’s show how to teach horses entertaining ‘tricks’ such as ‘bowing’ to an audience, spinning, and smiling.
A good attitude is paramount for progress, safety and results. Using this system horses are happy to interact with their riders and handlers, the learning process accelerates, and there is less frustration involved.
This 200 page book with lots of quality colour photographs is an easy read and explains everything you need to know about enhancing your horse’s education in a very positive way. It motivates the reader to want to get out and try it – just to see if it works…. and it does.
By using positive reinforcement techniques such as clicker training, we can bring out our horse’s heart and desire which is often suppressed by the removal reinforcement or negative reinforcement we use to communicate with.
There is an accompanying video also available and you can find out more by visiting www.on-target-training.com

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