Mindful of Horses, tells the riveting story of a journey of self-discovery and healing undertaken as a result of Helen’s work with horses and her attempts to ease their pain and improve their behavior. In the interim, these horses taught her how to look within to locate the sources of her own pain and self-defeating behavior. It is an inspiring tale, one that is also filled with many details, descriptions, and insights inviting the reader into this world of seeming magic and mystery. A world where animals communicate with humans and each party sees improvement as wounds are uncovered, inspected, and ultimately healed. Told with as much grit as compassion, Mindful of Horses is an engaging read on the connections between animals and humans and their ability to help make each other whole.
This marvelous book, borne of a unique collaboration between Dr. Allen Schoen—a world-renowned veterinarian and author—and trainer and competitor of many years Susan Gordon, introduces the 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation. These Principles, conceived by Dr. Schoen and Gordon, are a set of developmental guidelines, encouraging a level of personal awareness that may be enacted not only through the reader's engagement with horses, but can be extended to all humans and sentient beings he or she encounters. The 25 Principles share stories and outline current, peer-reviewed studies that identify and support methods of training, handling, and caring for horses that constitute a safe, healthy, non-stressful, and pain-free environment. Through their Compassionate Equestrian program, the authors encourage all involved in the horse industry to approach training and handling with compassion and a willingness to alleviate suffering. By developing deeper compassion for their own horses, and subsequently, all equines, equestrians transcend their differences in breed preferences, riding disciplines, and training methodologies. This leads to the ability to empathize and connect more closely with the “global collective” of horses and horse people. In doing so, a worldwide community of compassionate equine practitioners and horse owners will emerge, which will not only benefit the horses: People involved with horses are found in many influential segments of society and have the potential to affect wide circles of friends, acquaintances, and co-workers from every walk of life. These are simple changes any horse person can make that can have a vast impact on the horse industry and society as a whole.
This is a perpetual calendar of thought-provoking quotes that Cheryl has collected over the years in her quest for better horsemanship. Quotes are drawn from sources ranging from practising horsemen and horsewomen, to psychiatrists such as Viktor Frankl, sports figures like Tiger Woods, characters in novels, and even jokes and word puzzles. The author accompanies each quote with thoughts on how the quote relates to working with horses, including anecdotes from her own horse life as well as insights gleaned from horse clinics around the country. None are intended to be prescriptive, but instead to provide jumping off points for each reader to come up with her or his own thoughts on how the quote might apply to horsemanship and how it might better the reader's own understanding of and ability to be aware, to be mindful, to be in the moment. Horses are masters at mindfulness, experiencing their lives one moment at a time. They have a lot to teach humans if we are only willing to explore their world on their terms and expand our own awareness to better understand these gracious animals. Keep this book by your bedside or next to the place where you have your morning coffee for a daily dose of inspiration.
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.
Many of us dream of being like Dr. Dolittle, able to speak joyfully with animals. Now you can bring that dream to life! In Mindful Partners: The Zen art and science of working with animals, Dr. Jenifer Zeligs takes you on a transformative journey to the deepest level of connection with animals. Dr. Zeligs combines breakthroughs in behavioral sciences with centuries of contemplative wisdom, guiding readers to see behavior as it fundamentally exists and how actions and reactions are born, practiced, and altered. She teaches the reader to use mindfulness to develop a special kind of partnership in which both parties share a mutually beneficial connection. The book is filled with intimate and amusing accounts of Dr. Zeligs’ 40-year history of partnerships across the animal kingdom—from improving the welfare of horses and dogs to filming wild whales using trained sea lions. It teaches you to partner with any animal to create a strong connection, establish interspecies communication, develop calm behavior, respond when things go wrong, reduce aggression, build confidence, overcome fears, and motivate without causing stress. This is an empowering guide to connecting with animals, drawing on the best of science, as well as traditions of inspirational wisdom.
2016 Foreword INDIES Gold Award Winner 2016 Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner 2017 Silver Independent Publisher Book Award Winner 2017 Silver IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Winner Award-winning author and celebrated neurosurgeon Allan J. Hamilton combines his understanding of the human brain with nearly 30 years’ experience training horses to offer wisdom on such universal themes as leadership, motivation, ambition, and humility. The results are showcased in more than 100 thoughtful essays that treat working with horses as a metaphor for personal, professional, and spiritual growth. Whether you’re searching for greater spiritual depth or simply want to better understand your four-legged partner, this wise and important collection has something for you.
Did you know there is an area of your brain known as the “Lizard Brain” that thinks only about the immediate moment and your means of survival? Yes, in certain circumstances, your “Rational Brain” can effectively “shut down” and you are at the mercy of a reptile ... dry-mouthed, sweating, queasy, unable to think clearly—even though you know better. When does the Lizard Brain run the show? It can happen in any number of unfamiliar, uncomfortable, challenging, or “stressful” riding situations. But here’s the thing: with the right kind of training, you can learn to manage the reptile within, which leads to greater confidence with horses, better riding performance, and ultimately, happiness at the barn, at shows, and everywhere in between. Andrea Monsarrat Waldo teaches you how to: handle uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, anger, anxiety, and embarrassment; hone your mental game and focus your riding time to get the most out of your hours in the saddle; care for your emotional injuries the same way you would care for an injured horse; and produce a state of “Focused Calm” and tap into the skills you have (whether you know it or not!) to ensure an outstanding ride.
Tom Dorrance has been referred to as the "horse's lawyer." Tom gives the horse credit for his knowledge of the horses feelings and problems. He says, "What I know about the horse I learned from the horse." In True Unity Tom shares some of these ideas to help achieve a true unity for human and horse.
An integral part of competing in equestrian sports is having to face the performance anxiety that presents itself at competitions. In this work, author Daniel Stewart explains that the pressure, stress, nerves, distraction, and anxiety come hand in hand with doing what we love to do. It also reminds us that competing in equestrian events is a real sport, and riders are forced to deal with the competitive nature of showing. Stewart explains that, while riders love to do what they do, this love is sometimes lost in the panic of showing and performing. Stewart then walks the rider through specific tools and tricks to manage and overcome the stress, fear, and anxiety, and how to embrace and enjoy every minute of performing with your equine partner. From "Plan the Ride, and Ride the Plan," to overall mental training, this must-have book is a fantastic tool for any competitor to overcome their show jitters and do their best at every competition, while feeling confident and happy throughout the experience.
