Anyone who has had a special relationship with a horse, or indeed any animal will recognise the sentiments of this book.Mark Rashid was given Buck as a seven year old and noticed that he behaved slightly differently to other horses. He studied his behaviour with other horses and his interactions with himself and decided that Buck had a singular talent. Not only did Buck communicate exceptionally well and with very little effort but also he appeared to be able to plan ahead.
Over the years he found that what appeared to be Buck resisting his instructions was in fact an opportunity to learn how to communicate better and to realise that the human is not always instinctively right.
Mark is able to put this knowledge to use in the field of human communication and relationships. It helps him learn not to avoid conflict but to use it in a positive way, giving both parties time to think, making it easier to find an amicable solution.
Along the way he tells stories of working cattle and events at his clinics including the perennial subject of trailer loading problems. He explains how horses fit into different categories of not wanting to load with the exceptions and oddities and how we humans get frustrated and find it difficult to understand when a horse appears not to fit into one of these categories. He tells several very moving stories of horses trying to communicate something very specific to their owners i.e. there is ALWAYS a reason why a horse does or does not do something we ask.
He applies what he learnt from Buck to life in general, with philosophical deliberations that may be puzzling to those who have read his previous, more straightforward, anecdotal books.
Mark really gives of himself in this book and shows the great humility that great horsemen and women have. It reminded me of Alois Podhasjsky's book "My Horses, My Teachers"
I'm a horse owner and I have shelves bulging with horse books, and this is the first book I've read that really seems to be showing the current progression of horsemanship along with the progression of Mark's unique style.Wave goodbye to prescriptive, supposed NH programs, and beating up on your horse in order to be dominant; instead just take a moment to listen - your horse might just be trying to tell you something that will change your life.
This book is written in the same accessible style of Mark's other books, making use of anecdotes and stories in order to convey an underlying message. It's not a step-by-step program, it's a fresh way of appreciating your horse and his idosyncrasies.
Why only 4 stars? Well I think it should have been longer ;-)
