Horsemanship Through Life

A fall during a clinic on horsemanship forces the author to rekindle his passion for working with horses and their owners. By studying the Japanese martial art, aikido, Rashid renews his commitment to compassionate communication with horses.

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"Chances are real good that if a person is indecisive, angry, scattered, hesitant, belligerent, argumentative, bossy, or impatient in everyday life, he is bound to bring those same qualities to his horsemanship, and in turn, his horse will tend to reflect those qualities. By the same token, if a person is patient, calm, willing, quiet, self-confident, focused, and dependable, it is more than likely to be those qualities the horse will reflect." —Mark Rashid

Here is compelling meditation from renowned horseman Mark Rashid on all the ways that the principles we apply in our dealings with fellow humans can apply to our relationships with our horses, and vice versa. Rashid describes how his discovery of the Japanese martial art aikido helped reenergize his commitment to positive horse training and self-improvement at a time when his dedication was flagging, with negative consequences for his health. He began taking classes in aikido and, with dedicated training, came to recognize its transformative effects on his sense of self. He found his mental and physical communication with others had improved greatly, and understood the incredible benefits that aikido might hold for greater emotional balance and understanding between a horse and its rider during training. By sharing his examples from personal experience with horses in the lively and engaging style that has made his earlier books so successful, Rashid shows us how the things he learned can be applied to guide you further on your path with horses.

This is a book you’ll want to share with your friends and relatives, whether they are horse lovers or not. Every reader will find something new about how to form a more mutually communicative relationship with a horse you have, or hope to have one day in the future. Horsemanship Through Life is about awareness, learning, teaching, honesty, integrity, and much more. It is about more than tips or technique; it is about principles to live by. It is about taking responsibility for our lives and our relationships with horses and humans. It doesn’t take long to read, but will be with you for life. Experience the profound lessons of this inspiring book.