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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
Practical and Inspirational, 13 Nov 2001
You may conclude from the title that this book is filled with long philosophical chapters that will be easily forgotten once read. Not so. Chris Irwin presents his subject (which is much broader than you may think) with concrete advice and solid information that he has gathered through his many years of experience with horses. He writes with an honest, down-to-earth style that is guaranteed to both touch your heart and appeal to your mind. The first half of the book is a study of horse psychology in comparison to human psychology. Chris explains the different ways that horses and people view the world using the terms 'prey consciousness' and 'predator consciousness'. Although many horse people are aware that horses view their world from the eyes of a prey, they don't quite comprehend that we approach horsemanship from the eyes of a predator. This is the first book I have read that thoroughly explores this issue and offers solutions and ideas to help us bond with our horses. Chris also runs through identifying equine body language to enable us to effectively understand and communicate with horses. Following that, he uses metaphors and imagery weaved with realistic tips and guidelines to explain the basis of achieving smooth forward movement in the horse, both from the ground and under saddle. The second half of the book I found not particularly useful as I couldn't apply his message to myself. The author devotes an entire chapter to encourage people to get in touch with their inner self, develop a positive attitude, heal their souls, and generally change their outlook on life into a brighter and more productive view. Once he was through with that, he finally discussed the subject of how horses can help us heal from within. The last one-quarter of the book is the most inspirational. Horses Don't Lie is a great read for every horse person willing to take their relationship with their horse one step further. The title of the book is slightly misleading; much more than what it suggests is covered.
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