Customer Reviews

Considering the Horse: Tales of Problems Solved and Lessons Learned

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have lots of books on horse behavior, horse psychology, etc., but this book is better than all the rest put together. I have a young mare who is my first horse at the age of 40plus, she is quite nervous at times which doesn`t do my nerves any good either! This book has been a great help in my ways of dealing with her & we now seem to have a closer partnership. If one thing wasn`t working with her, then I`d approach the problem in a different way as Mark suggests, & we`d finally sort the conflict out. The one thing that struck me after reading this book, was how much calmer I was if she started playing up. I just had to think how Mark, or the old man, would deal with the situation & immediately became calm & resolute in my actions. My mare obviously sensed this & became calm herself. I have just read the book again & am about to order his other one. If you want to solve your horses problems then this book is a must. It is not a book saying you must do this or that, but is a book saying this may work, or because all horses are different then this other way may work, or you may have to find a solution yourself. After reading this book the solution to your problem will be easy to see. If I had to part with all my horse books apart from one, this would be the one left on the shelf

I read this book in about 5 hours flat! I bought both this and "Considering the Horse" and found both fascinating. I personally bought a horse which was the "wrong colour". He is turning into an absolute dream. As we, in South Africa, do not have access to this kind of horse trainer, I found this book invaluable. It showed me different ways of working through common problems which I thought was unique to my situation. The narrative is easy to read and understand and Mark Rashid sums up the problem, solution and reasoning from the human and horse's point of view at the end of the each chapter. His solutions to common problems are clear and easy to remember - you don't have to take the book with you to the pasture! He shows you how, if his suggestions have not helped, to search for the answer yourself. It is not a "How To" book, but more a "Maybe this could work, what do you think?" book. It helps you search for the solution to certain problems yourself. I think this book will become one of my well thumbed books.

Here is a book that excels beyond description. I must admit that Mark Rashid is a gift to horses and I sure hope there would be more people like him. I cannot begin to express how inspirational this book had been. Not only is he a great horseman, but he is also a master at writing.

'Considering the Horse' is less of a problem solver and more of an attitude adjuster. Don't get me wrong, Mark addresses common problems in this book and provides innovative and effective methods of solving them. It is his suggestions that will be changing many traditional point of views. He does not force his ideas on you, but supports them with logical explanations backed by evidence from real life. Which brings me to the next point: the book's individuality stems from the fact that it is presented in true story format rather than text-book style. I think this format aids in delivering Mark's message in a subtle voice, allowing the reader to absorb the information and start thinking!

Mark addresses problems such catching uncatchable horses, picking up feet, stopping unstopable horses, ground manners, loading, headshyness, mounting problems, and balking. He begins by explaining how he decided on his approach and clearly illustrates different situations where different approaches should be taken. From easy quick-fixes to deep-rooted problems.. everything is explained in his entertaining and enlightening stories. He closes the book with a deeply touching story and a lesson for mankind that brought me to tears.

I have read his latest book 'Horses Never Lie' before this one and I find both books equally educational. Mark's passion for horses is evident in every word he writes and as I mentioned before, he is also a gifted writer. I believe that he is reaching out to the horse community, offering his knowledge to benefit as many horses in the world as possible. Five stars don't do him or his books justice.

Truly, Mark Rashid must be here on earth to be the voice of the horse. Never have I read a more eloquent, spellbinding pair of books as 'Considering the Horse' and 'A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color.' If you read them as training manuals, you will find them informative and thought-provoking. If you read them for entertainment, you'll find humor, drama, compassion, and common sense.

Rashid doesn't offer a quick fix for horse training problems. Rather, he advocates considering the lesson from the horse's point of view, then using communication, patience, gentleness, and compassion to form a lasting partnership with the horse.

I urge you to read these books, apply Rashid's principles to your training programs, and spread the word to as many other horsepeople as you can. We owe it to our horses.

This is truly a great book. It gives tips which one really can understand and it reads brilliantly. It makes one defintely think about horses and the relationships we have with them and they with us.

This is the best book I've ever read about horses. Lots of savey :-)

Ries

I stumbled upon this book in a bookstore the other day and didn't think twice about buying it. What fascinated me most was Mark Rashids storytelling way of giving us a chance to learn from his experience. Because besides trying it out yourself that is the best way to learn. If you work much around horses you get this feeling for their actions and thinking and, that is exactly what shines through this book. You relate to the situations, as you see in your mind and feel in your body the horses he is describing. If you should happen to find yourself in a similar situation later on I am 100% sure you would remember the "story on that", which could help you find a way to sort out the problem. If you on the other hand are not very familiar with horses, this the perfect start for getting to know their ways, without having a horse outside in your garden. The next step being getting to know a live example! The reason for many people being afraid of horses is exactly because they think that the horse thinks like a human. Once they start thinking like the horse, they lose much of their fear and from there everything is much nicer; they relax and ride better! A superb book, I couldn't stop reading before I reached the last page and the words were out! After that I couldn't stop thinking about it!

I first read "Considering the Horse" and was totally overwhelmed by Mr. Rachid's understanding and insight into the mind of the horse. I immediately read "A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color" and found it equally riveting. I am about to order yet a third book by this talented communicator, not only to horses but to humans via the written word.

This book was such a refreshing change from most "horse training" books I have read, and a must for anyone that has a relationship with any horse. The use of real life stories to convey horsemanship principles is a unique approach, and incredibly thought provoking. The author's humble nature was such a nice change from so many of today's "horsemen with an attitude". This book was so good, that right after I finished reading the last page, I immediately went to page 1 and began reading it again! A wealth of information is between these pages! I would love to meet the author, and have the opportunity to watch him work with his equine friends. Mark Rashid's other book, "A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color" is just as good!!!

Mark Rashid is the first autor explaining his ways of solving many problems appearing around horse, in a very nice and humane. He is one of a view not telling that HE is the one who knows it all. Read this book, even if your horse has no problems..... it will change your point of view.

As if his "page-turning" prose weren't enough to make this book worthwhile, Mark Rashid's ability to convince the reader of the point of view of the horse is simply remarkable. My husband & I have used Rashid's approach on various of our rescue horses & have had great success in teaching them to stand quietly for the farrier and be caught in the pasture and simple ground manners. The book is entertaining, insightful, and rewarding when you put his ideas into practice. After my husband & I read it, we immediately bought his next 3 books. Well worth the money and your reading time!