Customer Reviews

Empowered Horses: Learning Their Way Through Independence, Self-Confidence, and Creative Play

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There is not another horse book on the market which offers the education, and world, contained in Empowered Horses. I want to get this review right, because many things have changed for me directly, and only, as a result of reading this book. Having begun to apply its contents with my horse has caused a transformation that is real and exciting; there has emerged a common language between horses and me to which I'd been deaf and blind before--I can very honestly say my horse is greatly relieved. Everything, everything, has changed for my horse, simply because this one book shattered previous notions and given me enlightenment and tools. I must interrupt myself here and say that I am incredibly, deeply grateful to Imke Spilker for managing to share her knowledge and philosophies--and those of her horses--with the rest of us through her writing. And thank you SO MUCH to Kris McCormack for translating this book, quite beautifully, so that it is available to English readers like me.

Like many people, I have been on a long journey to improve my relationship to my horse. Long ago I'd progressed away from conventional training and been enamored with many of the more "natural" methods of training and communication, and over time had witnessed dramatic improvements in how my horse and I worked together. One later favorite was Hempfling's "Dancing with Horses," also translated by McCormack. I have also been a follower of the radically different equine philosophies and sciences introduced by Alexander Nevzorov. I think of myself as very humane, and I'd have described myself as deeply connected to my horse's inner nature. Then I read Imke Spilker's book (first in manuscript form of the translation) and lights went on all over the place. Every now and again in life something comes along that creates an awakening, defining a clear "before" and "after." Before, I wanted my horse to understand me and my desires, and whenever he did we'd work together harmoniously. Now (after), I have learned to better understand my horse--to even WISH to understand my horse, and by appreciating his intellect and following his lead, we actually are in harmony--in a way which could never have been possible "before" in such a one-sided relationship. My horse, who I'd always known is smart, is SO much smarter than I knew; he is also compassionate, happy and fun, full of ideas and lessons for me on how he wants to work his body, on what games are meaningful to him. The reward is that my beloved "friend" (slave) has become my beloved friend (truly). Along with this, my horse--being given the chance to help show me how to improve his training--is displaying for me what his body is capable of. His movements are prouder, rounder and more athletic than anything he has expressed in the past, and we work together in pure delight. It is CRAZY that, after 14 years with this one animal, I am finally discovering him. He's been there the whole time, just waiting for me to be able to see.

Can I recommend this book highly enough? Never. Imke combines intelligence, sensitivity and wisdom into a text that is more revealing with each reading. And all the while we the readers are free to make up our own minds and do with the information as we will--it is a rare equine author who does not preach, condescend, or try to control or self-promote on some level. Imke manages to teach by sharing and guide by example, and releases us into our own intelligence and desire to figure out what it all can mean to us and our horses. And PS: you will fall in love with many of our equine guides in the book, as if you've grown to know them personally. The book is educational, profound and endearing to boot--do not hesitate to purchase a copy for yourself. The happily ever "after" will blow your mind.

Do you have a BFF (Best Friend Forever)? When you share time with your BFF, do you take charge and always decide where to go, what to do and when to do it? Would you even want to be someone's BFF if they treated you like many people treat their horses? Observing horses from a distance, we are captivated by their beauty, spirit and freedom of expression as they frolic in the pasture. So why is it that when we get up close, we try to physically dominate and subdue their innate spirit in an attempt to get them to submit to our will? Our actions are not always overt. Often we don't realize that we are slowly repressing their personality and creating a robotic, submissive creature nearly unrecognizable from the and wild and provocatively free spirit that captured our imagination when we first met.

Imke Spilker's "Empowered Horses" illustrates through both words and photographs a completely different approach to "being" with horses. The flavor, intent and flow of this book is so consistently smooth and every photo and each topic illustrates the point the author is trying to make and the attitude she would have us adopt when we are interacting with our horses. It is one big "learn by example" approach toward building a new, more mutually satisfying relationship with our horses. A relationship where horses have a say in what we are doing and how we are doing it when we spend time together.

The serendipitous bonus for me in this book is the discussion of collection and how necessary and perhaps critical the horse's self-expression and exuberance is to exploring and developing collection in the most natural way possible. Thank you Imke Spilker, for revealing this approach and thank you Kris McCormack for your wonderfully sensitive translation. I have every intention of using this material to help me create a relationship where my horses and I can truly be best friends forever.

Since I'm the person who translated this book from German into English you might consider me hopelessly biased. And you'd be right. I think this is an extraordinary book. I've read it a total of 5 or 6 times, in two languages, and I still have not gotten everything there is to get from it. I doubt I'll ever get it all, no matter how many more times I read it. "Empowered Horses" is that rich. I was not hired to translate this book; I read it, loved it, felt it had to be available in English, and took it upon myself to translate it, long before I ever had a commitment from a publisher.

The market is flooded with many books about working with horses. Nearly all of these books concern themselves with how we can better use the horse, how we can get him to do more amazing things for us, how we can make him more compliant to our "requests," more obedient to our demands. Even the books that purport to tell us how to "whisper" to our horses are, at root, just teaching us another method for imposing our will -- albeit in a "softer" voice.

"Empowered Horses" is different. You could say it is a handbook for a revolution in the horse-human relationship. There's no mention at all of any technique or "trick" for getting a horse to do what we want him to do. On the contrary, the book begins by issuing an invitation -- an invitation to enter the world of horses and see things from their perspective: "There is an entryway. Once you go through it, you will never again be able to distance yourself from the concerns of horses. You will no longer be deaf to their language. You will no longer be unreceptive to their feelings. It is up to you to take this step. We invite you into the world of horses...."

If we accept this invitation and open our hearts and minds to what the horses have to teach us, we find ourselves re-examining everything we thought we knew about these intelligent, creative, and supremely kind beings -- and re-evaluating everything we do with (and to) them.... and how we do it. We learn what it means for a horse to be empowered, and how we can help him become that way. We learn how important it is to free the horses in our lives from our unceasing demands, desires, and expectations. We learn to listen to them so that a real conversation, a real dialog can take place. We begin using our power in their behalf, for their well being. We learn how to develop a relationship with horses based in freedom, equality, and mutual understanding -- in short, we learn how to form a true friendship, with all that implies.

And that's just for starters. There is much more to be learned from this book. Just for example, it contains the best explanation of collection I have ever read, not only of the biomechanics, but particularly of the emotional and spiritual dimensions. There is fascinating information on the many forms of communication, and on how emotions (our own and our horses') are manifested in posture and movement. And so on...

The back covers of both German editions,and this English one, too, have the "slogan": "The book that every horse would give his rider." That's not hyperbole; that's truth in advertising. This book really is the one your horse would give you if he could.

I ordered Empowered Horses after I saw it advertised in Equus. "The book your horse would like you to read" caught my eye. I just finished reading it. It blew me away. The author is definitely following a path I have not encountered in anything else I have read. I have "worked" with horses over 40 years. I have had some great accomplishments, but this book has shown me how much farther my horse/human relationships may go.

First of all, thank you to Ms. McCormack for translating this book. You have made it possible for the entire world to have their eyes opened (if they so choose).

If your main priority with your horse(s) is showing and winning ribbons this may not be the book for you. If your main priority is improving your relationship with your horse this book is a definite read. I would probably have to agree with the 1 star rating that some of the concepts in this book may be dangerous for the beginner or someone who is not pretty familiar with horses. However, I do not agree that the book is impractical. I think everyone involved with horses could learn something from this book. This book is certainly no more dangerous than the "cookie cutter" training techniques that say any horse can be trained by anyone if you follow their program.

This is a "masters level" course in horsemanship. If you are seeking a means to further develop your relationship with your horse this book may provide some insight into areas you may have not considered before. If you are ready to give up preconceived notions that we must dominate the horse this book is definitely for you.

I can certainly see why many might find this book "useless". The concepts explored in this book take a tremendous amount of time to build the type of relationship the author speaks of. Allowing the horse to govern the training and tell you what they need today is not always easy. You must be willing to put the horse's best interests ahead of your "expectations". You must be willing to say, "OK, we don't have to that today." I think this is something many horse people find difficult.

When I started reading the book I really didn't care much for the first few pages, but the more I read, the more enraptured I became. The author is totally dedicated to the well being of these marvelous creatures. This book has really given me a lot to think about. It has allowed me to look inside myself and reconsider how and why I have done some of the things I have done with my horses. It showed me avenues I was starting to travel. Now the path is wide open.

If you are a fan of Mark Rashid (as I am) I think you will love this book. If you are the type that believes a horse damn well better do it because you say so, you will hate it. (too bad, because you are the ones that need to read it)

The book is about learning the horses' way, not about them learning our way. Kudos to the author, Imke Spilker, for having the guts to write such a provocative book. I am sure I will read it many more times. (BTW, lots of pretty pictures as a bonus) I agree with all of the other 5 star ratings.

This is truly THE book that every horse person needs to keep on their nightstand!
I received this book 2 years ago as a birthday present from my Mom and it has never even made it to my bookshelf as I constantly read little bits and pieces here and there.
Imke Spilker put into words and pictures what I was hoping to find in a relationship with a horse but was told by "horse professionals" that my view is unrealistic. The general consensus still is that you need to be the "boss", the horse needs to do what he /she is told all the times at exactly the time the human sees appropriate so that horsemanship becomes "safe" and the horse is not even allowed an opinion.
Well, Imke Spilker changed all that and even years ago already! She was way ahead of her times and she validated what I have been feeling in my heart all the time! It IS possible to have a relationship with a horse that is based on mutual understanding, friendship and respect. No boss needed, no force, no punishment. Horses are gentle by nature, peaceful and loving creatures and we can learn so much from them if we open our hearts and minds.
Imke Spilker's book is an invitation to take that relationship to a whole new level of interacting and communicating with these powerful, magical creatures. By allowing them to express themselves we can bring out their true personalities and their eagerness to interact with us in a whole new way.
I have been reading the German version for a couple of years now and finally this wonderful book is available in English also! Needless to say, I already have the English version on my nightstand too because it is always an interesting experience to read a book in a translation. The translator in this case, Kris McCormack, did an amazing job conveying the true feel and contents of this book. What a treasure! The best book anybody will ever read, it should be mandatory for every horse person for the horses' sake!

I have always considered my horses as friends--unique, special beings with which I felt more a kinship with than superiority over. It was always with difficulty that I tried to also be a good trainer, following the venerable voices of long-dead classical masters and modern day horse whisperers, each telling me that in order to make horses safe, reliable and useful to humans, they must be taught to regard us not as equals in friendship, but as friendly masters to whom they must willingly surrender the use of their bodies to suit our pursuits of work, sport or pleasure.

To obtain this "willing surrender" or "submission", virtually every book I have in my possession devoted to the subject (and I have hundreds) makes use of some means of denying the horse his freedom via restrains such as halters, bits, ropes and round pens. Friendship is highly conditional, if it is pursued at all, and undesired responses are corrected via negative consequences ranging from minor irritation to distinct, localized pain.

I never quite felt that this was the right way to be with horses...but how could so many texts and trainers be wrong? These traditional means of "doing" things with horses have been proven effective, but I always felt a certain guilt in putting these concepts to use and recognized a particular distance present between my horses and myself that became more disturbing as my journey with them evolved. But now, there is a beautiful alternative!

To lift the cover of Imke Spilker's book, EMPOWERED HORSES, is to open oneself to an entirely new perspective on horse human relationships. The brilliantly conveyed concepts of egalitarianism, shared leadership, learning through play and creatively incorporating classical dressage exercises (which the horses themselves choose to best further their own self-actualization) are carefully explained with well phrased texts and beautifully illustrative photos.

Imke Spilker approaches relations with horses not from the typical mindset of "How can I make my horse safe and "useful" to me?", but turns training on its head by asking her horses, "How can I be useful to you? How can I assist you in experiencing your full potential?". This book inspires us to ask the same questions of our horses and teaches us, by example, how to recognize their answers.

Readers of this English version of Imke's book owe a great debt of gratitude to Kristina McCormack for her devotion to the careful translation of this text, making every effort to assure Imke's voice shines through. We must also applaud the editors at Trafalgar Square for recognizing the transformative value of this book and making it available to a broader audience.

Inviting the horse into a playful atmosphere, eschewing restraints, encouraging free expression (even if it is an emphatic "no"), suggesting alternative options and nurturing the creative ideas the horses themselves suggest...discovering, together, that the self-induced consolidation of the horses energies (collection) will lead to heightened awareness and artistic expression--this is EMPOWERED HORSES!

If you want to know how it feels to experience true friendship with your horse you should buy this book. Imke Spilker takes us into the horses world and shows us that it is possible to become true friends with these amazing beings. Don't expect a "how to" book, that is not what this book is about. This book is about true understanding, love, communication, friendship and more, between horses and humans. I believe this is what most horse lovers want, but we are taught that this cannot be. We are taught that a horse needs to be forced, punished or at least "convinced" to do what we tell him and if we don't, disaster is waiting around the corner. This is so not true, and luckily Imke Spilker wrote a book that will convince the readers there is another way to be with horses. A way to "Empower" them. A way that is so much more fulfilling for both human and horse. This book is a treasure, to be read and read again!

Has your gut been telling you that there must be a better way? Have you often wondered if your horse would choose to be with you? Imke has taken the next step that I've been looking for. I knew I no longer wanted to be with horses if it didn't feel like the horse was enjoying our time together as much as I was. Though I had found some good pieces of advice, it all still came down to control and dominance. Imke breaks through those barriers and invites us to have a true conversation with the horse. I am thrilled and inspired to witness the changes in my own horses and am reading this incredible guide for the 3rd time in 3 months!
J Taylor
North Carolina

I have only just discovered Imke Spilker's book, but already it has radically changed my way of being with horses. Like many of the other reviewers, I already prided myself on being a communicative and listening horse trainer and rider. Spilker's book made me realize how one-sided my conversation with horses has been.

Her book contains no "technique," no "exercises," no "plan." Since opening myself up to her philosophy, now in the presence of horses I often find myself tongue-tied and uncertain how to proceed. But it's in those moments when our will is silent that the horse can find a way to speak back to us.

You should read the book for yourself - it's available in Borders, and if you find it there, you can sit down with a cup of coffee to browse through it before deciding whether to buy a copy somewhere. But a warning - your life will change if take Spilker's lessons to heart!

Here's one thing you can try to have a taste of what she is talking about: next time you go to fetch your horse from the pasture to work, put the halter on him without a lead rope, and invite him to follow you. If he doesn't want to, say "Oh pretty please, I really want you to come." If he still doesn't want to, give him a nice treat, take off the halter and let him go.

Some books entertain. Others inform. A few manage to do both. And one in a million is the actual catalyst for a significant shift in consciousness. Empowered Horses by Imke Spilker (with English translation by Kris McCormack) qualifies as one of the latter -- a bridge to a completely new way of being and relating to horses.

Lift the cover and begin to read Empowered Horses and a door swings open to another reality. Here, humans do not assume the traditional role of dominant master, and horses do not assume the role of willing servant. Instead, freedom -- and an effort toward mutual understanding -- are the only "givens." This book departs so radically from conventional thinking and is so compassionate and thorough in its photographic and written journey into the hearts and minds of horses that it will cause virtually every reader to question everything he or she has ever been taught about horses.

There are no tricks in Empowered Horses. There are no regimes. There is simply the steadfast journey toward understanding. For those accustomed to specific results, this book promises to stir a sense of overwhelm. The brand new territory that Spilker embarks upon pushes past the confining boundaries of bridles and bits or any exercise routines, catapulting us into the realm of intuition, spirit and heart.

Here, there is a way of being before doing. Here, there is the pardox of dropping of all agendas to get anywhere at all.

Perhaps Empowered Horses should come with a warning: "Those who are not ready for significant change should not begin reading."

This is a book that belongs in the hands of any human who dares to take a new path with horses.