Customer Reviews

Horse, Follow Closely: Native American Horsemanship

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book for my husband this past Christmas, but wasn't sure I would like it all that well. I am a classically trained English rider (have been riding on and off since I was 3) and have worked with horses in many different environments. My husband rides Western though, and I have spent some time on a Native American reservation, so I thought we'd like it.

The surprise for me was how it has changed the way I think.

Many riders are trained to dominate their horse, to "show him who's boss". This attitude works, sometimes, but doesn't always lead to a healthy partnership, and sometimes leads to frustration and agression. GaWaNi, like some other trainers these days (Mark Rashid comes to mind), suggests a different approach, one I was quite impressed with when reading. He speaks of Relationship Training, of the creation of the two-member herd, the "Itancan" (leader) and "Waunca" (imitator). When we are with our horse, we can establish such a relationship with him (or her), and using natural herd behavior, work together with our animals in a partnership, rather than force them to do things simply because we "tell" them to. It seems a very natural way to do things, and one I plan to put into effect with my own horse (I'll come back and write another review once I've tried these techniques).

I have only a few tiny quibbles. The book is gorgeous, and that prevents me from taking it with me to the barn, which I'd like to do. It's almost a cross between a coffee table book and a manual, and frankly, I'd have had more use for a manual I wouldn't be afraid to get dirty. But, that just means I'll have to take notes, not a bad thing in and of itself. As well, I do think there was some generalization going on regarding Native American peoples that might have been avoided (not all NAs are alike, any more than any other type or race of person).

All in all though, if you're looking for a fresh view at the relationship you have with your horse, this book can provide it to you. It made me think, and decide to change the way I do things with my horse. And I plan to try a number of the exercises listed in the book (I'm always looking for an excuse to ride bareback anyway!). So if you're a serious rider who respects and loves their horse, and who desires to learn to communicate more effectively with him or her, buy this book.

...Personally, I loved the book with its horse training ("Relationship Training") methods combined with Native American philosophy regarding human-animal relationships.

However, .. Pony Boy does chunk all NA training methods together as if all tribes trained horses the same way. Naturally there would be differences between tribes, and it would have been nice if he'd mentioned these differences. And I'm sure there were some NA's that were cruel to horses, just as you find animal cruelty in all parts of the world. Maybe Pony Boy didn't want to portray any negative aspects of some tribes ...

Also, while I think that most beginners with horses (such as I) would delight in this book, I would think (and judging by the previous reviews, my assumption looks correct) that opinions from experienced trainers would be much more mixed. I don't think the book was really targeted towards experienced trainers, judging by the simple, beginning exercises (including falling off, or what some refer to as the "emergency dismount") explained in the book. Most experienced horse people know how to fall off a horse properly. But this is essential information for a beginner (especially if you're gonna bareback ride!), and I'm glad Pony Boy included it in the book. But it doesn't surprise me that more experienced people are disappointed that the book doesn't contain more information.

I know some reviewers weren't happy with the professional photography in the book either, feeling it's just fluff. Being an amateur photographer with a degree in Technical Communication, where you're taught good design, I simply cannot fault the book for it's wonderful imagery and good overall design. It also has good photos demonstrating many of the exercises Pony Boy describes, which helps me immensely with visualizing how to do it so I can duplicate them. Again, an experienced trainer probably has less need of so many descriptive photographs.

The best & most important part of the book is the general idea that you don't just train a horse to tell it what to do: you have a lifetime relationship with your horse that includes much more than just training. I've just begun studying some different training methods, and I found several similarities between Pony Boy's ideals and methods and Pat Parelli's, and also, perhaps to a lesser extent, to Monty Roberts's. There may be similarities to others, but as I mentioned, I've just started my "horse training research."

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone beginning with horses who wants to learn positive ways of training and relating to their horse. I would also recommend it to trainers interested in different philosophies about horse training, though I would warn that there probably won't be as many exercises described in the book as you'd like, and it's not a cheap book. I, too, wish it were longer. But I feel I've already got a lot from the book, so I'm not complaining about the money spent on it.

I could not put this book down. The photography is supernaturally beautiful; it really captures the bond between Pony and his horses. I love the mixture of philosophical spirituality and common sense that Relationship Training provides, and I will definitely attempt to use it with my young horse. Reading this book reawakened my appreciation of the relationship that can exist between a person and a horse. It is definitely a must-read-must-own book, worth far more than the sticker price.

If you're looking for a book of Gawani Pony Boy photos this is the book for you. If you're looking for information on American Indian culture, you'll find that here too among the full page photos of Pony Boy riding his horse(s). If you're looking for a book on how to communicate with horses or what works for gently training a horse, you can spend half as much money on one of Mark Rashid's books and get 10 times as much human/horse relationship information. This book has a few good ideas on relating to a horse, too bad you have to pay for all those full color photos of Pony Boy to get that information.

I have wanted this book for a long time now and let me tell you, I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone interested in Native American culture and/or horses! I couldn't put it down, Gabrielle Boiselle's world reknown photography showed Pony, Kola and Mihunka in a most beautiful light, a TRUE light. A must for any horse lover. Can't get enough!

An avid and caring horsewoman for several years, when I saw this book I rushed to buy it in hopes I could learn more about "natural" horsemanship. I found that this book is beautifully produced, nicely written, and a compelling statement about how people can become one with their horses. But in my humble opinion it seems like more of a self-pat-on-the-back for GaWaNi PonyBoy than anything else. There are more photographs than text and nearly every photograph depicts PonyBoy posing on his horses, not truly demonstarting his horsemanship training techniques at all. Plus I fear that some of the information in the book is misleading to readers. For example, this book perpetuates the popular myth of the "noble savage" -- that all native people were somehow naturally and ethically connected to all living things. This was not and is not always the case. In reality, ample documented evidence exists that many historical Native Americans were downright cruel and rough with their horses. Several early American explorers commented on the animal cruelty that went on among certain tribes. Also, PonyBoy lumps "Native American Horsemanship" in one simple phrase and ideology when in fact the different tribes had different ways of training and riding and as I mentioned before they were not always "nice" methods. Some Native Americans were never really involved with horses at all. I have the deepest respect for Native Americans but I think facts about them should not be distorted. It is interesting that in one part of the book PonyBoy tells how an elder advised him that if he has horse problems he should consult his own horse for answers, not any "two-legged". I advise people to follow that advice before wasting money on this book with the intent of learning something valuable -- you'll accomplish more!

The generous sharing in this book about the author's Relationship Training with horse and human makes it a valuable reading experience. The focus is not on some mysterious innate talent designed to make the author look superior to others. Instead, the book presents an articulate expression of the wonderful insights and practical tools that GaWaNi Pony Boy has acquired through years of work with horses and Native American elders. This book is finely written, beautifully illustrated and photographed. Reading it will leave one with the sense that she has been welcomed into a remarkable tradition that can soothe the soul.

as a avid horseman,,,having experienced everything to do with horses from rodeo to western pleasure,,this book has made me rethink my relationship with horses,,,it is a can't put down book,,looking forward to reading other titles by pony boy, also excellent introduction to native american thought and spirituality

I liked every aspect of this book except one, I would have loved it to be longer. I found the layout and presentation to be exceptional. The way the author split the book into 3 sections as opposed to 30 chapters made it an easy book to read without the feeling of it never ending. In fact I was disappointed at reaching the end. The sections were also split at appropriate points: 1) history; 2) definition and goals; 3) exercises to put to practice. I liked the third section inparticular as it gives you something specific to work with as opposed to just a lot of information with no guidance as to application. I also found the information contained throughout to make sense. I did not undertake the exercise of confirming whether or not the information was factual. However, it followed common sense and contained answers to some questions that I had. I would recommend that anyone interested in developing a positive relationship with their horse should read this book and follow through with the recommended exercises.

I enjoyed every word of this well-written, well-photographed book. I don't think it was meant as a training book per se, as one of the earlier reviewers complained, but more as a guide to connecting with your horse on a more intimate level. A horse owner myself, with an equine companion that is a bit on the "feisty" side, I found the insights into the mind of the horse helpful, and I'm sorry, but I think it's a good idea to know how to fall off a horse correctly when riding bareback, my favorite style.