Horses Don't Lie: What Horses Teach Us About Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust [Paperback]

Chris Irwin (Author), Bob Weber (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2001

In Horses Don't Lie, Chris Irwin, one of the most successful horse whisperers in North America, shows us that horses have much to teach us about ourselves when we strive to understand their behavior. Based on more than twenty years of working with, training, and observing horses, Irwin explains why trust and honesty are essential elements in building relationships with horses, and why the sensitivity and awareness that characterize a horse's perception of the world are qualities we can use to enrich our own lives. "A horse knows what you know," Irwin reminds us, and in Horses Don't Lie his message is clear: Horses have a great deal to teach us about how to communicate with empathy and patience—not only with them, but also with each other.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

opularized by two bestselling books and a high-profile film, the role of "the horse whisperer" has begun to take on mythic proportions. Professional horse trainer Irwin, with the aid of journalist Weber, strips the idealism from this image, giving concrete advice on how to read a horse's body language, speak in an authoritative tone and understand the equine psyche. The book isn't strictly a how-to, however; Irwin spends considerable time laying out his personal history as a trainer. Over a dozen years, he moves from getting bucked off and breaking his leg and ribs to finally striking a successful mix of humility and assertiveness, an effective combination for training. He also discusses equine-assisted psychotherapy, which has been used (as in The Horse Whisperer) to help troubled humans. Despite the lively memoir and thoughtful meditation on psychotherapy, however, the true value of the book lies in Irwin's nuts-and-bolts description of how to understand a horse and, through careful attention, gain control as a rider. For example, he writes that when a horse's tail is hanging light and loose, calmness prevails, but when it's swishing, the horse is agitated. If swishing becomes circular wringing, the horse has gotten angry. When the book advances into how a rider's speech and body movements affect a horse, even beginning riders will feel that they've moved up a notch in terms of equine education. (Aug.)Forecast: Although the subtitle makes this sound like a self-help book on understanding ourselves through horses, it's best suited to dedicated, passionate riders who want to become better at their sport. They'll find it a valuable, perhaps even classic book on horse whispering and, as Irwin writes, "horse listening."

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Chris Irwin travels extensively throughout North America coaching both horses and riders in the non-resistance bonding process he has developed over the last two decades. He writes regularly for equestrian magazines. He and his family live near Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Bob Weber is a journalist and author based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: Marlow & Company (June 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569245819
• ISBN-13: 978-1569245811
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Green Housecleaning
  • #40 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Horses
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Horses Don't Lie" by Chris Irwin and Bob Weber, January 4, 2002

By 

Deidre Schmidt-Brady (Amherst, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horses Don't Lie: What Horses Teach Us About Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust (Paperback)

This is one of the best books I have ever picked-up. As attuned as I feel toward horses and as high as is my esteem for them as living and glorious creations, I certainly still learned a thing or two about their natural behaviors from this book!
Chris Irwin is a knowledgable horseman and his techniques, as well as the reasons behind them, have unlocked a treasure chest for me.
I have always been much more than a casual observer of the horses I have known or spent time with...Chris described exactly certain situations I have been in with horses, and he explained the reasons why what happened, did happen. In particular, his description of the "driving" force in the equine body language was incredibly informative. This helped me to understand the problem I had with one quite unusual gelding last summer...he ("T-Boy") would not let me go "behind" his shoulder area when he had his freedom, and he was uncomfortable with having me near his tail when he did not have his freedom...now I know why. This particular horse got over his seemingly insurmountable problems and became a delightful riding horse with gaits that would spoil a prince. However, I never did know WHY he finally stopped displaying that particular strange behavior (not wanting me near his "southern-half"). I was amazed to read of this very situation in Irwin's book, "Horses Don't Lie". I was elated to understand the situation (finally) and more than a little bit embarassed that I never had the real key to understanding that particular glitch with "T-Boy". It was, as I thought, a trust issue, but it was so much more than that. Irwin surely has second-sight, and can explain his insights very well.
His writing style is one which I best handled in "sections" for total comprehension. In short, the man described so much important information that I had to put the book down once in a while to assimilate the contents, lest I'd forget or fail to comprehend the matter. His book is insightful and informative, giving examples with hands-on type of descriptions on how best to deal with certain handling problems or riding errors. His understanding of the horse and the horse's understanding of the world is something every horse enthusiast should read about...Irwin describes the psyche of the horse so well it brings about true revelations.
I would highly recommend this book. Irwin has a way of getting his point across so that one can take the information and put it to use. I think every horse would thank him for his insight!
So much of what I read in this book is information I wish I could relay to everyone with an interest in horses. The subject gets so deep, however, that one really must read the whole book for themselves. It isn't hard reading, by any means--just very informative! It is deep, intense, interesting and riveting information. Irwin explores our personal inadequacies (or what we think are our inadequacies) and relates the connections between them and our relationships with horses. He also states irrevocably that we must make a conscious decision to change our own thoughts about ourselves before we can change the behavior of our horses. He describes thoughtfully how our perceived or real inadequacies are projected onto our horses...and they can't be convinced otherwise. What we are is what our horses perceive us to be. They are accurate in their assesments, and for reasons Irwin explains so well, they act on their assesments. Horses comprehend the world from the unique perspective of an equine...until we understand that basic information, we are lacking some very essential insights.
If you know of anyone with a real yen for understanding their equine friends, consider this book as a gift. If you just want to increase your own library, you can't go wrong on this one by Chris Irwin and Bob Weber. It is a must-have, in my opinion.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Inspirational, November 13, 2001

By 

Duaa Anwar "Dressage rider/ Author" (Cairo, Egypt) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Horses Don't Lie: What Horses Teach Us About Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust (Paperback)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good info and easy read, May 8, 2003

By 

"gaitedhorses" (WA state) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horses Don't Lie: What Horses Teach Us About Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust (Paperback)

I purchased this book because I am a horsewoman AND because I had heard that some of the principals of the book were applicable to modifying behavior in other animals - including the human kind. I work with delinquent juveniles and thought it would be fun to read this book and see if it would actually work on both species <g> I'll have to let you know later if they work on kids- not enough data yet <g> There are some good lessons in the book, it's a simple book to read and easy to reread, non-technical for the most part, and full of just good common sense. Worth the price of purchase easily!