Customer Reviews

Teach Your Horse Perfect Manners: How You Should Behave So Your Horse Does Too

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you could only buy one horse book, this would be it! This is a "must have" for all horse owners - I cannot stress this enough. I have read several books, but this one is my ultimate favorite and stands above the rest. We need more writers like Kelly Marks who truly understand the nature of the horse and how to handle and care for them humanely. If you do not own this book, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. You will be so amazed with the knowledge you will gain. For example, for behavior problems, this book teaches you to understand what your horse is trying to tell you, and to look to yourself for the answer, instead of looking for that quick, possibly inhumane, solution. She wants you to ask yourself, "Why is my horse doing this," as this is an important basis to determine a solution. Her psychological perspective will knock you off your socks. Not only will you have fun learning about your horse, but you will also have fun learning neat facts about yourself. She also provides excellent exercises that will help you to successfully build a wonderful relationship with your horse. There is so much important information in this book that you do not want to miss. Please read it; you and your horse will be so happy you did. :-)

P.S. This book would also make a perfect gift for any horse lover.

The following is a copy of an email I sent to Kelly recently.

Hello Kelly,
My name is Laura and I live in California...I need to thank you for your inspiration....I purchased your book....How to teach your horse perfect manners....2 months after I purchased an 8 yr old Morgan gelding...He was a barrel racer and had terrible manners....With time and patience and tips from your book i was able to catch him and join up....Also taught him to stand still to be mounted...This even the trainer could not do...Anyway
My husband is interested in a horse that is kept out where i board my Morgan....The new horse is a 6 yr old Quarter horse...When I asked the stable owner if I could work with this horse her response was...."If you can catch him, he is uncatchable"....With patience I caught him.,,,It took 20 minutes but I did it....My husband has no horse experience except to ride a rental horse, so he sat back in awe as I worked this "Uncatchable" horse....I handed my husband the lead rope and said "There you go" He said "You looked like the lady in the book you have" I couldn't have been prouder....We took the horse to the stable and groomed him....He seemed to like it...
So today I went to the ranch...Just me....And went to the horse's pasture...3 minutes later I have the "Uncatchable" horse again in halter....This time we went to the round pen and I have to tell you that we joined up in less then 4 minutes....he so wanted to be with me,,,,he kept turning and looking at me.....but I kept him going for a few circuits then released pressure and turned away.....he walked right up behind me.....and followed me....I cried....

My husband then showed up.(I called him and told him to come). I taught him how to halter and then stepped out of the round pen....the horse Joined up with my husband....I cried again....My husband was literally beaming with pride....He then took the horse for a nice walk around the stables....

I have to again thank you....I can catch the most uncatchable horse at the boarding faciliy thanks to your book.....Much to the amazement of the stable owner,,,,who states she has never been able to catch him.....She said he was a cowboy horse and they had to rope him to catch him.....NOT anymore....Now he is my husbands horse....
Thank you.


Also I may add that a few days later after working with my husband and teaching him the right body language, he was able to approach the horse and halter him, in pasture.

As an Equine (and Human) Therapist, I have to connect with horses in a professional setting quickly in order to do my job effectively whereby the horse can gain the most benefit in a limited amount of time. While there is definitely an innate ability one either does or does not possess in connecting with animals, Ms. Marks can help hone your skills and teach you safer horse handling. This helps make the horse feel more secure in your presence. A horse that feels safe will act safely. I feel strongly that even the most advanced horseman can benefit from reading it and have placed it on my "recommended reading" list at horseholistics.com.

I have bought scads of books as I bought my first horse and was very hungry for guidance. Many books 'assume' alot about where you are in your progress and experience level and many important facts can be overlooked or touched on briefly without enough discussion. Some books even come right out and say, if you don't know how, don't proceed, etc. Thats a fine how do you do after you just spent $20 for a book entitled the first 2 years!!!!
Horses are big, unpredictable animals. Be smart, spend a little money and get professional help in the beginning. If you are determined to learn everything you can, you will be fine. Don't ever be complacent. Friends and neighbors at the boarding stable are always helpful but noone is perfect or knows it all. If they say they do, run, don't walk! Of all the books on horse behavior, relations between the handler and horse, problem solving, and starting young horses, this one has been the most helpful and complete and sure to stay here in my library for many years to come. I can't recommend it enough.

I myself am a beginner, and have found this book to be extremely helpful. Aside from boosting your confidence, Kelly Marks gives clear, consise intructions on how to best solve any given situation, granted that it is that kind of a problem. The illustrations are wonderful, and are very helpful if you are a visual learner. I very much appreciate this book.

I am a longtime horse owner and have always been very interested in learning how to communicate and train horses in a more humane way. I work with a few beginning adult horse owners and this is a perfect book to help them along their way. When followed, the information makes for a good introduction to how horses process requests and think. I also like the way it gives a checklist of skills for humans to teach and horses to learn.

It is similar information about horse communication but a different way of presenting the information to people. I give it a 5 star.

I like this book and it has some interesting stories, but if you already participate in a program like Parelli, etc. (as I do) then there isn't really any new information. Buying the book is cheaper, but buying the Parelli DVD program gives you a lot more.

If I wasn't doing Parelli, then this book would be a good start. It would be helpful if there was more trouble-shooting.

About a year and a half ago I started having some pretty tough problems with my mare. Her ground manners were horrible, she would often threaten to bite, and it all finally culminated in a hard kick that took me weeks to recover from. Things got better when I learned how to longe her, and then I put this book on my 18th birthday list. It is one of the very best horse books I have ever read.
"Teach Your Horse Perfect Manners" is one of the books that introduced me to the concept of natural horsemanship---gentle horse training that uses equine body language to bond and communicate with a horse. I have used natural horsemanship ever since, and now the relationship I have with Ellie is everything I once dreamed of it being. No physical punishment, no force, and no intimidation...it is NATURAL!
One major highlight in this book is "Join Up", which at first glance looks like longeing but is in fact much more than just ordinary longeing. In Join Up, you communicate with the horse in his own language and the results are just amazing as he comes to see you as the leader he's looking for.
Other huge helps in the book are the sections that talk about catching your horse, trailering, and dealing with a horse that is disrespectful on the ground. There are even "troubleshooters" in case you encounter problems.
Kelly Marks is an amazing trainer who shows you exactly how to communicate with your horse in the language he understands. A motto I like to go by is "don't show your horse who's boss; show him that you can be the leader he wants to look up to", and this book will teach you how to do exactly that.
If you're having behavior issues with your horse, don't walk...RUN, and get this book! Even if you and your horse are doing great, I would definitely recommend you give this book a read. It will benefit you both!

Book arrived in excellent condition per seller's claim. Great book that is well written and explained along with good diagrams for the person wishing to work with their horse on their own.

A really interesting book. Simple to understand, nice to read and full of useful notions.