Customer Reviews

Understanding the Ancient Secrets of the Horse's Mind

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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Having heard Dr. Miller speak about imprinting a foal, I've been a big fan of his work. He's done a lot in the field of horsemanship, helping to educate horse owners. His work is aimed at the amateur horse owner, someone who might not have a background in horses, or who only has one or two in their care. With that said, do I agree with everything he says? No, I do not. However, I did find this book to be a thought provoking collection of essays.

The "ancient secrets" to which Dr. Miller refers is simply the natural way in which a horse is hardwired. Those who work around horses know that they are prey creatures. Their instincts tell them to flee from danger, and barring that, fight to get free. Therefore, many of things that owners and trainers do to them run counter to that instinct. Dr. Miller's book helps the owner and/or trainer to understand a bit more the details in a horse's mind, and understand why a horse may be performing a certain action.

From the title of this book it sounds like it might be the "be-all-end-all" to horsemanship tomes. Certainly "Understanding the Ancient Secrets of the Horse's Mind" sounds weighty and important. I'm not saying this book isn't important, but the book cannot, especially in such a slim volume, be the complete handbook to getting inside a horse's psyche. No, this is a title to read, to ponder, and to learn from, and then use as a way to branch out into other books on equine psychology.

With that said, however, I do feel that this book is a worthwhile addition to any horseman's library, and certainly should be on the "must read" list of any serious horse owner.

This book is so good I have already sent 3 copies as gifts to friends. What more can I say. It is the best book about basic horse instints I have ever read. If one wants to understand why horses do what they do, then read this book.

I found this book to be much better than its flashy, "whisperer-trendy" title would indicate. It is a well-written, logically built collection of key "psychological" characteristics of horses. Not directly useful as a problem-solving guide, but still a must-read, because it explains quite clearly what every horse lover should deeply absorb.

Robert M. Miller is a Veterinarian who has fostered a brand new way to train horses called imprint training. I first learned about it when I read a quote from the owner of Buckeye St. Pat, who is the reigning champion female trotting horse in North America. The owner credited a lot of the mare's success to imprint training. Now I understand what it is, why it works, and why it is so much better for the horse. Anyone who works around horses should read this book to understand what is going through the mind of the horse and learn how they can use that information to improve their horse and themselves.

While this book contains valuable information, it is not by any means a thorough text on the horses mind. It contains some controversial advice. Too many stories and too much personal information for my taste. The Ancient Secrets of the Horses Mind is big on promises but falls short on delivery. Recommended as a training supplement only, not as the only book you get on training the horse.

One of the very best books of this type I have EVER read. I came away with a far greater understanding of why horses react/respond as they do and recommend this book to anyone who loves and deals with these wonderful creatures.

Dr. Miller has a wonderful gift of understanding the horse's mind, from imprinting at birth to all training phases, his understanding of the mind of the horse is deep. He has so much to offer us and our horses in all of his work.

I bought this book after reading someone elses. Couldn't find a used copy and thought this was over priced but when it comes to why horses behave the way they do this book is really to the point. Lots of information in a small book. It was worth paying full retail to have this to refer to. Other more experienced horse owner may disagree but I've been looking for information to help me with my horse and appreciated the straight forward way the information was presented.