Whole Heart, Whole Horse: Building Trust Between Horse and Rider [Hardcover]

Mark Rashid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 2009

Many horse trainers, even those who espouse the so-called natural horsemanship approach, take the position that horses who fail to obey a human's request are doing so as much out of perversity as ignorance. That's not Mark Rashid's view. In his words, "If we understand that horses can't separate the way they feel from the way they act, then we can start to see that unwanted behavior isn't bad behavior at all. More times than not, it's just the horse expressing the way he feels at that particular moment in time. . . .How we perceive that information dictates how we respond to it."

Whole Heart, Whole Horse focuses on this idea, covering such subjects as gathering information from the horse, turning rider/trainer mistakes into positive experiences, developing realistic boundaries between you and your horse, understanding how and why horses release energy from real or perceived traumas, and reaching a comfortable balance point between horse and rider. Rashid analyzes developing softness, consistency, dependability, trust, and peace of mind in both horses and humans, as well as how to become a leader whom your horse will willingly want to follow and work with.

Full of examples that extend beyond the training pen, Whole Heart, Whole Horse offers good sense and information that will make you a more astute, capable, and sensitive horseman and person.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Learning how to communicate with one's horse will make any owner a better and more sensitive horseman, and this book provides an excellent start. (Booklist)

About the Author

Mark Rashid is an internationally-acclaimed horse trainer known for his ability to assess situations from a horse’s point of view. He has committed himself to finding quiet but effective ways to resolve even the most difficult problems with horses and gives dozens of clinics each year, as well as private lessons. His clinic format of one-on-one work with horse and rider is immensely popular and has gained him legions of fans around the world. Rashid is the author of Considering the Horse; Whole Heart, Whole Horse; Horses Never Lie; and Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse. His books have been translated into several languages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; 1 edition (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602396701
• ISBN-13: 978-1602396708
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Horses
  • #21 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Horses > Riding

More About the Author

Trainer and clinician Mark Rashid has been a guest on NPR's The Horse Show and was featured on the PBS Nature series. He is the author of seven books, including A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color and Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read - again and again, June 8, 2009

By 

B. Hawkins (Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whole Heart, Whole Horse: Building Trust Between Horse and Rider (Hardcover)

I'm not a fan of Rashid's books because I'm an "If you do A, then you get B" type of rider, looking for concise instruction (and always lost when I don't get the expected results!). Rashid's method of telling you "how to" with a story has always frustrated me - up until this book.

In "Whole Heart, Whole Horse" Rashid puts into words many "how to's" that other clinicians and instructors say but never explain. For example, how the rider can learn to bring up their energy - or why they should bring it down. His chapter on balancing (emotions and energy) is excellent and, like almost all of the chapters, has been bookmarked by me to read again and again.

If you want to just be a rider, this isn't the book for you. However, if you want to be a horseman, you need to own this book.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Get Enough!, June 29, 2009

By 

Joanne M. Friedman "Schoolmarm" (Newton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Whole Heart, Whole Horse: Building Trust Between Horse and Rider (Hardcover)

I picked this up as a 2-fer with another Rashid book I'd been looking for. As it turned out, this is going to be one of those books I'll reread frequently. As is his habit, Mark Rashid uses words to explain the unexplainable and does it in an eminently readable style. I wound up keeping this one in the tack room so I could read it after my rides while hand-grazing my horse. If it were smaller format, it would probably go with me for reading at stop lights and during boring social events as well.

In Whole Heart, Whole Horse, Rashid goes beyond basic training into what really makes a horse tick and how a human friend can use true understanding to improve both the relationship between them and the horse's life in captivity. I found so many insights that I couldn't read more than a few pages without rushing out to apologize to one or another of my horses and try some new approach. I won't pretend to have Rashid's amazing ability to sense what a horse is thinking, but there are some tales in the book that led even me to a higher level of sensitivity in dealing with my equines.

My only complaint is that my entire herd is so calm and happy now, I'm running out of funny stories to share with friends and add to my own books!

Great book from a great horseman!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, August 4, 2009

By 

Nancy N (Salem, OR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Whole Heart, Whole Horse: Building Trust Between Horse and Rider (Hardcover)

Mr. Rashid has written a wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. Once again Mark relates stories of his time with "the old man". He also intersperses clinic experiences. Mark relates "horse stories" in an enjoyable, easy to read manner, yet touches on the core of understanding and interacting with these marvelous creatures. I especially found the chapter on Trauma interesting, having spent the last 3 years rehabbing a traumatized horse. The chapter on Information is great. Mark believes horses are not disrespectful or bad; they are just giving us information. It is what WE do with that information that makes the difference. The story about The Black is heart felt. The gelding that could not wait to get back to the barn and why (you have to read the book to find out) is funny and surprising. This book touches all the emotions; it will make you laugh, cry, and ponder your relationship with your horses. The photographs at the beginning of each chapter are also a special treat. The only problem with the book is it ended too soon. I HIGHLY recommend this book (as I do all of Mark's books).