Book: Horse Speak

4 more days until Tank arrives!

I am so excited but there is so little I can do. One thing I am doing is reading.

My goal with Tank is to develop a relationship. If we end up doing tricks, trail rides, dressage, or driving, all those will be secondary to our relationship. Horse Speak seemed like a really great way to start on that relationship.

 I did not receive this book to review, I went out and bought it.

Ever wondered what your horse is trying to tell you? Ever think that your horses behavior come "out of no where?" This book attempts to help you read your horses body language and have a conversation with your horse.

The concept is going to be really foreign to some that feel that the horses feelings don't matter. The idea that the horse should be blindly obedient and not allowed to express how he feels about a given demand.

Some of this is pretty basic and nothing new to me. Other parts I am not sure if I buy into. I do think it is worth and try and nothing is to be lost by taking a step back and look at what a horse is trying to tell me. The book is set up in steps instead of chapters.

Step 1: Building Your Foundation
Step 2: Observing Facial Expressions
Step 3: The 4 G's of Horse Speak & Greetings
Step 4: Going Somewhere
Step 5: Horse Speak In-Hand
Step 6: Grooming Rituals: Finding Unity
Step 7: The Five Levels of Intensity
Step 8: Negotiating Areas of Vulnerability and Defense
Step 9: Moving with Grace
Step 10: Who's Driving Anyway?
Step 11: Let them Be Free
Step 12: Now You're Up There ... What should you do?

There is a lot I like in this book. First of all, at the start of each step is a list of "keys to horse speak". The keys tell what is included in the chapter and page numbers if you want to skip right to that section. Also, as each part of the horse's language is introduced, it is referenced to photos and other places in the book that it is referenced. Really user friendly. Plus there are a ton of photos to help the reader understand the body language. I like to cover the caption first and see if I see what the author sees. Next each of the behaviors is explained in details. This book attempts to make it as easy as possible to have a conversation with your horse.

That is the part I wonder about. Can you really have a conversation with your horse? Will your horse read your body language as he would read it off of another horse? I am going to try these steps and report back.