Horses Don't Lie: What Horses Teach Us about Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust

by Chris Irwin

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1569245819
• ISBN13: 9781569245811
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Everyone and anyone engaged in equine-assisted therapy and/or cross-species counseling will benefit

The essence of Horse Whispering is also the essence of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Understanding the difference(s) between predator mentality/consciousness and prey mentality/consciousness is paramount in understanding the true Self. The power in cross-species counseling can be amazing. Man's best friend is his dog, until he truly understands his inner-equine. Other books to digest are "Beyond the Mirrors" and "In Search of Your Image" by Jill Keiser Hassler.

Easy read, interesting

While I'll agree that the book is not full of technical issues, it is an excellent book well worth your time in reading. I read both this one and "Horses never lie" and have found both to be excellent. Not only does it offer a heartwarming viewpoint, it also offers ideas and causes you to look a little deeper into your relationship with your horse. Great read!

Horses don't lie

The book was great, his articles from his web site were a nice supplement to what the book teaches-but his video, "Horse Whispering Demystified" is awsome. I've watched it three times now and put his concepts to work and was amazed at the difference I acheived in communicating with my horses. He is a very good teacher. I just ordered all his other videos and can't wait till they come.

Practical and Inspirational

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.

the best horse book I have read so far

This is the best horse book I have read so far. It's simple and natural and you can easy apply those principles in practice. The first part of the book tells about how Chris became a 'horse listener' (less interesting but essential) and the rest of the book contains principles of getting in control of your horse. I reccomend it to those who are interested in more than just a riding but want succed with horses.

Makes me want to re-read every word.

This book really touched me. The way Chris Irwin describes so sincerely his own experience and the life changing force horses had in his own life really inspired me, and made me remember what my dreams are. Although I thought this book would include more technical stuff, like how to aproach a horse, or how to know what to do when he's angry or scared, in the end, I didn't miss it at all. Why? Well, this book made me realize that the relationship you develop with every horse is unique, and every single horse has its own stuff to teach you. Loved the chapter about Etiquette... Even made me cry! Great book.