The Truth about Horses: A Guide to Understanding & Training Your Horse

Balancing new scientific research with his practical horse-training experience, author Andrew McLean debunks long-standing myths about horses and presents a far-reaching, totally humane method of horse training. He starts by recognizing vast differences between equine and human brains and mental processes. He describes the traditional trainer’s mistake of judging horses according to the standards of docile or good horse and bad-tempered or mean horse. The horse’s brain cannot make abstract judgments about “good” or “bad” behavior, but readily responds to conditioning by trainers who understand the equine brain, the instincts that drive it, and a horse’s way of knowing the world. The author emphasizes that by training a horse according to a set of consistent responses that coincide with equine instincts, horse owners can avoid undesirable horse behavior. He offers a training program and amplifies on it with enlightening case studies. Here is must-reading for every current and prospective horse owner and rider. More than 300 color photos.