Horses Never Lie: The Heart of Passive Leadership

entertaining and useful for anyone who likes or cares for horses.All books by Mark Rashid are invaluable.

This is a great book. As he is with horses, Rashid is very subtle and doesn't try to cram his way of thinking down our throats, but uses stories to lead by example. The root of his theory here is "passive leadership", which can be a somewhat misleading term if you don't understand his meaning. It doesn't mean to be passive and let your horse dominate you, but to become a leader to your horses, through demonstrating behavior that they can trust. It's all about trust. Rashid looks into the minds and hearts of horses and reminds us how they look at the world. Horses are herd animals, and always behave as such. Humans, coming from a predator background, are not as consistant and predictable in our behavior as our horses would have us be. Rashid gives us methods to modify our behavior in order to gain the trust of our horses. In doing so, we learn to work with them, rather than force them, to achieve our goals.The book is written in a laid back style, there are no formal exercises to work through, it's more a philosophical treatise than a practical manual. But it gets you thinking about how you can change the way you relate to your horse, and in doing so, create a better relationship with them, which will lead to increased happiness for both of you. All in all this is a wonderful book for the serious horseman or horsewoman, and begs to be kept and re-read again and again. Don't hesitate, buy it!

"Horses Never Lie" was my first foray into Mark Rashid territory, and I admit it was with some trepidation. I was mildly skeptical of the glowing reviews, wondering if "clinic-junkies" wrote them all. I couldn't have been more off-base, and am sorry it took me so long to read this book! Many readers may already be familiar with the Tom Dorrance / Ray Hunt schools of thought. Mark, however, takes what are essentially the same general, but amorphous, concepts and makes them understandable for the masses and adds to them. He effectively presents the ideal of "quiet, consistent" behavior around the horse to deepen the horse-human bond. "Quiet consistency" is an elusive concept, deceptively simple to understand in the abstract, but rather difficult to employ in practical terms. He contrasts the passive leader (one who is quietly consistent, dependable) with the dominant "alpha horse" theory, showing how one attracts (truly earns) respect, while the other commands (demands) it. Mark effectively presents his ideas by relating his own frustrations as an inexperienced horseman. These examples - painfully recognizable to the reader! - illustrate how he transformed his own way of thinking, guided by the mentor of sorts he describes as "the old man." Mark also describes his experiences of more recent years, when he employs his "new" ideas in several types of situations but always with the same results. Mark brilliantly proves his main point in the very way he has written this book. The leader who is more likely to be followed is the one that sets the example, quietly and consistently, and lets the followers voluntarily choose. In "Horses Never Lie," the reader similarly becomes drawn to Mark's ideas, which he presents in a low-key, take it or leave it fashion, and the readers will no doubt choose to follow. This book really is about the philosophy of the horse-human relationship. It is not a step-by-step training guide. But there are extremely practical tips that the reader can immediately employ. They are not, however, simple riding exercises or devices. Again, the value of Mark's work is in shifting one's attention to the things that are already happening. For example, one of these points involves recognition of the horses' "try." Mark explains how barely perceptible to most riders the horse reacts in response to a cue, and surprisingly how often the horse really does try. Most riders simply ignore these subtle responses, waiting for the finished, perfect result. By truly recognizing the "try," and following through with positive acknowledgement of it, the reader will see an almost immediate strengthening of horse-human communication, and resulting performance. Then the human's task is to do that consistently, always. . . Mark's book awakens the reader to the things that matter in the human-horse relationship. He shows what happens to the well-meaning rider who becomes so focused on technique or clinics or the "quick fix" but no

Well, once again all I can say, is that Mr Rashid caused me to lose many hours of sleep upon receiving his book - I read through the night! He has hit home with his customary wit, insight and thought provoking advice. Not only does he show you how to become your horse's trusted partner, but also how you should trust your horse in his opinions, decisions and desires. He is not shy to admit that he too, can sometimes be wrong. Like his other two books, he leaves you with the opportunity to figure things out for yourself. He doesn't give you a step-by-step instruction on "how to", but equips you with the knowledge that you can make the right decision. If you are at all interested in a different way of dealing with your horse, then you should read not only this book, but his other two books as well.

As much as "Considering the Horse" opened our eyes to a gentle, understanding method of interacting with our horses (I shouldn't use the word "training!") "Horses Never Lie" exposes us to a new philosophy of what we should be for our equine partners - kind, understanding, supportive. Mark effectively debunks the "Be the Alpha Horse" theory, and offers an approach that the horse understands, that helps the horse WANT to be with you. He becomes your friend, not a subservient being that should obey. It has opened my eyes - again! If you're at all interested in Natural Horsemanship, buy this book - TODAY!