What Your Horse Wants You to Know: What Horses' "Bad" Behavior Means, and How to Correct It

I have known Gincy Bucklin via cyberspace for quite a few years. We were fellow subscribers to the Horseman list until it fell into disuse, and when Gincy started her own list (Riding With Confidence) I subscribed immediately.Gincy is one of the best and most knowledgeable teachers of riding that I know, and she not only has years of experience behind her, but also specializes in helping timid, fearful and/or aging riders who have for some reason lost their confidence. She is uncanny at figuring out physical, mental and emotional problems and resolving rider error and is highly sympathetic to those who are having problems with riding or their horses, so it really came as no surprise that she would write a book to bridge the gap between horse and rider. This teacher turned writer has greater works yet to come, and this book is the first of such. It is in encyclopedic form, and easy to read and comprehend.Bravo, Gincy.

All horsehandlers will appreciate the way Gincy has blended tried-and-true oldtime training methods with the best of the new ideas from Swift, Tellington-Jones, Parelli and others to help anyone create a safe, horse-friendly, stress-free stable environment and nurture your relationship with your horse. Her insight into horse's real motives is enlightening and sometimes startling but always right on the money. Nice to know there really are good, effective ways to deal with bad habits that are kindly and humane (Spare the rod and you WON'T spoil the horse!) Gincy has really put it all together in this book!

As an adult novice, this is the best book I've found on understanding horses. I rode as a child, but as an adult, I am very interested in natural horsemanship - not forcing the horse to do what I want, but working in partnership. I have read a number of books on natural techniques, and the introduction to this book is the best material I've read by far. The author gives terrific overviews of 4 relationship-building schools of horsemanship: clicker training, Parelli, round-pen training, and Tteam, and the hows and whys each can be used. Great section as well on communication with a horse. Very readable and highly recommended!

Back when I had a pony, his behavior both fascinated and baffled me. Too bad I didn't have this book then. We both would have had a lot more fun. Very well organized, this book is a quick reference for problem-solving and gives specific instructions. Instead of vague "don't let him get away with that" or "show him who's boss" advice, Bucklin tells you what to do in terms you and your horse will understand. Anyone interested in animal behavior will enjoy this book.

Gincy Bucklin says that equine problems start with humans and for this alone I applaud her and her fantastic new book. People call animals dumb, but if humans are the ones with the brains, why do we have so many problems with our horses? Shouldn't the "smart ones" be able to fix them? Bucklin offers a successful approach to solving human-caused equine problems, and it's not only theory. She provides specific solutions that are easy to understand and apply - basically, just about every problem a human has with an equine is human caused and in this one book just about every problem is addressed. I highly recommend this book for every horseman's book shelf, no matter what your level of experience.