Evidence-Based Horsemanship

As a 40-yr veteran horsewoman I am always looking for ways to better communicate with my horses. This book did 2 things - a) it validated my suspicions about why things were periodically working and b) it confirmed and brought results when I tried these techniques. I think someone has to reach the point of desperation before they try something so unique but IT WORKS. And it is SIMPLE. Not easy but with practice it can bring an entirely new level to a horseman's communication level with his horse. I have experienced moments when my horse responded before I thought I had even thought the thought. The energy flow is THAT fast. I am a dressage rider so this is important and visualizing a movement before I attempt it brings clarity both to myself and my horse. If nothing else this book opens possibilities in your training.

A must for horse people. Good neurological explanation of each aspect of th horses behaviour.Very good info organization makes it easier to read

I am a trainer working with a couple of horses this summer with very hot nervous systems that started bucking for different reasons. Having studied about human brain imaging over the past couple years, I was wondering if there was a book available with cutting edge info comparing the human brain to the horse's. Would it be possible to change a horse's brain - bring a horse down from a level 10 nervous system to say a level 6. I got my answers from this book - I've read it again and again to absorb all it told and confirmed. There are many things that I do in schooling horses because it works and is common sense for me. This books confirmed why my ideas work and also gave me some enlightened approaches to apply. Was so glad to see someone knowledgeable say that rapid round penning can be a mistake. Many thanks to the authors for writing this cutting edge, important book. I hope it brings horsemanship forward to a new level.

As a horsewoman, dressage judge and ebook author, I welcome the concept of this book. I am reviewing an e-copy, so page numbers for my concerns will be unavailable. I have structural and technical concerns regarding this book.It is unfortunate that the title indicates "evidence," but there are no citations in this volume from the literature on its neuroscience or the multiple sciences involving locomotion and feedback circuits. Photos of brain slices or image series are intriguing but need more links to additional information. Most people start with the world of sensory input from working with horses, rather than from brain dissection. It might have helped to start this book with the observations of Black the horseman rather than Peters the neurologist. Both potentially have much to offer.Further, there is only a neurological glossary in my e-copy and I was looking forward to being charmed by a "cowboy glossary" as well. I am not asking for extensive citations, just some recent ones that let a reader move around multiple disciplines touched on in this volume. Evidence is founded on data, so there needs to be a database of diverse articles accessible to readers. As an example of an ebook FORMAT that would address some problems with pagination/sentence identification/citation strategies, take a look at the Kindle edition of "The Cambridge Companion to Machiavelli." Hypertext formatting also allows readers to migrate through texts according to interest (see Wikipedia). It would have helped this book to have taken advantage of more sophisticated structure to allow readers to skim through links, investigating deeper layers of the horse/rider system as they wish.A judicious edit with links to underlying technical issues behind observed behaviors would help readers work from what they see in their horses to deeper anatomical, biomechanical and biochemical issues. For example, there are multiple connections among a horse working in comfort on footing. Its brain and nervous system feedback circuitry involve its mechanical operation of skeleton/connective tissues resulting in both passive and dynamic stabilization. A set of diagrams of how these system components relate to observed behaviors would be helpful. A place to start might be Dickinson, et. al. "How Animals Move," Science 2000, 288: 100-106. Interestingly, robotics authors/inventors struggle with artificial creations that mimic activities of live animals, forcing them to address multilevel systems for control, materials and performance dynamics, just as neurology, nutrition, training strategy and skill are required of horsepeople. Portions of robotics literature is more relevant to horsemanship than folks might suspect, but that is another conversation outside the limits of this review.The authors struggle to integrate anecdotal training stories and images with information derived from neurology, using the linear paper format (there is a print edition of this book). It is a daunting task to produce parallel e- and print editions, perhaps a first effort for these authors with this mix of topics. The large number of books on horsemanship reflects the formal complexities (not just complications) of making sense of a system with multiple levels. In "Evidence-based Horsemanship," the levels range from the biochemistry of neurons to their behavioral manifestations.There are also some errors in the text, among them discussion the operation of the scleral portion of equine eyes. That said, I would welcome an upgrade to this effort that sets technical material straight, makes connections to the several disciplines that apply and takes advantage of digital formatting. I freely admit that authoring ebooks involves sometimes demented software plus frustrations of coping with moving targets to code for assorted e-reader formats.To end on a positive note, please read the section on keeping horses in stables while feeding them rich food. As the authors point out, stables look a lot like jails . . . and the inmates are not always happy, being herd animals with a need for outdoor exercise.

I liked how Dr. Peters broke it down for ease of understanding what can be a complex subject. It helps to understand why the horse is responding the way he or she is so you can support them in learning and bonding more effectively.

A must read for horse lovers and trainers!There's a reason why Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt were two of the most brilliant horsemen to ever grace this planet - they were cowboys, not scholars, but when we learn how the equine brain works, we can understand the science behind what they knew intuitively from their lifetimes spent with horses.Dr Stephen Peters explains the science, and Martin Black gives real life examples of horse behavior. This fortunate pairing of scientist and horseman is a much needed source of information. This is "best practices" horsemanship, not just theory. As a trainer who specializes in rehabbing horses that have been damaged by poor training, I highly recommend this.

I own horses and have some experience with them so I do believe the things stated in this book about horse behavior and physiology. What is lacking is the citations to give readers more confidence about the claims in this book. Other than the author's credentials as a neuroscientist there isn't anything offered as actual evidence. Giving readers confidence in the assertions is probably more important than the information itself. As we saw from COVID, credentials alone mean little to people.

This book gets down to the nitty gritty of how and why horses do what they do. It gives you insight into their very soul and lets you understand what goes on in their minds. Its one of the few books that you should make an effort to read if you are into horses. And especially if you own one. As far as Horsemen go, Martin Black is right up there with Buck Brannaman, Tom Dorrance and a few others. Worth every dime and more!

For those who want to understand more about their horses behaviour. This is a great background read. Not a thick book but it will give some clues on what to look for in your horse and work out what they maybe thinking and feeling.

Excellent must have for all horse owners. Good objective knowledge based on neuro science and the anatomical physiology of the horses. Takes all the arguments out regarding debates around who is 'right' e.g. natural, classical, Parrelli, ropes holters, clicker, bits v bitless etc. As we have been saying all along it is not the tool or the technique that is the issue - it is the feel and timing and the nature of the horse; now we can really have proper debate about what works for a horse and what is not.Sun Tui [...]

Every horse person should read this book. Just Brilliant 👏 👌

This book offers great insight in the rationale behind the behaviour of horses, insight which serves you well when training or handling your horse. Knowing why a horse reacts in a certain way, how it learns, and basically how its brain works, explains a lot about training - for example the fact that pressure must be short and always followed by release is fundamental in methods like Parelli, but with this book you get the scientific background behind it.A must read for everyone interested in natural horsemanship.

This book looks at horse training from a completely different angle .. one that I had never thought of. It was interesting to note that some of my own little observations have a valid scientific reason behind them and I learned a few more along the way to add to my personal library. A very good book indeed which combines horse training and science in a way I would never have thought possible.