Embarking on the journey of horse training can be both rewarding and challenging. Much like navigating the complexities of university studies, understanding and embracing the learning process is paramount to success. This philosophy, which emphasizes deep comprehension over mere memorization, can be powerfully applied to our interactions with horses. By consistently questioning, seeking clarity, and backtracking when necessary, we can transform our approach from simply achieving desired behaviors to fostering a genuine partnership built on mutual understanding. This curated list of essential Horse Training Books is designed to guide you through various dimensions of horsemanship, offering insights that can profoundly enhance your skills and deepen your connection with these magnificent animals.
I. Meaningful Horse Stories: Learning Through Narrative
These books offer more than just training techniques; they share the authors’ personal journeys of understanding horses, revealing life lessons that can reshape your perspective and open your heart to new ideas.
Mark Rashid Books
Mark Rashid’s entire collection, starting with “Considering the Horse,” is a must-read. Available as audiobooks, these narratives take you through his evolving understanding of horses and life. Rashid’s approach is deeply respectful, and his stories often imbue the reader with a sense of mindful presence, akin to having a wise mentor guiding your work with each horse. The progression through his books mirrors a deepening of knowledge and a refinement of approach.
Buck Brannaman/William Reynolds – Faraway Horses
While the documentary “Buck” provided a glimpse into Brannaman’s life, “Faraway Horses” delves much deeper. This compelling narrative, also available as an audiobook, recounts a challenging childhood and the profound insights gained through trauma and healing. The story of Brannaman’s foster father providing him with purpose and work serves as a poignant reminder of how structure and responsibility can aid healing, a lesson directly applicable when working with horses facing their own difficulties.
II. Training Concepts: Deepening Your Horsemanship
This category focuses on books that dissect the core principles of horse training, offering perspectives that can revolutionize your methods.
Ross Jacobs – Essence of Good Horsemanship
Though not a traditional step-by-step training manual, Ross Jacobs’ “Essence of Good Horsemanship” is perhaps the most impactful training book available. Through a series of insightful essays, Jacobs explores the foundational concept that “every behavior starts with a thought.” This paradigm shift moves you from merely training a horse to perform tasks to engaging in a dialogue, asking questions, and enabling the horse to respond willingly and successfully. The book’s layered insights offer continuous learning, though it may be best approached once you have a grasp of basic training concepts like pressure and release.
Karen Pryor – Don’t Shoot the Dog
Karen Pryor’s “Don’t Shoot the Dog” is an invaluable resource, though not exclusively a horse training book. It masterfully explains the principles of behavior modification and “untraining” behaviors in animals. Pryor’s clear examples and accessible writing style make complex concepts easy to grasp. While some may misinterpret her work as advocating solely for positive reinforcement, she effectively illustrates how pressure-based training, if not executed with a deep understanding of the animal’s emotional state, can indeed have negative consequences. This book is crucial for anyone looking to understand the nuances of influencing behavior.
III. The Science of Equine Behavior: Understanding the “Why”
Delving into the scientific underpinnings of equine behavior can unlock a new level of understanding and significantly enhance your training effectiveness.
Martin Black/Stephen Peters – Evidence-Based Horsemanship
While both the book and DVD are valuable, the DVD format of “Evidence-Based Horsemanship” is particularly recommended for its enhanced information and clearer graphics. This resource provides critical insights into what occurs within a horse during training and other vital aspects of their lives, including the role of experience in their learning and coping mechanisms.
Daniel Mills/Kathryn Nankervis – Equine Behaviour: Principles & Practice
This book offers a comprehensive journey through equine behavior, starting from the evolutionary origins of the horse and their behavior, extending to their neurological systems and the mechanics of training. It’s written in a way that, despite its scientific nature, remains accessible to those willing to look up occasional terms.
Paul McGreevy – Equine Behaviour: A Guide for Veterinarians & Equine Scientists
Building upon the detail in Mills and Nankervis’s work, Paul McGreevy’s book offers a more “sciency” language. While it may require occasional dictionary use, it provides a deeper dive into the subject matter for dedicated learners.
Paul McGreevy/Andrew McLean – Equitation Science
“Equitation Science” is a resource utilized extensively for its excellent information, though its presentation can be challenging for a non-specialist audience. It requires a solid background in equine science and a willingness to consult additional resources. However, the knowledge contained within is profound and can save significant research time, making it a valuable, albeit demanding, read.
IV. Biomechanics: The Body-Mind Connection
Understanding how a horse’s physical structure influences its thoughts and actions, and vice versa, is crucial for effective training.
Gillian Higgins – Posture and Performance
Gillian Higgins, known for her “Horses Inside Out” concept and visually demonstrating equine anatomy by painting skeletons and muscles on horses, offers a brilliant perspective on biomechanics in “Posture and Performance.” This book effectively combines an understanding of anatomy and function with practical exercises designed to enhance performance.
Marijke de Jong – Introduction to Straightness Training
This free eBook provides an accessible introduction to the concept of natural asymmetry in horses. Understanding this fundamental principle can illuminate the reasons behind common training frustrations, such as a horse’s tendency to fall in or out in certain directions. It shifts your focus from the horse’s “mind” to the powerful influence of its physical structure on its behavior and training responses.
V. Beyond Horse Training: Applicable Insights from Other Fields
Many principles from other disciplines offer valuable, transferable lessons for horse training and our overall approach to learning.
Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
“The Power of Habit” is essential because horse training is, at its core, habit formation. Duhigg’s work helps identify triggers for evasive or anxious behaviors in horses and offers strategies for problem-solving, while also providing self-reflection on our own habits.
Catherine Pittman/Elizabeth Karle – Rewire Your Anxious Brain
This book offers a remarkable explanation of how neuroscience can be applied to understand fear, anxiety, and panic in both humans and horses. The knowledge gained can be leveraged to create more calming and supportive interactions.
VI. Understanding Ourselves: The Human Element in Horsemanship
Recognizing our own human tendencies and how they impact horses is key to building trust and comfort.
Patricia McConnell – On the Other End of the Leash
While an expert in dog behavior, Patricia McConnell’s “On the Other End of the Leash” provides profound insights into interspecies communication and the importance of respecting the unique needs of different species. Her anecdotes highlight how our human instincts can sometimes be misinterpreted by our animal companions, emphasizing the need for adaptation and awareness to foster stronger connections.
Angela Duckworth – Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
“Grit” is a highly recommended read for horse enthusiasts and beyond. Duckworth’s exploration of the power of struggle and overcoming challenges underscores the development of inner strength—grit—which is essential for navigating the inherent difficulties in horse training. The book encourages acknowledging effort over innate talent, a vital perspective when facing setbacks.
Carol Dweck – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Dweck’s work on fixed versus growth mindsets is critical for horse training. A growth mindset, which views failure as feedback and welcomes challenges, is crucial for persistent learning and improvement in horsemanship. This perspective helps overcome the fear of failure often associated with the learning curve of working with horses.
Robert Pool/Anders Ericsson – Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
Drawing from the research of Anders Ericsson, a key figure in the study of expert performance, “Peak” demystifies how skills are developed. The book explains that expertise is cultivated through deliberate practice and embracing challenge, a concept directly applicable to both human and equine learning over time. This understanding can guide how we coach others or help our horses improve their capabilities.
