Natural Horsemanship Explained

From Heart To Hands

By (author) Robert M. Miller Introduction by Patrick Handley

Not available to order

Publication date:

01 December 2007

Length of book:

208 pages

Publisher

Lyons Press

ISBN-13: 9781599212340

The highly respected veterinarian Robert Miller reveals the “secrets” of behavioral psychology that create the bond that some people attribute to specially-talented “horse whisperers.” However, any rider can create this relationship by following the steps to natural horsemanship outlined by the widely acknowledged master of the art. This book outlines, step by step, the keys to working successfully with animals, beginning with the understanding that horses are not afraid of predators, but only by predatory behavior with which any animal – including humans – can threaten them.

Presenting new information and insights in user-friendly terms, Dr. Miller uses case histories as examples of successful natural horsemanship, and cites the innovations of such trainers as Buck Brannaman and Pat Parelli. This hardcover is a groundbreaking new work in the field, from a respected equine veterinarian who can help bond any horse and rider.

Dr. Miller is a veterinarian, lecturer and author of several ground-breaking books on imprinting foals and horses. Co-author of The Revolution in Horsemanship, he lives in Thousand Oaks, California.

Chapters include:
The Mind/Feet Connection
The Key to Leadership
Horses Are Not Afriad of Predators
Tools
Desensitization
Understanding Reinvorcement
Feel
Early Learning
Whispering
The Myth of Native Horsemanship
Horses Are Copycats
Chimpanzees
Bigotry in the World of Horses
The Working Horse
The Warhorse
The Last Warhorse
What Do Horses Mean to Us

"I first observed Dr. Miller in Texas in the early 80's while I was a veterinary student. He would travel the country, giving demonstrations of “tube worming” (passing a long plastic tube through a horse's nose into the stomach) in less than cooperative horses. He would take any horse presented to him, rearing, striking, and/or biting, and patiently and methodically demonstrate the procedure using desensitization and counter-conditioning. That was in the days before Karen Parelli Hagen coined the term “natural horsemanship” and during a time when instruction of equine behavior was lacking, or only minimally covered in veterinary curricula. Dr. Miller has been a life-long student of animal (and human) behavior, and his passion for horses is palpable. Natural Horsemanship Explained is an easy and entertaining read that elucidates the behavioral science behind the effective training methods popular today. With his keen sense of observation, decades of experience riding and working with horses in his veterinary practice, his wonderful sense of humor, and his obsession with understanding how horses behave, Dr. Miller's book will be a useful addition to the library of anyone who is a horse lover, professional or student, working to improve their skills at reading behavior, communicating, riding or simply enjoying horses.

--Sharon J. Spier, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM

Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine

University of California, Davis