For the Good Of the Horse by Mary Wanless

Like it’s sister book, For the Good of the Rider, this book encourages its readers to change their thinking, not just their technique. For The Good Of The Horse addresses topics such as saddle fit, nutrition, body work, gait analysis and dentistry. The topics of high and low-tech approaches to injury ang another on “alternative” therapies is excellent, albeit with an “eastern” perspective. This author, a Master teacher, does a marvelous job of bringing together practical information and theory, and she drives the point home well of our responsibility to do more than the basics of equine care. This book also addresses our role in communicating with our equine partners, and how we understand their language. The chapter on the language of training, wherein she discusses her understanding of the training of such notables as Linda Tellington-Jones, Monty Roberts, Dr. Robert M. Miller and John Lyons is fascinating. but we think she carries it a bit far in her discussion of animal communicators. Overall, this is a book for a thinking person. There is lots to work through and, even if you don’t agree entirely with the author’s perspective, you’ll come away having learned a fair amount, and probably slipped information into your memory banks without even consciously doing so.Like it’s sister book, For the Good of the Rider, this book encourages its readers to change their thinking, not just their technique. For The Good Of The Horse addresses topics such as saddle fit, nutrition, body work, gait analysis and dentistry. The topics of high and low-tech approaches to injury ang another on “alternative” therapies is excellent, albeit with an “eastern” perspective. This author, a Master teacher, does a marvelous job of bringing together practical information and theory, and she drives the point home well of our responsibility to do more than the basics of equine care. This book also addresses our role in communicating with our equine partners, and how we understand their language. The chapter on the language of training, wherein she discusses her understanding of the training of such notables as Linda Tellington-Jones, Monty Roberts, Dr. Robert M. Miller and John Lyons is fascinating. but we think she carries it a bit far in her discussion of animal communicators. Overall, this is a book for a thinking person. There is lots to work through and, even if you don’t agree entirely with the author’s perspective, you’ll come away having learned a fair amount, and probably slipped information into your memory banks without even consciously doing so. 302pgs H 1997