Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Prelude 1
Horse Speak's Inception 1
Training Meets Scrutiny 3
Welcome to the Language of the Natural World 4
Horse Speak Can Make a Road Where There Was None 5
Two Sides of Horse Speak 5
Horse Speak Lessons 6
Training and Communication 7
Good, Better, Fantastic 7
How to Use This Book 8
Horse Speak in Training 11
Part 1 Horse Speak Essentials 13
Introduction: Transitioning from an Old Model to a New Vision 14
The Wisdom of the Ages 16
The Process of Horse Speak 18
Takeaways 22
What You Need on This Journey 28
1 Solidifying Basic Language Skills 40
What Is Zero and Why Do You Need It? 41
Drawing, Driving, and Halting Forces-Getting to Know X and O 46
Understanding Core Energy 62
All About You 67
Bubbles of Personal Space 69
What Horses Value 72
What Balance Means to a Horse 80
Providing Enrichment 81
2 Observing the Horse's Environment and Movement Signals 84
Seeing vs. Looking 85
The Chessboard 89
Entering Your Horse's Chessboard 95
Learning to Play Chess 99
Seeing a Horse "in Process" 113
Observation Is Very Important 114
3 Knowing the Buttons and What They Do 116
What Are the Buttons? 117
Buttons of the Head and Neck 119
Buttons of the Front Body 134
Buttons of the Barrel 141
Buttons of the Hind End 145
Talking to the Buttons 153
4 Understanding Herd Dynamics and Your Horse's Type 156
A Healthy Family System 157
Three Energy Types 158
Roles in the Herd 164
Don't Get Too Carried Away 181
Other Type Considerations 181
How to Help a Horse "Mature" by Assuming Your Role in the Herd 182
Herd Management 188
5 Exploring the Circular Nature of Horse Conversations 196
IINN 197
Bubble Quadrants: Mechanics of Horse Speak 206
Reviewing the Four Gs 208
"My Space, Your Space": A Conversation About the Bubble 216
6 Starting the Conversation Outside the Box 222
Introducing the Figure-Eight Hold Hand 224
Enrichment on the Chessboard: Movement and Navigation 226
The Rules of Horse Chess 240
Merging Bubbles 249
7 Inviting the Horse to Come with You 250
How Leading Is Everything Else 251
Reconsidering Haltering and Leading the Horse 251
Changing How You Hold the Lead Rope 254
Therapy Back-Up 255
Common Leading Misunderstandings 263
How Horses Prefer to Be Led 270
Things Horses Tell You When Being Led 280
Leading Practice with Safety Objects 287
8 Advancing Your Body language at Liberty and on the Longe Line 288
The Magic of One Rider, One Horse 289
Liberty Work 289
Conversations About Balance and Energy 291
Dancer's Arms 291
Dancer's Arms to Longeing 299
9 Riding with a New Perspective 308
Horse Speak in the Saddle 309
What Horses Value in a Rider 309
Preparing for a Ride 312
Warming Up with Yoga Rein 314
Ring of Cones Warm-Up 327
Mirroring from the Saddle 328
Copycat from the Saddle 329
The Question of Collection 329
Common Questions About Horse Speak on Horseback 333
How Horse Speak Can Help You Ride Better 337
Part 2 The Dictionary of Conversations 339
How to Say… 340
How to Fix… 348
Messages from the Horse 362
Conclusion 369
Index 371