Review by Manda Scott MA CertVA BVMS MRCVS There are very few books which, from the perspective of both a veterinary surgeon and a horse owner, I would recommend without reservation: this is one of them. If every horse owner in the country read this, understood it and took the time to look at their horse, assess it in the ways described and then to do the groundwork, touch and ridden exercises, the horse world would be transformed.

Fisher is a clear thinking, humane individual who takes a genuinely holistic approach to the horse. The book is divided into sections describing the basics of 'body talk', then methods by which to assess the horse - these are not complicated, anyone can do them - and then exercises to address what is found. Throughout, the text is structured and concise, and there are sufficient real-life anecdotes to give a very clear concept of what can be done with time, patience and a willingness to let go of the old adversarial strategies with which man (and woman) has generally approached the horse. If that alone sticks in the mind of the reader: that a horse which is 'misbehaving' is generally in pain or has failed to understand the question, then this book will be worth it. Read it if you have a horse, if you're thinking of buying a horse or if you work with horses in any professional capacity. It could change your life for the better.

Visit Manda Scott's website here.

***

Know Your Horse Inside Out by Sarah Fisher
Review by Christine Schwartz of Icelandic Horse Farm

Lately I have found that most books are quite alike and there are not that many new ideas and concepts out on the market. Having met the energetic and forward thinking charming Brit in the past, I knew to expect more from her book. Sarah has put TTEAM on the map in England with dozens of published how to articles addressing horse and dog owners, a nine part TV series called Talking with Animals where she traveled to farms and people's houses, working with horses that won't load, dogs that won't stop barking and a charging ram So when I opened Sarah Fisher's new book, Know Your Horse Inside out I was expecting more than the average horse book, but it still delivered far more than I expected.

When first flipping through the 150 page book the crisp colour pictures jump out at you. I wanted to just skip through it, but got stuck at the first 2 sections, Body Talk, and Assess Your Horse. I have seldom seen so much new information in a book. Sarah shows the reader about tension patterns, balance and proprioception (after reading the book I now know that that means), pain memory, and opens a new view to body language and responses. Assessing your horse covers 42 pages and will get every horse owner to see his horse in a new light. Not only are we taught how to see what's there, we are also shown how to interpret what we find. In typical Sarah fashion she does not leave us hanging there, but gives detailed how to information in the last half of the book, using TTEAM and Connected Riding ground and bodywork to help the horses and riders overcome their issues.

Boxes with little hints throughout the book, many titled "My horse doesn't like …. ie ear work" allow the reader to skip from page to page or read it cover to cover. For me this is one of the best new books on the market.

Can't wait for Know Your Dog Inside Out to be released in 2007.

Top of page

***

Click Here for a review in Farmers Guardian.