What is "One With Horses" about?

The initial idea for One With Horses was to learn the core principles of natural horsemanship by speaking with the people who I felt were the best in the world at connecting with horses in a compassionate way. Although I had been involved with horses for over 30 years, and had become an accredited instructor, I somehow felt the information I had been taught was not really what I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn how to deeply connect with a horse as a trusted partner. I wanted to learn how to communicate with horses using my body, my energy and intention. I wanted inner peace and for us both to feel safe, healthy and free to be ourselves. 

What I initially thought was going to be a series of interviews delving into the principles of horsemanship turned into a transformational journey of life lessons and universal wisdom, as taught to me by the horses themselves, about how to be a better human. This, in combination with the interviews with experts, showed me that the way to be a good horse person is basically to work on yourself. It’s more human training, not horse training, and the principles of good horsemanship are essentially good humanship. 

The themes that arose were about shifting perspective, tapping into one’s essence, cultivating inner peace, fostering connection, creating trusting relationships, communicating clearly, being consistent, forgiving the past, healing, being present, practicing gratitude, allowing freedom and becoming compassionate towards all beings, human and non-human. Ultimately, this process has shown me that being with horses is an incredible practice to promote our growth, heal the animals and support our relationships with all beings as we reconnect with the natural world which sustains us. 

Includes conversations with:

• Liz Mitten Ryan
• Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling
• Michael Bevilacqua
• John Chatterton
• Marta Williams
• Mark Langley
• Anna Marciniak
• Stormy May
• Ren Hurst
• Martin Contreras Carrizosa

For those who are searching for a kinder, more compassionate, more exciting, heart opening, life-changing, awe-inspiring experience with their horses, it is my hope that this will give you the tools you need to create meaningful and rewarding relationships with horses and all animals, including humans. The key is being able to shift our beliefs as we learn new ideas.

To those of you who are prepared to take this journey, I honour you for following your intuition. I respect your courage and persistence in searching for answers, questioning tradition and finding a new way that's in alignment with your values. May this book serve to offer you ideas, give you confidence and trust that you are are not alone. You are part of a movement of people who are interested in being considerate in their interactions with horses, animals, and nature while growing into the fullest expression of themselves. Thank you.