Empowered Horses: Learning Their Way Through Independence, Self-Confidence, and Creative Play

Empowered Horses: Learning Their Way Through Independence, Self-Confidence, and Creative Play by Spilker, Imke. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781570764134.

With illuminating text, this study explains why it is necessary for riders to carefully build a relationship that eliminates the traditional rider-as-oppressor dynamic and instead empowers the horse to behave as an individual. To begin achieving this relationship, riders learn to transform a horse’s work space into “free space” by giving their horse choices; by understanding how horses live and prefer to spend their time; by observing, sensing, and reflecting with the horse; and by using visual language to win the horse’s friendship. The result is a surprising dialogue with the horse that yields an indomitable partnership—unparalleled improvement in the horse’s attitude, health, balance, and movement, as well as mutual enjoyment of what was once the often dull, frustrating grind of daily training lessons.