The Best Horse Books For Women Who Love Horses

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Mona Majorowicz of Wild Faces Gallery.

The artwork or content in this lens may not be used or reproduced, either
in part or in whole, without the express written consent from the artist.

Riding Between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential Through the Way of the Horse

Riding Between the Worlds is the follow-up to Linda Kohanov's first book The Tao of Equus delves more deeply into the innate subtle knowledge that exists within all horses. It further explores the connections between horses and people and how they affect our mutual existences. The author and equine pioneer explains what she call black horse wisdom, "wisdom shrouded in mystery, wisdom that's felt more deeply than can ever be explained."

In this book Linda Kohanov demonstartes a new brand of therapy where the people are the patients and the horse are the therapists.

This book is a powerful exploration of the spiritual, emotional and psychological lessons that horses embody. It's told through the authors personal experiences as well as anecdotes and stories from other horse women.

Horses and the Mystical Path: The Celtic Way of Expanding the Human Soul

Horses and the Mystical Path was written by the pyschotherapist family team of Adele, Marlena and Thomas McCormick. They pioneered the use of horses to help severely emotionally disturbed young people and adults with the Three Eagle Equine Experience program.

They had come to a cross roads in their work about the conflicting teachings of religion and psychology. In order to move forward they combined the two approaches into a new psycho-spiritual approach. This lead onto a wisdom pilgrimage where the visited and studied with many peoples in Scotland,Spain and Morocco.

In this book the McCormick's explore the Celtic people's longstanding integration of animals and their natural world with mysticism and personal development. It's an interesting exploration where our mystical heritage with the horse meets new age psychotherapy.

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The Way of the Horse Journal

The Way Of The Horse Journal

The Way Of The Horse Journal
has a magnetic folding cover hard-bound cover with a removable belly band. It's pages allow plenty of room for writing or drawing but also showcase Kim McElroy beautiful equestrian art.

This would be a wonderful complement to The Way of The Horse Book or on it's own as an inspirational journal for any horse lover or artist/poet.

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Dark Horses and Black Beauties: Animals, Women, a Passion

In an effort to understand her horse obsessed childhood, the author interviews an equine welfare specialist who claims that horse loving women tend to fall into three categories.

* Those who want something out of them, personally or professionally.
* Those who anthropomorphize them
* And those who are seeking a higher knowledge about horses and humans and the mysteries of their intersection.

From here the author delves into the horse as myth, the history of the horses and the cruelties of man. This is not a tightly written package of information. It truly feels like the reader is following along on the authors quest to makes sense of what horses have meant in her life, both spiritually and emotionally.

Note: I think the book offers many important facts and information, but there is also quite a bit about man's cruelty to horses past and present. This isn't the "feel good" read of so many books which explore the topic of horses and women. But none-the-less it is an important work and one that caused me to stop and think about the way I view horses in the world.

MARES! (Ya Gotta LOVE 'em)

About Betsy Kelleher
Betsy Kelleher's first riding horse was a Percheron mare from her grandfather's work team on an Iowa farm. Her second mare started out as a son's 4-H project and resulted in Betsy's first book, Sometimes a Woman Needs a Horse. Betsy writes a monthly column for the Illinois Horse Network newspaper, under the heading, Sometimes God Uses Horses

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Where the Blind Horse Sings: Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary

Kathy Stevens was a teacher for 11 years when she decided to buy a junky rundown farm which she turned into the Catskills Animal Sanctuary and loving place which has saved over a thousand abused livestock. The author states. "our job was to love and nurture them without expectation,"

This is a wonderful book which explores the emotional and intellectual side of not only horses but other farm animals in a way which which will make you rethink about how you perceive most livestock.

Personally I think it's easier for most of us to not think about the animals which sustain us. Thinking cattle and pigs have the same complex emotions as out cherished house pets tends to complicate my view of the world. And yet having raised many kinds of farm animals I know this to be true.

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Chosen by a Horse

As an equestrian artist I am often in deep conversations with people who have horse stories to share. This indeed is one of my favorite parts of being an animal artist. The sharing of stories and experiences with people of a like mind.

One of the reoccurring themes that I so often we the horse person says "You know I thought I was saving the horse. But in the end the horse saved me."

This is exactly what this book is about. The author Susan Richards adopted a half starved, abused and abandoned former racehorse. And the experience changed her life forever.

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Chosen Forever

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Horses with a Mission: Extraordinary True Stories of Equine Service

Horses with a Mission is a wonderful collection of 21 true life stories about horses who have found their purpose in life.

They range from a pony who survived hurricane Katrina and after having a leg amputated has become a beacon of hope for disabled children. The book is filled with touching and heartwarming stories of horses helping people and showing others what is possible.

This is just one of those feel good books that is truly a joy to read.

"With hearts and minds open, we can learn from the wild and domesticated horses in this wonderful book."
- Joe Camp, author of The Soul of a Horse

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Hope Rising: Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams

The book Hope Rising is a detailed account of the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon, which is a rescue for abused and neglected horses and disadvantaged children are allowed to care for them. Somehow the coming together of these two pained creatures helps heal both horse and human.

This is a dramatic book written with vivid details in describing the conditions of some horses and some children. But the joy comes in the triumph of both as they offer hope and healing.

The book is full of short stories offering glimpses of these kinds of miracles. You need not be a horse lover to enjoy this book.

It's an emotional book and a read of the very best kind.

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Of Women And Horses: More Expressions of the Magical Bond (Vol 2)

Another outstanding collection of horse stories written by horsewomen in various fields of the horse industry. Once again there are artists and writers who share their personal and often inspirational stories of the meaning of horses to themselves as well as the powerful emotional connection they share with the animal.

And as is GaWaNi Pony Boy's style for creating books, this one is heavily illustrated with artwork and poetry celebrating the horse in all it's many forms.

I do not have this book yet, but it's on my Christmas list. If it's anywhere near as good as the first book I will be thrilled.

If I Had a Horse: How Different Life Would Be

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Angel Horses: Divine Messengers of Hope

This collection of horse stories celebrates the healing and love that comes from a connection with horses.

It explores the horse-human relationship with stories about therapeutic riding, competitive trail riding or simply by the fact that horses as loving companions. Horses bring healing whether it be emotional, spiritual or physical.

Quote From The Book
" ... horses carry not only riders but messages of unconditional love and hope."

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Horse Crazy: Women And the Horses They Love

This book, Horse Crazy: Women And the Horses They Love is a collection of short stories from over 50 women who tell of their experiences on the path to equine wisdom.

It explores the bond between women and horses and the benefits we receive from that bond. Everything from firmer thighs to improved confidence, to dealing with loss and grief.

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Wild About Horses : Our Timeless Passion for the Horse

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Horses

Horse, a Portrait: A Photographer's Life With Horses

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Gallop to Freedom: Training Horses with Our Six Golden Principles

Gallop To Freedom was created by the founding two trainers of the amazing equestrian show Cavalia. The book is heavily illustrated and it's images make it equal to any coffee-table book on the market.

This is both a visual and education text with information regarding the principles used in the art of "Liberty Training." The book covers horse behavior, partnership building, and the skill of balancing friendship and leadership.

It's a great guide book for anyone wanting to develop a deeper connection with their horse without the add of tools or tack.

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The Revolution in Horsemanship: And What It Means to Mankind

This book, The Revolution in Horsemanship: And What It Means to Mankind is a comprehensive look at our history with horse training all the way back to Xenophon up to the current Natural Horsemanship trainers of our time like Monty Roberts and Pat Parelli. It chronicles how we went from "breaking" horses to "gentling" them.

The book expores and informs on such horse training topics as
* Preliminary groundwork
* Rriding and seat
* Various aspects of sport psycholog
* And yoga on horseback.

Tack and equipment is also discussed as well as modern thoughts on hoof care, nutrition and alternative therapies.

Connecting with Horses: The Life Lessons We Can Learn From Horses

Anyone who has spent any time around animals understands that there is a lot going on with them emotionally and spiritually.

This book, Connecting with Horses: The Life Lessons We Can Learn From Horses explores that idea and how the horse-human connection can lead to better lives for both ourselves and our horses. It is a sort of road map for achieving a deeper bond with your horse.

The book helps to illustrate this point with many stories about horses helping to not only heal but also stabilize the lives of the people who are involved with them.

The author explains that the horse is not only a partner, but a therapist and potential soul mate as well.

Olympic Equestrian: A Century of International Horse Sport

Spirit of the Horse: The New Myths of Equus

Quote from the reader who nominated this horse book.

Spirit of the Horse The New Myths of Equus ~ amazing new book by Carole Devereux. The hair stood up on the back of my next as I read it!

Praise for Spirit of the Horse: The New Myths of Equus

"This graceful and timely book takes us on a transformational journey like no other, to the mystic world where the spirit of the horse resides. Carole Devereux introduces a rich language for concepts we may have felt while working with horses, but have been unable to articulate."
Carol M. Upton

Spirit Of The Horse Website

Animals are my passion and art is how I chose to express it.