Human actions are never without purpose – even if we don’t always
consciously know what that purpose is. Riding as exercise riding as
competition riding as social life riding as countryside experience
riding as teaching and learning…all these give riders meaning and
satisfaction. Even non-horsy people and those with emotional and
psychological problems who have therapeutic contact with horses can
find that their lives have been transformed for the better. There must
be more and deeper benefits…
What is going on when horses and humans
encounter each other?In this important book Wendy Jago draws upon her
experiences as a rider and as a teacher psychotherapist and coach to
offer some professional and personal insights into horse-human
relationships. Drawing on a variety of disciplines and upon her own
struggles and successes as a rider she begins to unravel some of the
fascinating and profound gifts that horses offer us – just by being
themselves. She shows that without artifice without manipulation
without disguise they offer us a mirror to our true selves giving us
the opportunity for self-discovery and self-ownership in a way that
human relationships often fail to do. And so they bring us gifts of
inestimable value: reflection presence spaciousness influence
poise self-acceptance authenticity transcendence engagement and
connection. No wonder we want to spend time with them.
