2026.08.15
I finished this a while ago, but never wrote anything about it.
It's exactly what it says on the tin, and it delivers a useful and interesting message that should help anyone who interacts with horses. Obviously, everyone knows we're of different mind, but the depth and detail of it is fascinating. It's not just academic insight; there's a lot of useful and practical knowledge on how to understand and work with horses. Essential reading for every equestrian, and probably worth a revisit from time to time.
That's my review. But what did I learn?
Our brains are physically different, which has more profound implications than I even thought. Horses can't learn the way we do. You need to break things down, you need to approach things different ways, you need lots of repetition - you need to be more patient than you ever thought you needed to be. And even then, when you are finally working well together, it's still a horse brain and you need to act accordingly.
I had no idea how little they see, compare to us. You see the giant eyes, set on each side, must take in so much. But their vision feeds the possible need to flee, where our vision is more focused.
It's amazing that we can work together as well as we can, despite our differences. Though we cheated a bit by domesticating them, and selecting for traits we want.
