Relaxed & Forward: Relationship Advice from Your Horse

This woman's training techniques really help the bond between my horse and I. I am 80 years old and have an extremely nervous horse I acquired this late in life. The training methods I learned 50 years ago do not work with this horse. This woman's insight is just what I needed to work with John to train him. I have had several horses in my lifetime that I got along with just fine....then along came John, lol. I love this book

From the moment you begin this book, Anna Blake speaks to the once horse-crazed little kid, still horse-crazed midlife adult in all of us. It's like she just knows, and can explain how we've felt about our horses, their behaviors and our reactions to them. Her humor, thoughtfulness and insight are worth their weight in gold (or at the very least, the cost of this book)!

When I got my first horse in over three decades, I was facing some challenges and feeling discouraged. I friend suggested Anna Blake. Reading her blog and this book gave me the keys to turning my relationship with my mare around. Anna has such a gift for understanding horses, and for explaining it in a way we humans can understand. I would suggest this, and all of Anna's books for anyone who, owns a horse, works with horses, or just loves horses.

Disclaimer: I'm already a big fan of Anna Blake's blog. I thought this might be a bit of duplication, but it really isn't. She's funny and profound, a master at painting a scene or a character or a feeling with words, and has a quirky and entertaining perspective on horses, and horse training. She is a horse-centered, kind, and knowledgable horse trainer. You will NOT be told about dominance, respect, "hooking up", etc., but you WILL learn a better understanding of how to build a relationship with your horse, how to be fair to your horse - and to yourself! I would put her in some humanistic (horse-istic?) category with the likes of Mark Rashid. I don't agree with everything she says (I have been using clicker training with an extremely troubled horse with quite good results, and she has a chapter on why one should not use food rewards with which I take exception) but hey, that's ok. I know what she's talking about. The book is entertaining and illuminating, a couple of times I had to stop reading and take deep breaths and think deep thoughts for five or ten minutes before going on. Highly recommend for people who love horses.

The author has great insights written with humor and compassion for horses.I love her compassion for both rider and horse.

This was one of the best books I have ever read on the sport of Dressage (or any riding discipline) and how to make the most of the relationship and partnership between humans and horses, and how to get the best results from your horse and yourself whether it be in the show ring, taking lessons or just having a backyard horse that you just "dub" around with. If you think you Have read it all and have experienced all of the equestrian/horse world, just read this book and you will learn all the things you most likely have forgotten or never knew. I felt as if the author was speaking directly to me -- having challenges with my horse in specific transitions? How am I asking for the transactions? Guess what? It's me!!!

I was given Anna Blake's first book as a Christmas gift from a barn friend, I've been hooked on her since. She has so much compassion for the horse AND the rider, it makes me want to hook up my trailer and head to Colorado with my horse so we can both bask in her wisdom and humor.I have no lofty goals as a rider, just to be the best partner I can be for Lady - to help her be brave, confident and trusting. But that doesn't mean I want to be just a passenger either. I struggle with dressage (really struggle!) Even though this isn't a "how to" book but there is a lot of good instruction included.If you love horses you'll enjoy and appreciate this book, I promise!

I absolutely loved this book! Gave some really simple steps that I was able to implement immediately (taking deep breaths while working around my horse) that have made a huge difference very quickly. My horse is very stoic and previously did not enjoy being brushed, petted, etc and would move away almost as soon as I approached him. Just by recognizing his calming signals (discussed in this book) and taking a few deep calming breaths I am now able to enjoy a closer relationship on the ground with my horse. I'm anxious to apply what I learned to my riding. Highly recommend this book. Anna is a great author with amazing insight into one of Jehovah God's most amazing animal creations.

This book encapsulates a heap of wisdom on how to get on better with a horse. It’s structured into a series of articles each of which is easy to read through in one session. Anna is a dressage rider but she is also a keen horsewoman, advocating for better and more productive treatment of horses. I loved the quotes dotted through the book - Xenophon, Nuno Oliveira and some dressage masters I had yet to hear of are among her sources - Anna’s got the ability to pick out some gems and develop the ideas in her writing pulling out the relevance for today’s rider.

Lovely musings that bring awareness of how our relationship with horses can become more rewarding and life enhancing Instead of frustrating

I love this book! I have read it twice in two weeks, just can't get enough of it. I like Anna's style of writing, it is honest, direct and easy to understand for me as a non native english speaker. She doesn't beat around the bush and writes about horses and horse related subjects as they are, the naked truth. Reading the book made me laugh, cry, think and reconsider. It definitely helps me building my relationship with my horses and also provided me with some very useful tips!

Great book to dip into. Anna has great empathy for animals and people, and I often felt her essays were directed straight at me. For all thinking riders/horse people.

So much to learn from this book about how horses would like us to be around them. Such a nice easy style of writing to read and enjoy, stories with influence on our relationship with our horse, pony, mule or donkey.