Horse Brain, Human Brain: The Neuroscience Of Horsemanship

An eye-opening game-changer of a book that sheds new light on how horses learn, think, perceive, and perform, and explains how to work with the horse?s brain instead of against it. In this illuminating book, brain scientist and horsewoman Janet Jones describes human and equine brains working together. Using plain language, she explores the differences and similarities between equine and human ways of negotiating the world. Mental abilities?like seeing, learning, fearing, trusting, and focusing?are discussed from both human and horse perspectives. Throughout, true stories of horses and handlers attempting to understand each other?sometimes successfully, sometimes not?help to illustrate the principles.Horsemanship of every kind depends on mutual interaction between equine and human brains. When we understand the function of both, we can learn to communicate with horses on their terms instead of ours. By meeting horses halfway, we achieve many goals. We improve performance. We save valuable training time. We develop much deeper bonds with our horses.We handle them with insight and kindness instead of force or command.We comprehend their misbehavior in ways that allow solutions.We reduce the human mistakes we often make while working with them. Instead of working against the horse?s brain, expecting him to function in unnatural and counterproductive ways, this book provides the information needed to ride with the horse?s brain. Each principle is applied to real everyday issues in the arena or on the trail, often illustrated with true stories from the author?s horse training experience. Horse Brain, Human Brain offers revolutionary ideas that should be considered by anyone who works with horses.ReviewIn praise of Horse Brain, Human Brain?Teenager Janet Jones lost consciousness in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being thrown from a horse. She had bouts of amnesia for years. Jones pulled herself up and went to school. What could have been a debilitating injury instead energized her to become a leading voice in understanding grey matter. Now, 40 years later, she has a degree in cognitive science, authored three books, and never lost her interest in horses. Finally, she has written the book the horse world has been waiting for: Horse Brain, Human Brain. It is a game changer. Dr. Jones draws on her experience as a trainer and a scientist to share cutting-edge ideas on how to understand horses. Her book is not simply about training horses, it is about how to understand them. Jones examines all five of the horses? senses. (Hearing, for example: horses can?t hear as low as us, but they can hear higher. Or sight: they see yellow and blue sharply, but red and green both end up sort of grey.)"I have often thought people give horses too much credit for some things and not enough credit for others. How smart are horses? And in what ways? Jones draws on many recent studies to explain. The prefrontal cortex, for example, is a part of the brain reserved for advanced decision-making. In humans it is 33% of the brain, in monkeys it is 15%, in dogs and cats it is 5%. And the prefrontal cortex in horses? 0%. In other words, horses do not dream of winning blue ribbons, nor do they plan the evening before to step on your toes.?Dr. Jones is a self-proclaimed horse nerd. You will be too after reading this book." ?Tik Maynard, Trainer, Eventer, and Author of the Middle Are the Horsemen"For all my equestrian life I have lived off the statement 'Know your horse,? not only as a species but as an individual. In se Brain, Human Brain the author's understanding of this principle is abundantly clear. The last chapter of her book should be read first, last, and then read again. It?s a wonderful summary of horsemanship." ?Eric Smiley, FBHS, Olympic Equestrian, FEI Judge, and Author of Two Brains, One Aim?You need this book. Whether you have spent your entire lifetime around horses, or just patronize a local barn, or even