Secrets of the Horse: A New Approach to Training and Understanding Horses

by Shelby Dennis

Equine behavior specialist Shelby Dennis challenges traditional horse training with a science-backed, force-free approach that builds trust and partnership between horse and rider, debunking myths and exploring the deeper behavior and communication of horses.

Secrets of the Horse is a groundbreaking guide for anyone seeking a deeper, more compassionate connection with their horse. Shelby Dennis challenges outdated training methods and misconceptions, offering a fresh, science-backed approach that prioritizes mutual understanding and trust between horse and rider. By placing horse behavior in the context of natural instincts and emotional intelligence, Dennis dismantles the long-held dominance theory, emphasizing the importance of observing and interpreting a horse’s behavior in real-world settings—not just during training sessions. This book is a call for an overhaul of modern horse training, pushing for a shift from force-based tactics to approaches grounded in empathy, patience, and partnership.

Dennis delves into her own experience of the intersections between neurodivergence and interspecies communication, revealing how understanding these dynamics has transformed the way she approaches horses. She explores how ego death plays a critical role in one’s training mindset and why horses think and communicate differently from humans. Secrets of the Horse also provides invaluable insights into the subtleties of horse body language, calming signals, displacement behaviors, and stress cues—tools that empower riders to recognize when a horse is overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or in need of support. With practical advice and thought-provoking ideas, Dennis offers an innovative new road map for the next generation of horse enthusiasts.

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Shelby Dennis’s horse training philosophy. There are so many misconceptions about R+ training in the horse community that many only use R- training practices or P+.

Why is it that dog training, and other small animal training, primarily uses R+ training and horses are the outlier? What makes their learning “different”? The answer Dennis gives is this: there is no difference. It is the traditions and lack of empathy that humans impose on horses that “justifies” harsh and inhumane treatment.

The compassion for not only horses, but humans is at the core of this book. It will have you rethinking every single action you take when handling a horse. You can’t turn away from the harm we inflict on these gentle animals after you see it. It makes me wish I had this information sooner.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this book was equal parts humbling and vindicating. So many of my ideas about horse care and the qualms I had with diet, turnout, and management at the hunter/jumper barn I worked at are now proven valid. Some of the other content about stress signals and behavior allowed me to put previous experiences into context-especially different things that I observed over time in a single horse, that I had no idea were connected at the time. Ultimately I think it’s empowering to recognize that we may have unknowingly done harm to horses we loved, but in learning, growing, and acknowledging those mistakes we can be better caretakers and partners to all animals going forward. A key takeaway for me is that more humane training practices are not just kinder to the animals, they are MORE EFFECTIVE-which proves that the refusal by “traditionalists” to even consider changing their mindset is primarily related to their own ego. I would recommend this book to any and all horse people, regardless of their experience level!

My one request for future editions would be to include some illustrations/diagrams/photos to visually show some of the more subtle calming and stress signals, and to depict equipment described by the author that readers might be unfamiliar with (types of bits, different martingales, etc)

[Ida Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for everyone with empathy and a modern view on animals. Shelby Dennis writes what should be known by everyone: we are allowed to realise we have been doing wrong, change our ways even if it hurts realising how wrong we have been, and find comfort in this insanely uncomfortable feeling. "I was wrong" and "I changed my mind".

[Crystal Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and meaningful re-thinking of our approach to horses and relationships built with them. It’s a fabulous starting point for anyone wishing to understand these remarkable, forgiving animals AND how to do much better by them.