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True Unity: Willing Communication Between Horse and Human
Tom Dorrance has been referred to as the ?horse?s lawyer.? Tom gives the horse credit for his knowledge of a horse?s feelings and problems. He says, ?What I know about the horse I learned from the horse.? In True Unity, Tom shares his ideas to help achieve a true unity for human and horse.
151 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 16, 2021
Nov 15, 615am ~~ Another review for the ASAP pile.
Nov 15, 10pm ~~ Tom Dorrance Talks About Horses. True Unity. Willing Communication Between Horse And Human.
That is the full title on the front cover.
He is trying to explain a concept here. A way of thinking, a way of approaching a horse in order to create a true bond, a true partnership, a true unity between horse and rider.
Brother Bill Dorrance writes an introduction sharing a little family history and some nifty pictures.
This project was the result of five years of tape-recorded visits between Dorrance and editor Milly Hunt Porter. In her prologue, she explains how Tom learned all he knows from the horses themselves, and that this book is an attempt to share what he has learned.
Only this kind of knowledge does not translate easily to the printed page. Anyone working with horses has to learn with the horse. You both have to FEEL connections happen. Books can only take you so far.
I enjoyed it, but at times it was a bit like reading Zen riddles. You can look to a master or a master's book for guidance, but to really learn you have to get out there and live. And of course, like always, this type of horse book makes me want to rush out and find a horse somewhere to hang around with for a while.
I especially enjoyed the parts where Tom talked about handling foals. I have wonderful memories of all the babies I worked with while living on a horse farm, and like Tom, I was impressed with how quickly they would learn, how much they understood if given a chance, and how rapidly they responded to a person approaching them as a guiding partner rather than a tyrant.
There is a section called Feedback, in which some of the people who have been to clinics with Dorrance try to explain how he helped them. and there is another section towards the end where the editor gathered statements and created a few pages of Vital Concepts.
The book is interesting. I would have dearly loved to hang out around the barn with Tom Dorrance.
Nov 15, 10pm ~~ Tom Dorrance Talks About Horses. True Unity. Willing Communication Between Horse And Human.
That is the full title on the front cover.
He is trying to explain a concept here. A way of thinking, a way of approaching a horse in order to create a true bond, a true partnership, a true unity between horse and rider.
Brother Bill Dorrance writes an introduction sharing a little family history and some nifty pictures.
This project was the result of five years of tape-recorded visits between Dorrance and editor Milly Hunt Porter. In her prologue, she explains how Tom learned all he knows from the horses themselves, and that this book is an attempt to share what he has learned.
Only this kind of knowledge does not translate easily to the printed page. Anyone working with horses has to learn with the horse. You both have to FEEL connections happen. Books can only take you so far.
I enjoyed it, but at times it was a bit like reading Zen riddles. You can look to a master or a master's book for guidance, but to really learn you have to get out there and live. And of course, like always, this type of horse book makes me want to rush out and find a horse somewhere to hang around with for a while.
I especially enjoyed the parts where Tom talked about handling foals. I have wonderful memories of all the babies I worked with while living on a horse farm, and like Tom, I was impressed with how quickly they would learn, how much they understood if given a chance, and how rapidly they responded to a person approaching them as a guiding partner rather than a tyrant.
There is a section called Feedback, in which some of the people who have been to clinics with Dorrance try to explain how he helped them. and there is another section towards the end where the editor gathered statements and created a few pages of Vital Concepts.
The book is interesting. I would have dearly loved to hang out around the barn with Tom Dorrance.
July 20, 2014
Tom Dorrance was the godfather of the natural horsemanship movement, but while he may well be the greatest horseman who ever lived, he was not the greatest at articulating what he did. In my opinion, this book is also very poorly edited - some better organization could have made it so much more coherent. For these reasons, this book is of immense value (almost a holy relic) to dedicated and experienced students of natural horsemanship, but it is not for the beginner. Instead, I would recommend anyone curious about natural horsemanship look instead to authors and experts such as Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts, and Robert Miller.
September 29, 2010
Full of unimaginably beautiful ways to think about how to raise children, if you just shift perspective a little. It is also, of course, the essential guidebook from the father of natural horsemanship, Tom Dorrance. A lovely book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews