[Pet Health Admin]

How Horse Sense Helps Us Find Balance, Strength and Wisdom
In Dancing with Your Dark Horse, Chris Irwin, one of the most successful horse trainers in North America, offers a new approach to personal empowerment inspired by the fascinating spiritual connection he has discovered between horses and humans. Based on his more than twenty years of working with horses as well as his personal experience, Irwin explains how the characteristics necessary to building good relationships with horses can in turn be used to discover and heal our deepest psychological issues and help us reach our greatest potential. A unique combination of practical advice on developing a true bond with horses and powerful insight on how we can tame "the dark horse that lives within our shadow nature," Dancing with Your Dark Horse shows us how to live happier, healthier, more balanced lives.
Customer Review: Well written book of excuses
Chris Irwin wrote this book after beating a mare named Stella at a demonstration. He'd been working hard and shouldn't have accepted the invitation that day; he had been pushing himself too hard. The manager of the event set him up by sending three mares that didn't pasture together into the arena, and a fight broke out between the horses. Chris fueled the fire by reacting to the situation and beating Stella after getting the other two mares out of the ring. He nearly ruined his career as a result. And this book of excuses is his attempt at finding a silver lining in that situation. If you want to hear about how Chris' life has unravelled... how a young man his age has been married four times in his attempts to overcome his dysfunctional childhood, then this story may peak your interest. If you want to see a picture of Chris skiing, and a photo of Chris teaching his son to ride a bike, and a photo of Chris playing guitar and singing at a wedding, and a photo of Chris in his cowboy cocaine days in the 80's, and a photo of Chris when he was 15 on the rowing team in high school and won the championship -- then this is the dark horse book for you. Every photo is "Chris this" or "Chris that" -- and most of the photos don't relate to the text. It felt egotistically motivated, and I began to realize that Chris' dark horse is his insecurity -- and he hasn't conquered it yet. I'm very interested in learning about the spiritual connection between humans and horses; but this wasn't the book for me. I respect everything that Chris Irwin has accomplished in his career, but he needs to forgive himself and stop making excuses, before he can stop dancing with his dark horse.
Customer Review: Be preprared for introspection and self-analysis
Well known clinician, Chris Irwin, met his match in Stella, a dark mare who refused to play games. She challenged Chris, forced him to decide what was most important to him, and then Chris, in the form of this book, shares his lessons with us. Unlike most of the other books I've read, Mr. Irwin calls it as he sees it. He doesn't sugar coat the truth, that "natural horsemanship" is an oxymornon (there's nothing natural about putting saddle and bridle on the horse and forcing it to go counter to its natural instincts which tell it to flee), that somebody has to be the better horse, the boss, and that horses provide a mirror for our thoughts and fears. He provides food for the brain, stuff to think about, and in sharing his story, he brings the knowledge he's gained to others. I found this book to be very thought-provoking. I find myself thinking about my relationship with my horse in a completely different light. Could it be my inner fears (of falling off, getting hurt again) are mirrored in her flighty nature? Perhaps by facing my own shadow self, my dark horse, that it will help our relationship? Mr. Irwin, through his prose, seems to think so. I recommend this book for anyone seriously pursuing a relationship with their horse. From backyard ponies to professional trainers and riders, anyone can benefit from the information in this horse. And if you don't even own a horse, but am looking for a little soul searching, I'm going to recommend this book too. It is an amazing piece of work, and I am looking forward to reading Mr. Irwin's other titles.


Buy now on Amazon...