After more than 20 years in print, an updated edition of the evocative and transformational classic about the powerful bond between women and horses When Linda Kohanov wrote The Tao of Equus over twenty years ago, she posed questions that few were asking: Do horses make choices? How do they seem to know what people are thinking and feeling? Are horses spiritual beings? What do they have to teach people? Why are women so attracted to horses? The answers, detailed in this extraordinary chronicle that synthesizes science, behavioral research, and personal insight, transformed how we think about one of humanity’s oldest companions and established Kohanov at the vanguard of the emerging field of animal-assisted learning/therapy. In this updated edition, Kohanov weaves new developments in neurological science and scholarship into her original exploration of spiritual awakening, cultural history, and mythology. The Tao of Equus delves into the mental and spiritual processes behind the magical connections that people often experience with horses. It remains a powerful exploration of the feminine wisdom horses model, subtleties that women riders have intuited for centuries.

Do horses make choices? How do they seem to know what people are thinking and feeling? Are horses spiritual beings with a destiny all their own? If so, how is this destiny connected with humanity's future? How does the equine mind compare with the human mind? What do horses have to teach people? And why are women so attracted to horses? These are some of the questions writer and equine therapist Linda Kohanov explores in her extraordinary book The Tao of Equus. In it she intertwines the story of the spiritual awakening she experienced with her black mare Rasa with compelling neurological research, cultural history, mythology, and first-hand anecdotes from years of teaching and facilitating equine therapy. She delves into the mental and spiritual processes behind the magical connections people, and women in particular, often experience with horses. She skillfully describes the subtle behavioral nuances horses express and perceive — what she calls the "wisdom of the prey" — as well as a feminine wisdom found in her powerful interactions with horses, bringing to the page subtleties that women riders have intuited for centuries. Blending her extraordinary experience — what some would consider paranormal — with a wide-ranging survey of the phenomena of horse-human communication, Kohanov delivers a ground-breaking work sure to interest both longtime riders and readers interested in the leading edge of animal perception and animal-human communication.

A Fully Revised and Expanded Edition of the Beloved Oracle Deck, Now with Two New Cards! Way of the Horse is a profound book-and-card set that invites readers to explore our sacred connection with horses in an entirely new way. This revised and expanded edition of the timeless deck from Linda Kohanov and Kim McElroy features new cards along with a completely redesigned and updated guidebook. Forty-two beautifully designed cards introduce readers to the hidden world of equine wisdom. Each chapter explores key concepts surrounding the corresponding cards, leading readers on a journey of discovery and exploration. Cards like The Keeper of Mysteries and The Silent Way capture the unique wisdom of the equine spirit. The book reveals the practical meaning behind horse behavior as well as the powerful symbolic and spiritual significance of these amazing animals. Sure to interest anyone fascinated by horses, Way of the Horse offers profound insights into the human-equine relationship.

In this powerful follow-up to her groundbreaking work The Tao of Equus, Linda Kohanov introduces provocative new theories about the human-horse connection, theories supported by in-depth experience. “Horses,” she maintains, “model an embodied spirituality, one that is both fully present in this world and deeply connected to the soul’s divine origins.” Kohanov explores how these animals support us on both levels, leading us to unexpected realizations about fear, intuition, awareness, empowerment, and above all, authenticity.

Linda Kohanov is beloved for her groundbreaking articulation of “the way of the horse,” an experiential wisdom known to riders for centuries but little studied or adapted to off-horse use. Now Kohanov takes those horse-inspired insights on the nonverbal elements of exceptional communication and leadership into the realms of our workplaces and relationships. Here we explore the benefits of “nonpredatory power” in developing assertiveness, fostering creativity, dealing with conflict, and heightening mind-body awareness. In “A Brief History of Power,” the first part of this far-reaching book, Kohanov profiles cultural innovators who employed extraordinary nonverbal leadership skills to change history, usually on horseback: Winston Churchill, George Washington, Alexander the Great, and Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), among others. She also draws on the behavior of mature horse herds, as well as the herding cultures of Africa and Mongolia, to debunk theories of dominance hierarchies, challenge ingrained notions of “survival of the fittest,” and demonstrate the power of a consensual leadership in which governing roles are fluid. Kohanov then adapts these lessons into twelve powerful guiding principles we can all incorporate into our work and personal lives. Eloquent and provocative, this is horse sense for everyone who seeks to thrive in the herds we all run in — our communities, careers, families, and friendships.

This marvelous book, borne of a unique collaboration between Dr. Allen Schoen—a world-renowned veterinarian and author—and trainer and competitor of many years Susan Gordon, introduces the 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation. These Principles, conceived by Dr. Schoen and Gordon, are a set of developmental guidelines, encouraging a level of personal awareness that may be enacted not only through the reader's engagement with horses, but can be extended to all humans and sentient beings he or she encounters. The 25 Principles share stories and outline current, peer-reviewed studies that identify and support methods of training, handling, and caring for horses that constitute a safe, healthy, non-stressful, and pain-free environment. Through their Compassionate Equestrian program, the authors encourage all involved in the horse industry to approach training and handling with compassion and a willingness to alleviate suffering. By developing deeper compassion for their own horses, and subsequently, all equines, equestrians transcend their differences in breed preferences, riding disciplines, and training methodologies. This leads to the ability to empathize and connect more closely with the “global collective” of horses and horse people. In doing so, a worldwide community of compassionate equine practitioners and horse owners will emerge, which will not only benefit the horses: People involved with horses are found in many influential segments of society and have the potential to affect wide circles of friends, acquaintances, and co-workers from every walk of life. These are simple changes any horse person can make that can have a vast impact on the horse industry and society as a whole.

Includes Assessment Tool for Analyzing Your Leadership Style and Becoming a Better Leader In The Five Roles of a Master Herder, Linda Kohanov adapts horse-inspired insights into powerful tools for developing collaborative leadership and managing change. Over thousands of years, Kohanov writes, “master herders” of nomadic herding cultures developed a multi-faceted, socially intelligent form of leadership combining the five roles of Dominant, Leader, Sentinel, Nurturer / Companion, and Predator. The fluid interplay of these roles allowed interspecies communities to move across vast landscapes, dealing with predators and changing climates, protecting and nurturing the herd while keeping massive, gregarious, often aggressive animals together — without the benefit of fences and with very little reliance on restraints. She includes an innovative assessment tool to help you determine which roles you currently overemphasize and which roles you may be ignoring — or even actively avoiding. Through this powerful and surprising book, Kohanov will show you how to recognize, cultivate, and utilize all five roles in the modern tribes of your workplace, family, and other social organizations.