The BHS Handbook of the Natural Horse, S Widdicomb

[mellymoo]

Just got this book, and have devoured it from cover to cover! Lots if interesting information about horse herd dynamics and behaviour, and also lots of exercises to do both on the ground and ridden.

Fabulous pictures, I want to move there!! ;D

[Francis Burton]

I bought this book on the strength of mellymoo's post, and because I was keen to see where the BHS might be heading in its thinking, given that it is "The BHS book of..." and the author received guidance and support from the BHS Director of Standards and Training Department.

Having skim-read the book, I have to say I was impressed with the clarity of Sarah Widdicombe's writing and delighted that she counters some myths and misunderstandings that I thought the BHS might be prone to perpetuate. The section titled "Is there a hierarchy in equine society?" (p38) is particularly enlightened and welcome, in my opinion, in a time when it is increasingly popular to mix up dominance and leadership. Her wise conclusion is that the "dynamics of equine society are not as simple as they may first appear".

Another example (of many) where the author avoids conveying an overly simplified message is in an earlier section on horses' vision. She writes: "We now have a great deal of knowledge about how horses see the world around them, but we will never have a horse's brain. So, even if we know how his vision works, we cannot know what mental image his brain creates from that information. We can therefore never experience exactly what it is like to look at the world through the eyes of a horse". This is fine writing, in my opinion.

Yet this is no stodgy, scholarly tome - the text makes liberal use of sidebars, numbered lists and bullet points where appropriate, and there are numerous helpful cross-references to make locating information easier. And there are lots of high-quality photos obviously chosen to illustrate the points being made, rather than just being there for padding. Visually, the book is a delight.

Given the influence that the BHS wields through its training programmes, I was particularly interested to see how various "natural" topics were covered. I wasn't dismayed by what I found. The case is made for turnout (vs stabling) without being prescriptive. The pros and cons of various management regimes are discussed in some detail, giving all the necessary information for readers to "find the best compromise you can within your own situation between his need to 'be a horse' and the demands of domestication and the work you want to do with him." The topic of barefoot vs shod is also covered briefly without taking sides - apart from the sensible (imho) recommendation to avoid invasive methods of barefoot trimming.

One notable omission from the text is any mention of reinforcement (negative or positive) in the context of learning theory. The decision to leave this out was, I'm sure, deliberate. It could be the author knew that these were potentially confusing concepts for some, a definite turn-off for others, and that she could get her message to readers without resorting to use of 'technical' language. In this case, I think author has succeeded very well indeed - though I personally would have preferred the distinction to be made between reward and release of pressure. Also, unless I missed it, there wasn't any explicit warning of how punishment can be abused, e.g. if it is delivered too late. Given the perception, in some people's minds at least, of BHS being keen on discipline and "correction" this is perhaps a little unfortunate. However, reading the author's advice on a wide range of specific problems it is abundantly clear that punishment is not a favoured option. In fact there are some references to punishment, as in the statement "Removing any element of forcing, fighting or punishment allows the horse to discover for himself what is his best option..." (p158, repeated on p160) - but the word doesn't appear in the index. (If anyone is interested in filling these gaps, I recommend "The Horse Behaviour Handbook" by Abigail Hogg.)

However, these really are minor quibbles. The book is packed full of excellent advice, so that benefit can be gained from dipping into it selectively; it doesn't have to be read from cover to cover. While pitched more at the novice horse owner and rider, the book has plenty to offer more experienced readers too. I found its positive outlook refreshing, and I have no doubt it will be helpful and inspiring to a wide readership, thanks to BHS endorsement.

Contents

Introduction 4

1 From wild to working 6
Senses * Adapted anatomy * Herd life

2 The horse in our world 46
Your horses' environment * Feeding * Shoeing and hoof care * Grooming, clipping and rugs * Loading and travelling * Tack

3 Face to face with your horse 86
Why groundwork? * Take a look at your horse * Attention and calmness * Starting work * Space and movement * Leading and tying * Working on softness * Lungeing * Long-lining * Loose work * Make your horse brave

4 Understanding your horse from the saddle 130
Who does what? * Horses for courses * Riding in an arena * Mounting and standing still * How your horse moves * One cure, one action * Timing your cues * Too fast, too slow * Getting out of his way * Going faster and leaving the ground * Riding out * Competing

[Edited to correct typo]

[mellymoo]

That is a much better review - puts me to shame!

[Francis Burton]

Aw, that wasn't how I intended it. I'm just happy you drew my attention to the book, otherwise I might not have seen it at all - thank you for that!

[mellymoo]

Hee hee it is fine, I am not as eloquent as you are! Do you write professionally? You re very good!

[Francis Burton]

Thanks! Not exactly... will pm you with gory details.