Introduction: Walking Between Worlds
Find the right place to start.
Teaching is one phase; training is three.
Bring a new question every day.
The benefit of the doubt is a chance for success.
The feather is mightier than the whip.
Finish better than you started.
Look for the breakthrough and seize it.
Make the right way the easy way.
Escalate out of the comfort zone.
Agendas hurt the relationship.
Nagging is the handmaiden of failure.
Ask, request, demand, and promise.
The better the trainer, the less the training.
Horse whispering means being clearly heard.
Doctrines don’t fail; methods do.
Patience creates time; time creates success.
Hesitation precedes understanding.
A tired horse will eagerly stand still.
A windy day can make any horse stupid.
Wait for the lightbulb moment.
Black and white are fine; shades of gray confuse.
The faster you go, the worse it gets.
Mindfulness: Attention and Intention
Intention focuses energy to effect change.
The mind shapes intention, but the body delivers it.
Thinking knows; seeing believes.
For horses, more than four is a bore.
Stop wondering if it’s quitting time.
Life is a series of plans punctuated by the unexpected and the unavoidable.
Invite the horse into a herd of two.
Tranquility comes with each turn.
Real power is born from stillness.
Use your mind, not the lead rope.
Master pressure, not punishment.
Boundaries define the geography of respect.
Greater power comes from less pressure.
The lower the head, the better the frame of mind.
The lead rope reveals the relationship.
Footwork: dominance first, then respect.
Horses act out forever, until they quit.
Never take the trail for granted.
Leadership is determined by the four Cs.
A physical confrontation is a defeat.
Before danger strikes, consider the possibilities.
Avoid idleness; employ stillness.
Overcome with leverage, not resistance.
The more a horse spooks, the less afraid he becomes.
Leaders assume the risk for all.
Combining energy and emotion is a choice.
To know when to release is to know why.
The ground is closest to the truth.
Rhythmic movement is predictable energy.
To conquer problems, imagine solutions.
Don’t fix problems; change them.
Tackle small problems before they become big ones.
Epilogue: There is still time for a predator to turn to the herd.