Dancing with Your Dark Horse: How Horse Sense Helps Us Find Balance, Strength and Wisdom

Book Description

In Dancing with Your Dark Horse, Chris Irwin, world-renowned as one of the most successful horse whisperers in North America, further explores the intriguing spiritual connection he has discovered between human and equine nature. Based on his more than twenty years of working with, training, and observing horses, Irwin explains how the characteristics necessary to building good relationships with horses can in turn be used to establish a positive balance between mind, body, and spirit in our own lives. Dancing with Your Dark Horse will help readers see that horses have a great deal to teach us about how to live happier, healthier, and more balanced lives.

Customer Reviews:

Good ideas and insights.......2007-09-25

Interesting ideas linked with inisghts into Chris Irwins personal life, trials & tribulations. Very readable.

Super-Natural Shaman.......2007-06-11

I can see how some might view this work as a book of Chris Irwin excuses. He bares his soul for the world to see, so when one only skims the surface and avoids going deeper, it appears shallow.

I was so impressed with this book that I immediately went on line to Chris's website and bought every single one of his traing DVD's (I train horses for living and I am always looking for ways to better communicate with them). It is so rare to find a person who connects to the horse the way he does. Yes, he's made mistakes, but I don't know anyone who hasn't. And, not once, did I read anywhere in the book, where he said that it was ok that he beat on Stella. He simply pointed out the events and his frame of mind that lead up to his unraveling.

This book touched my heart in ways I have never had a book do before. Chris is a "Super-Natural" Horseman (read the book and you'll understand the super-natural vs. natural horsemanship), who shares with the reader his path to hell and how he made it out. He's not a showman, or a salesman, he's a horseman on a shaman's path.

Namaste

Well written book of excuses.......2006-09-13

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.

Be preprared for introspection and self-analysis.......2006-05-21

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.

Irene Adler, Nicole Wallace and...Stella?.......2006-02-07

Some have called Chris Irwin the Dr. Phil of equines. I guess I have always kind of thought of him as an equine profiler. His tremendous instinct for and knowledge of horse psychology is what makes him such an observant trainer and teacher. His second book opens with a humbling tale of a mare that brought him to his knees so to speak. A mare named Stella that bedeviled this excellent horse whisperer and sent him scrambling out of the round pen without his composure. Now if Mr.Irwin were a fictional character I would imagine Stella the mare would occasionally turn up at future clinics when he least expects her. Appearing once or twice in his videos and books. Squaring off with him in the tradition of Sherlock Holme's Irene or Bobby Goren's Nicole. But Stella is real and she forced Irwin to look hard at himself as a person and a horseman. That introspection weaves in and out of the theme of this book. Irwin's personal stories are combined with valuable training and riding advice. Probably some of the best guidance out there for equestrians. What I appreciated most about this book was the fact that spirituality and personal development were never ignored in the pursuit of excellent horsemanship. In fact it's vital. Read this book and discover how horses can aid you on your journey toward being true to yourself,toward healing, toward personal and professional achievement and better relationships. Someday I hope to have the great good fortune and privilege to ride in one of Mr. Irwin's clinics. Until then I have his book on my shelf as I strive to become worthy of my horse.

Average customer rating:

Natural horsemanship is good for human relations too
great photos - dissapointing text
Dancing With Horses - Book
Terrific book!!!
Eloquent and Effective

Dancing with Horses
Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Dancing with Your Dark Horse: How Horse Sense Helps Us Find Balance, Strength and Wisdom

ASIN: 1570761841

Book Description

A groundbreaking book on developing trust and harmony between horses and humans through the use of an innovative visual language.

Customer Reviews:

Natural horsemanship is good for human relations too.......2007-07-15

This is an excellent book. It really makes you view how you relate to horses and people.

Lovely illustrations - it would be good to go on one of his courses

great photos - dissapointing text.......2007-06-21

When I look at this book on my shelf I wish I had my money back. I paid a lot more than the Amazon list price for it. The photos are beautiful but the text is sorely lacking. If you are looking for methods, you won't find it here. It only promises what you will find and never do, page after page- right to the end. I already have a wonderful relationship with my horses (at liberty) and I thought that I might learn about someone else's methods and possibly improve my own. It is more mystery and alure, no real how to info ever given. I guess something was lost in the translation.

Dancing With Horses - Book.......2007-03-16

I find that the book, overall, was very informative, filled with very good examples and task descriptions. I felt it was very balanced in its approach to horsemanship and compares favorably with seasoned trainers. I did have some unanswered questions that I could not figure out regarding the hand positions that he talks about and places so much importance on: what they were and what meaning they carried for the horse. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to further their relationship with the horse outside of the master-slave concept.

Terrific book!!!.......2007-02-01

Dancing with horses is a very good book. I would recommend this to any person interested in making a true connection with their horse. Five stars!!!!

Eloquent and Effective.......2006-09-21

As a novice horse owner with no background in horsemanship, I found this book to be an excellent training guide for my mini. Some of the descriptions are difficult to understand -- possibly a result of the translation, and the book is written in a difficult but elegant writing style.

I began using the techniques from this book and saw immediate results. This is a practical teaching guide -- both eloquent and effective. And the photographs are beautiful and instructive.

The techniques in this book work well with the philosophical teachings of the McCormicks (i.e. "Horses and the Mystical Path") and those who are inclined toward Celtic spirituality will find the European training style of Klaus' to be a perfect match.

Average customer rating:

It is a good starting place for freestyle to music
Dancing With Your Horse

Dancing with Your Horse
Libby Anderson , and Leigh Ann Hazel-Groux
Manufacturer: Half Halt Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider

ASIN: 0939481669

Product Description

In this revised and expanded edition of the original work by Mary campbell, the authors offer the techniques and tools you'll need to set you "dancing with your horse." Even if you have no musical training, you'll learn how to create your own musical freestyle for any level, using the right music for you and your horse.

Customer Reviews:

It is a good starting place for freestyle to music.......2007-06-13

I am an Intro level dressage rider, with high aspirations! I got this book for some insight into how to start planning my future "musical freestyle." It is very precise and helpful for a novice like me, and I highly recommend it for anyone trying to plan their musical debut. It tells how to start, what kinds of music to consider, how to align the music with your horse's gaits and rhythm, and even offers a few asides, like the fact that your entry music should be dramatic, like the Star Wars theme, because it doesn't count anyway and it will get the judge's/audience's attention! Excellent resource!

Dancing With Your Horse.......2002-12-14

I would recommend this book to people who like dancing with their horses. I happen to have an artistic streak in my blood and have won four state ribbons for freestyle horse dancing. This is a great book for beginners and experts alike. It starts from the basic steps all the way to double ronde-jambe axel loup.

I don't do horses! dancing with dull eyes or on the back of a drowsy horse. (From the Moderator).(Brief Article): An article from: Presbyterian Record

Average customer rating:

I don't do horses! dancing with dull eyes or on the back of a drowsy horse. (From the Moderator).(Brief Article): An article from: Presbyterian Record
Joe Reed
Manufacturer: Presbyterian Record
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Presbyterian Record, published by Presbyterian Record on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 836 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: I don't do horses! dancing with dull eyes or on the back of a drowsy horse. (From the Moderator).(Brief Article)
Author: Joe Reed
Publication: Presbyterian Record (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: Presbyterian Record
Volume: 126 Issue: 5 Page: 9(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Dancing with Your Horse. Revised Edition.

Average customer rating:

Dancing with Your Horse. Revised Edition.
Libby Anderson
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4TA4G

Like a Bulwark New Poems ( Dealing with Animals, Plants & the Human Dilemma, Porcupine, Ermine, Sycamore, Pious Herb Rosemary, Famous Race Horse, style in Dancing ,Staff of Aesculapius ETC )

Average customer rating:

Like a Bulwark New Poems ( Dealing with Animals, Plants & the Human Dilemma, Porcupine, Ermine, Sycamore, Pious Herb Rosemary, Famous Race Horse, style in Dancing ,Staff of Aesculapius ETC )
the most Award Laden Poet in America, DJ design Robert Hallock, blank back endpapers small sticker, illustrated Marianne Moore
Manufacturer: Viking Press NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JCXODE

Customer Reviews:

A definite improvement over the last edition..........2000-04-02

This book is a definite improvement over the last edition Dollen put out on Red Wing, but I still find it somewhat incomplete. For example, I would have liked more examples of the various patterns of mixing bowls, as they differ greatly.

That being said, there are improvements that were made which make this a better book than the last. I like the fact that more backstamps (marks) are shown, and I appreciate the more extensive treatment of dinnerware. All in all, a worthwhile book, if a little high priced.

A good start, but could be more complete..........2000-04-02

This book is not an extensive encyclopedia. It provides an introduction and overview to the Red Wing art pottery lines from the 20s - 60s. It covers a number of different patterns and types, but is not as complete as it could be.

I would have preferred to see many more photos of backstamps (marks), as Red Wing used many. It would have been good to have those, along with associated dates, in order to help date various pieces. As well, more photos of everything would have been nice. All in all, this is a start, but not the be-all-and-end-all a serious collector needs.

Red Wing (Redwing) Art Pottery: Identification & Value Guide (1920s-1960s)
Average customer rating:
Red Wing (Redwing) Art Pottery: Identification & Value Guide (1920s-1960s)
B. L. Dollen
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBUETY

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Large in scope while providing good detail.

Sensational Silk
Gail Brown
Manufacturer: Palmer/Pletsch Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0935278079

Customer Reviews:

Large in scope while providing good detail........1997-09-27

This book isn't one of those pricey, glitzy, lie-flat-on-the-table sewing manuals: I sort of miss the glossy photos (yet I loved its correspondingly low price), and you have to hold the book in your hand to read it-- (it's small) and it doesn't lie flat on the table. If you can forgive it these missing big cost nice-to-haves and just read it -- you'll want to name your next child after Gail Brown, it's that good. This is the only source you need to learn all the tricks as well as the basics on sewing with light-weight and/or slippery materials. The author and editor have tried to make the book work for beginners and for those of us with decades of sewing behind us, but who consider sewing slippery fabrics to be folly. She addresses the typical walking layers problem that we all encounter with a number of techniques that I'm pretty interested in trying. The book contains just enough high-level stuff, like history and comparison of fabrics, without sacrificing precious real estate required for the well-illustrated and detailed procedures for basically everything you would ever need to know how to do: zippers, darts, hems, seams, interfacings... I'm glad I bought it...! I'm keeping it, reading it cover-to-cover, and trying to figure out how to put the pages into a 3-ring binder that sits flat.

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The Houston Home Book offers a detailed resource for building, designing and decorating affluent luxury homes from the Houston, and surrounding areas. This book will give homeowners the information they need to develop their dream home or redo their favorite room. In more than 40 sections, home industry professionals are showcased to inspire the consumer. The Houston Home Book is the premier luxury design resource for locating what you need when you need it.

In more than 40 sections, home industry professionals are showcased to inspire the consumer. These professionals include:

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