ZenMind,ZenHorse:TheScienceandSpiritualityofWorkingwithHorses

Mindfulworkwithhorses,saysneurosurgeonAllanJ.Hamilton,canenlightenthehumanhandlerasmuchasitbenefitsthehorse.Evolvingover30millionyearstobecomethequintessentialpreyanimal,equineshavedevelopedacuteright-brainsurvivalskills,suchasleadership,awareness,empathy,andcooperation.Inparticular,thehorsehasfinelyhonedabilitiestolead,communicate,andconnectnotwithwords,butwiththevitalemotionalenergydescribedintheBuddhisttraditionaschi.Whenwelearnthelanguageofchi,webecomemoreeffectiveasleaders,moreattunedtoothers,andmorejoyfulashumanbeings."ZenMind,ZenHorse"beginsbyexamininghowtheequineandhumanbrainsfunction,oftenrelatedtotheirrespectiverolesaspreyandpredator.GoingontodrawinsightsandwisdomfromspiritualtraditionssuchasZenBuddhism,Ayurvedichealing,andYaquishamanismandfromthegreathorseculturesoftheMongolians,Bedouins,andNativeAmericans,Dr.Hamiltonshowstheimportanceofdevelopingright-brainawarenessandquietingtheleft-braindominanceofourWesternbrains.