Few Westerners have ever laid eyes on these marvelous creatures, but the author was determined to see and ride them, and to spend time with their breeders and trainers.

Are there silent, yet powerful, ingredients missing from most horse training techniques and riding instruction? In her research of horsemen and women who appear to have a gift with horses, Dr. Fay outlines the invisible things these equestrians do that make their interactions with horses appear effortless. As a research scientist and life-long equestrian, Dr. Fay spent more than two decades searching for scientific explanations for why some people are able to develop seemingly spiritual relationships with horses. She discovered that equestrians with this gift merely know how to use their natural abilities in a way that most of us were never taught. These abilities already exist inside of each one of us, so we merely need understand how to use them. But we also need to be willing to open our eyes and hearts and let go of what we believe is possible. Within the pages of this book, you will gain insights into how you can develop your gift with horses. You will learn how you are unconsciously "talking" to your horse through your mind and body. But more importantly, you will see how easy it is to turn these unconscious conversations into ones that are meaningful to your horse. This is not a book about animal communication. Instead, this is a guide to using the energy field, along with the power of your own mind and body to influence your horse in a gentle and quiet, yet highly effective way. The principles presented in this book work regardless of the type of horse you have or the discipline you ride. There is no need for special training gadgets because you already have everything you need. Once you begin to implement the principles and see the profound changes in yourself and your horse, you may never view traditional horse-training methods in the same way. Through real life stories and simple exercises, Dr. Fay guides readers to a greater awareness of their untapped abilities. She teaches us how to use our innate gifts to create a sacred space where communion with the horse occurs naturally and spontaneously.

Margrit Coates is internationally acclaimed for her work as an animal healer and communicator, and is the author of Healing with Horses and Horses Talking. Now, for the first time, she explains how horses can offer healing and guidance to us, the people in their lives. Connecting with Horses explores the key lessons that we can learn from these magnificent animals. When we really understand how to interact with horses and how to interpret their roles in our lives, we will learn how to improve our relationships with others and much more. This extraordinary book draws upon powerful true stories and practical experience to explore themes and offer profound insights ranging from creativity through to potential and success. As you will discover, even your own horse or pony is an incredible animal that has much to teach you...

How one woman’s love for horses led her to a deeper love of God With edgy honesty and humor, Laurie Brock invites all who have longed for a deeper encounter with God to join her in the saddle (and occasionally on the ground) to discover how horses’ ways of knowing can help humans discover God speaking to us. This book—from a powerful, vulnerable, clergy author—is for anyone who struggles with the experience of faith in the institutional church, or who feels they have connected with God on a deep level outside of church, in everyday pastimes, or in emotional moments. “A beautifully written meditation on belief, the holy, and the healing power of horses. Mertonian in its wisdom, this profound book not only helped me see the magic of animals in everyday life, but allowed me a better understanding of my own faith journey in the Episcopal Church.” —SILAS HOUSE, novelist, author of Southernmost “Brock writes beautifully, with depth and passion. She gives us a sense of how horses—powerful, beautiful animals—might teach us about ourselves and God.” —REV. CANON SCOTT GUNN, Executive Director, Forward Movement

Wrapped in blankets and looking at the stars, a young Navajo girl listened long ago to stories that would guide her for the rest of her life. "Such summer evenings were filled with quiet voices, dogs barking far away, the fire crackling, and often we could hear the faint drums and songs of a ceremony somewhere in the distance," writes Luci Tapahonso in this compelling collection. Blue Horses Rush In takes its title from a poem about the birth of her granddaughter Chamisa, whose heart "pounded quickly and we recognized / the sound of horses running: / the thundering of hooves on the desert floor." Through such personal insights, this collection follows the cycle of a woman's life and underlines what it means to be Navajo in the late twentieth century. The book marks a major accomplishment in American literature for its successful blending of Navajo cultural values and forms with the English language, while at the same time retaining the Navajo character. Here, Luci Tapahonso walks slowly through an ancient Hohokam village, recalling stories passed down from generation to generation. Later in the book, she may tell a funny story about a friend, then, within a few pages, describe family rituals like roasting green chiles or baking bread in an outside oven. Throughout, Tapahonso shares with readers her belief in the power of pollen and prayer feathers and sacred songs. Many of these stories were originally told in Navajo, taking no longer than ten minutes in the telling. "Yet, in recreating them, it is necessary to describe the land, the sky, the light, and other details of time and place," writes Tapahonso. "In this way, I attempt to create and convey the setting for the oral text. In writing, I revisit the place or places concerned and try to bring the reader to them, thereby enabling myself and other Navajos to sojourn mentally and emotionally in our home, Dinétah."

A richly illustrated volume celebrating Jewish carving traditions from the Old World to the New

"When the Horses Whisper shows the capacity of horses to help us heal the human heart. It expresses in human language what horses have to say when given the chance to speak. It is a story about the sacred bond between us, and the communication made possible when the horse-human relationship is based on love. Conversations with fifteen horses, most of who live and work in Costa Rica, are featured along with their photographs, capturing them as individual beings in service to humans on a shared evolutionary journey. This journey amounts to the "re-membering" of our whole selves in the wholeness of creation, especially the parts we split off, deny, and place in shadow because they are too painful to deal with. Horses, as the book shows, can help us see these lost parts, and call forth our courage to reclaim them. For the author, these included the loss of a newborn daughter, the mental illness of an adult son, letting go of a thirty-year marriage, and childhood sexual abuse. The story recounts the equine healing work that helped in reclaiming her authentic self. This book is testimony to the power of horses and equine healing work in transforming life's losses into a deeper human wholeness and a further communion with the non-human world."--P. [4] of cover.

The Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh was asked what we need to do to save our world. "What we most need to do," he replied, "is to hear within us the sound of the earth crying.” Our present ecological crisis is the greatest man-made disaster this planet has ever faced—its accelerating climate change, species depletion, pollution and acidification of the oceans. A central but rarely addressed aspect of this crisis is our forgetfulness of the sacred nature of creation, and how this affects our relationship to the environment. There is a pressing need to articulate a spiritual response to this ecological crisis. This is vital and necessary if we are to help bring the world as a living whole back into balance. The first edition of this book (published in 2013) fostered the emergence of the "Spiritual Ecology Movement," which recognizes the need for a spiritual response to our present ecological crisis. It drew an overwhelmingly positive response from readers, many of whom are asking the simple question, "What can I do?" The 2016 expanded edition offers new chapters, including two from younger authors who are putting the principles of spiritual ecology into action, working with their hands as well as their hearts. It also includes a new preface and revised chapter by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, that reference two major recent events: the publication of Pope Francis's encyclical, "On Care for Our Common Home," which brought into the mainstream the idea that "the ecological crisis is essentially a spiritual problem"; and the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, which saw representatives from nearly 200 countries come together to address global warming, including faith leaders from many traditions. And, in Autumn 2021, we have issued a new edition, with a new updated preface from editor Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, who has also rewritten his chapter, “The Call of the Earth.” Bringing together voices from Buddhism, Sufism, Christianity, and Native American traditions, as well as from physics, deep psychology, and other environmental disciplines, this book calls on us to reassess our underlying attitudes and beliefs about the Earth and wake up to our spiritual as well as physical responsibilities toward the planet. "It's hard to imagine finding a wiser group of humans than the authors represented here, all of them both thinkers and do-ers in the greatest battle humans have ever faced. AN EPIC COLLECTION!" —BILL MCKIBBEN, founder 350.org Spiritual Ecology is a superb collection of thoughtful pieces by people who have gone deep to understand our relations with the Earth. It comes at a crucial time for humanity." —BARRY LOPEZ, landscape photographer and author Arctic Dreams (winner National Book Award), Of Wolves and Men, Crossing Open Ground, About This Life "THIS BOOK PROVIDES FRESH THINKING about the spiritual approaches of consciously and consistently making the right choices, each of us within our respective sphere of influence. As the world works towards a new global climate agreement in 2015, it is in our interest and in the interest of future generations to reflect on how we can individually and collectively contribute to addressing climate change by making our economies and lifestyles more sustainable, because solving climate change can help solve many of the issues the earth currently faces. Climate change is therefore both a challenge and an opportunity. I hope this book inspires and energizes many readers eager to rise to the greatest challenge ever to face humanity by realizing the transformative opportunities we have in front of us." —CHRISTIANA FIGUERES, Former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

From the first brilliant rush of horses to the triumphant sight of beautiful bays, chestnuts, shiny blacks, whites, grays, and paints galloping across the pages, Paul Goble's very special book will delight all who love horses and all who love stories that tell of the spiritual connection between people and animals. His magnificent, detailed paintings evoke an almost forgotten world as he recounts a stirring legend based on the oral tradition of the Pawnee. Focusing on a poor boy and his grandmother, adventure begins when the boy discovers an old, limping horse. Though ridiculed by his tribe, the boy cares for the horse and brings it back to health. In turn, the animal helps his friend achieve greatness, only to be betrayed. The boy's remorse is sincere, but will he be forgiven? Captivating readers, Caldecott medalist Paul Goble shows how a loving friendship changes the lives of a people.

The author describes her story of moving to a remote area of British Columbia with her husband, an area they share with a family of horses.