The Compassionate Equestrian: 25 Principles to Live by When Caring for and Working with Horses

This marvelous book, born of a unique collaboration between Dr. Allen Schoen–world-renowned veterinarian and author–and experienced trainer and competitor Susan Gordon, introduces the 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation. These Principles are a set of developmental guidelines, encouraging a level of personal awareness that may be practiced not only through the reader’s engagement with horses, but interaction with all humans and sentient beings he or she encounters. The authors share stories and outline current, peer-reviewed studies supporting methods of training, handling, and caring for horses that are safe, healthy, non-stressful, and pain-free. Through their Compassionate Equitation program, the authors encourage the horse industry to approach training and handling with compassion and willingness to alleviate suffering. By developing compassion for their own horses, and all equines, equestrians transcend differences in breed, riding discipline, and training, and empathize and connect more closely with the global collective of horses and horse people. A worldwide community of compassionate equine practitioners and horse owners will emerge, and benefit everyone, including their friends, acquaintances, and co-workers from every walk of life. These are simple changes any horse person can make that can have a vast impact on the horse industry and society as a whole.