Horse, Follow Closely: Native American Horsemanship (R) (CompanionHouse Books) Traditional Methods of America’s First Great Horsemen; Understand Your Horse and Create a Bond with Relationship Training

The bible of Native American Horsemanship! Horse, Follow Closely is GaWaNi Pony Boy’s signature title about the relationship training methods that are steeped in common sense and the age-old wisdom of his Native American ancestors. Of mixed blood Tsa-la-gi, GaWaNi Pony Boy was able to conceive his philosophy and compile the methods of relationship training while touring the United States with a Native American drum band and consulting the Tribal Elders from different nations and backgrounds. The methods and beliefs of relationship training come directly from the first great horsemen of North “Horse and rider are one. Theirs is a relationship of trust, harmony, and respect born of a way of life that is all but lost.” Because of his unique skills and teaching techniques, author GaWaNi Pony Boy has become the most sought-after horse behaviorist in the United States and in high demand throughout the world. He founded Iyuptala University, an online college-equivalent equine studies curriculum, and is the Executive Editor of Women & Horses magazine. The stunning full-color photographs by Gabrielle Boiselle inside this book capture Pony Boy’s serenity and unity with his close horse companions. Gabrielle is a well-known international horse photographer. Her understanding, patience, and intuition create special images, artistic and unique, that capture the soul and emotion of her subjects. Born of a horse breeder family, she decided to become a journalist and studied science of communication in Munich. She has traveled the world photographing horses and creating breathtaking calendars and books. The author’s simple eloquence forges a deep, profound relationship with the reader that few books achieve. As Pony Boy writes in the introduction, “For many [the Native American horseman] represents the ultimate rider. The essence of a horseman, both his skill and intuition, goes beyond the hours he spends in the saddle… the folklore of every Native tribe are stories, tales, and beliefs to exemplify human’s relations to other animals.” Horse, Follow Closely begins with an analysis of how horses came to live with the Natives of North America and their impact on Native life. The crux of relationship training is to understand “what it means to be a horse, react like a horse, and relate to other things like a horse.” Native Americans were able to create such strong relationship with horses in a short time because they understood that “a horse is a horse.” Learning to balance the relationship between horse and human is the missing link to becoming a masterful horseman or horsewoman. The book describes not only the techniques involved for relationship training but also the belief system and attitude that must be applied to all methods of horsemanship. In addition to presenting the methods and philosophy of relationship training, Horse, Follow Closely includes stories and legends of Native Americans and their horses, all of which can teach you something new about yourself and your relationship with your horse. Build a bond with your horse, and grow to understand one another, with the help of Horse, Follow Closely .