The Tao of Equus : A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation Through the Way of the Horse

Do horses make choices? How do they seem to know what people are thinking and feeling? Are horses spiritual beings with a destiny all their own? If so, how is this destiny connected with humanity's future? How does the equine mind compare with the human mind? What do horses have to teach people? And why are women so attracted to horses? These are some of the questions writer and equine therapist Linda Kohanov explores in her extraordinary book The Tao of Equus. In it she intertwines the story of the spiritual awakening she experienced with her black mare Rasa with compelling neurological research, cultural history, mythology, and first-hand anecdotes from years of teaching and facilitating equine therapy. She delves into the mental and spiritual processes behind the magical connections people, and women in particular, often experience with horses. She skillfully describes the subtle behavioral nuances horses express and perceive — what she calls the "wisdom of the prey" — as well as a feminine wisdom found in her powerful interactions with horses, bringing to the page subtleties that women riders have intuited for centuries. Blending her extraordinary experience — what some would consider paranormal — with a wide-ranging survey of the phenomena of horse-human communication, Kohanov delivers a ground-breaking work sure to interest both longtime riders and readers interested in the leading edge of animal perception and animal-human communication.

The Tao of Equus considers the mystical nature of horses and the magical connection between them and humans. Equine therapist Linda Kohanov tells of an extraordinary spiritual awakening she experienced with her black mare, Rasa. This incident led her to investigate both the metaphysical and the scientific aspects of the human-horse bond. Her findings — especially regarding how the equine mind compares with the human mind, and what horses can teach humanity — are surprising. Using neurological research, cultural history, mythology, and firsthand anecdotes from years of teaching and facilitating equine therapy, Kohanov does justice to the profound communion that people — women in particular — often experience with horses.

Publishers Weekly

A freelance writer and founder of an equestrian therapy center, Kohanov relates the strange dreams, paranormal events and personal epiphanies that led her to believe that she was being visited not by just any run-of-the-mill poltergeist, but by a herd of ghost horses that wanted her to share their wisdom. It's a fantastic story, she admits, writing, "I wouldn't be surprised if some people use elements of what I divulge in this book to try to discredit anything else I have to say about the potential of the horse-human relationship." In a straightforward manner, Kohanov describes the strange events as she remembers them and explores their implications for equine-based therapy; using anecdotes from her experience as a facilitator of horse-centered therapy, she offers a compelling look at what these animals can do for traumatized and desperately unhappy humans. She also examines the role of horses in mythology and ancient writings and the relationships between horses and people. Her research is comprehensive, shedding new light on such familiar terms as "nightmare" and on well-known stories like the myth of Medusa (from whose blood the winged horse Pegasus sprung). Kohanov's tale will be greeted with skepticism by many readers, but her sure writing should turn a few of them into believers. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

In The Tao of Equus, author Linda Kohanov intertwines the story of how she awakened to the spiritual presence of horses with compelling mythology, research, and personal anecdotes. The result is an extraordinary story of healing and communication that turns our conventional understanding of these amazing creatures upside down. A horse trainer and equine-facilitated therapy practitioner, Kohanov first began exploring the horse human connection in the early 1990s. When her black mare, Rasa, became lame, Kohanov was plagued by a series of sinister dreams and premonitions. Finally, prompted by her dreams, she canceled a risky surgery to save Rasa's potential career in competitive riding. To relate to the injured horse outside conventional equestrian pursuits, Kohanov immersed herself in the day-to-day activities of the herd. In the process, she discovered that horses are intensely emotional, intuitive, intelligent beings. They are true reflections of our deepest souls. Over time, she discovered their extraordinary ability to awaken intuition in humans, while mirroring the authentic feelings people try to hide, makes these animals powerful therapeutic teachers.--Amazon.com "Linda Kohanov intertwines the powerful story of the spiritual awakening she experienced with her black mare, Rasa, with compelling mythology, history, neurological research, and firsthand anecdotes from years of training horses and researching equine-facilitated therapy. Kohanov delivers an extraordinary work sure to interest both longtime riders and readers interested in exploring the deepest reaches of the bonds between species."--Page 4 of cover