I have poured my heart and soul into this book, which you will feel throughout, as I advocate for profound respect for the horses and this sacred work, and for the authentic and ethical development of this profession.

In addition, I want to acknowledge the courage that’s required to step into the vulnerable space of healing which can naturally arise when we allow the horses to guide the process.

May the horse lead you on your own journey of personal and professional growth, and may they guide and support you in your own practice.

Angela Dunning

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"It is like the bible of Equine Assisted Learning.”

"This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to include horses in any kind of interventions intended to benefit humans, whether for therapy, personal development or learning."

"The Horse Leads the Way provides by far the best in-depth treatment on this topic that I have ever read."

"This book poses strong questions about how we treat our equine partners and if we value enough the staggering contribution which they make. Do we appreciate this? Do we value them enough? Do we treat them as equal partners or’“tools” to be picked up and discarded as required? You will feel Angela’s empathy and passion on every page." Mike Delaney, Director of Equi Scotia (former Director of LEAP).

"A beautiful book highlighting the points of self-care and care of the horses and the client in equine therapy."

Read more Reviews here for The Horse Leads the Way...

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'The Horse Leads The Way: 
Honoring The True Role Of The Horse in Equine Facilitated Practice'
by Angela Dunning

BACKGROUND, INTENTIONS AND OUTLINE:

The Horse Leads the Way was the first book in this rapidly growing profession to specifically focus on the role of the horses and their well-being and fulfilment.

It explores the different ways the horses can be employed, and most importantly, how they can potentially be adversely impacted in their new role of facilitating human emotional and psychological healing and development.

It advocates for the fundamental aspects of equine choice and equine consent; two key elements of partnering with horses that ensure our horses are healthy, stress-free, happy and fulfilled in their work alongside us.

Astonishingly, after several decades in the growth of this field, no books prior to this one focused on the horses themselves! A clear and shocking indication of just how human-centric the entire field had become. My intention and desire was to bring the horses back to the heart of this work; to rebalance the human-equine professional partnership, and specifically explore HOW we partner with horses effects both them and our clients' experiences. My intention was also to shift the focus of this work across the profession, so that we consider much more closely how we work with horses to deliver this service.

This book also undertakes a timely review of the field of Equine Facilitated Practice* (also referred to as 'Equine Assisted' or 'Equine Guided'). *This term incorporates all of the following modalities: Learning; Coaching; Therapy and Psychotherapy, but excludes therapeutic riding interventions. Further, it challenges some areas of current practice which continues to utilise the horses as mere ‘tools’, and instead, puts forward an approach which honours the horses fully throughout as sentient beings with immense lessons to teach all of us. This approach strongly advocates that, as practitioners, we need to develop an inter-species partnership in order to best support our equine partners and serve our clients well. This requires us to consciously embody Horse Wisdom and take the horses' needs into account every step of the way, thereby ensuring their wellbeing and enjoyment.

Written from an experiential and observational perspective and based on the author's now 20 years' experience in this field, this book was designed to support newly qualified and more seasoned professionals to work ethically and respectfully with their equine partners; generate wider debate about the role of the horses; encourage best practice and suggest how this field can move forward. Raising vital questions and concerns and suggesting ways to deepen practice and quality across the industry, it is hoped the book will stimulate debate and mark a turning point in standards. It is therefore highly recommended for those currently practicing, training providers, trainees, and anyone with an interest in this work and our evolving relationships with horses generally.

This book outlines in-depth the key aspects of my approach including:

Part I:

• The vital importance of having as our starting point the belief and understanding that our horses are sentient beings, with their own needs, preferences and lives, rather than as tools or a means to benefit humans.
• What does it mean in practice to regard the horses as sentient beings, with needs, rights, choices and preferences?
• How do we ensure our horses are happily consenting to work each day?
• Being able to recognise symptoms of stress, unhappiness and potential ill health in our horses as a result of our work.
• How do we honour their choices and suggestions in practice?
• The central importance of understanding and honouring the horses’ feedback at all times and why this is fundamental in undertaking this work.
• The practical importance and benefits of honouring the horses' boundaries - physical, emotional and spiritual, at all times.
• What skills, experience and qualities facilitators need to effectively deliver this work, as well as the necessity for undertaking ongoing personal development.
• Why traditional horsemanship and particularly some natural horsemanship techniques are not necessarily compatible or even desirable elements to include in our work.
• The importance of supporting our equine partners throughout by adopting a natural approach to their health, care and wellbeing.
• How horses are bringing nature-based teachings to a wide range of people and playing a key role in returning feminine values and balancing the Masculine and Feminine. 

PART II:

The second part of the book then focuses on some of the key industry-wide issues and challenges this field presently faces, including: 

• Training considerations, current deficiencies and recommendations
• Regulation challenges within a rapidly growing new industry
• Terminology and language
• The boundaries between Equine Facilitated Learning/Coaching and Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy/Therapy
• A discussion around the different horsemanship approaches being used in this work
• As well as considering more generally which types of horses to partner with; the care of our horses, and suitable/unsuitable environments to deliver this work. 

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Ways to purchase the book:

1) UK CUSTOMERS ONLY - Directly from me via PayPal (paperback only): £10 + P&P. Please choose the correct delivery option from the drop-down menu below. You will automatically receive a signed copy when you purchase directly from me. If you would also like it personalised for yourself or a friend please drop me a quick message here. Please note the contact details you submit will only be stored in accordance with my Privacy Policy and for the period it takes to ship your book.

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PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU LIVE IN THE UK.***