Spoken in Whispers: The Autobiography of a Horse Whisperer

Those who loved Robert Redford's recent movie The Horse Whisperer or Nicholas Evans's book of the same name will enjoy Mackay's unabashed, effusive account of her life as a ""horse whisperer""--one who claims telepathic communication with horses, an ability to feel their emotions and thoughts. Mackay, a former British jockey who runs her own livery and works professionally as a horse whisperer, diagnosing horses' emotional and physical problems, seems genuine. But all of her enthusiasm and empathy is unlikely to convince skeptics that she can enter into the minds not only of horses but also of dogs, cows, a giraffe and birds (""I just spoke Duck!""). Occasionally even Mackay has her doubts about her telepathy as when she suddenly feels that a parrot patient is communicating to her a need to be ""retuned."" Still, whether or not one accepts the existence of a God-given gift that Mackay says she's had since childhood, it's impossible to deny her admirable, passionately expressed respect and love for horses and other animals. (Aug.)