HORSES DON'T LIE: What Horses Teach Us About Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust

Popularized by two bestselling books and a high-profile film, the role of "the horse whisperer" has begun to take on mythic proportions. Professional horse trainer Irwin, with the aid of journalist Weber, strips the idealism from this image, giving concrete advice on how to read a horse's body language, speak in an authoritative tone and understand the equine psyche. The book isn't strictly a how-to, however; Irwin spends considerable time laying out his personal history as a trainer. Over a dozen years, he moves from getting bucked off and breaking his leg and ribs to finally striking a successful mix of humility and assertiveness, an effective combination for training. He also discusses equine-assisted psychotherapy, which has been used (as in The Horse Whisperer) to help troubled humans. Despite the lively memoir and thoughtful meditation on psychotherapy, however, the true value of the book lies in Irwin's nuts-and-bolts description of how to understand a horse and, through careful attention, gain control as a rider. For example, he writes that when a horse's tail is hanging light and loose, calmness prevails, but when it's swishing, the horse is agitated. If swishing becomes circular wringing, the horse has gotten angry. When the book advances into how a rider's speech and body movements affect a horse, even beginning riders will feel that they've moved up a notch in terms of equine education. (Aug.)

Forecast:Although the subtitle makes this sound like a self-help book on understanding ourselves through horses, it's best suited to dedicated, passionate riders who want to become better at their sport. They'll find it a valuable, perhaps even classic book on horse whispering and, as Irwin writes, "horse listening."