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, she was plagued by a series of sinister dreams and premonitions. Finally, prompted by her dreams, she cancelled 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, which makes these animals powerful therapeutic teachers. Kohanov describes the subtle emotional and even clairsentient cues she tapped into after time spent interacting with her herd. And she details the techniques she developed to help students strengthen mind body awareness and access their own extrasensory abilities through the way of the horse.

Reviews

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.