|
|
Gag Gifts, Occasion Gifts - The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd
|
List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $16.47
Your Save: $ 8.48 ( 34% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Harmony
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.1
EAN: 9780307406859
ISBN: 0307406857
Label: Harmony
Manufacturer: Harmony
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2008-04-29
Publisher: Harmony
Release Date: 2008-04-29
Studio: Harmony
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
A surprise birthday gift plunged Joe Camp and his wife, Kathleen, into the world of horses as complete neophytes without a clue as to what horses needed or wanted. The Camps went searching for logic and sense in the rule books of traditional horse care and what they found was not what they had expected. Written for everyone who has ever loved a horse or even loved the idea of having a horse in their lives, this memoir leads us on a riveting voyage of discovery as Joe and Kathleen navigate uncharted, often politically incorrect territory on their way to achieving a true relationship with their horses.
As the creator of the beloved Benji series, Joe has spent most of his life luring us into the heart and soul of a famous dog, but now in this engaging, emotional, and often humorous story, he deftly lures us into the heart and soul of a horse. In doing so, he exposes astonishing truths and unlocks the mystery of a majestic creature who has survived on Earth, without assistance, for fifty-five million years. In a single emotionally charged moment, Camp communes with his first horse, Cash, in a way that changes him and his relationship with horses forever. In his own words, as he stood alone with his back to this horse: The collar of my jacket was tickling the hairs on the back of my neck. And my heart was pounding. Then a puff of warm, moist air brushed my ear. My heart skipped a beat. He was really close. Then I felt his nose on my shoulder . . . I couldn’t believe it. Tears came out of nowhere and streamed down my cheeks. I had spoken to him in his own language, and he had listened . . . and he had chosen to be with me. He had said, I trust you.
Ingeniously alternating between the stories of two people thrust into an unfamiliar, enigmatic realm and a fabled herd of wild horses brought to the New World centuries ago, Joe Camp’s valuable and inspiring book teaches us that the lessons he was learning apply not only to his horses but to life and to people as well–to all of us.
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Soul of a Horse
Comment: Delightful and educational for any TRUE HORSE LOVER. I've come to many of the same conclusions as Joe Camp did - only it took me years longer. I would recommend this book to all of my horse lovin' friends.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Condescending and poorly informed
Comment: I second every comment made by D. Lee on 10/25/08. I bought this book with hopes for good insights, but quickly became irritated with Camp's arrogant and condescending tone. I have spent almost 40 years working with horses, from newborn foals to 25+, at a farm with 500 acres. So when Camp decided to stop "abusing" his horses and turn them out "in a herd", my jaw dropped when he crowed about his six horses on one-and-a-half acres. Oh, please. And no shoes? Okay, I believe in barefoot. A lot. No one in our herd of 30 has shoes on, ever. BUT: last month, I personally saw a 5-year old clearly find huge relief in 30 minutes from having shoes put on, after being barefoot all her life. There are exceptions in every aspect of horse care.
Oh, wait, my favorite in the book, was when Camp said that horses in the wild lived twice as long as domestic horses do now (hmm, I'd sure like to see that research) and, even better, horse physiology has not changed since the ice age (uh, NO, and I highly recommend Dr. Deb Bennett's books for clarity on that).
So, Mr. Joe Camp, here's the deal: you don't know it all, not even close. As a matter of fact, the most valuable piece of information in my horse-keeping arsenal, which I heard when I was 10 years old from a highly-respected and knowledgeable horsewoman, is that true horsemen never know it all, and if they say they do, they're not true horsemen. Let that be a reminder to keep an open mind and some humility.
I have never before written a review, this book just irritated me enough that I felt compelled. And Mrs. Camp, I'd be happy for a refund, because I don't even want to give this book away.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Camping out
Comment: Joe Camp has done the horses of the world a great service by using his insights & connections to help spread the word about how they should be cared for, in stark contrast to how most are "cared for". It is a message already out there from many others in relation to what are really horses' natural lifestyle & requirements, but Joe's message may be heard louder & longer.
The poor physical quality of the book as an example of modern publication really surprised me, however, with uneven page edges sticking out all over the place. Fortunately what is written on them largely makes up for it, but it was still very disappointing when many of us buy books to savour & keep for returning to, otherwise you might as well just down load & print it off.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Barefoot and Loving It
Comment: This book intertwines stories with factual information about horses making it an easy and enjoyable book to read. I have found myself using this book as a baseline to begin looking for more information about different perspectives on how to properly care for horses. My mother read through it and simply enjoyed the book for its simplicity. I would recommend it to anyone who isn't looking for any technical reading.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Way to go Joe
Comment: Through his work with Benji, it is clear that Joe Camp understands and gets along well with dogs. Working effectively with horses requires a whole different type of intuition and language. After all, dogs are predators and horses are a prey species. In his outstanding book, The Soul of a Horse, Joe Camp has demonstrated that he is adept at understanding and working with both ends of the spectrum. It is inevitably refreshing when someone approaches a subject with a "fresh set of eyes" and questions traditional paradigms. Joe has done exactly that and effectively describes his thought processes in an enjoyable narrative. Thanks, Joe for nudging the horse loving public to think about and reconsider things that have been taken for granted for so long.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
