For the Good of the Horse

This book was written to change my interaction within the horse world. It changed my perspective on how to navigate the human world, too.

Mary Wanless wrote “The Map is Not the Territory” as a long introduction to her book, ”For the Good of the Horse.” Those opening pages changed my life profoundly.

I learned “The Map is Not the Territory.” So I crumpled up all the proverbial maps that had been passed down to me through generations, dramatically leading to nowhere, threw them away, and made my own. The scenery is so much more enjoyable, and the avenues make more sense. Maybe I’ll have a chance of getting to the destination of my choice. Or maybe not, but at least I can enjoy my own journey, instead of fighting to constant struggles of others blocking my path.

This book sticks with me, even though it is really a book on equine management, because was the moment where something shifted in me and changed my entire perspective on the life choices I was making - so I made different ones. I decided I was responsible for making my own map. The maps handed to me were outdated and ineffective - there was no way to get where I wanted to go.

This book opened my eyes to considering horses in a different way, also. Ms. Wanless spoke from a perspective of valuing horses and their feelings. By studying expert opinions and utilizing her experiential and gained knowledge, she found the bravery to approach the horse world non-conventionally, but with ideas she believed in. I wanted to be more like that. Through her opinions expressed in this book, and the actions she has taken, she inspires me to research different ways of thinking, being, and of expressing myself. Her book is important for considering how we impact or view the animal world, but it’s also relevant to considering our own existence within the human community.