The number one worst piece of horsemanship on earth is violence.

The number one worst piece of horsemanship on earth is violence.

For centuries, humans have said to horses, 'You do what I tell you or I'll hurt you.' Humans still say that to each other -- still threaten, force and intimidate. I'm convinced that my discoveries with horses have value in the workplace, in the educational and penal systems, and in the raising of children. At heart, I'm saying that no one else has the right to say 'you must' to an animal -- or to another human.

When training young horses "There are many types of bits for many different disciplines, but the severity of ALL bits lies in the hands holding them."

You must somehow understand that we as horsemen can do very little to teach the horse. What we can do is to create an environment in which he can learn.

I had been riding horses before my memory kicked in, so my life with horses had no beginning. It simply appeared from the fog of infancy. I survived a difficult childhood by traveling on the backs of horses, and in adulthood the pattern didn't change.

The author's tribute is heartfelt.