It's Not I Who Seek the Horse, the Horse Seeks Me: My Path to an Understanding of Equine Body Language

by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling

A true horseman's understanding of the rider's role as the horse's natural partner, and a unique insight into one man's outstanding training method Emphasizing a nonviolent partnership between horses and humans, the training system presented in this book is an increasingly popular training method among equestrians worldwide. Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling explains his system of communicating naturally with the instincts and nature of horses. The reader follows the progress of Arab stallion Marouk, and Lusitano stallion Queijo, in discovering a confident and harmonious relationship with their rider. Giving comprehensive insight into Hempfling’s methods, the horses’ progress is documented step-by-step, uncovering old wounds in the process that have resulted in their difficult behavior. Readers will discover the fascinating process of understanding horses through body language.

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction

344 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling is a globally recognized coach, consultant, and bestselling author—renowned for his expertise in the fields of personal, professional, and social development, as well as holistic enhancement and renewal of coherent expression and perception experiences. With a background in engineering and communication sciences and decades of anthropological studies, the author draws on his vast perspectives regarding general human interactions and authentic, holistic forms of a genuinely positive and fulfilling way of life. As a globally recognized consultant, mediator, and troubleshooter, his reach on social networks has now grown to tens of millions. Although it represents only a smaller aspect of his many activities, KFH also became globally known for his unique, revolutionary, completely peaceful approach to working with horses—where he refers to the primal principles of non-verbal communication in terms of personal character and holistic growth. By helping people continuously develop their heightened awareness of body, senses, and mind, his approach is fundamentally different from other well-known systems. His childhood in the seclusion of the forests of his homeland gave KFH, as an author, a unique life perspective, enabling him today to articulate the subtleties of human experiences and the natural world with rare clarity. Born in Germany, the author has lived in Denmark for the past two decades, where he also runs his consulting organization.

Reviews

[Rose Smith]

This man is phenomenal with horses. Who can deny it?
The photography in this book is beautiful-- large color pictures of majestic horses and a gentle man beside them in gorgeous landscape.
The book resonates important natural horsemanship themes such as the authors belief in importance of body language, presence and communication. His relationship with the horse is everything. Kudos to you Klaus!
This being said, I think Klaus may just be from a different plane. His psychological analysis and verb-age about the horse, honestly sometimes just gets lost on me... I would that he could give us more sentences in plain English. It all sounds lovely, but frankly sometimes I just don't get it. (And maybe that is just my problem.)
Sigh. Maybe one day I will be able to digest it entirely.

[Emrys Csato]

This book gets four stars because I love all the personality classifications he gives to horses, which is a lot more varied than just left/right brain and introvert/extrovert. But Klaus has a style that is very untouchable, and is words are not easy to understand. He isn’t available for questions or advice unless you’re prepared to pay a very handsome fee. So it’s up to you to interpret his books as best as you can, requiring several rereads and practice with horses in person. So while he does phenomenal things with horses—some of the best in the world—his school is a very closed circle only available to a few. If he wants to make the world treat horses better and improve the relationship between horse and human, that’s not how you do it. A good read, regardless.

[Ashley]

Loved that Hempfling teaches practical ways of communicating with a horse through body language. He stresses the importance of being self-aware as you interact with horses. Great book on building a relationship with horse. I like that he focuses a lot on ground work and slowly graduates from there to riding, stressing the importance of working from the ground.

[Kate Berkeley]

Amazing book and he's obviously an incredible horseman. I felt irritated by the fact that it felt as though he was witholding things so as to make his courses (and several thousands a go) more exclusive. Much as his style of writing and language is beautiful, it makes it hard to follow as a text book.

[Maaianne Knuth]

This is a book that I will undoubtedly return to again and again. It has given me a deeper sense of a more connected way to be with the horse - and a way that is intrinsically woven with my ability to be at home in my own body.