“[Tim Hayes is] a great storyteller blessed with passion for his subjects, horse and human…Tim Hayes has made this his life’s work and the world is a better place for it… The lessons you’ll take away from this beautiful volume of healing and love between man and nature will stay with you for a long time.”—from the foreword by Robert Redford
The horse is an extraordinary creature that has for thousands of years significantly contributed to human survival. Throughout history, people have loved, owned and ridden horses. They fascinate us, which is why we are drawn to books like The Horse Whisperer, events likeThe Kentucky Derby, and movies like Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.
In RIDING HOME: The Power of Horses to Heal (St. Martin’s Press; March 3, 2015; $25.99) author Tim Hayes further demonstrates the importance of the horse, and the way in which owners and non-horse owners alike have discovered the animal’s amazing abilities to help us cope with disabling physical and mental conditions, including autism, post-traumatic stress disorder and multiple sclerosis.
Through heart-wrenching and eye-opening stories, Hayes showcases the transformations that emotionally wounded men and women–whether they are troubled teens, prison inmates or war veterans–have made all by receiving the simple love, understanding and acceptance that comes from establishing a relationship with a horse through equine therapy programs.
In RIDING HOME, Hayes offers a powerful argument for the expansion of such equine programs that accomplish what many institutional organizations that utilize traditional psychotherapy and pharmaceutical medication have often been unable to achieve. But, above all, it is a book about the discovery of how horses can influence one’s life, and the ways they cause us to become better people, better parents, better partners and better friends by teaching us that when we’re not getting what we want, we’re the ones who need to change either what we’re doing or who we’re being.
Tim Hayes is a Natural Horsemanship Clinician. He conducts clinics throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico. He is a visiting instructor at The University of Connecticut & The University of Vermont Departments of Animal Science. He lives with his fiancée, Stephanie Lockhart, and their horses in both New York and Vermont. To learn more visit www.ridinghome.com and www.hayesisforhorses.com.
RIDING HOME: The Power of Horses to Heal, is available at multiple outlets, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. It is published by St. Martin’s Press and is on sale March 3, 2015. Hardcover $25.99; eBook $12.99.
Praise for RIDING HOME
“Tim Hayes [is] a great storyteller blessed with passion for his subjects, horse and human. The lessons you’ll take away from this beautiful volume of healing and love between man and nature will stay with you for a long time.”—from the foreword by Robert Redford
“Learn how horses can heal people and the power of equine therapy. RIDING HOME is essential reading for horse lovers and everyone who works with people who need healing.”—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make us Human
“Tim’s deep compassion, understanding and devotion to the well-being of both humans and horses comes through in the quiet eloquence of this very well written book. His keen observations of the healing powers that horses can have on the human spirit are woven through with the kind of wisdom that makes this book more than a worthwhile read.”—Mark Rashid, horse trainer, horsemanship clinician, and author of Horses NeverLie and Considering the Horse
“RIDING HOME will inspire and further encourage those with mental and emotional disabilities to find the dramatic beneficial effects as well as the elation and spirit derived from being with horses.”—Dr. Robert M. Miller, D.V.M., equine behaviorist, author of Understanding the Ancient Secrets of the Horse’s Mind, and co-author of The Revolution In Horsemanship and What It Means To Mankind
“RIDING HOME is the result of many years of Tim Hayes’ dedicated research on the healing power of horses…a different type of horsepower. The remarkable interaction between a horse and human provides the opportunity for solace, understanding and healing. Tim explains how horses are able to initiate the healing of our war veterans suffering from PTSD; a diagnosis that can be notoriously heartbreaking and difficult to treat. Through the horse, we can all connect physically, mentally, and spiritually. Truly, God has blessed mankind with an amazing gift…the horse.”—Larry Mahan, 6 time World Champion All Around Cowboy, 2 time World Champion Bull Rider, Western Horseman Man of the Year, 2014.
