A Horse’s World

In the spirit of An Immense World and Soul of an Octopus, an award-winning neuroscientist and veteran horse trainer illuminates the mysteries of equine cognition and behavior, through her own extraordinary bond with a horse named True North.

The bond between horses and humans has been treasured for centuries. Horses have served as aids to civilization, subjects of the earliest art, vehicles for global trade, and extreme athletes. Still, their cognitive processes have remained mysterious, even to the humans who love them.

A Horse’s World is the first book of its kind to explore the fascinating science of how horses think, feel, learn, and connect with their human companions. Neuroscientist and horse trainer Janet Jones provides scientific insight into the miracle of the horse-human connection by revealing:

•    Common misconceptions that cause us to fault horses for “misbehaviors” that are normal prey-brain responses
•    How horses trade a human-style prefrontal cortex—capable of judgment, manipulation, and complex strategic thinking—for incredible memory that supports excellent intelligence
•    The role smell plays in how horses interpret the world
•    Evidence of horses’ immense expressive capabilities

Tracing the story of one 1500-pound Dutch Warmblood as he learns how to negotiate the human world, Jones reveals surprising lessons about cross-species communication. Horses have so much to teach us about confidence, courage, and compassion, and yet, the first MRI scan of an equine brain wasn’t completed until 2019. Janet Jones bridges that gap, illuminating the ways that equine cognition differs from our own.

Whether you’re an experienced rider or simply admire equine beauty and grace from afar, A Horse’s World is both a window into horses’ hearts and minds, and an object lesson in how to build mutual trust with those whose internal worlds differ from our own.
 

• “A Horse’s World is a seminal and invaluable book about the cognitive and emotional lives of horses. Neuroscientist and horse trainer Janet Jones offers a detailed exploration of these charismatic beings, whose beauty and service we have adored for millennia while ignoring their hearts and minds. Now, finally, A Horse’s World offers us a window into the animals themselves so we can appreciate who they are from the inside out. A riveting read, this wonderful book deserves a global audience.”
  Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy—and Why They Matter
• “Mounting from the left side, overcoming fear, anthropomorphism… in each chapter Dr. Jones addresses common, and not-so-common, problems, myths, and fallacies that exist in the horse world. She also shares her solutions and successes. A Horse’s World is even better than Dr. Jones’ international bestseller Horse Brain, Human Brain. It is a blend of science and stories, humor and love. It is a book for horse people and non-horse people, animal lovers and story-lovers. It made me sad, it made me laugh, and most of all, it made me think.”
  Tik Maynard, three-day event rider, clinician, author of Starting in the Middle and In the Middle are the Horsemen, and two-time winner of the Road to the Horse World Championship
• “’A Horses World’ is a fascinating account of the life, behavior and training of a horse named True, and his development of a deep human-animal bond with his owner, the neuroscientist Janet Jones. Her keen observations, knowledge of the working of the horse’s brain and sensory systems as well as her entertaining storytelling ability make this a must read for anyone interested in horses, or animal behavior in general. Along the way you will learn why she can say ‘A dog gives his trust freely; a horse makes you earn it.’”
  Stanley Coren, author of How Dogs Think
• “Across 5,500 intimate years, horses and humans have forged an unbreakable bond and the most dominant animal dyad in history. Possessing a rare combination of size, speed, strength, and stamina, horses allowed human beings to circumvent our own biological limitations. Janet L. Jones masterfully explores this multifaceted physical, emotional, and cognitive relationship through perceptive observations and skillful storytelling straight from the horse’s mouth (and brain).”
  Timothy C. Winegard, New York Times Bestselling and Award-Winning Author of The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity and The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
• “A must-read for every horse-lover; and for animal-lovers in general. Take a journey with horse trainer and neuroscientist, Janet Jones, and her trusty steed, True, as they explore the intricacies of the horse’s mind. Even top horse trainers are likely to be surprised by what Jones reveals about how horses see and think about people and the world in general. And, no, despite all the videos you’ve seen, you cannot train a horse in three days—Jones patiently explains the fallacy of that notion and other wrong ideas about an animal many of us cherish, but don’t correctly understand.”
  Virginia Morell, author of the New York Times’ bestseller, Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel
• “Saddle up and join Jones and her horse, True North, for a fascinating story of how a cognitive scientist trains and bonds with a young colt over the formative years of his life. While packed with cutting-edge equestrian science, Jones writes from the heart and shows the powerful strength of the human-horse bond.”
  Gregory Berns, author of Cowpuppy
• “A deep and delightful exploration of the magnificent animal that has helped make our civilization possible.” 
  Kirkus, Starred Review
• “This account of one horse’s coming-of-age will deeply touch audiences far beyond the horse-riding community.” 
  Booklist, Starred Review