 The Australian Light Horse memorial in Beer Sheva. Photo credit: Emanuel Yellin (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons Taking a horse to war is not my idea of fun, but I have long been inspired by the achievements of warriors and their horses across the world. When not on active duty, riding and caring for their horses no doubt helped keep many soldiers sane - not only as a result of the diversion from the horrors of the front but because of the changes in their mental state brought about by having a friend amongst these noblest of animals.
Man and horse had to operate as a team and that required a very strong bond. One of the battles that always moves me is the amazing charge of the Australian Light Horse on Beersheba on 31 October 1917: 100 years ago today. I included this event in my book and am publishing the excerpt here in honour of its 100th anniversary. It was remarkable not only because it was a "do or die" charge under horrible conditions in the face of fierce and well-entrenched opposition, but because it was a charge at all. Our Light Horsemen had never charged before - their modus operandi was to ride into position, dismount and shoot. To do something you've trained for under such conditions requires skill and grit, but to tackle something you've never done before takes true teamwork. Reader's Favorite recognizes "Winning Horsemanship" in its annual international book award contest26/10/2017
 Forgive me if this sounds like bragging, but it's pretty special and just HAVE to share it with you: this month I was named as an International Award Winning Author!
Now that doesn't happen every day and as you can probably imagine, it is a tremendous thrill for me. I am excited and honoured to have been singled out in such an illustrious international competition. As a former equestrian and Australian powerlifting champion, I wrote my book simply to share real life advice about horses, how horses and humans can interact with harmony, and how people can live and compete with success. The Five-Star review and this subsequent award from Readers' Favorite are major bonuses! Here's the Readers' Favorite Media Release, where you can read about the competition and the thousands of entries they get from all over the world: Relationships, negotiations, meetings, random encounters and BEING WITH YOUR HORSE are all improved by better communication. There is power in the clarity of your communication, so never stop trying to to become a better communicator.  If you enjoy these blog posts, you will LOVE the book!
Sometimes people think because they "own" a horse, the horse is supposed to be an ornament or an ego booster. When things don't go the way they want, they see the horse as doing it on purpose. Not so. The horse is a gift, a blessing, one of the best pathways to personal development I know for those who recognise it as their super power. This little poster expresses some of my thoughts on the issue: "The horse is not here to reward your ego, to compete with you, to punish you, to control you. The horse responds to who you are, what you think, how you feel, what you do. The horse is here to enable you to learn how to be a better You - and that is a blessing." Join the conversation! How do you feel about it? Use the comments section to share your views.  |
Hi! I'm Joanne Verikios. I've spent a lifetime studying horses and I'm happy to say I'm still learning.
From a very early age I have been able to tune in to what horses and ponies were thinking and what they were likely to do next.
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