When Science Meets Saddle: A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding Your Horse
"Horse Brain, Human Brain: The Neuroscience of Horsemanship" by Dr. Janet Jones
"For a long time, I felt like I had two almost different lives going on simultaneously — the scientific side, the academic side, and then there was all of this riding and training," Dr. Janet Jones revealed during our interview. This unique collision of neuroscience and horsemanship has produced what may be the most groundbreaking equestrian book of the decade. When a UCLA-trained brain scientist who spent decades studying human perception applies her expertise to horse training, the results challenge everything we think we know about equine behaviour.
Who Desperately Needs This Book (And Who's Wasting Their Time)
Perfect For:
Horse owners frustrated by their horses "inexplicable" behaviour (spoiler: it's not inexplicable)
Trainers seeking to understand WHY techniques work rather than just applying them blindly
Riders who've been told their horse is "naughty" when the real issue lies in cross-species miscommunication
Anyone working with difficult or green horses who wants to work WITH the equine brain instead of against it
Professionals ready to ditch outdated anthropomorphic assumptions about horse learning
Skip This If:
You prefer traditional "dominance-based" training methods without scientific backing
You're looking for a quick-fix manual rather than deep understanding
You're satisfied with "because that's how we've always done it" explanations
You believe horses think exactly like humans (prepare to be thoroughly corrected)
What Makes This Book a Game-Changer
According to the publisher's description, this is "an eye-opening game-changer of a book that sheds new light on how horses learn, think, perceive, and perform, and explains how to work with the horse's brain instead of against it."
Dr Jones explained her revolutionary insight during our interview: "Humans tend to rely very strongly on vision. Our brains are actually specialised for vision. Horses' brains are specialised for smell." This fundamental difference creates countless training misunderstandings. When I spoke to Dr Jones, she revealed how this realisation transformed her approach: "We look all around visually and we say, 'you've seen that a million times. What's the problem here?' And the fact is that it's not all about sight for a horse."
The book's methodology centres on what Dr. Jones calls "brain-based horsemanship" — understanding the neurological basis of equine behaviour rather than attributing mysterious motives to our horses. This isn't touchy-feely anthropomorphism; it's hard neuroscience applied to practical horsemanship.
The Cognitive Scientist Behind the Revolution
Dr Janet Jones earned her PhD from UCLA and taught neuroscience of perception, language, memory, and thought for 23 years. Her research on human brain function won UCLA's prestigious Gengerelli Distinguished Dissertation Award in 1989. But her journey into equine neuroscience began with tragedy, a riding accident that caused two years of transient amnesia. "It fascinated me that anyone's brain would be capable of allowing them to function perfectly normally through their everyday life and not have any memory," she shared during our conversation.
This unique combination of academic rigour and hands-on horse experience gives Dr Jones unparalleled credibility. She's schooled hundreds of green and difficult horses across multiple disciplines, later opening her own successful training business. Her core principle, revealed in our interview: "Ultimately, the sole point of contact is between a horse's brain and a human brain."
Why This Book Transforms Horse-Human Communication
"Horse Brain, Human Brain" revolutionises equestrian thinking by addressing the fundamental issue Dr Jones discovered when reopening her training business: "Students and owners attributed to problems that horses had, but I could also see that these so-called problems were really only functions of the way the horse experienced the world." The book systematically dismantles our human assumptions about equine perception, learning, and motivation.
Key transformations include understanding equine sensory priorities (smell over sight), recognising the neurological differences between rewards and lures (surprise triggers stronger dopamine release), and appreciating that horses don't possess the advanced decision-making capabilities of human prefrontal cortex. As Dr Jones explained: "The very first precise image of a horse's brain wasn't even available until April of 2019" — meaning this research is cutting-edge.
The practical applications extend from handling ground manners to advanced performance training, always asking "why" rather than simply applying techniques blindly.
What Readers Are Saying
"Dr. Janet Jones has written the book the horse world has been waiting for: Horse Brain, Human Brain. It is a game changer." — Tik Maynard, Trainer, Eventer, and Author
"Horse Brain, Human Brain: The Neuroscience of Horsemanship completes my trifecta of horsemanship references, which includes Tom Dorrance's True Unity and Ray Hunt's Think Harmony with Horses." — American Farrier Journal
"This book is incredibly informative, helping them understand how horses think, and consider it a must-read for every horse owner. The writing style is easy to understand... worth every penny." — Amazon Verified Purchaser
Beyond the Book
Dr. Jones continues developing brain-based horsemanship through her ongoing "True Training" blog series, documenting the development of her Dutch Warmblood from age three. She writes regular columns for Psychology Today and Horse Network, making complex neuroscience accessible to equestrians worldwide. Her website (janet-jones.com) offers extensive resources, videos, and additional interviews exploring the intersection of neuroscience and horsemanship.
The book has been translated into eight languages and won the Japan Racing Association's 2021 Equine Culture Award — the only other American author to receive this honour was Laura Hillenbrand for "Seabiscuit."
Get Your Copy Today
Ready to revolutionise your horsemanship through science? Order "Horse Brain, Human Brain" from our Curious Equestrian collection and support independent bookstores while transforming your relationship with your horse. This isn't just another training manual — it's a complete paradigm shift backed by decades of neuroscientific research and practical horse experience.
Explore More
Watch our full interview with Dr. Janet Jones:
Browse our complete collection of equestrian books curated specifically for the thinking horseperson
Visit Dr Jones's website: janet-jones.com for ongoing insights into brain-based horsemanship
This review is part of the Curious Equestrian collection, featuring books that challenge conventional wisdom and advance equestrian understanding through science, compassion, and evidence-based practice.