The Power of the Herd. Linda Kohanov

The Power of the Herd

Praise for The Power of the Herd

“Complex and multi-layered. . .there are many rewards as Kohanov explains the ‘interspecies culture,’ the connection between ‘emotional intelligence’ and professional success and shares meaningful examples of individuals who have learned valuable life lessons from their horses.”

— Publishers Weekly

“In her latest book, The Power of the Herd, Linda Kohanov not only invites us to recognize the immense intelligence in other animals to handle complex and challenging situations, she also focuses attention on another much-ignored reality: the power and wisdom of nonverbal collective consciousness. Business and political leaders, like all of us, can learn a great deal from her examples of nonverbal, ‘thumb-less’ intelligence — how cooperation with the network of life trumps manipulation for self-serving ends. Once again, Linda Kohanov shows us a much-needed alternative to ‘business as usual’ in our relationships with each other and with other species.”

— Dr. Christian de Quincey, professor of philosophy and consciousness studies at John F. Kennedy University and award-winning author of Radical Nature and Radical Knowing

“The Power of the Herd belongs at the top of your list of books to read this year. Sweeping in scope, Kohanov’s latest work is a blend of scholarship and storytelling so finely crafted that you’ll want to pause occasionally just to marvel at the quality of the writing. It’s a fascinating read, brought to life with examples drawn from historical figures and the evolution of human development as well as lessons learned from years of working with her beloved horses. This is a book to be savored.”

— Bob Wall, author of Coaching for Emotional Intelligence and Working Relationships

“Linda Kohanov has created a unique synthesis of myth, symbology, psychology, neuroscience, and, most important of all, the insight she has gained from horses to give us a manual to guide ourselves and our leaders through the twenty-first century and beyond. In this book, a must for every leader, or everyone who wants to be one — in his or her own life and in our world at large — she takes horsemanship from a personal level to a global one.”

— Allan J. Hamilton, MD, FACS, author of Zen Mind, Zen Horse

“In The Power of the Herd Linda Kohanov reveals the ways in which humans can learn from the behavior and social infrastructure of horses. Well written and well researched, this book is a valuable contribution to the literature on interspecies communication.”

— Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Happiness

“For millennia we humans were mere prey. We’re here only because some of our ancestors could mimic the animals who knew how to run the gauntlet of the great carnivores. Horses are one of those creatures still amongst us. Linda Kohanov is that rare twenty-first-century watcher with the wit to see the lessons horses can still teach us and the talent to harness them in this remarkable book. She lays out a powerful case that our evolution still rides on the shoulders of these giants.”

— Meg Daley Olmert, author of Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond

Also by Linda Kohanov

Riding between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential through the Way of the Horse

The Tao of Equus: A Woman’s Journey of Healing and Transformation through the Way of the Horse

Way of the Horse: Equine Archetypes for Self-Discovery — A Book of Exploration and 40 Cards

New World Library14 Pamaron WayNovato, California 94949

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The material in this book is intended for education. It is not meant to take the place of diagnosis and treatment by a qualified medical practitioner or therapist. No expressed or implied guarantee of the effects of the use of the recommendations can be given or liability taken.

Text design by Tona Pearce Myers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kohanov, Linda.

The power of the herd: a nonpredatory approach to social intelligence, leadership, and innovation / Linda Kohanov.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-57731-676-3 (hardcover: alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-57731-681-7 (ebook) 1. Social intelligence. 2. Leadership. 3. Horses—Psychological aspects. 4. Animals —Therapeutic use. I. Title.

HM1261.K64 2013

152.4—dc23

2012044855

First paperback printing, August 2015

ISBN 978-1-60868-371-0

Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper

New World Library is proud to be a Gold Certified Environmentally Responsible Publisher. Publisher certification awarded by Green Press Initiative. www.greenpressinitiative.org

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For

Steve Roach,

my husband, anchor, confidant,

and muse

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Part I. A Brief History of Power

CHAPTER ONE. The Horse in My Cathedral

CHAPTER TWO. Legacy of Power

CHAPTER THREE. Hidden Wisdom

CHAPTER FOUR. Revolution and Evolution