Reviews
"Congratulations, Bill! Bill Dorrance won The Western Heritage Award 2000 at the Texas Cowboy and Poetry Gathering, for his role in preserving the heritage of the western frontier."
“Among all the horse books, it is rare to find one that is wholly original and truly valid. True Horsemanship Through Feel is such a book. Experienced horsemen have known forever that ‘feel’ is the true basis of the good horseman’s skill, but few have ever written about it in detail, or undertaken to explain how it can be the key to one’s whole approach to training horses, from the very beginning to as far as they can go. Bill Dorrance has a long lifetime’s knowledge of horses and how they work, and his insights are unshakeably his own, because he’s lived them. For Leslie Desmond to have captured the style and substance of this remarkable man so faithfully, in such a beautifully produced book, seems hardly less than miraculous.”
- William Steinkraus, Olympic Champion in Show Jumping, 1968, Chairman Emeritus, U. S. Equestrian Team
“The book is weighty in size and import, and is done with care and an eye for perfection. The introduction is by Buck Brannaman and the cover is by western artist William Matthews. It has ‘classic’ written all over it . . . The immediate success of the book has been a great satisfaction for the authors, especially since it was difficult to get the time of day from a mainstram publisher. Calling the lack of interest ‘pitiful’, Leslie borrowed the money from good friends and published the book herself. The book is pure Bill, full of stories and explanations (while he) gently present(s) the reader with this way of working with a horse. It is a gracious and generous gift of his experience of a lifetime.”
- Kathy Peth, Foundation Quarter Horse Journal
“Bill and Leslie have written a most extraordinary book! This is the book horse lovers all over the world have been waiting for. It's the book they should have.”
- Nick Evans, Author of 'The Horse Whisperer'
“If you take away everything that Bill is known for - his roping, the rawhide work, his horsemanship, all of it - what you find you have underneath is a really fine human being.”
- Buck Brannaman, Wyoming Horseman
“It is the ultimate in horse training, when horse and human act as one, through feel. This book is the ultimate guide to horse training. Both brand-new horse owners and established horse trainers will benefit from the mountain of knowledge overflowing these pages. Not only will your horse learn easier, but, by applying Dorrance’s principles, you will become not only a better horse trainer but a better person. This is an incredible publication, worth every penny.”
- Darrell Arnold, Cowboy Magazine
“Bill Dorrance has long been considered a master horseman. So long, in fact, that his enduring approach crosses all the lines among riding disciplines and events. Everyone from dressage competitor to team roper to trail rider can find something of benefit when he opens the book to learn True Horsemanship Through Feel. How fortunate for the industry that Leslie Desmond has documented the master's techniques.”
“Bill’s book is the hottest selling horse book on the market today. There’s no question about it.”
- Jim Polasek, Owner/Manager, Western International, Book Distributor Sparks, NV
“This book is a masterpiece in my opinion - both a fun read and a brilliant reference manual for any horseman.”
- Melanie Smith Taylor, Olympic Gold Medal Winner, 1984
“This 90-year old man cared enough to take the time to describe in detial each particle of feel that goes into the making of good horsemanship. And Leslie Desmond has documented it for us, carefully preserving the vernacular so that reading the book is like a face-to-face visit with Bill Dorrance. There is nothing else like this book. It is the nuts and bolts of good horsemanship.”
- Linda Boston, Editor of Ranch and Country Magazine
“Bill’s straightforward and logical approach to horsemanship was unmatched. His methods were inspirational and enlightening ... his encouragement to find a deeper level of insight into our horses and ourselves was, and still is, very refreshing. At the age of 93, while still an active horseman and rancher, he completed a marvelous literary work...which brings a timely message to riders and trainers who work with all breeds and equestrian disciplines, and are searching for alternatives to the conventional techniques that sometimes make use of force and fear to get the horse under control. Bill and his ways will live on in this wonderful book.”
- Randi Peters, Editor of Natural Horse Magazine
“As the world loses this great horseman what strikes me most of all is the gratitude that I feel that he was compelled to share his wisdom with all of us. It also meakes me want to work harder in my own relationships wih horses, to be worthy of the insight that he has left behind.”
- Emily Kitching, Editor of The Trail Less Traveled
“Tried & True, In True Horsemanship Through Feel, the late, legendary California horseman Bill Dorrance (who died last July) takes you step-by-step through his training methods, with the help of writer/photographer Leslie Desmond.”
- Horse & Rider Magazine
“There was no dominance in the way Dorrance rode, or in what he taught, only partnership. To the exalted horsemanship of the vaquero -- the Spanish cowboy of 18th-century California -- he brought an exalted humanity, whose highest expression is faith in the willingness of the horse.”
- From “Death of a Legendary Horseman”, pub. July 24, 1999 by Verlyn Klinkenborg, Editor, New York Times
“True Horsemanship Through Feel is the kind of resource Bill is referring to above. He teaches the philosophy and then invites you to work on it one step at a time. I can’t imagine anyone who wants to learn more about horses being without this book.”
- Linda Gibbs, Editor Montana Horseman’s Journal
“This is a fantastic book to read, over and over again. Every time I read it, I find new things and new insights. This might have to do with my own development and interpretation, but the book was written in a way to make a new interpretation of the text possible every time you read it.
As time passes, I understand even better what a fantastic person Bill Dorrance was. He left a lot of space for each of us to create our own understanding of the things he told us about and described in the book.
What fascinates me the most about Bill’s teaching style is his ability to always give more importance to the horse’s needs than his own, always allowing the horse to exist and be true to itself. He must have been a very humble person, judging no one, instead trying to understand why things turn out the way they do.
The purely technical exercises in the book are of course important to do and to understand the reason for doing them.
If there is any book about horses that I would recommend, it’s this one. It provides a deeper understanding of and insights into the nature of the horse, and what living with people really signifies for the horse. It tells us what’s important for the horse.
In short, if you haven’t got this book, make sure you get it. There is no book like this one. For the sake of the horses, True Horsemanship Through Feel should be read by every person involved with them.
Leslie Desmond, (co-author and apprentice), succeeded in putting forward an important message with this book and I’m happy for the chance to take part of her fantastic knowledge”.
- Lisbeth Johnson, trainer New Horsemanship, Göteborg, Sweden
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