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Horses and Free eBooks

Towards the end of 2010 and early in 2011 shortly before I crossed the world for the second time in search of something that was actually waiting to be discovered within me, Vicki and I organised two body awareness workshops in our home in Bellingen, Australia. The body awareness exercises were designed to enable humans to ground themselves and, by doing so, to discover the power of being with horses in spontaneous consciousness, which is their natural condition. For the first workshop we did not set a fee. Instead we asked the participants to make a contribution based on what they felt it was worth and what they could afford. However, we did set a fee for the second workshop because some of the participants insisted on this. In both cases there were at least two participants who were hard pressed to pay a fee. We more than covered our costs for one of the workshops but were seriously out of pocket following the other. On which workshop did we lose money?

 

Integrity?

Most humans I know would argue that, if you do not set a price, you will lose money. The implication is that humans have no integrity and more likely than not will simply take what you offer for free and you will suffer a loss as a result. They argue that therefore the only way to ensure that this does not happen is to set one price for everyone. This is true but only if you sell to people who can afford the product that you are selling, is it not?

So what happens if you would also like to make your product available to those who cannot afford it but would like to do so without suffering a loss? For instance, do you allow the buyers to set the price and then rely on their integrity to act responsibly? After all, the product represents value and therefore the only valid criterion for deciding against paying the recommended amount and opting for a lesser sum or nothing at all is affordability, is it not? Perhaps it is appropriate, especially in difficult time such as these, to trust that a buyer will accept their responsibility to act with integrity?

Some of the students doing body awareness exercises during the first workshop

Some of the students doing body awareness exercises during the first workshop

Of course, a buyer who can afford the product may claim that they need not pay anything, because the seller has given them permission not to. Legally this may be true but we are not merely dealing with the law here, are we? Isn’t it a question of responsibility and integrity? What is at issue here is not the seller’s responsibility but that of the buyer, namely, to act with integrity. And can a buyer really be said to have accepted their responsibility to act with integrity, if they pay nothing for the product even if they can afford to pay something? After all, does the seller’s decision to enable those who cannot afford the product to pay less or more than the recommended price excuse a buyer with adequate financial resources from accepting and acting in accordance with their responsibility to act with integrity?

The question of personal responsibility is an important one, especially when it comes to our dealings with horses. They are the ultimate survivors and may accept hardship from us just to survive. But does the acceptance of hardship by horses in our care excuse us from our responsibility to ensure that they do not experience any or as little as possible?

 

The way of the horse

As I show in my new book, Being Humans for Horses, the way of the horse is choice. In their natural surroundings horses ultimately choose whether to be with or follow another horse or some other creature. And they even do this with any human who develops the kind of presence that invites them to do so.

Friends for years now, Anaïs and Pip CHOOSE to be with Pingo.

Friends for years now, Anaïs and Pip CHOOSE to be with Pingo.

Choice was also the secret of our successful workshop in the example mentioned above. Yes, it was the workshop in respect of which we gave the participants a choice that more than covered its costs. We lost money on the workshop for which we set a fee. But its success was not only of a material nature. Apart from achieving its goals, those who could afford to make a contribution left with a sense of worth. They knew that some of those present (but not who) could not afford a fee, so they stepped up to help. And those who could not afford a contribution left without feeling that they had let anyone down. It was a win-win situation for all concerned.

 

Set your own price

So what does this have to do with free ebooks? Let me begin my explanation with the blurb for Being Humans for Horses:

We know so much about horses but have such little understanding of the horse. Understanding the horse’s nature allows us to pursue choice rather than control, connection instead of coercion, communication as opposed to conditioning. This is a reality that I now experience with my own horses. A path to the horse is open to all of us. Simply discover the power of being with horses. Is it not time to be fully human … for them, for ourselves?

This is a book through which I share the essence of what I have learned along my path to the horse. It has also taken me three years to write. By rights I should set a fixed price for it, shouldn’t I? Yet I would also like this book to be available to those who may have difficulty justifying the expense of a book especially during these difficult times. For this reason I have decided to allow my readers to set the price that they would like to pay for the ebook version, anything from FREE to whatever contribution they would like to make.

eBook NOW AVAILABLE from FREE to whatever. You set the price!

eBook NOW AVAILABLE based on what you can afford

 

Unfortunately, there is only one channel through which I can do this. At the same time though, it is the only channel through which all of the main ebook formats are available: epub (Apple and others), mobi (Kindle) and PDF. Simply click on the link below to order your copy FREE or for whatever you care to contribute.

 

NOW AVAILABLE! SET YOUR OWN PRICE BASED ON WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1017082

 

Print version

Unfortunately, I have to charge a price for the print version of Being Humans for Horses. The print version of the book is printed on demand and costs are involved. In addition, I have also included a markup to help us cover the costs involved in looking after our horses and rescue dogs and cats. Because of the Covid-19 crisis our translation business has taken a bit of a battering and we are having to reinvent ourselves just like many others. Income from sales of the print version will really help. Having said this, I have tried to keep the price significantly below what you might expect to pay for a book of this nature.

You can find the print versions through the links below. Just choose the Amazon market which is closest to you:

 

Free ebooks

Along my path to the horse I kept a record of some significant developments in the form of a blog which serves as the basis for three books, Challenge, Growth and Being, published as part of the series, In Search of the Master Who Dances with Horses. In addition, I wrote some papers along the way, a number of which I published in a book titled When Horses Speak and Humans Listen. All four books are no more than important milestones in my journey to where I am now. Yet, in that they are, you may find them helpful during your own journey.

To celebrate the publication of the book that I was meant to write about horses, Being Humans for Horses, I am offering these ebooks for free through the same channel.

FREE EBOOK COUPON CODE: NW49V

Simply enter the code when placing your order through the following links.

 

If you find any of the books that I have written helpful in your journey to the horse, then they will have served their purpose. Travel safely along your path to the horse and be well!

 

 


 

Equine Touch

Our Equine Touch business is called Humans for Horses, you can find our website at:

http://www.humansforhorses.com/

and our Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/Humans.for.Horses

 

Horses and Humans on Facebook

May I remind you that we now have a Horses and Humans group on Facebook. If you would like to leave a comment, you can do so on this blog or on the the Horses and Humans Facebook group page. All new posts will feature on that page along with additional content posted by any of our members. Please feel free to join us at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/horsesandhumans/

There is also a Horses and Humans publications page, which contains information concerning the publications released under the Horses and Humans imprint. Some of those publications will be free of charge. You will find it here:

https://www.facebook.com/horsesandhumans

I also have a Facebook page through which you may contact me. You will find it at:

https://www.facebook.com/andrewglynsmail

 

 

One Response to “Horses and Free eBooks”

  1. Patrick says:

    thank you for that offer.