Coming Soon

By Janet L. Jones, PhD

On Sale: Jun 23, 2026
Page Count: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13: 9780316582582

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In the spirit of An Immense World and Soul of an Octopus, an award-winning neuroscientist and veteran horse trainer illuminates the mysteries of equine cognition and behavior, told through the moving story of her own extraordinary bond with a horsenamed True North.

The bond between horses and humans is the stuff of legend. Two different beings, two different bodies and brains, yet energy sparks between them. When that energy is captured, it can produce a special union that no other prey and predator animals share.

A Horse’s World is the first book of its kind to explore the fascinating science of how horses think, feel, learn, and connect with their human companions. Tracing the story of one 1500-pound Dutch Warmblood as he learns how to negotiate the human world, neuroscientist and horse trainer Janet Jones reveals surprising lessons about cross-species communication; studies of equine learning and perception; evidence of the horse’s astounding memory and expressive ability; and scientific insight into the miracle of the horse-human connection.

Horses have so much to teach us about confidence, courage, and compassion. Whether you’re an experienced rider or simply admire equine beauty and grace from afar, A Horse’s World is both a revealing window into horses’ hearts and minds, and an object lesson in how to build mutual trust with those whose internal worlds differ from our own.

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Janet Jones, Ph.D., began working with horses in early childhood, trained for a large stable over many years, and later ran her own successful horse training business. She earned her Ph.D. in cognitive science from UCLA and taught perception, language, memory, and thought for 23 years as a college professor. She offers masterclasses in brain-based horsemanship worldwide, consults for companies including Nissan Motor Corporation, and won Japan’s Equine Culture Award in 2021, the first American author to receive that prize since Laura Hillenbrand won for Seabiscuit. Jones and her horse True live in the Rocky Mountains and may be reached at janet-jones.com.

“A Horse’s World is a seminal and invaluable book about the cognitive and emotional lives of horses. Neuroscientist and horse trainer Janet Jones offers a detailed exploration of these charismatic beings, whose beauty and service we have adored for millennia while ignoring their hearts and minds. Now, finally, A Horse’s World offers us a window into the animals themselves so we can appreciate who they are from the inside out. A riveting read, this wonderful book deserves a global audience.”
Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy—and Why They Matter
“Mounting from the left side, overcoming fear, anthropomorphism… in each chapter Dr. Jones addresses common, and not-so-common, problems, myths, and fallacies that exist in the horse world. She also shares her solutions and successes. A Horse’s World is even better than Dr. Jones’ international bestseller Horse Brain, Human Brain. It is a blend of science and stories, humor and love. It is a book for horse people and non-horse people, animal lovers and story-lovers. It made me sad, it made me laugh, and most of all, it made me think.”
Tik Maynard, three-day event rider, clinician, author of Starting in the Middle and In the Middle are the Horsemen, and two-time winner of the Road to the Horse World Championship
“’A Horses World’ is a fascinating account of the life, behavior and training of a horse named True, and his development of a deep human-animal bond with his owner, the neuroscientist Janet Jones. Her keen observations, knowledge of the working of the horse’s brain and sensory systems as well as her entertaining storytelling ability make this a must read for anyone interested in horses, or animal behavior in general. Along the way you will learn why she can say ‘A dog gives his trust freely; a horse makes you earn it.’”
Stanley Coren, author of How Dogs Think
“Across 5,500 intimate years, horses and humans have forged an unbreakable bond and the most dominant animal dyad in history. Possessing a rare combination of size, speed, strength, and stamina, horses allowed human beings to circumvent our own biological limitations. Janet L. Jones masterfully explores this multifaceted physical, emotional, and cognitive relationship through perceptive observations and skillful storytelling straight from the horse’s mouth (and brain).”
Timothy C. Winegard, New York Times Bestselling and Award-Winning Author of The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity and The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
“A must-read for every horse-lover; and for animal-lovers in general. Take a journey with horse trainer and neuroscientist, Janet Jones, and her trusty steed, True, as they explore the intricacies of the horse’s mind. Even top horse trainers are likely to be surprised by what Jones reveals about how horses see and think about people and the world in general. And, no, despite all the videos you’ve seen, you cannot train a horse in three days—Jones patiently explains the fallacy of that notion and other wrong ideas about an animal many of us cherish, but don’t correctly understand.”
Virginia Morell, author of the New York Times’ bestseller, Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel
“Saddle up and join Jones and her horse, True North, for a fascinating story of how a cognitive scientist trains and bonds with a young colt over the formative years of his life. While packed with cutting-edge equestrian science, Jones writes from the heart and shows the powerful strength of the human-horse bond.”
Gregory Berns, author of Cowpuppy

Janet L. Jones, PhD

About the Author

Janet Jones, Ph.D., began working with horses in early childhood, trained for a large stable over many years, and later ran her own successful horse training business. She earned her Ph.D. in cognitive science from UCLA and taught perception, language, memory, and thought for 23 years as a college professor. She offers masterclasses in brain-based horsemanship worldwide, consults for companies including Nissan Motor Corporation, and won Japan’s Equine Culture Award in 2021, the first American author to receive that prize since Laura Hillenbrand won for Seabiscuit. Jones and her horse True live in the Rocky Mountains and may be reached at janet-jones.com.

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