Dr. Stephen Peters, Psy.D., ABN, Diplomate in Neuropsychology
Dr. Peters has worked in the past as chief of Neuropsychological Services for a large neurology practice in Danbury, Connecticut. He also served as the Clinical Director of American Fork Hospital Memory Clinic and Utah Valley Hospital’s Clinic for Brain Health.
Dr. Peters specializes in brain functioning. As a neuroscientist and horse brain researcher, he has given numerous presentations and performed several horse brain dissections for students.
Over the past decade, he has worked in conjunction with renowned horseman and clinician, Martin Black, on Evidence-Based Horsemanship. Black’s life-long experience working with hundreds of horses provided significant empirical data for their project. Evidence-Based Horsemanship involves assessing and integrating scientific findings to inform decisions and create best practices in horsemanship. Their scientific findings in the neurofunctioning of the horses’s brain and its application will increase one’s ability to understand and read horses. Their data has been combined in their book, Evidence-Based Horsemanship, and will benefit all horses and horse owners.
Learn more about Dr. Peters at Horsebrainscience.info
Martin Black
Martin grew up on the Ace Black family ranch in Bruneau, Idaho where he was influenced by his father, Ace, grandfather Albert and uncle Paul Black. After high- school he worked on ranches in Idaho, Nevada, and California, working with top horsemen and bridlemen, Charlie and Bill Van Norman, Ray Hunt, Gene Lewis, Melvin Jones, Tom Dorrance and Tom Marvel along the way. Growing up working cows from horseback, Martin has had a unique opportunity to develop a great sense of feel for both the horse and cattle. When he was working cattle at home on the ranch or working horses with Tom Dorrance, he learned to have an awareness for the self-preservation of these animals. When they were calm, they had an open and learning frame of mind but the more they became afraid, the more they shut down and went into a reactive state of mind. From these experiences, he learned how important and productive it was to keep cattle and horses from being stressed.
Learn more about Martin Black at MartinBlack.net
From Martin’s high school years on, he has been starting colts, handling mustangs and wild cattle and showing cow-horses. At 24, he took a management position for 8 years on one of the largest ranches in the Great Basin. He then went on to starting horses full time. For over ten years, he would contract as many as 500 head a year, traveling all over the US. It then evolved into doing clinics and helping other people with their horses and through all this, he has been exposed to all different disciplines of the horse industry and all different breeds of horses. From Guachos and the Criollo in South America, show-jumpers in Europe, camp-drafters in Australia, the Japanese and their racehorses, ranchers in Africa, Canada and the US and many, many more. But in all these breeds and all these countries, when it comes to the horses, the bottom line is the same. They all have the same instincts and the same basic needs. This is why, over a decade ago when Dr. Steve Peters introduced himself to Martin at the Legacy of Legends event in Fort Worth, TX, it was an immediate fit. And it has been a great opportunity and endeavor to work together and bring this knowledge to everyone who is interested in how a horse thinks and what it needs.
