This is a memoir chronicling a family's ongoing struggle to raise an autistic son. It follows the journey they take to Mongolia in the hopes of healing him.

It is beautifully written and very moving. I highly recommend both reading the book and watching the DVD by the same name as they complement each other. -Kassandra V.

Although I had a difficult time accepting the use of unproven, unscientific methods to "cure" autism, I do understand how a parent will go to the ends of the earth for a child. I'm looking forward to discussing this book with my Brandon reading friends.

The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son is a memoir that chronicles Isaacson's journey to help his son, Rowan, who has severe autism. The story details the family's adventurous trip to Mongolia, where they seek the help of traditional healers and explore the therapeutic benefits of horse riding.

I started this book and immediately felt very uncomfortable. I have very little experience with autism and the start is pretty tough to read. But from the time the trip to Mongolia was brought up, I was fully engrossed. This is a good time to mention that I am quite the pragmatist, so I'm not fully convinced by the effectiveness of shamans and ceremonies (there were quite some graphic descriptions of various rituals), but I did find it quite intriguing nevertheless.

I can't say the author (and audiobook narrator) was particularly likable; he often comes across arrogant and rude (though he's dealing with some difficult situations so understandable at times). However, I was touched by the lengths he went to in order to help his son. Do I think his methods were misguided? Perhaps. Do I think this is a realistic 'cure' for autism? Absolutely not.

Another book that I picked up purely because it had 'horse' in the title, but I did find it interesting so no regrets.

I struggled with this book. It just didn't make sense to me that someone would take his autistic son and his wife all the way to Mongolia for shamanistic healing. It was heartbreaking how difficult their lives are and how far they'd go for their child's benefit. Then I saw the movie and it all became clear. It finally made sense. In the book, the author comes off as someone who is trying to prove to the world that it's not his fault that his son has autism. But in the movie, you can clearly see that all the travel and work and hardships are out of love. It is beautiful.

I listened to this book on tape read by the author. He did an excellent job narrating his story. You can really feel his emotion. What an amazing story it is! I have recommended this book to others who have also really enjoyed it.

such remarkable courage of a family and Rupert is a wonderful story teller. He included the traumatic moments as well as the inspiring and silly moments. I always enjoy learning more about the mind and body through real life stories. Helped me to continue my understanding about autism and natural healing and made me want to pack my bags and go trek in Mongolia. I've added it to my hike list.

This was not at all what I was expecting... the Mongolia trip to see the shamans threw me for a loop. But, once I got over that, I enjoyed this book. I do believe horses/animals hold great influence in kids' lives, disabled or typical, and it was interesting to see that in this story.

Not only an expose on being a parent of an autistic child, this book is beautifully well-written. The end result, although epected after reading the back cover, is amazing still. A recommended book for all interested in autism, equine therapy, shamanistic healing, or just because you like kids.

When Rupert Isaacson and his wife Kristen Neff had a baby boy, they were ecstatic. Things seemed to be going along fine until their son, Rowan, was about 2 years old. Kristen is a professor of human development and she noticed that some things weren’t quite right. She did some research and discovered that Rowan had all but one of the classic signs of autism. Rupert and Kristen tried everything they could think of to reach their son - from traditional treatments to new, untested ideas. Nothing seemed to work - if anything, Rowan’s symptoms became worse and they found they couldn’t leave him with anyone else. Rowan loves animals, though and the only thing that seemed to calm him down was being outside.

When Rowan and Rupert were walking one day, they ended up on a neighbor’s property and encountered his horses. Rupert is an experienced horseman and noticed that the lead mare assumed a submissive stance around Rowan. When Rupert told their neighbor, he immediately gave him the keys to his saddle room and told him to take Rowan to ride Betsy whenever he wanted. Rupert and Rowan rode Betsy almost daily for three years and while Rowan was around the horse, he seemed to make progress. This caused an idea to brew in Rupert’s mind - why not take Rowan on a horseback journey through Mongolia to visit shamans there? Kristen resisted the idea at first, but finally went along.

So, in 2007, Rupert and Kristen took their 5 year old son, who was prone to tantrums, had poor language and social skills and wasn’t potty trained on the trip of a lifetime across Mongolia. THE HORSE BOY: A FATHER'S QUEST TO HEAL HIS SON by Rupert Isaacson is the story of their journey.

I listened to this audio book on a recent trip to my parents’. It is read by the author and he does a fantastic job. I’m not sure anyone else could imitate Rowan’s tones the way he does. He is honest with his love and frustration and optimism. This book chronicles the remarkable journey of hope the Isaacson’s took to try to benefit their son. It gave me a greater understanding of the struggles the families of autistic children face and brought tears to my eyes.

The proceeds from this book have gone to create The Horse Boy Foundation - you can read about it here.

I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction, but this one had me hooked immediately. I shared the authors skepticism and elation as his sons autistic actions were changed over just a few weeks. It was an amazing story, and proved that a little faith can go a long way.