Two part Question

"..... question is to what extent is it possible to successfully train your horse and more importantly, train yourself with access only to the videos, books and essays?" Klaus and his team have said over and over - "this is no technique". As long as you mimic what he is doing with his horse and expect the same results from  your horse ........  there will be a problem. What the horses actually "do" with/for Klaus is in itself not new. Not unique to Klaus. He doesn't own it and he didn't invent it. Yet, everything that happens in the videos is unique to that horse, in that situation, in that 'meeting'. That part is owned by Klaus and is unique to him. What he "does" with the horses is PROFOUNDLY  different and (IMHO) can only be learned in person.  Because his entire approach, perspective, vision is different. If you are coming from the place to "...  successfully train your horse and more importantly, train yourself....".  then the videos,  books and essays can only show you what is possible.   The videos, books and essays demonstrate the authentic conversation, communion, consensus, between two sentient beings - meeting at a place the *we* have never been.  That place is outside our society teaching,  a place of recognition inside ourselves. (he talks so much of mythology) Just mimicking the conversation is not the conversation. It would simply be learning to "act" .... like an actor. To 'do' the KFH way you must authentically, honestly, in real time see and RESPOND to the horse in front of you. Not just 'talk to' or 'train' them. Even in person he has had difficulty teaching "his way". Notice how his teaching has changed over the (20+) years.  Now it is almost all "Body awareness". We cannot get to where he is without it. We have to change our perspective. We have to learn to listen. Listen to the horse and concentrate on being accountable for our own actions before we can 'direct' the actions of the horse. IMHO The "nuts and bolts"about horses should be learned first from another teacher. Preferable, from a teacher that does not teach in the traditional format - with 'competition' goals. 

" ...... is anybody doing it right now and would they be willing to share their experiences with us of how they started and have continued with this way of learning?"You will get dubious answers to that one. Even with his strong words - "Sentimentality, horse as substitute for rabbit or baby, is the death of the horse." .............  Even with his words - my way or no way - *we* tailor his teaching to 'meet our needs'. You will get stories about people teaching their horse to go bareback, bitless and doing signal weight riding. All shared from the perspective that they 'taught' or 'asked' this of their horse. "Play" -  where the horse doesn't get a turn. (Yes, they are given a choice - but the choices are from a 'box of choices') For example - the horses rearing. Because so many of the horses are shown rearing in his videos - people get their horses to rear and feel 'success'.