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*scroll down to watch video We don't use this approach often enough when we're working with horses. Too often it's about what WE want, what WE would like to accomplish.. we take into consideration what holds us back, like our fears & our limited thoughts. ❓Why do we pressure or sometimes even bully the horse into working with us, into submission? The concept of partnership sometimes only seems to apply when riding, when instead it should start in the pasture or stall, working your way towards the roundpen, arena and eventually trails or competitions. But we can't expect to have a calm, relaxed horse after putting so much pressure on them, after deliberately telling them "YES" so many times when they've told us "NO". Where is their freedom? Their choice? Their voice? It's really no wonder that abused horses often carry a lot of trauma in their throat area, it's where they store feelings of suppression. The lack of experiencing true freedom can be devastating for any equine.  For 🐴Fin "The Devil's Horse" (the horse in the video) I wanted to do better, to show him his options and find better ways to communicate than running towards or away from stuff when he feels overwhelmed. He soon figured out that there were no lines, no ropes and no tools, just him & me. He spoke and I listened. That's the important thing of waiting: you got to have patience. The patience to let them explore, figure things out. The patience to say "it's ok, we can do your thing first but we'll do it together". To me it seems like the more time we take with horses, the faster we get -better- results from them. Instead of wearing them out during training, I like to leave them feeling better than when we first started our session. I want to leave them with a sense of renowned freedom, which is a Big Deal for any horse (spiritual pride). Lots of people fear horses that show lots of pride and confidence, maybe that's how Arabians got their reputation as being too hyper, too hysterical etc. If we just learned to not take their behavior personally but rather observe their and our own behavior, we can accomplish whatever we dare to dream of, without the use of force. Vibrate higher 🌠 P.S. I can confidently and honestly say that Fin is not dangerous, mean or possessed by the Devil. He is sensitive, yes but if you don't know what you're doing then it might feel like he's a bit much. He simply needs guidance and is very straightforward with his answers. Not a mean bone in his body❤️
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*scroll naar beneden om de video te bekijken Fin kwam terug naar de opvang dit jaar, want hij was gevaarlijk, dominant en "possessed by the Devil". Alsof ik een exorcisme kon gaan uitvoeren.. Zoals bij elk assessment die ik uitvoer begon ik de sessie in Liberty, geen touw, geen halster en geen stick of zweep. Als Fin ècht was bezeten door de duivel, dan was dit hèt moment om mij aan te vallen. Instead, Fin was zo blij verrast dat hij vrij kon bewegen dat hij zichzelf even helemaal verloor in zijn gevoelens van vrijheid en veiligheid 🐎🍃  Tijdens het halsteren en opzadelen bood ik Fin alle fysieke en emotionele ruimte om "Nee" te zeggen. Pas toen ik met het hoofdstel naar hem toe liep, kreeg ik de eerste "Nee"⛔ Resoluut beëindigde hij onze connectie en creërde bewust wat meer afstand tussen ons terwijl hij gehaast door de roundpen stapte en stopte, stapte en weer stopte. Ik voelde zijn onzekerheid, de opbouwende spanning in zijn spieren om weg te kunnen schieten als ik toch dichterbij zou komen. Maar dat deed ik niet. Ik volgde hem, op zijn tempo en in dezelfde richting. Tijd bestond even niet meer, alleen Fin en ik en het hervinden van onze connectie ❤ Samen. Na ongeveer 10 minuten al had Fin door dat hij zelf ook een stem heeft, sterker nog: die wil ik horen! Hij begon langzamer te stappen en tijdens het stoppen snuffelde hij aan zand, mest of een touw voordat hij weer verder sjokte. Een enorm verschil: zijn "mind" was al aan het terugkomen naar het Hier&Nu. Niet lang daarna volgde ook zijn lijf en stapte hij verzekerd en kalm op mij af; Laat dat hoofdstel maar komen!💪🏽 Needless to say: Fin is niet gevaarlijk en bleef de rest van de sessie ontspannen en liet zelfs wat releases zien onder het zadel (bekijk de complete video op IGTV/Facebook😊🌠). Thanks for watching!❤ Picking up a horse's hind legs correctly can be a bit of a struggle. 
The picture below is a still from a video (click on the picture to watch full video) where I work with a severely abused Arabian gelding. As you can see, a light touch from my hand (along with the right energy) is enough for him to lift his feet. No squeezing or pinching required!!  Experiencing the differences between wild, domestic and abused horses made me realize that more often than not, it is not about WHAT you are doing, but HOW you are doing it. In the beginning it might not even be about lifting their feet, but about getting them comfortable about you being around them, behind them, touching them. Good experiences will open doors to what you eventually want, but if you rush it, your hard work goes right out the window.  Tinderella, standing perfectly still while giving her hind leg without being tied, after working with her for about 15 minutes If you'd like to see how I asses a new horse at Love This Horse Rescue (including picking up all 4 feet), watch the video below! At the end I'm doing some bodywork on the horse to get him to relax his end, a simple exercise to ask them to relax, shift their weight and eventually lift their leg. Love, Zoe |
