Learning How To Feel The Horse

Sometimes the question pops up - how did you learn all of this? And as is true for most things in life, it certainly wasn't a straight road without bumps, detours or go-backs.

I originally started out just using the knowledge and tools I had acquired taking care of myself and my own family. I have been interested in an integrative approach to life for a long time. My focus was never on disease or illness, but rather on our amazing ability to heal when we provide the body what it needs. Of course, when I got any new family member, including my cats and horses, I applied what I knew to them and kept learning. I had some really great results and always loved sharing what I found out with anyone who wanted to know.

There came a point though where I made the decision to pursue this as a profession which, of course, included going for professional training! I looked at a lot of schools, programs, resources, got feedback and listened to testimonials. I finally settled on one because it seemed comprehensive and also included the horse's point of view, which was really important to me.

When I went through my initial training, I learned a variety of techniques. Massage, cranio-sacral, pressure point, energy work, acupressure and a variety of others. Later on, I was taught how to do an initial evaluation of the horse. This info would then inform my approach for the particular session. Did the horse improve after I was done? Was I able to release tension so he no longer felt so braced in a particular body part? Was I able to improve the range of motion, e.g. in his stifle? Later on, I learned how to connect the dots even further to help find some of the root causes on what was going on.

Of course, when you are being taught all those things, you are so focused on LEARNING them, you are very much stuck in your head. You want to get the mechanics down because, let’s face it, crawling around the legs of unfamiliar horses or asking them to pick up their feet when things may be hurting – well, your first priority is to not get hurt yourself, to be followed by executing the technique and lastly adding feel to it.

Let’s just say, some of those techniques presented a learning curve for me! And some horses really thrived on teaching me thoroughly.

But the biggest lessons really came after. Every horse presents a different story. In a way, it is really like reading – in reverse – what is going on in his body. As the horse learns to work through and around discomfort, even a slight one, he starts laying down patterns of compensation. When we release them, it’s like peeling an onion – you go from the outside in. The newest ones are close to the surface, you can feel them rather easily. Whereas older ones can be quite tenacious and take a more patient approach. They can feel sticky, like an old label you are trying to peel off little by little. You search around to find the easiest place to start the loosening process. Sometimes that place allows it to let it all go, sometimes you have to work at it. No pattern is ever the same, even if they are similar.

I also had many incredible people enter my life who taught me how to refine and build on that knowledge. If you are passionate about something, you just keep learning. The best mind to cultivate is a beginner's mind - you are always open to possibilities. 

And because of this, my evaluation has changed considerably – it is far less mechanical now. Yes, I still feel for brace and tension, pain and lack of mobility. But there is a subtle flow in the body – something I had to learn to feel for. Softly. Delicately. Intuitively. 

Horses are so incredibly sensitive, we very rarely need to exert tremendous amounts of pressure to see their responses or reactions. Frankly, I get a much clearer picture when I don’t push and poke and probe with might. By using a light touch, I can feel where this flow is interrupted, where it stops, where it disappears, where a tension pattern “hooks into the body”. I can feel a tiny bit of change in the texture underneath my fingers, a change in temperature even. I can feel the tuck and pull.

During my training we had a pretty set way of approaching our session. Of course, this was to help us get into a routine, a guideline to help us learn. To be thorough.

Now, I allow my intuition to guide where I start. It starts with saying "hello" to the horse and then I feel for where the body disconnects first. Why?

Because if I can re-establish flow in the body overall, all the other deeper patterns become much more clear. Second, it helps the horse relax tremendously. It’s like putting it all back together and then addressing the individual parts on a deeper level so they can start functioning in a more optimal way. Everything is connected and influencing and effecting everything else. There are no exceptions.

And that’s the beauty of bodywork. An expert practitioner will never just work on “a problem” – but always the whole. That concept also includes the mental and emotional state of the horse.

Which brings me to my latest bit of focus – it’s really more of an obsession if I am honest.

Science has had tremendous breakthroughs in the last several years. Especially in the areas of quantum physics, quantum mechanics, quantum biology. Some of it may even sound like Science Fiction. And since I have always found the edge of “what we know” very exciting (although I can’t say the same for science fiction), I love the research coming out. It adds an amazing depth of understanding to what I do, especially since horses are such sensitive creatures.

Particularly how mental and emotional traumas are linked to the physical body. You see, when a horse has a traumatic experience, that energy can actually get lodged and stuck in the body tissue. It is known as an “energy cyst”. It has also been found that certain physical patterns in horses correlate with emotional and mental states. And so it comes full circle – everything is connected. As always.

I hope you are as interested and excited about this as I am. Understanding the connections – not just seeing them or feeling them but truly understanding them – can you imagine what this can bring to our relationship and interaction with our horses?

To see, hear, feel them fully? Can you imagine how this will change the very way we interact with them? Can you imagine how long our horses have waited for this level of understanding from us?

I personally cannot wait to see our horses benefit from this. I hope neither can you.

So why should this be important to you as an owner and rider?

When our horses feel heard and understood, they can relax very deeply. I see this all the time when I work on my client's horses and several others are also in a deep trance. This deep relaxation allows me to tune in and help the horse release deep seated tension in his body without him feeling the need to brace against it. 

What are the results you may ask?

• calmer behavior
• more throughness
• increased ability to respond to aids and requests
• increased range of motion
• increased length of stride
• a less reactive horse
• faster recovery from training or showing
• faster recovery time from past injuries
• regaining mobility in previously compromised areas
• overall improvement in well-being and health

These are just some of the benefits. Of course every horse is different. I can help you and your horse create a deeper, more connected partnership. Isn't this what we all want? To be able to connect and dance with our horse?

Call me for a free consultation. Let's start making your dream a reality.

Know your tools

Every discipline has their rules - rules about age, where the horse should be training-wise, what tack is to be used, what attire the rider is expected to wear. It really can be quite mind-boggling!

One thing I see over and over again - people use certain tools, such as bits, because it is expected at a certain time in the horse's training, not because it is the best tool to use to accomplish a specific goal.

My main point about this subject is that your tools have a direct effect on your horse's body.

Here are some important questions we should all ask ourselves:

• Does this tool help my horse understand my request?
• Does it help me keep my horse relaxed and connected?
• Do I know how to use it appropriately?
• Am I using it to gloss over a hole in my training program?
• How does it effect my horse's body in general?
• Does it create tension or strain somewhere?
• Do I have to adjust my own riding by using it?

Let's take bits with shanks - they certainly have their place in a horse's education. But a shank will not only amplify the signal, it also delivers the signal much faster. So would you want to place this "fast and loud" message bearer in the hands of someone who has not developed an independent seat and balances on the reins because you are showing a horse at a certain age in a certain discipline?

Should it be used "to slow the horse" because we have not taken the time to develop the basics?

Should we use this bit on a horse who has trouble bending the joints in the hindlegs since it has such a strong effect on those joints? What if we have not developed the tilt of the pelvis, evenly on both sides and a certain degree of collection? What if we have not understood that collection is not about head position but involves the entire body? And if we do, how does it impact not just those joints, but in turn the rest of the horse's body?

Not only does the horse's body tell the story, but so does your horse's behavior.

• Open mouths
• Clamped mouths
• Swishing tails
• Tense muscles
• Short steps
• a worried eye
• Tight lips
• Won't move off the leg
• over-reacts to aids
• won't respond to aids
• runs through the bridle
• won't slow down
• won't go forward
• turns like a steel pipe

It is the rare case where a stronger message becomes a clearer message to your horse. And I have never seen a positive outcome from restricting a horse. Restricting him opening his mouth by using tight nose bands, lifting his head (as in the case of draw reins), restricting forward with the use of strong bits and long shanks. It only serves us, serves us to present a picture that is actually not really there. A horse truly connected to you doesn't need to have his mouth tied shut, or have a certain bit to get him to slow down.

Every time you ignore or prevent your horse from being able to "have his say", you only create the illusion of success.

Those holes will show up time after time - either by damaging your horse's body or by creating mental and emotional resistance.

• Stiff joints
• Tight muscles such as the back or hamstrings
• restricted mobility such as in the shoulders
• resistance to the bit
• "dead mouth"
• lack of responsiveness to your aids

If any of this sounds familiar, you can change it.

You can change it by getting to know your horse's body, by evaluating WHY you are using certain tack, by valuing your horse's feedback and by engaging professionals who put your horse's well-being at the top of their list.

I absolutely know that you will have your decisions questioned, you will encounter people telling you that if you only used THIS THING you would reach your goal quicker, have your horse listen better. And by all means, listen to them. But please evaluate their motives.

If this approach is about MAKING the horse do it versus preparing your horse and CAUSING him to do what you asked, it's not progress in your training.

One of my instructors hammered this into my head over and over again:

Prepare the horse, prepare yourself, then and ONLY then ask

This means we sometimes have to take a step back. Really drill down into the problem we are currently experiencing, listen to our horse. And most of all realize that his feedback and valuing it is the best tool we have. 

Riding is a conversation, if you consistently tell your partner to shut up, it becomes a lecture.

Tools are there to facilitate communication - so have the conversation with your horse that matters.

The Power of Consistency

I have been working with one of my clients once a month, showing her some basic bodywork techniques to use on a horse diagnosed with chronic Lyme Disease.

If you don't know much about Lyme, it is a bacterial infection mostly transmitted by ticks. The symptoms in horses can mimic lots of other conditions, so proper diagnosis is very important. But so is a good wellness program after the the initial veterinary treatment. It effects the horse's whole system including joints and soft tissue.

I perform bodywork on this particular horse once a month. And we have achieved some really good results, especially since he has a long history of health issues.

But when my client started incorporating these simple techniques into his care, the progress we are now making is just amazing!

One of my horsemanship instructors always said: your best friend is consistency, your worst enemy is inconsistency. This applies to so many things in life, but is especially true when it comes to our horses and their health. Bodywork is not just for recovery from injury or illness, or when your horse is older. It is also a huge benefit to your horse's performance.

When you as the owner/rider/trainer use simple bodywork techniques consistently along with your training program, you will see:

• an increased range of motion
• more suppleness
• faster recovery time
• less fatigue
• healthier joints
• better engagement
• increased responsiveness to your aids and cues
• enhanced balance

These are just some of the benefits - there are also more subtle ones that might not be apparent right away:

• better communication
• increased willingness
• better connection and throughness
• better mental and emotional connection with your horse

So what difference did we see in my client's horse?

We are making progress much faster now in reducing stiffness, restriction and soreness. He is now able to pick up his feet more easily and exhibits a better quality in his gaits. His stamina is better because his workouts can be increased slowly, he shows improved physical condition and less compensation - which in turn allows his rider to build the right kind of muscle and movement patterns., and most importantly, he is happier and has his sparkle, and a bit of his 'Tude back!

Yes, it does take a bit of time, and yes, I realize it's another item on your to-do list. But if you want excellent performance and good health for your horse, investing in a good maintenance program and your own knowledge is time well-spent. The pay-off is worth it.

Email me if you would like to learn more!

How do I know if my horse is relaxed?

I recently watched a show with a well-known horse trainer. I like seeing how others work with horses because I always learn and it helps me increase my own awareness.

During the show, this trainer was saddling a young mustang filly for the first time. He kept talking about how there is no need for violence and how calm and accepting the filly was. Having worked with so many horses, you bet I know what relaxed looks like. I also have learned the opposite, I have learned to recognize tension even when a horse is standing still, seemingly accepting of what is happening. So even though the filly was accepting the work, she certainly wasn't relaxed about it. In fact, she froze. 

Now, you might say, OF COURSE the horse is going to relax when you work on him! You are not trying to saddle him for the first time!

Well, let me tell you, my work isn't just all warm and fuzzy. I have worked with some truly opinionated individuals. You see, my work sometimes entails asking the horse to put a leg into a position that is slightly uncomfortable at first, or he has a lot of tension in his poll and wants nothing to do with me releasing it or even touching his head. My job is to find a way in without creating more stress, anxiety and frustration. It requires me to:

• establish rapport and communication
• trust
• cooperation
• relaxation

So how do I know if a horse is relaxed? Here are some things I look for:

• Softness of the eye
• an overall softening of the body
• deeper breaths or breathing at all
• resting one hind leg
• lowering of the head
• closing of the eyes
• relaxing of the lower lip

And that's just the start!

So why is relaxation so important? Relaxation and staying under the horse's bracing response allows your horse to let go of tension physically, mentally and emotionally. It is the cornerstone to increase his range of motion and improve suppleness and flexibility, it facilitates trust and communication. It creates connection on a very deep level.

My program - Performance through Connection - not only incorporates professional body work but also teaches owners how to read their horse, achieve clearer communication and establish this deep connection.

If you are interested in learning more about my program, drop me a note. 

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