Healing Horses

Magical Horses

2010-08-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

It never fails to amaze me the often dramatic emotional effect that horses can have on us human beings.

A few weeks ago, I ran my July clinic. The weather was awesome, with bright dry sunshine and a slight cooling breeze. We had a choice of 25 horses to work with but, a few days before the clinic, I always visit the venue to see which horses want to work with us. This time, we had three new horses, retired racehorses Monty, Warrior and Caine. Monty held the greatest sadness, but has a soft and stable energy. He feels lovely to be around. He just wants to be loved, but can't quite believe that it could be possible. Warrior has the worst legs I have ever seen with lumps and bumps aplenty, and Caine is agitated with restless energy, not knowing what to expect next in his life, and pretending he really doesn't care, when all the time he is desperate to discover his purpose. And not one of them over nine years old!

As I held Monty's head against my chest, he told me that he would be very grateful indeed if he could work with us. He would consider it an honour. Warrior and Caine looked on, with heads over stable doors, reacting to the healing energy with ears drooped against their two heads and bottom lips quivering. There was no question that these three horses would take priority.

Cas is a huge bright bay who apparently threw his last owner across the stable with his teeth. You cannot yet get a bridle on him without undoing it, and if you try to restrain his head at all he gets very stressed. He had worked with us on the previous clinic and had been quite withdrawn, but this time he clearly told me he was willing to give it a go.

Then there is Freddie, a lean chestnut that just hasn't put on any weight. True to form, on the morning of the first day of the clinic, the chosen horses were waiting at the gate to come in, eager and excited to find out what this healing and communication is all about.

The four students were on site bright and early, and by 11am we were out with the horses. I like to allow students to be drawn to the horse that they feel connected to, and so all four soon drifted off to be with their horse. Very soon, the energy on the yard became still. Some tears were shed as the horses allowed their sadness to be dissipated by the healing. One student leaned into Cas and looked like a small child against his side, and I watched their connection grow. Another student stood like a rock with Monty, who was now looking rather drunk and as if he was likely to fall over - but in the nicest way. I drift from student to student, getting their feedback, providing guidance and loving every minute.

Just before lunch, I took the students down to work with a couple of wormy unhandled New Forest colts. With big googly eyes, long skinny legs and pot bellies, they looked at us with rising fear. They had only been in for a few days and had not yet got used to humans. I showed the students how to 'dance' with scared unhandled horses, by using gentle, soft, but guiding body language, and soon the babies were sniffing our arms and necks and following us round the stable on the very end of the leadrope. It was a magical experience for everyone, witnessing these little four legged blank canvasses and knowing that the quality of their lives depended on how they are handled at this stage.

At the end of the two days, sitting at the picnic table outside the yard, under the shade of the umbrella, the energy was like nothing I had ever experienced. Horses stood quietly with drooping heads and resting legs, content to just 'be' with the calming effects of the healing. The students admitted that they didn't want to go home and please could they come back and just 'be' with the horses.

This is the backbone of building a relationship with a horse, to learn to just be with them, without expectation, learning how to merge soul to soul in a way that many horse owners NEVER get to experience. It surely takes one out of what we call real life but, in my opinion, THIS is real life, this ability to be still and connect to others, to life, to nature. This is the reality that leaves you feeling fulfilled and complete. This is the experience that makes you want to give up your car and go live feral on the mountains with the ponies, and this is the moment where you make a choice as to whether you can find this 'place' in your soul when you go home.

Horses ... they are truly magical beings

Healing Horses Clinic

2009-11-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I was 'told' by spirit that I had to host a Healing Horses clinic, helping people with healing and communication. I have learned, over the years, to do as I am told - or there is always a price to pay. The venue was at a client's property where I had attended in June to do a healing communication with some of her problem horses. It is an amazing venue with 17 horses at present. Amanda kind of rescues them & sorts them out - by basically allowing them to learn how to be horses again, giving them space and time - and then finds them good homes.

Long story short - my first group of five students arrived and from the minute we started, I knew that spirit was right. They were an amazing group of people, warm hearted, caring and totally committed to helping horses in some way. For some it was an emotional and cathartic journey. For one of two that cathartic release started a week or so before they came. The horses, ready and waiting were open and willing, even those that had problems.

The greatest transitions came from Cas. He had been bought in because he had manually threw his owner across the yard with his teeth! Ooer! Everyone felt compelled to work with him. We had worked with Alfie, the gorgeous dark bay healing junkie in the stable next door to him, so Cas had experienced a little fall out, so was ready for us.

After a short conversation, Cas allowed me in and after another short gentle chat he allowed me to put on a headcollar. He had been hit around the head many times and gave me pictures of his past which were not pleasant. Two students came in and Cas dropped into an endorphic state so quickly. Resting his muzzle against my arm he felt like a small baby snuggled up to his mum. One student helped him to release his facade and sadness, by allowing her tears to flow. Once she understood how much she was helping him, she stopped apologizing for the tears and gave herself over to the horses progress.

Afterwards Alfie and Cas stood with their big dopey heads over the stable looking like a couple of teenagers that had had a bit too much squiff. It was really funny.

There was also Sky, a black yearling unhandled and terrified of humans & Carmel and Sadie, two beautiful but completely wild Exmoor fillies. One student worked a lot with these three. The difference in their energy was incredible. All three relaxed their tight little muzzles and Amanda reported being able to touch all three following our two days there. The yard oozed with loving energy and no one wanted to leave.

There is another clinic before Christmas and there are a couple of spaces so, if you want to feel the magic and do something that will have a big impact on your connection with horses, then do get in touch or check out the clinic page http://www.healinghorses.co.uk/clinics.htm

More rescue horses will be arriving and we still have some unhandled New Forest colts to continue working with. It is a wonderful experience and you do have the option of ongoing support following the clinic.

Take Care

Jan

Angels...really!!

2009-08-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a weird year!

For many years I used to scoff at the idea of spirit guides and angels. Deep down I felt that people that 'believed' in this sort of stuff were using it as a way of escaping reality [is that actually such a bad thing!!] I didn't stand in judgement, and I kept my feelings to myself, but I couldn't see my way to changing.

Yeah well.... I have been working with my own guide Jonah for around two years now. He had to give me indisputable proof of course, before I believed him, and we have had some tussels, but it works and now he is helping me to prepare my new 'connecting to your spirit guide' CD.

But angels? ... no way ... it was never going to happen!

Well it has...

Over the last few weeks, slowly but surely I have been made aware of the presence of angels. I have had all sorts of weird and wonderul stuff going on, and I am being guided to 'do' angel work. Honestly, I am doing a deep sigh right now as I still can't believe that I am going down this road. They are guiding me to [finally] have a base for healing practice for people and animals, and to run clinics and workshops for healing and communication and all things spiritual. They have also sent new friends into my life that are destined to help me in some way.

So, I am sure there are many of you out there that believe in, and work with, angels. But, to those that don't...never say never. The truth is that this happening for me is like seeing an elephant fly!

Inspiration

2009-04-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

These days I work less with goals and plans and leave my life to be guided by my inspiration. It often takes surprising twists and turns, but is infinitely more interesting and less stressful than 'making plans' for the future.

My last post talked about letting Toadie go and that hasn't happened. Trusting to inspiration, I intuitively gave Toady what he wanted and needed and he has returned to the mellow affectionate little chap that we all love. There are still decisions to be made at some point, but I don't try to direct them, I just allow them to unfold as the time is right.

Many horse owners get stressed by the behaviour of their horses, and I am no different, despite my 'gifts'. But I am learning to recognise that nothing is important enough to get depressed about. Things have a way of working out. Sometimes the results are not so good. Maybe an animal dies or you have to let him go. But that's ok. It's part of the pattern of life. I notice that the more relaxed and unaffected I am by the things around me, the less external events are able to rock me off balance.

It's not always easy. Particularly if you are on a large yard with people judging you. When I was part of a yard, It infuriated me how many people were self professed experts, even though some of the advice was total rubbish. When I first had Jack, over twenty years ago, he was difficult for me to work out. The first year I spent more time in tears than I have my whole life. So many people knew better than me, and so many people wanted to - and indeed did - tell me what to do with him. Many people told me to get rid of him!

One day I pulled away from everyone, making myself highly unpopular. I thanked people for their advice, but told them that from now on I would be trusting my own feelings. It was amazing how this evoked so much anger in people. It was an uncomfortable time, but I knew it was right for me and my horse. And in the end, I was right. I created a fabulous relationship with Jack, that has sustained us through our whole time together.

Jack is 28 now! We have a beautiful relationship. We are like two pairs of faded, frayed but comfortable slippers placed side by side in front of the fire. He loves me but doesn't appear to show it - though I do see it and feel it - I love him but am not allowed to demonstrate it, other than when he 'allows' it.

He is a macho grumpy old man, but we understand each other, and when he dies, we both know that we have said all that has needed to be said, and done all that has needed to be done. We have smoked the pipe of peace together and it doesn't get any better than that. I don't think many people would 'get' him, but I do, and he gets me, and that makes us special.

Trust in your own feelings about your horse. Don't let anyone else tell you what is right for you and him. If you want a better relationship with him, stop listening to others that might be telling you how to get that. You and your horse know best what is right for you.

Jan
http://www.healinghorses.co.uk/

Facing our fears

2008-11-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

As a coach, I actively encourage my clients to turn around and face their demons head on. I do the same with my horses, and my horse clients.

About ten years ago, when Jack was in the New Forest, he escaped out of his field and chased down the hunt. He was found twelve hours later - twenty miles away! After that he became pschotic about the hunt. When we first moved to the Cotswolds, six years ago, I was disappointed to discover that the local hunt came through our fields, and often met on the farm! My worst nightmare had just been realised.

So, I initially shut him in the stable. This wasn't such a great idea! Then I shut him in a small paddock attached to his field, which was better. But he still used to sweat badly and run about like a lunatic. Although I took fairly pro-active steps, like leading him to watch the hunt, I still fretted over his reactons. He would literally drip with sweat, as I don't clip him in the winter due to the fact that he feels the cold more now he is so much older.

This year, my field has lots of electric fencing. Danny, the laminitic, has been out for 24/7 for three months now, but is on restricted grazing. The farmers wife was kind enough to say that the hunt wouldn't come through my field, so I left them all out for the last two saturdays.

Every Saturday morning I do a 30+ bike ride with Cheltenham Cycle club, so I was out when the hunt arrived. When I got home, my neighbour told me that my horses had taken no notice. Jack was interested, spanning the horizon, but cool and calm and had not sweated at all. The fact that he could watch the hunt gallop across the fields below was exciting for him but, uncontained, he simply stood and watched.

Danny was fearful of everything when he arrived. I spent twelve months exposing him to each fear he had until he became laid back about pretty much everything.

If your horse has a fear, don't run away from it, deal with it. In a safe environment begin to gently expose [not all out flooding] your horse to his fear. It will greatly develop his self confidence and self esteem, encouraging him to try new things. Many of my clients adopt this way and have seen huge changes in their horses.

It's been a while

2008-11-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

What a year it has been. Most of you know that I lost my dad to cancer in June this year, had a horse go down with severe laminitis two days prior to his death, brought on by Cushing's, and folded a business partnership. All in the space of a few days!

Well, My dad is still dead, the horse has fully recovered and is now on a daily detox and vitus agnus castus for his Cushings, and the partnership has been tidied up and put away. But it's been tough, and I can honestly say that it has taken me almost six months to recover from the energy drain of it all.

I accept death as a natural transition from life, and intellectually feel pretty okay about it. But deep down on a cellular level, is it possible to walk away without scars? No, like any wound there has to be time to heal.

Today I leapt out into the world, by attending a women's speedworking network event. It was a lot of fun and I met some great women that I felt inspired by. I was promoting the Equine Assisted Coaching business, and in particular the help for cancer project.

Horses are amazing in this work, and for women that have lost their power, self esteem and confidence there is no being better equipped to help. Horses kick start us back to a place of power, and certainty of who we really are. Watching the horses, one has to wonder if this really is their purpose.

I have always stated my belief that horses were sent to help us grow spiritually. My own horses sometimes drive me nuts. Jack, my 27 year old horse acts like a cross between Victor Meldrew & Bambi. He can wind me up and make me happy, sometimes in the breath of the same second!

Danny is an oddball. This year he has mirrored my determination to succeed against the odds, when I helped him to recover from lamintis, a feat that no one believed I could achieve, not even the vet!

Toady? Well Toady has often come close to being shipped off to the Blue Cross! He is a grumpy little chap, but I respect that for most part he mirrors my inner world. I felt violently angry over my dad's pretty much pointless and unecessary death - if he, and his partner, had done things differently he could have extended his life and had good quality of life.

I still feel a smidgen of anger when I think about it. Supressing it is wrong, so I don't try. It gets a little less each day, but meantime I have to put up with Toady showing me what my anger looks like on the inside. Yay! Great!

Horses teach us so much about ourselves, if we are prepared to accept that it doesn't always look pretty. If your horse is displaying some sort of behioural problem right now, ask yourself what is going on in your life, and then check back with him for feedback.

What is healing?

2008-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

During my journey as a horse healer, I have experienced many changes. It is fair to say that my horses, and the horses I visit, have taught me the most.

A couple of years ago Merlin taught me that healing does not have to be 'hands on'. Recently a few more horses have taught me that what we think of as 'healing' often bears no resemblance to what we believe 'healing' is, and I have at last accepted that.

We can heal our horses with our thoughts, by just being with them, brushing them, understanding them, being fair, letting them have the benefit of the doubt, letting them 'get away with' one or two things and most of all by letting them be who they are.

I don't give traditional healing to my horses any longer. The whole process has become seamless, it's no big deal and it's wonderful.

This is good news for Jack. He is 26 now and still sprightly and fit. He sometimes stands next to me, looks at me, takes a big sigh and we both stand side by side looking out at the glorious view from their field. It is a quiet companiable exchange of energy, sometimes I wonder who is healing who! After 10 - 20 minutes he yawns, sighs and walks off. He makes his own choices these days and that in itself is a great healing process for a horse.

Being rather than doing!
Simply by thinking good or loving thoughts towards your horse can be enough to make a difference. Energy has a way of transferring with an intelligence of its own. Take that thought away with you today and you can significantly impact your relationship with your own horse.

Loss of an animal

2008-03-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have lost two animals in the last six months. My 11 year old whippet started having seizures and it turned out her liver was packing up, and my gorgeous little ferret, Squidgy, went in to the vets to have a bad tooth removed and collapsed and died whilst waiting in the vets holding pens. Tragic yes indeed, but that's life and we cannot do anything to stop these sorts of things happening.

As a teenager, I recall a woman who had an elderly German shepherd that had completely gone off it's back legs. It dragged itself about and had to be lifted up with a towel for it to go to the toilet. At seventeen I believed that it was wrong, and now, over 30 years later I still feel the same. I know that animals don't want to live like this.

When I had a breakdown in 1995 it was the end of an era, and it wasn't all about losing my dog. I was hysterical with grief, and I know that for some people this is how they react when they lose an animal. But we have to learn from death, and the most important thing to learn is when to let our animals go, with dignity and in little or no pain. Death is part of life and all we can do is to make sure we give our animals the best life possible when they are with us.

I had the chance to spend a whole day with Minnie - my whippet - before the vet came to my home to put her to sleep. All day she kept asking me if it was time. She hadn't been upstairs for a while, and her habit was always to push back the covers and curl up into my tummy. That morning she scrambled up the stairs and got into bed with me. She knew, and she was ready. Her death was quiet and dignified and although I grieved, I knew that I had done the right thing for her.

When we grieve, we grieve for our loss. The animal's soul has already moved on and is 'living' in some other dimension, active and young and happy again. Several experiences I have had have convinced of this.

The way to help our grief is to do right by our animals - whilst they are alive!. Spend quality time with them. I walk my dogs 15 - 25 miles a week. I do this because walking is a primal need for dogs, and they love it, it helps us bond and is natural stress burner for dogs - and for me. I am amazed how many people think that because they have a big garden the dog will be happy with that as its exercise. That simply isn't so.

All dogs love the excitement of going somewhere different and just running about chasing a ball, with tongues hanging out and rolling in disgusting smelly animal dung if they get the chance! When Minnie died I knew that I had given her as much as I could. So my grief has been healthy and normal. A few weeks before she became ill, a new dog crept into our lives and helped to bridge the gap for my other old dog, Cassie.

When you lose an animal find someone that is empathic and talk it through, but the best thing that you can do is to give your animals the best life possible whilst they are with you.

Emotional Intelligence

2008-02-05T13:19:00.001-08:00

Do you watch the soaps? Something like Eastenders, Coronation Street or Emmerdale? The underlying similarities with all of these soaps is the drama. Characters overeact emotionally, shouting at each other, refusing to hear the other persons point of view, failing to consider consequences and often completely misconstruing communication.

What has this got to do with horses?
In my experience, this knowledge goes a long way to understanding why you might be struggling to build a mutually respectful relationship with your horse. Being emotionally intelligent basically means that you have full awareness, and therefore control, of your emotions, and can make rational choices as to how you react.

Our relationship with our horse is not that different to the child/adult interaction. The horse is what he is, with his inherant behaviours and those behaviours creating by human handling and management.

The horse is not self actuallizing, so cannot make a decision that he will stop 'winding you up'. Any changes that happen to him are ubdisputedly created by external stimuli - that's you and your behaviour, and/or the people that handle/ride him.

Example
My friend was telling me a story of a mare at her yard. Apparently when the mare comes into season she winds the whole herd up, charging round the field, bucking kicking and generally making a hooly. Other people were getting upset by this. They couldn't catch their horses or they would be to wound up to ride.

But my 'emotionally intelligent' friend decided that she would not buy into the behaviour of the herd. She walks into the field, calmly and without reaction to whatever happens. She waits for the right moment, and then calmly catches her horse. As she leads him down the field she remains calm as he bounces and huffs beside her. 'I am not buying into your emotion mate', she tells him. And, within a short space of time, he recognises her leadership and focuses on her.

It's not what happens to you that counts - it is how you deal with it

This is exactly what I am talking about. Remaining unaffected by whatever happens is the secret to success with horses. They cannot not respond to this natural leadership - not always immediately, but if you stick with it you will see results.

'You' have to change!
Screaming, shouting, crying, becoming frustrated, intolerant or angry has no place in our relationship with our horses. I have seen for myself - time after time - that when an owner starts to change the horse follows.

The bonus of developing emotional intelligence is that it naturally overlaps into your personal life, where you will find that your human relationships will improve.

Tips for coping with pear-shaped horse situations

2007-11-27T03:58:00.000-08:00

Pear shaped & horse are words often used in the same sentence! How do you cope with the inevitable downers that horses sometimes bring to us

Here's what you do:

1. Accept the situation
Resisting your situation makes you feel bad. Accept things as they are and your brain will find solutions. You cannot change what has happened, so it is better – and healthier – to start asking yourself, “How can I overcome this?”

2. Welcome change
Nothing stays the same and, in our experience, when people look at change as a positive event, the fear reduces and they start taking action. With this mindset, you can find the courage to follow your dreams.

3. Don’t be a victim
If you blame a person or external event for your situation, you have by definition become a victim. But, at some level, you create everything in your life. Make it a habit to consider consequences. For instance, deciding to resign and start a business, you must ask questions like, “How would I cope if the business didn’t make any money, do I know enough about marketing, and do I have the funds to get expert help?” This helps you to make informed choices.

4. Recognise opportunity
Adversity is always an opportunity for personal growth. When life gets tough say to yourself, “Something great is going to come of this”. At first it will feel insincere, but keep at it and it will become second nature. Entrepreneurs like Richard Branson never adopt failure; he always sees an opportunity and takes it. Adopt a Branson mindset and you cannot fail to be successful!

5. Find support
Find someone that will mentor you, and who doesn’t buy into failure, a person that will say, “Come on – what are you going to do next?” and then support you through each step. Do not allow pessimistic people to hold you back by feeding into negativity. Good support will reinforce your decisions and actions, and give encouragement when your optimism is floundering.

Have a great day!

Jan

Watching Horses

2007-08-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a worrying day. I let Toady out of his 'diet' patch for a while and poo picked the field. I realised I had left Toady's sweet-itch hood in the house, so had to walk back to get it. When I came back I noticed that he wasn't grazing, so I watched him for a while. He was scratching the ground and seemed irritated. After a few tests, I realised he couldn't eat.

The vet came out and did various tests, but couldn't find an answer, so we decided to check up on him later in the day. I was sensible enough to leave him be for the rest of the morning, so I wasn't pushing my worry at him. Eventually I stopped long enough to listen to my intuition. The problem had to be his teeth.

This evening the vet sedated him and had a good look into his mouth. It turns out that he has a large gap inbetween two molars and grass had impacted. He cleared this out and suggested that that solved the problem.

If I had not forgotten the hood, I might not have noticed that Toady wasn't grazing. He often stands about for a while after eating breakfast, before he starts to graze.

The point is that we sometimes forget to take the time to simply watch our horses. I thought that I did, as most days I lean on the gate and watch them for ten minutes or so before I leave them. But if they all look ok, I am in a rush or its pouring with rain, I assume they are ok, and usually they are. But there might be one time when they are not, and today was one of them.

Four years ago I left a happy healthy - apparently fit - 5 year old pony playing in the field, and came home a few hours later to find him dead. He had died of sudden death syndrome. I have always said goodbye to my horses every time I leave them, but since Charlie's passing, I have made more of a point of it. Life is so precious and can be taken so quickly.

We must never take for granted that the furry lifeforce that shares our life is always going to be there. One never knows when you may say goodbye for the last time, so make the effort to share as much as you can with them now.

Too many words

2007-08-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Human beings use too many words. Words are often used to fill in the silences of our insecurities.

I was a fairly quiet child. To me, words only truly made sense when they were written down, woven together in a story or an insight. I have spent a lifetime learning to become an master of words, weaving them together for public speaking, workshops and in my relationships.

But horses don't need words. Like us, their brains are adept at deleting, distorting and filtering words and, from what I see with clients horses, most horses do all three!

Recently during a 'Empowerment for women' workshop, I saw how difficult it is for people not to speak. The task was to get a horse to take a few steps backwards. The delegates had no horse experience. The rules were that they could not touch the horse [another thing everyone found difficult to do!] and they could not talk.

Every single person babbled away to the horse, asking it to move back, saying please etc. Every few moments I would ask what the rules were. They all knew the rules, they just could not see a way of achieving this task without words.

Some of the horses walked off, bored and irritated. It is not possible to give 100% clear instruction to a horse by 'telling him' what you want. Yes, I agree that, we can teach them the meaning of some words, but the horse will be more likely to read your non verbal signals. You might incline your head, or there may be a change in your breathing or heartrate, or a slight shift in your weight. This is what the horse reads. A horse - by inate preference - will predominantly look for physical clues. They feel the energy and the intention of your mind and body and respond accordingly.

I once had the habit of babbling to my horses. But for several weeks I practiced not talking. I focused more on what I was saying with my body. The results were interesting, as I found my horses became more focused on me. I felt more assertive and it seemed that my horses understood me on a different level.

Let me give you an example:

Having finished feeding them in the field one evening, I walked towards the gate. Danny, my Welsh Section D, was standing with his chest against the gate, lusting after the grass in the other field :-) I was pretty relaxed but, as I got within three or four strides of him, I stood straighter and thrust out my chest, walking with a strong sense of purpose. The speed with which Danny backed off the gate was impressive and he looked at me with a kind of 'what was that about!' expression.

He was alert and ready for instruction, so I played with him a little. I felt my pleasure at how clever he was, rather than telling him, and when he had finished I stood quietly next to him, with an arm over his back. He huffed on my neck and I 'felt' how much I loved him, and he knew.

Having qualified this year as a dog behaviourist, I find that it also works incredibly well for dogs. In relation to our animals, a partnership with less words has deeper intention, leadership and energy and it is - I can report - fantastic.

Meditation

2006-10-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Why should we meditate?

1. Meditation helps to develop brain synchronisation. What this means is that the left and the right hemisphere begin to balance up. Most people are in a state of brain lateralisation, which means that there is a constant argument going on between the two sides of the brain.

2. Meditation does calm you down, simply because of the [above] synchronisation process. You naturally begin to learn to detach from emotions, people and situations that do not serve you

3. It helps you to create more of the things that you [actually] want in your life

4. As you begin to become more relaxed from within, animals resonate to you more deeply. It also helps with telepathic communication

5. It makes you feel good :-)

There are many more benefits, too numerous to mention.

The bad news is that it takes a Zen monk around 15 years of daily six hour meditation, to achieve true brain synchronisation. Oh dear! The good news is that we can fast track the system with the use of brain wave technology.

Four of five times a week I listen daily to a one hour Brain wave CD. One hour a day!! Can you believe that! And I love it. I can't wait to put on my headphones every morning. The results so far have been dramatically life changing, and there is still many levels to progress through. I can't wait to see how life will be in a few years time!

Life is too short and too difficult to not take advantage of every opportunity there is to make it easier, more prosperous [on all levels] and more pleasant.

And the really great news is that each step your left and right brain takes in 'matching up' is permanent. Its not like a diet, where once you stop dieting, the weight starts to pile back on. These changes are life long lasting. What this means is that you can only ever go forward.

Elderly Horses

2006-09-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have an elderly horse. He is around 23/24 years old and is an ID/TB. He looks amazing. Each year when the vet gives him the once over, he is amazed at his good condition. The only way you would have any idea of his real age is to open his mouth and look at his long crooked teeth, two of which long since departed at the front :-)

Three years ago, in August, I bought him in to wait for the farrier. It had been a rainy night, and I suddenly became aware that he was shivering and shaking. I had to dash down to the house to fetch him a few rugs. It was quite a shock. I watched him carefully after that.

Since that time, in mid August I start watching the weather in the evening. If I suspect that it may get cooler, or rain heavily, I pop a very light rug on him. He is happier, and in the morning I take it off. It's a right pain, but he comes into winter feeling well and in good bodily condition.

Having horses at home does give one a greater insight into their needs and requirements, simply because you see them more often so can better study their behaviour. If you only visit your horse in the evening, you may not be aware of how cold he is during the night.

I know certain avenues of 'natural horsemanship' say that a horse 'should not' wear a rug, and that he will build up the defences if you leave him. But we all know our own horses. Jack has been with me for almost seventeen years, and historically had his winter rug on in late October. Last year I took rugs off my native ponies. One trashes them, and the other decided it looked fun. I felt guilty at first but was surprised to find that they felt warmer and seemed happier.

My point is this:-
1. Watch your horse carefully for signs of losing condition. He may be warm during the day, but shivering at night.
2. No matter what your belief system is, our horses are individuals. What works for one, does not work for another. Don't subscribe to something just because your friend - or peer group- is doing or not doing something.
3. Do not allow others to make you 'feel bad' if they see you putting a rug on your horse during the summer. You know what it right for your horse, and it is your right to do what you feel is best

What I have learned from my horses is to be an individual myself. They have taught me to stand up for myself, and for them. In my opinion, this is a matter of mutual respect. Trusting in what he wants will help to develop the bond.

Healing

2006-09-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

When I started out on this journey I had no idea where it would take me. I have to be honest and state that I didn't want to work with people much at the time. I was totally focused on the horses, and what I could do for them.

Not surprisingly, many people who contact me for training tell me that they prefer to help the animals, rather than the people.

I can tell you now, this is a cop out!

For the first few years, as I was eased into this work, I was let off quite easily. Then it started to become apparant that I was not going to be allowed to help the horses unless I developed empathy and understanding for the owner.

I recall one of the first horses who showed me the wisdom of this. He was a wise old soul, and his communication with me was awesome. His name was Devon. He has passed over now - to help those less educated in 'horse heaven'.

Very early on in the consultation he began to tell me about his owners life, and how she was struggling. His owner was a lovely lady, and the tears soon flowed. I so remember how wonderful this felt. Not only was I helping this beautiful horse, but I was also helping his mum. It was a turning point, and everything changed from that point.

I retrained as a Life Coach. Temperament professional [psychometric testing] and studied as much as I could in order to be able to help people.

I began my journey with people. It was far from easy, being sometimes painful but always incredibly rewarding. I learned much about myself, which created an increase in confidence, empathy and communication skills. And, quite remarkably, as I got better with people, I became a more effective spokesman for the horses. I became comfortable in my own skin.

This is not the fast easy route, but it is undisputedly the greatest road to follow. If life doesn't stretch you a little, then you are not pushing out enough. If you are feeling a little uncomfortable, well done you are on track!

Know this and accept it, and your life will become easier. The flow will be greater, and the horse will resonate with your truth as you discover it.

Consequences

2006-09-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

I was unfortunate to come across a situation recently, that showed me how acutely our horses are 'trained' into bad behaviour.

A foal had badly torn his shoulder, and I found myself involved due to the owners absence. I was told that the mare was uncatchable. I walked into the field, lowering my energy and, much to everyones surprise she walked straight up to me and shoved her head into my belly!

The vet came, and the owner turned up. I did not want to entrust the foal to him. It had taken me half an hour to win his trust, as he had not been handled much. I tried to rationalize that this wasn't my business, but my instinct overode the rational, and I am glad that it did.

It took over an hour to stitch the wound. The foal was great. he really trusted me by now and behaved very well. The vet suggested that the mare and foal stay in for 48 hours so that the wound could start to heal without the worry of flies.

I turned to watch the owner try to catch his mare. She was having none of it and violently swerved away from him. He eventually caught her by the halter, and promptly punched her hard on the nose! He then yelled and pulled at her to try to get her in the stable. The foal was directly behind her, so she could not see him. Naturally she was worried and the screaming git hanging on her head wasn't helping. The vet and I looked at each other - a silent communication taking place. He stepped into the courtyard and led the foal into the stable, and as soon as he did the mare followed.

I had cause to be around the mare and foal for a week or so after this. Boy was she nervous. She was ok with me, but when a man was around she was highly agitated.

Sadly, I see the foals future mapped out. Unhandled, or handled with aggression, what chance has he of growing up balanced and happy around humans? From a delightful innocent little chap he will no doubt grow up sour and hating men. It could have been so different!

Think on before you scream at or beat your horse. YOU are creating future behavioural issues, and it can never be taken back. That horse will never forget that one day that you chose to take out your frustrations on him.

Jan