I've only ridden twice since my fall in April. Both were very short rides on Astro. So, I'm feeling better and decided Piero needed work and this was as good a time as any. Then, to add to that I figured, what the heck, I might as well go for it. I'm feelig pretty good and I eventually need to see what he is like wiht a real rider not in a ring setting.
I mounted him outside of my ring and preceeded to the front yard. I was nervous and he knew it. I was taking very deep breaths and sitting very deeply. I could sense that he was excited, and feeling my nervousness. Several times I sensed him thinking about bucking. Now I actually mean thinking about it. He did not kick out. He did not stop moving forward. I just felt him, well, think about it. I wonder if it's my intuition at play, or if it's some sense I've gained as a rider within my seat. Perhaps it is both. I guess it doesn't matter what IT is, as long as I pay attention to IT, and IT is correct! LOL
I pretended as if I had a ring there and rode around for several minutes like this. A horse and neighbor, Susan & Mo, rode by and invited us to come along for a short walk down the road.
Piero was EXCEPTIONAL. He just looked ahead and walked forward. Please note, this pony has never been on this road before. Never walked down this path, never into these trails. None, nada, nilch. Didn't even turn his head looking out of each eye, side to side. Susan could see his eyes moving, but his head was dead pointing straight ahead.
We took a short loop, in and out. We led and Piero kept a very forward, steady pace. Even walking faster than his new friend, and Irish Sport Horse. Oh, Piero is only 12.2 hands, all a registered Dartmoor can be.
Ramblings of a backyard horse mom who listens to and learns from her horses.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Look into your horse's eyes
In Michael Johnson's book, Healing Shine - A Spiritual Assignment, Michael tells of a time he had difficulty with a horse and sought advice from a wise, old horseman. The old man told him to look into his horse's right eye, and he would find the solution.
After some time, Michael returned to the old man and said, "All I see is my reflection." The old man told him that was his answer, and left him with that.
If I remember correctly, a few days later Michael finally realized what the man was trying to tell him, or rather, what the horse was trying to tell him. That he needed to work on himself.
He needed to work on himself. What a recurring theme. Whatever we call it, your horse is a mirror, or he reflects what we need to work on ourselves. It is all the same. Do horses come into our lives to show us what we need to work on? Or, are they simply so intuitive that once they are there, they know what they need to teach us. Maybe it's a combination of both.
I have a client, let's call him Andrew. Andrew was feeling something was missing in his relationship with his gelding, Scout. As I worked with them, I couldn't help but feel something else was going on, mostly with Andrew. It was an intuitive type of feeling, just something wasn't adding up.
It just so happened that I picked up Healing Shine, was reading through it again, and came across the passage I previously mentioned. I started thinking quite a lot about that, and came to several conclusions.
Sounds simple doesn't it? It is so hard when we realize what we have to work on is us. It is always easier to change something or someone else. After all, we never want to think WE are the problem.
To top it off, the horse we love & have leisure time with is the one telling us what we do not want to hear. Don't try running away from it. It will NOT work! Don't try selling the horse either-doesn't work. The issue will still be there, unresolved.
My philosophy is this:
After some time, Michael returned to the old man and said, "All I see is my reflection." The old man told him that was his answer, and left him with that.
If I remember correctly, a few days later Michael finally realized what the man was trying to tell him, or rather, what the horse was trying to tell him. That he needed to work on himself.
He needed to work on himself. What a recurring theme. Whatever we call it, your horse is a mirror, or he reflects what we need to work on ourselves. It is all the same. Do horses come into our lives to show us what we need to work on? Or, are they simply so intuitive that once they are there, they know what they need to teach us. Maybe it's a combination of both.
I have a client, let's call him Andrew. Andrew was feeling something was missing in his relationship with his gelding, Scout. As I worked with them, I couldn't help but feel something else was going on, mostly with Andrew. It was an intuitive type of feeling, just something wasn't adding up.
It just so happened that I picked up Healing Shine, was reading through it again, and came across the passage I previously mentioned. I started thinking quite a lot about that, and came to several conclusions.
- Andrew should try looking to Scout for the answer to their lack of connection.
- The lack of connection actually represents Andrew, and something else that is going on in his life. Most likely it is a lack of connection with a person he is close to.
- Once that issue is resolved, he will feel more connected to Scout.
Sounds simple doesn't it? It is so hard when we realize what we have to work on is us. It is always easier to change something or someone else. After all, we never want to think WE are the problem.
To top it off, the horse we love & have leisure time with is the one telling us what we do not want to hear. Don't try running away from it. It will NOT work! Don't try selling the horse either-doesn't work. The issue will still be there, unresolved.
My philosophy is this:
- Thank the horse. Embrace the fact that he is teaching you to learn & grow. Show your love and appreciation to him.
- Get to work on it. Take your time. Just like with the horse, take the time it takes.
- Keep your horse abreast on the progress you are making. Yes, talk to him about it.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Talking to Scottie
I often hear my horses talk to me. At first, I thought it was my imagination. Then one day when my vet was out, she was talking as if she were my horse. I was surprised that she said exactly what I thought he was saying. We talked about it, and since I am pretty intuitive anyway, she said, sure, it's him. You are actually hearing him speak. (hence the blog title)
Since my fall I've been trying to talk to Scottie about it. I'd like to find out what the hell happened to cause him to buck like that. I know I've speculated many things, but, I'd like to hear from his point of view. But, it seems I've been sort of blocked when it comes to hearing him talk about this topic. I get nothing at all.
My vet is a chiropractor, (the same one that hears the horses) and she was out working on his neck the other day. The good news is, she did find soreness, if you can call that good news. I guess it is somewhat of a relief to think I finally found the big reason. Since his session with her, he just FEELS different. I don't mean to the touch. I mean his energy. He feels more calm, more relaxed. Which is a really good thing for Scottie. LOL I was standing next to him the other morning while he was munching on hay from his hay rack. I heard his neck popping just from the small motions he was making with his head. I'm thinking this is good. So I began to give him Reiki. You must know that he normally is a little stand offish when it comes to receiving Reiki. He usually turns away and I feel nothing at all, almost like it's not even flowing. Not this day. He seemed to melt into it. Like he really enjoyed it, and I felt quite a bit of flow coming form my hands.
I figured this would be a good opportunity to talk to him about this incident. So I calmly started talking to him about our ride that day, asking about the bucking. Almost immediately I heard him respond with, "You weren't listening. I tried telling you and you didn't hear me." Wow, I was a bit surprised. I'm thinking, where did THAT come from????? I tried to gather my thoughts and emotions, and simply responded with, "Ok, I'm really sorry. Next time there's a problem, can you please find another way to tell me? Even if you try and I'm not hearing it, you just CAN'T buck like that again. I promise I will be more aware."
Whew.
My website
Training tips and info blog
Since my fall I've been trying to talk to Scottie about it. I'd like to find out what the hell happened to cause him to buck like that. I know I've speculated many things, but, I'd like to hear from his point of view. But, it seems I've been sort of blocked when it comes to hearing him talk about this topic. I get nothing at all.
My vet is a chiropractor, (the same one that hears the horses) and she was out working on his neck the other day. The good news is, she did find soreness, if you can call that good news. I guess it is somewhat of a relief to think I finally found the big reason. Since his session with her, he just FEELS different. I don't mean to the touch. I mean his energy. He feels more calm, more relaxed. Which is a really good thing for Scottie. LOL I was standing next to him the other morning while he was munching on hay from his hay rack. I heard his neck popping just from the small motions he was making with his head. I'm thinking this is good. So I began to give him Reiki. You must know that he normally is a little stand offish when it comes to receiving Reiki. He usually turns away and I feel nothing at all, almost like it's not even flowing. Not this day. He seemed to melt into it. Like he really enjoyed it, and I felt quite a bit of flow coming form my hands.
I figured this would be a good opportunity to talk to him about this incident. So I calmly started talking to him about our ride that day, asking about the bucking. Almost immediately I heard him respond with, "You weren't listening. I tried telling you and you didn't hear me." Wow, I was a bit surprised. I'm thinking, where did THAT come from????? I tried to gather my thoughts and emotions, and simply responded with, "Ok, I'm really sorry. Next time there's a problem, can you please find another way to tell me? Even if you try and I'm not hearing it, you just CAN'T buck like that again. I promise I will be more aware."
Whew.
My website
Training tips and info blog
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