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humanhorsebond · 5 years

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What focuses the mind ...

Strip grazing, muzzles, bare ground, restrictions of movements, feed times,

All these measures focus the mind. And not on the things we want them to focus on.

When we tell ourselves we are on a diet ... doesn't it make food chocolate supper sized in the mind... restrictions just make the need worse.. once we let go of the diet we pile it all back on.. we didn't help ourselves we just focused the mind in that time. Made it loud in our mind that we are over weight we aren't allowed to eat we aren't allowed because of our health ... all negative thoughts of focus.

We can make everything becomes a resource to guard, our temperament changes, all we think of is that thing we can't have.

I'm looking after an old friend, she sadly has dementia, how I guide her needs are crucial. I mean crucial! to her emotions and her deep conscious of self.

Her self esteem her feeling of self reliance are very important as memory logic and forethought all begin to elude her, so much so she will become aggressive if she feels the need to guard those last shadows of self, the self she once was.

I have learned to always make sure her fridge is full ...but never let her see me filling it. We could try to not become the one our horses see provide ... then they no longer need to guard all others from us?

I don't tell her I'm coming to bathe her ...that would trigger anger frustration. Effectively feeling she isn't choosing or deciding her own life.. which unfortunately she cannot any more. I say "today is pamper day"... we bathe, we wash hair, we have supper made and we have something fabulous ... films or documentaries put on ... until bed.

We can do many things without taking away autonomy, at least in the mind set if not strictly the case.

What's all these things to do with horses?

Well a lot... how we do things can boost the individual, create a feeling of control... which in its own way makes it easier for that individual to let go to us. The road is always easier if all make effort to keep the esteems balanced.

I'm not providing .... it's just there.

I'm not holding a burden and neither are they giving up self. This is I feel a need of horses too.

Restricting food grass ...whatever, for the sake of our horses health isn't the only answer, it's just one of them which we can do that bit easier. But how does that effect the mentality of the horse, when we are the ones restricting. Deciding always everything for them.

When we need to lose weight ourselves we take care to revue our diet. For the horse too... but the truth to real long term health without frustration anger ... resource guarding is to motivate the "mind" by actively doing something that you or they really enjoy doing.. may be swimming dancing tennis ping pong ball... what ever makes it easy to get more active... the same for our horses.. motivate them and do more activities.

Long walks on the lead... differing terrains water even... woodland, all with a friend if possible. Find out what the horse loves, may be free schooling over some poles, a jump, agility. Anything which gets in the way of eating but creates activity. Without focus on that restriction.

Yes that means we not only have to think harder and do more... but we have all these amazing memories to build too...

Both with our horses or those that we sadly need to care for.

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humanhorsebond · 5 years

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Trauma...

Trauma turn this into resilience empowerment. #empowerment #trauma #resilience

💥Trauma💥

When I was very young we had horses on a grass river bank. Long and narrow ... it seemed to go on forever.

Every evening after school I’d have to go with my sister to this river field to count the horses... make sure they were all safe... it was winter now, always dark after school...

... a horse was missing ...

in the moon light ... torch trying to clarify, counting them in ....one....two three four .... where is five??? I could only count four ...

I looked and looked... the other horses running around me obviously distressed.

This freezing moonlite darkness... ice on the grass, wind strong and biting...

I couldn’t find the last Horse..

I kept searching trying to make sense of shapes and shadows the torch light flashing across the other horses bodies... my sister calling to the missing Horse... the herd with us were drawing us back to a spot .. nearly knocking us down very distressed... then I heard a sort of snorting ... trembling breathing ... snorting... a very dry sound a very desperate sound.

The torch light shone down into the river bank ... there she was... sunk deep into the silt, only the eyes and head above ...she was still trying to breathe.... it was freezing the herd had shown us where she was. This is along way from the road gate... along way from a phone to call for help.

My sister ran back to the road, back to the nearest house to call for help.. I went into the silt, so cold my breath was taken... tried to hold her nostrils up out of this black stinking silt... each time she fought she sank more .... her breath so harsh so exhausted.

A fire engine (rescue truck) came after what seemed a life time of horror watching her try to stay alive, my sister now in with me holding her head up... the truck drove as close as possible ... I was by then in the silt... this freezing black sucking mass way too long.

I ... trying to hold the mares head up. I’m begging her to not move... each time she fought she sank deeper into the blackness... almost out of sight.. her body hard now with the cold. Mine lost the sense of touch ... frozen fingers bumping into hard cold horse muscle..

The fire rescue team and me pushed hoses under her bottom and chest ... they inflated the hoses with air which lifted her slowly up...this seemed to take forever each time the hose slipped and let her go again. Now I could not control my own body with such deep cold, couldn’t think ... all I could do was see her deep glistening eyes.... we’d never get her out, she’s going to die there my frozen mind declared to itself.

The hoses did get her close to the surface ... then we wrapped her in them once again...the fire rescues engines inflated them whilst pulling her up onto the bank side...she was stiff, ridged.... stone cold... the moonlight showing her body mass as though she had already died.... all I could hear was the rhythmic hummm hummm of the fire truck engine and her trembling breath trying to stay with us ...trying to stay alive... I was by now uncontrollably shaking ... none of my arms or legs would move willingly... she was much much worse than I.

The fire truck team removed the hoses off her body, we carefully placed a head collar and rope on her ... they began to hose her off with preheated water from its engine, the stinking silt slowlyflowed away from this hard rigged body of a dying horse... This water warmed her body, this warm water giving the chance of life...

My father had now arrived with rugs and the trailer to take her home, if she could stand, if she chose to fight still to live.

Her black eyes looked at me her nostrils snorting for breath through out this ordeal.

These only things that she could move whilst deep in the black shiny silt.

Warm water steamed on her tight cold body... her body, now shaking violently ...trying to warm itself...

She tried to stand ... then fell ... almost fell back into the river.. this nightmare continues ... my heart in panic.. “no don’t fall in again... please don’t!”

The team wrap hoses around her again, inflate the hoses again and again .... then drag her across the grass away from the rivers edge.

She doesn’t fight it..her body slides across the frosted grass.. now flakes of snow falling in this moonlite darkness... it’s snowing... the wind swirling the snow thick around us, my eyes focused on hers ..those black glistening eyes looking at me.... I’m holding her head up as they drag her towards the trailer.

They release her and hose her body again with hotter Water ... they hose me too and my sister ... she fights to get to her feet ..falls on two men knocks them aside.. then fights again to reclaim her feet falls forward ... where four men lean hard on her to support her. She’s standing but using all her remaining strength. All of us have to hold her there until she can feel what her bodies trying to say to frozen limbs.

she leans hard on us.... there’s grunting of effort to hold her on her feet.. I pull on her tail then she braces, opens her stance wide and seems to hold herself .. more hot water is pumped onto her dark now softening body .. she’s shaking so violently, her whole body seems uncontrollable like mine.. but I could now feel... and that wasn’t necessarily a great feeling to come back....the pain of the blood warming was incredible ... almost stoping me breathe ..I looked at her eye she was feeling the pain too..

My father wrapped her in rugs and we manage to manoeuvre her to the trailer she walked in ... almost slammed to the front ..”my god please don’t fall now... stand up girl, please stand up.. I say in my mind"

The pain is easing now in me ... the shaking of cold coming back to her and me.. both of us wrapped in blankets we push the partition over to support her and we slowly try to drive the 1/2 mile home.

She’s still snorting for air that dry sound is softer now her body softer.. her eyes still reaching into me asking for help. I’m trembling deep inside my body ...forcing the words out “hold on girl ... I’m with you, I feel it too”

She falls ... a moment... throws herself back up now a wide stance ... this stance she holds.

We are there... we are home, but can we get her out safely into the stable... the fire rescue have followed us. Snow now very heavy.. flakes still shinning in swirls as the wind drives them into my now feeling face.. I must be warmer now... I can feel the flakes of snow on my skin. Hot burns of snow.. on this face of mine.

She looks at the space in front of her ... a slope, then a step into the deep bedded straw filled stable... lite up and looking so warm and welcoming..

My mother ready with her blankets from her bed.. we didn’t have heating in our home those days only one fire place heats the whole house... so I’m used to no heat at night .. just bury my body in the old Victorian quilts... so heavy I couldn’t turn over.. but oh so warm..

My mother had carried hers this heavy feather filled quilt and the electric blanket over to the stable in readiness.

The fireman team all support each step the mare takes.. she falls, runs forward, slams into the step with a hoof..... stumbles, nose dives.... fights and hurls her self up it crushing one man to the stable door post.... he yells out in pain...she seems to understand and lurches forward quickly releasing him from the crush against the door post..

“She’s in... she in ... my eyes crying now... body still numb, the shaking continuing my teeth hurt now ... god knows why?’

My mother places her own beds electric blanket on the old mare ... then the Victorian heavy feathered quilt over that ....she had plugged in, the electric blanket waiting warm for our arrival .. now so warm I don’t want to let go of it when placingit on the mare.

We ... my sister and I, wrap straw around each of her bone cold legs.... bandage them up carefully. With fingers refusing to obey the brains requests.

“Come on Kharon ...she’s colder than you!!’ I say to myself...

She stands her head low, her eyes exhausted... her body soft an steaming .. she’s plugged into the electric blanket.. she looks huge in the quilt standing 16 hands high and another three inches of feather on top.

my sister is sent off to the house.... she doesn’t want to go... my father looks at her and my mothers says .. “go!..... get into the bath and stay there until you stop shaking.. the fire in the house is lit and ready... hot soup on the stove... take it with you to the bath... she then shouts at her ... GO!!!.... your no use dead... I’ll send Kharon in a minute... GO!!!!!”

I’m finishing wrapping the old mares legs. Fingers obeying, slowly the movements seem now to be my request... my body coming back to MY command.

My mother thrusts soup into the hands of the fire team rescue... we all sit on bales of straw my father throws around the mare... feeling elated looking at the cut fingers and the bruised faces ... the mare had struggled to stand thrashing...hitting the men hard in their faces.

we have her safe, she’s still standing and now falling asleep ...

I shout out ...”don’t fall asleep ...nooooo don’t fall asleep!”... I fear she will not wake the shock will take her....

My mother says “drink the soup... I won’t let her sleep just yet .. she rubs on the mares neck and her eyes lift in response... my mother barks at me hurry get the soup down you... go to the house and get into the bath”

I never disobey my mother she’s the most loving... but you dare not cross her ...

I try to run to the house ... only some 100 metres away from the stable, my legs are just way behind where I visualise they should be ... falling forward into the snow I look up ...I see the fire team leaving... truck lights red ... pushing through the now thick snow... the red lights fading into the distance .. I turn back to the glow of the stable ... “she’s still standing ... I’ll hurry have a bath and return to her.”

The morning light shines in so bright... heavy snow ❄️

Reflecting all the bright light into my room...the glass of the window frozen inside ... the curtain half closed, now frozen to the glass.

Seems I’d fallen asleep and my mother had carried me with my older sister to my bed...

I’m in panic now.... all the memory rushes back ... did we get her out? ...Yes!...

but is she still standing?

Is she alive??... my mind frantic to get answers ... Pulling my clothes on...

Oh.... ouch.. my god ... every muscle feels ripped apart by the efforts, the cold every part of me hurts...

“Ok... she feels this much more than me .... come on! get your clothes on go see!!

I pull boots on ...blink as the snows brightness flashes into my sleep filled eyes.

There she is .... standing.... my parents wrapped up in blankets themselves ...

The old mare has just the electric blanket on her now...SHES STANDING!.... my heart seems to pump tears from me with joy... tears falling fast I say softly good girl... all eyes turn on me ... no one noticed me coming.. my sister holds me as I stumble towards the mare reaching out wanting to hold her in my now uncontrollable tears.....

The mare excepts my lean on her aching body ... my arms folding around her neck... shes so big.. I can hardly reach.. then she lowers her head nudges me as if to say ... it ok ... I’m ok look... see I’m eating hay... the sound of munching... her body swollen ... her legs thick.. my sister has re wrapped them..

my mother and father took turns to be with her all night. My older sister and I had slept with exhaustion.

My mother says ... she didn’t move very much.. she wouldn’t go down to sleep... almost afraid to.. so she stood and slept.. my mother prodding her shoulder ...if the sleep seemed too deep... she was going to be ok... she really was.

This mare a 16hh Russian thoroughbred called Orgia was our families foundation mare, she went on to produce one more foal having had three... one being a kept stallion .. called Law Lord... another called Brunny who chose to raise her own foals and an orphan. Brunny actually raised this foundation mares last foal.. when Orgia died the following summer of a heart attack.. she left a three week old foal... Brunny her daughter was already feeding her... I believe she knew..

Orgia was our first ever horse... a broad mare ... I’ll never forget her eyes that night for the rest of my life...

I’ll never be able to have horses near a river...

I’ll never be able to hear that dry sound of a horse struggling for breath..

I’ll never be able to go search for a missing horse in the darkness without intense fear of the worst...

Yes a huge trauma for a 13 year old girl and her sister.

And this was not the last of it ... there was more to come..

💥TRAUMA.... we carry so much each of us... lets share the load... let it go from us..

Much love to you all in this group from a now aged 54 year old human that has witnessed such trauma in her life ... just like some of you xxxx

Picture is me with the old mares second foal Brunny...

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humanhorsebond · 5 years

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To all those grieving

To all those grieving....

Sadness and loss seem to be in the air.

If I could I'd stop the world turning for just a moment.

If I could just stop the breeze, the seasons the snow from falling for just one moment.

If I could stop every tear in the world for just one moment.

If I could lift every life in my arms for just one moment ...send all my love to shelter them and still this moment.

I honour each and every loss

I see and feel the pain of emptiness in your hearts.

For this one moment

All the universe must stop to Honour those gone to us.

I hold my breath.......

For just one 💕💕💕💕moment .....

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humanhorsebond · 5 years

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🏵What do you know about your horse...🏵

😬What does your horse know about you?😬

They know thats your car out of the many that drive past every day... the time you arrive they know they wait, they know so much by HOW you open the car door... your in a hurry... this is a brief visit. So no need to lift my head.

They know by each foot fall you make if your light, happy or your mind is heavy with thought of the worlds concerns.

They know by your pattern of doing... you bring the brushes, you collect the tools, the bucket ... the purple one, ahhhh my delicious food.

They know by your stride towards their face... fast and direct, that either your angry or chasing time or the stranger is waiting in a hurry to lift feet and make them feel different to what they were.

They know by your heart beat whether your anxiety is because of them or what you are needing to do to them... vet... May be, or is it we have to go into that metal box away from my herd again.

They know the smell .. your afraid ... their human is not safe when they smell like this. So I must be sure to get away.

They know by your tone, the calm in your voice... the slowness of questions that this thing may look like danger but we both must go through together and we will be safe.

They know that when your eyes are searching for their brown steamy gold... that they can make you light with cross laughs... pretending to be angry ... as they the horse nudge the barrow over just as soon as it's filled.

They know when the head collar comes fast... there may be no negation on the next steps they take. Mmmm what's this thing that you will make them take. Yuck and human says it will make the worms go away.

They know when you hang over the gate calling out their name ... you offer the head collar ... the horse knows to offer their head inside... this way there is a choice, we go on adventures, the outer world with our human and herd mate no need for concerns.

They know when your doing absolutely nothing... that laying beside you brings so much peace and joy. They can see the leaky eyes... feel the love that flys they trust their human to lay by there side... this world is put right.

They know when they blow in your face the smell of all your intensions feeds back into their senses... they know when they are safe.

All this and so much more they know about you.

''all of our senses should be used

to make sense of our horses"

For your horse knows way more about you than ever you will do.

Image thanks to Joanne Verikios she's so inspirational.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

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humanhorsebond · 6 years

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💥 Fear Why is it HEAR!💥

Fear comes to protect us... from destruction, from loss of mind and soul control .. from pain, from harm.. from the “what ifs”

Fear STAYS... to keep us contained from outward pain... the inward pain is then multiplied by fear.

Fear shuts us down, yet heightens us to many triggers... all the causes for this pain of fear to begin.

Fear is an enclosing circle ⭕️

Fear can be worse than the event that made it..

How do ...we... step out of the circle of fear ... the “what ifs”.... the vulnerability.

The flash backs ... the near death-feeling

The mistrust... the betrayal .. loss of all balanced judgement and logic.

Can we forgive what caused us fear..

can we understand this loss of self through fear?

how?... what! ... can we do to stop fear eating our minds.

🙏🏻First ...WE NEED...TIME!!🙏🏻

time is needed ... to feel protected ... we do need to separate ourselves from what caused this fear... so step back!

Don’t ask yourself to face going back to the place fear began just yet.👍

🍀CHANGE....🍀

Change your course...

changing patterns helps a great deal... change focus to another way of living and being.

This is not running from fear this is building YOU again. You have no foundations ...they were knocked down by this fearful event. This loss of control, loss of safety feeling of over whelming vulnerability.

Your house is rocking.. threatening to fall.

❇️Time.. Change Course.. Rebuild.❇️

Fill yourself... but this can only happen when you let go .. make space inside you to laugh ... feel the sun on your face.

You are grieving for what you’ve lost.. this old confidence, this ease of living without control from this suffocating fear... this grief shows as pain.

Pain comes in your body.. your body screams don’t risk yourself .. shouts don’t allow anyone in. Says don’t try again!

Trauma... it leaves tares everywhere ...

triggers like a “bullet from a gun... hit when you least expect.”

❤️Breathe.... ❤️

breathe in slowly... feel the lungs fill... and then slowly let it go... let all this tension this body pain this fear leave. Fill the void with NEW oxygen that calms every cell you possess... slows you down. Helps keep your better judgement and logic and less reaction.

❇️Change ❇️

Gives a new focus. Do things you have not experienced before.. develops confidence Self-esteem. Growth. A strong foundation.

Remember you wanted to sculpt?

May be you want to learn that language .. give your mind space to focus on something other than what created this fear.

🙏🏻Time🙏🏻

Grief seeps away, softens.

Your heart becomes easier

Laughter smooths the creases.

If you feel you want to go back to where you were before ... then make tiny steps.. think of yourself as just being with that past not .. “doing”... in that past just be with it. Don’t ask anything.

Like our horses after trauma we give them space to be who they are with those they understand ..their herd. 👍Time to reset!👍 we also need that time, never be or feel rushed.

Take a year may be two, to just be...

Slowly time builds trust.. for trust had left you on the floor .. left you to fear.

The road to you is seen now.. slowly you notice you can ..”DO” now.

We slow everything down ...

Until small steps are achieved .. no pressure, no pain, no harm, no lost trust.. because we sloooooow every need down.

The flash backs fade now.. we take control of our thinking through listening, respecting ourselves in this guard are body makes.

We ask for support.. we mix with change .. we share how we feel..

May be that Horse we fell from won’t be the first horse we lead .. won’t be the one we ride.

Ask another trusted soul to show you that horse you experienced this event with... is coming out of fear too, this horse went into fear because this event was too fast.. was not ready to understand. Was unpredictable in it’s happening, in its own fear it couldn’t yet look to YOU... but now that’s CHANGED.. YOU HAVE THAT SOLID FOUNDATION

You took the time to understand and build it step by tiny step.

In safe small ways.. we can ask this trusted human friend to allow you to see this Horse can be trusted again. And this horse can trust you.

Ground work ... just being.. watching this horse you love. Find your courage your calm by observation.

Remember. that Horse is feeling like you too.. trapped in moments of fear.

So don’t ask yourself to be together at first.. not until you want inside yourself to be with them this way again. Because you’ve built up the Bond again.

Two fears together create a storm..

You cannot help each other yet. So don’t blend x

Breathe ... soften ... become really easy and sloooooow...

Soon the you will return .. but a wiser, calmer understanding you!

Able to read your horses thoughts and support ready to really believe that spook isn’t to kill you ...and you’ll laugh! Let it go...

that fabulous feeling of ease in the canter up the hill steady.. trusting and as one will return.

Break the circle ⭕️ of FEAR!

Good luck ..I’m with you every step of the way.

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humanhorsebond · 6 years

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🔥 FIRE... AIR🌬... WATER💦 ... EARTH

Who are we? ....... And what is within our Horses?

To understand our dominant elements blended in each and everyone of us gives us the key to regaining the balance we all search for in our relationships with all life.

We are all mostly out of balance... our horses too!...

by seeking to understand our own elements we understand how we affect another’s ...

🔥 FIRE

your fast... decide quickly, confident, a doer more than a thinker, you are driven, hungry for momentum. You are confident out spoken, direct.

Your can be overwhelming, not a good listener, impatient, burn out in the speed of your consumption... you can seem to others as exhausting, don’t often stop to understand how your actions effect others in your path. You do ACT!... you are clear in your action, you create new growth ... clear away old resistant wood. You direct others, you are empowering in your energy.

Without you .... regeneration is slow.

AIR🌬

You are expansive, free in thought, creative, imaginary rather than a doer, you feed fire but equally you can smother it.

Your a dreamer, you can see the whole picture yet you don’t know how to implement the action, you have an inventive spirit, unlimited by that focus on the detail... yet you drift, you can be so changeable, temperamental. EMOTIONAL ... But without you we are not fed the emotions of life.

WATER💦

Your inspiring, you have a freedom of emotional flow, you are an empath, you understand every obstacle you touch intimately. You help others channel that emotion,that flow.

You struggle with boundaries your edges are way too soft, you feed everything at your cost of that smooth flow. You can feel depleated in your giving... even depleation won’t ever stop your flow.

You feed the earth, you quell the fire you fuel the winds. You erode the sharpe edges of life.

Without you we cannot grow in empathy and flow with endless possibilities.

EARTH ...

You are so grounded, so careful in all you consider, you are consistent, solid, dependable, stable.

You may appear slow...stubborn to change, an over thinker, a planner, you may be resistant to activate change... but once you understand and have tested the possibilities you are changed forever, never doubtful.

You hate drama, you despise haste.

You are the foundations of all growth, you weather all the elements so well.

METAL...

Metal... a fusion of earth fire water and air

You are mailable to change, you are strong in the presence of others yet adaptable.

You can absorb the other elements allow them to mould you, but still you stay so strong.

You understand others well. You bring out the best in other elements.

You are grounded.. yet wild, passionate, emotional, turbulent... yet all in perfect fusion perfect balance.

You are innovative in form, flexible, resistant and yet stay on your true self course.

You may rust ... bend ...melt.. be eaten by the earth... by those elements that formed you.

This fusion seems the greatest balance of all.

The element METAL.

We all have all these elements within us, we all need to feed one element for that balance in our lives.

To Recognise who we are is to except who we are not.

When engaging with people or horses we are continually adjusting to their elements and they adjust to ours.

Are we too much FIRE🔥 are we too much EARTH?

How can we combine? What do we need to embody in this bond?

So now we know ourselves...we can see why we either feed each other in balance or destroy flow!

Look at your horses who are they?... what blends do we have? what is out of balance?....

Now we can truly find balance in our bond without friction or burns without misunderstanding, stubbornness..reactivity and doubt. Without too much emotion or stubbornness to change.

We can find the elements we are lacking with the help of our realationships and that of our relationships with our horses. 😊🙏🏻

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humanhorsebond · 6 years

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BLAME....

😬Ok! this is about human BLAME ..(in the video)😬

But hey don’t we do this to our horses?

Don’t we blame the tack .. our yard, our friends, our finances, lack of time....When we foul our relationships up with our horses.

Do we say.... that horse is trying to kill me... instead of .... I’ve cornered my horse into this ... now he’s shouting at me cause I’m not listening.

Do we say ... he always spooks there!!.. what a fool!! he doesn’t learn!! ...

instead of ....I’m always nervous there! that’s where bad things happen I guess he feels my anxiety.

Do we say ...

bloody Horse won’t go into the trailer/float... I’m in a rush now!

Rather than ... I didn’t prepare him for this, I’m in a rush... my energy is forcing him ... now he mistrusts me he’s afraid and I’m making it worse by being angry.

Do we say he’s being stubborn and stupid...

Instead of I need to stop confusing him. I need to be listening to his concerns... Start again with something we both understand.

And why does he always mess about for the farrier??

I should remember.... he never sees him and when he does .... I’m so wound up even before the farrier comes...

instead of saying ...I don’t want him to make the farrier cross.. or something bad may happen, he’s such a sensitive boy ...I want the farrier to to be kind to him.

We always blame.... time to take a breath and look at the truth we don’t face x

https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/videos/1152248224816034/

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humanhorsebond · 6 years

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Routine

❇️Routine...❇️

There can be times where routine serves our horses and ourselves well.

Those times, may be, when we newly join them to our lives... our existing herds. When a Horse is thrown into an environment without the reassurance of familiar friends or familiar surroundings ... routine can help strengthen the security of the horses mind.

Well time goes by, routine becomes the pattern. Becomes so much the pattern.. the focus of the horses mind is only on that routine. The horse WAITS for the turn out, WAITS to be brought in, WAITS to be fed, WAITS to be riden. Waits to trot here... canter on that area there... work hard in that arena, he gets to know what to expect and therefore you find his response ... either excitement or resistance in this routine.. His whole life is A WAITING MODE!

❇️WILD horses have LARGER BRAINS than DOMESTICATED horses!❇️

Well of course they do! But why? .....

they have active predators, they have survival instincts to feed, they have to be AWARE... THINKING ... DECIDING... ASSESSING EVERY MOMENT!

where to find water, shelter, shade, forage... who to stay clear of and who to stay close to. They read the elements, to move to higher ground .. up to the mountain before the Sunami hits. They can feel the energy of an earth quake a storm, they know what to DO.... they have responsibility to find their herd companion, that shared trust and safety of the herd ... developed by wise decision making ....they can become a Matriarch, a leader of their own specialism. There’s much in a wild horses mind.

domesticated horses have lost brain size ... WHY?

They have no consistent herd.... so can’t establish their skills, their hierarchy is constantly changed ..

They have no constant decision making... well not nearly as much as a wild horse has.

They don’t need to read the weather because they effectively can’t do much about it..

They wait for us to feed so don’t look for their own... we decide when to take them out ... to rug .... or train all at certain times. May be even all on the weekends.

These events become a routine...a dumbing down a stagnation of thinking for our horses and in some cases for ourselves too, we get lazy to change and thinking.

❇️Of course it’s not an easy life being wild.. and I for one don’t want to throw my herd into that position of survival.❇️

❇️So what can we do to create a stimulated brain when we in our lives are forced into routine?❇️

❇️Horses with turn out 24/7 could still be stagnating in their minds.. the horses alone time...is it stimulated enough?... or do they just wait for the routine to kick in day in day out. ❇️

Does it stress them when we break that routine... do they get stuck in the waiting game... do they get angry when your late. Are we creating those jealousy’s, that resource guarding, that lack of movement, lack of social balance a fixed herd gives.

Suddenly dependency and resource guarding steps in .. jealously, domination, and frustration for each of those horses to control their own specific pattern.

Is it important to break the pattern....but still give a solid friendship a support from a herd and from us? .. do we cause separation anxiety?

Should we be doing many small things.. liberty with the herd... riding in the herd ...as well as fun things in separation, grazing... walks on foot .. hacks in woodlands beaches, mountain exploration... doesn’t always need to be ridden. Do they build confidence to be without the herd because they know they will always join again? They learn we keep them safe. We give them and ourselves an experience of adventure and fun.

❇️Should we be giving feed at a time? Can we omit feeds like this... Can we step away from being the provider a little.❇️

Our we drawing horses into stress ... that waiting ... that guarding of the gates from what are usually their closet Horse mates... suddenly they’re fighting them at the gate.

Are we creating trouble with routine and feed?

Is there a way to keep horses focused on their own doing, finding, searching, analysing ... using this brain as though they were more wild... as soon as routine of any kind is introduced the Horse goes into a state of WAIT at the gate.

❇️Then there’s the training ROUTINE... yes early on whilst in the unknown.. teaching the horse through a routine gives as much support as possible to their learning... and for us too, until the comfort of knowing comes in.❇️

If we respond accordingly to the Horse in front of us the agenda cannot stay fixed, we will respond, we may go into play... we may be firm in are ask ... we may change the direction completely because this isn’t the right day... we fall away from mind numbing routine.

Once routine has come to the Horse they no longer need to keep sharpe to the learning. They become robotic or resistant even bored, dumbed down switched off.

They begin to predict... anticipate prepare themselves to what’s needed and throw their learnt response in before we even ask. Our horses then read in advance ... respond by running off at the gate before we’ve even let them go!

Fluidity is lost in a programme that’s fixed by us.

❇️Routine can be a support to begin with, but as soon as that support is no longer required we seriously need to mix things up. Keep our Horse wondering.. playing.. trying.. learning.. growing in our bond.❇️

If we can keep our horses supported ... but still stimulating their minds, we will create not only a bigger brain, but a self sufficient.. thinking ... adaptable... happy, non dependant on us as much as is possible Horse.

By doing the unexpected. Creating self-confident horses which actively think for themselves... instead of them laying dormant in the routine of WAIT is a lot to gain for them and us.

❇️How many times have horses been purchased and they seem all we need in that place we tested them in.❇️

Now the routine is lost on their arrival to us...all their mental support is gone nothing is familiar.

And yet we demand that they respond perfectly to our routine ... and be that horse we bought and tested.

We are shocked... to find a horse completely in break down.. stressed nothing like the horse we saw or believed.

How dumb are we?

❇️Given time.. no asking. We become the trusted new friend. Sharing space and looking at exactly what this horse thinks, feels and responds to. This is the starting place.❇️

In this time .... which I believe should be as long as it takes, the Horse begins to see our place in their lives. This is where the Bond begins. We are not bonded by riding a newly arrived bought pony .. we are FOOLISH and ask to much from them and us to be safe. WE need to talk... share just like with humans, we need to asses the boundaries the reasons the sensitivities the depth of this amazing thinking feeling Horse.

We haven’t even talked... we no nothing of how they feel, they no nothing of us and our feel. Seems like an abuse put in these terms doesn’t it?

Like removing a human from all it knows, taking that human to a different country with different cultures and demanding it know what we want form it .. not what we can do to complement and support it. So do take time!

❇️Use the routine if it builds security then ditch it asap, be FREE THINKERS, stimulated joyful and responsive to what your horse is feeling ... not the programme you insist on doing AND BEING. ❇️

❤️Take the time to listen you won’t ever be sorry.. this is the Bond all must begin from knowing each other so well you think as one.❤️

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