It's About The Horse

thebundychick · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:12 am Post subject:

So today - did the BM release on Rebel. I dont' think she's EVER had ANY form of Chiro / Massage. Being a work horse used for mustering I figured she'd have to have a few knots in there.

Boy was I right.

I'd started simply by grooming her, and thought she might benefit from a TMJ release. She really REALLY didn't like it. I quietly persisted for about 5 minutes, but she fought the whole time, threw her head up and down, pawed, paced, and tried to avoid the contact.

So i quit. I decided she wasn't relaxed enough for it, and wouldn't benefit from it until I'd done the BM release.

I left her alone for about 10 minutes, and then tried again with the BM release.

INSTANT reaction.

I was no more than 10cm down her neck when she started to respond, she tossed her head in the air and started to Flehmen (spelling?) her head came down and she immediately licked and chewed.

I slowly continued down her back, she was all locked up in the shoulder and then again in the whither. It took a LONG time for her to release those tensions, she would do a single lick and chew, then her face would harden again, and she would give another single lick and chew, and so on. The furhter down her back I went the more tense she got - and the more extreme the releases. In the beginning, when she was starting to get used to the feeling - she kept looking at Sante, and just before she released she would pin her ears at him, or look at him - I found that ver odd, that she constantly keep throwin looks at him, when he was standing stock still, asleep.

She Constantly shifted her weight, at one stage she actually picked up and put down all four feet in quick succession, front feet then back feet. Releasing her sacroiliac - she kept pushing her hips around, as in rotating them, and shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her face showed a lot - her eyes were drooped a lot, her lips & nose twitched a lot.

Sometimes she would tuck her head really suddenly into her neck, and then release, other times she stamped her foot and swished her tail and then released. Doing her sacroilic the second time she actually arched her hips INTO my fingers.

She yawned a lot, she shook her head a lot. I noticed that on the second sweep of the BM release all her joints started loosening up - she creaked every time she moved! It was phenominal! Everytime she picked up a foot, or shifted her weight, all the joints involved in that movement creaked or "clicked" as if they were realigning.

Very powerful stuff today. She is very tight in scapula, whithers and HQ

Some photo's to show the "happy stance"

thebundychick · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:52 am Post subject:

I have bought the new book & DVD. Can't WAIT for them to arrive

thebundychick · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:55 pm Post subject:

So!

The new book & DVD arrived!!

For anyone who has the first DVD, and had questions regarding it - you will get a TREMENDOUS amount out of the second DVD.

its almost as if Jim did a survey of people who had the first DVD, took into account all their questions and feedback, and then made the second DVD to compliment the first.

THEN there is the book that goes with the second DVD. Excellent!

Clearly laid out, LOTS of pictures breaking down the techniques.

Honestly guys - you don't need to have any experience with this in order to have success.

I went out yesterday afternoon and did some bodywork on Sante, I did the BM release, and both forms of the poll adjustment as well as the whither quiver.

It was a bit tricky - as its our summer here, and the flies were quite annoying, but all that aside - I STILL had raving success.

Got really good releases from his neck and sacroilliac in the BM release, and for the first time got releases running down the semitendinosus area.

Found the first poll release a bit tricky (Lateral Cervical Flexion) wasn't sure i was doing it right, but persisted, did the left, waited, then did the right, and just as i got to the lowest vertebrae, there was a very soft "pop", and Sante' just softened. I let him go, and he did the release that Uno did on the video - really shook out his neck and head, and yawned several times.

That really got my confidence up, so I decided to try the Head down / Head up techniques.

I actually had more success with the head up technique, and was thrilled when Sante was giving me the same expressions and looks as Uno and even the horse in the book, I also got another very powerful release.

I'm going back to review the DVD and the relevant chapters in the book to make sure I didn't miss anything.

This is just really awesome :D

misstux · Member Joined: 27 Feb 2009 Posts: 948

Thank you for the review. It has just helped me make up my mind to purchase the new material.

thebundychick · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:48 am Post subject:

So, it was my intention to ride today, however, a little too much "cheer" last night, saw me paying very very dearly for it this morning, and after finally dragging my hungover self to the paddock today, I decided against riding, and for more bodywork.

This time i worked on Rebel. Thats the benefit of having more than one horse! I can practise all week! :D

So, today was overcast, with intermittent rain, quite gusty and LOADS of flies, not exactly ideal conditions, but I didn't have any time frame or expectations - I just wanted to practice the contents of the new DVD.

The last few times I've haltered Rebel, she's been a little bit "yeah but" about it, going to put her nose in the halter and then deciding "No" at the last minute. So i spent a few minutes scratching her itchy spots, and just hanging out, when i finally asked her whether she wanted to be haltered, she stuck her nose in it

I've decided to do all their bodywork in the paddock. The paddock they are in is about 3 acres, with a massive solid timber shelter up one end. Its nice and shady, and provides great protection from the elements.

We wandered into the shelter and began. Sante was wandering around happily eating, and both horses seemed content to "just go with it" because they weren't being seperated.

I started with the BM release on Rebel. Very tight in the poll & neck, a little tense in the whither, and VERY tense in the hips / Sacroiliac.

She seemed to "sull up" or close down during the first sweep of the BM on both sides, and i was starting to think that today might be unsuccessful because of the flies etc, but by the time i got to the second sweep, ALL the tension she'd been storing, just let go, Lots of yawning, lots of head shaking - the type where they stick their nose right out, and shake all the way through from their nose to their tail,lots of tongue rolling.

Did the same Lateral releases on Rebel, but with more immediate success. She gave visible releases with each adjustment, shook all the tension out.

also did both head up & head down releases, HUGE success with the head up releases, i really like that one, its a bit tricky at first, but once the horse realises that it can infact rest its head on you, they become putty in your hands

sandra smith · Member Joined: 01 Apr 2011 Posts: 50

Wow!! That sounds like a good book to order. Is the name of same as the name of this thread?

I'm enjoying a book Zen and Horseback Riding Applying the Principals of Posture Breath and Awareness to Riding Horses. It so well explains the psoas and how it helps in riding posture.

It may have been someone here that suggested the book. If so, thanks. If not, I will suggest it to anyone who wants to have better and more effective posture while riding.
If only I had all of my year end reports done so I could devote more time to reading it. Also, the temps could be a bit warmer than 0 so I could ride. HA HA I want a lot for mid January in Maine don't I?

Sandra

CarolynAnn93 · Member Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 65

After reading this, and the responses I got on my thread in the General Chat, I ordered the new book and dvd. I read through a few sections of the book yesterday and tried the bladder meridian technique last night, as well as the lateral cervical flexion, and the head up/down this morning. Before getting the material, I was thinking this was going to be simple and easy and what not, but I felt so nervous while trying it on Belle! I was so scared I was doing something wrong and I felt so clumsy. The fact that I STILL got releases was so cool! Watching her yawn and yawn and yawn after I clumsily attempted the cervical flexion was so neat. I know I wasn't doing it totally right, and I'm going to watch the dvd before trying anything else, but I definitely see that this stuff works! So cool!
_________________
Just playin' around with...
Belle, my super pony! (6yo QHx, in my avatar)
Lizzy, the old lady. (21yo QH, Seb's momma)
Sebastian, my work in progress. (3yo QH)
www.assuredhorsemanship.com