It's About The Horse

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4355 Location: Kansas

I'm so glad we have this place to come and share our somewhat woo woo thoughts. Here's another one, and it was my big aha yesterday.
Horses will often turn away, and we rape-cuddle them, anyway. We throw our arms around their necks so we can experience their love. We rub them, but our intent is to take comfort from the horse, not give it. I realized my intent was pretty important when I touch a horse. Am I giving, or am I taking? It's changed a lot how my horses greet me, and if they greet me. It all started watching Kris Graef and a horse. Her face went from human to angel when she touched Brent's horse. She gave love. She gave comfort. She sent that horse such lovely energy that even I could feel it.
I wasn't real sure what to do, but I felt my intent needed to change when I approached my horses. You give a handshake, you don't take it. You give comfort, you give sympathy, you give of your heart, right? Something you might think about next time you approach your horse, are you taking or are you giving? Are you being a soul sucking vortex (sorry, it's my favorite term for takers) or are you giving comfort, and love? Sending or receiving?
When my intent changed, everything changed. We've added a few more golden stands of connection. Because I changed my mind.
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"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4477 Location: Missouri

I've had these thoughts as well........ am I a user or am I actually interested in what's going on with them. I have one horse who really has taught me to be considerate of horses in general. She "yells" at me when I approach in a user type way....... her head tips away ever so slightly as if to say "I don't see you, please step back and approach again" If I see this, and sometimes I don't, she'll wait until I come back to my senses and then she'll come to me instead of me barging into her. The interesting thing is that she will ALWAYS come to me if she reads my intent as positive and connected. So glad that the old gal taught me some horse etiquette and manners

_________________
Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

Copious_Amour · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:47 am Post subject:

On the subject of "take" one of the notes I took away from my animal communication workshop is that animals talk, talk talk all of the time to each other. They also talk to us when they are puppies, kittens, foals etc and by the time they are 7-8 months old, they realize we can't hear them so they stop talking. That's a lot of ignoring of what they are saying don't you think?

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4355 Location: Kansas

I like to think of it like when you have a conversation with someone, but they just keep talking over you. After a while, you quit trying to say anything. Listening is so very important. Just shut up, already. Quit channeling for the horse, because he's probably not thinking what you think he is. Quit talking, quit that irritating touching, just quit and listen. It's getting to where I only say something if I have something to say. The chatter, and the touching has stopped. (unless we are mutal grooming) One stroke down the neck, and we are good. I make that stroke count, though. It took a while for them to trust that I was really hearing them. Once that happened, things got interesting.
_________________
"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4477 Location: Missouri

Funny what happens when you stop the incessant chatter...... it bothered my young mare at first! I think she thought that I had disappeared while mounted! The quiet seemed somehow scary to her I think

Trying to remember my mother's instructions: Only speak when spoken to, harsh at the time but much needed with horses.

_________________
Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

Copious_Amour · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:26 am Post subject:

Nancy, did you stop thinking in your head, or stop talking at Gem (I'm assuming you're talking about Gem right?) or???

One thing I cherish about trail rides is that it completely wipes my mind and thoughts clean. Come to think of it, the times I have problems with my rides are when I have a million miles an hour thoughts in my head about things that are bothering me.

The AC last night told me that animals read our thoughts but they get so bored about what we think about that they stop listening. When wanting to communicate with them, say their name three times in a row. This brings their attention in to you. She said that it is our duty to apologize for the human population. For what has happened to animals and what we do to them. Said it is important not to tell the past stories over and over again. If a horse came from a bad situation, don't tell that past story. The horse (animal) is living in the moment and we need to too. They aren't dwelling on that past and the more we retell that story, the more that will be the current life for the animal.

Said it's important to meditate before talking to animals or even being around them. It can be "painful" for their senses to deal with what is in our head. Said we're the only species that can't communicate to each other without talking. Said that is why Reiki on contact can be too much and an animal has to get up and get away, they can only have the treatment from a distance. Sometimes humans are "too much" and we need to ground ourselves. Just imagine and think of all the times you haven't been grounded near your horse, cat, iguana, rat?

I think we owe it to our animals to shut up and we owe it to our horses to stop touching their faces so much. Just my 0.2 cents

whisperingwindfarms · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:43 pm Post subject:

Copious_Amour · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 5:53 pm Post subject:

Thank-you for your comments on this Erin.

I oftentimes apologize to animals for what humans have done to them in the past and then move on to living in the moment. I do believe they chose to be with us in this world. The woman who I made these notes from stated that anything can be done in the other realm and often animals choose a situation to where they will come into our lives. Not sure if that is true or not.

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4477 Location: Missouri

I stopped the verbal barrage and commentary on all things, while riding Gem. At first she seemed to think that I'd disappeared. It was weird, she lost some confidence...... I was always whistling or chatting "with" her, I thought it would help calm her but..........maybe not. Now I am just speaking to her mentally and only when I think maybe she needs my reassurance. I also give her the occasional goooood girl, she really likes that

_________________
Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

Clarissa · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 6:42 am Post subject:

There is continual chatter at my place all the time!

It goes like this:-

ohhh pleeez fix this itch for me. I'll just put myself in the right place right infront of your hand!

ohhhh pleeeeez come to mmeeee & get this tick off me..... NOWWWW

I need my head rubbed nooowwww pleeeezzz. NO not her, come to meee. I need my back scratched.

come to meeeeee COME TO MEEEEE NNOOWWWW

I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY TURN. I NEED YOU NOWWWW I"M BARGING RIGHT IN!

Some days I can't stand the clutter of chatter!

But I agree with what Bit said about who is taking or giving & how horses quickly home in on it. I am always interested when visitors come to my place at how my hroses react to those people. Sometimes the horses mob an individual person even though that person might be scared of horses. Other times the horses seem to just wander off even though I have treats. I have to almost call them back to hold their attention.

I had that happen one time when people came to visit the person renting my cabin. They weere looking to buy a pony for the child but my horses had them sussed right off. Jude actually got a bit mean towards the man who wasn't ever closer than several feet from her. Goodness knows what happened with the old pony they finally got for free for the child. Heaven forbid if it ever played up in the presence of that man.

Even when I do get mad at my horses they just tease me more by not leaving when I hunt them away from the bush they are munching to the ground or the fence they are pushing over. They just ease away gently & stare at me & wait angryfire

Or they will swish their tail, stomp away a bit, eyeball me, sigh & wait........

If Sonny knows he did something not agreeable to me he will wait a moment then come in & rub himself on me without invitation. The other 2 will too to some extent particularly if they sense I wasn't really mad at them. I often put up a front of being angry about what they did but it's all bluff. You can't maintain firm barriers if you don't defend them. Cassie is the most affected & least trusting but like with everything she does, she is learning from the others how to read me.

It's almost like things here are turned around the other way from how they mostly are at many places where people keep horses. However I often withhold 'affection' or interaction with my horses if I think they are getting a bit too dependent or familiar. For a couple of days I will only appear at feedtime, feed them, hardly speak & not touch them, then collect up the buckets & just walk away as I say "that's all for today" which is the command telling them I'm gone til tomorrow & so no point hanging around.

Otherwise they hang on the back fence of the house, turn that area to dust, push on the fence to scratch themselves, not get enough to eat & generally get bored & find mischief. There are plenty of times when I play with them a lot or they area allowed into the house yard, but they shouldn't always expect me to be out there with them.

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Most of L4 PNH achieved WooHoo!! happy10

Copious_Amour · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 7:18 am Post subject:

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4355 Location: Kansas

Did an experiment last night with my daughter. We often take turns laying on the couch and one of us plays with the other ones hair. One night I get to lay there and she runs her hands through my hair, and another she gets to lay there. Last night it was me. I said, "I want to see if your intent when you play with my hair changes how it feels when you do it."
"What do you mean? Why?"
"I'm finding that my intent when I touch a horse makes a big difference whether they want me to touch or not."
"Intent?"
"Yeah. So, don't tell me what you are thinking, but when you play with my hair, give comfort and love. Then, do it thinking how you wish you didn't have to, or do it thinking how you'll get a turn if you just do it for a little while. Be selfish with it and see if I can tell the difference."
"ok"
I tell ya, when she did it with love, and focused her intent on giving comfort? Huge. It was amazing. The other way? Irritating. As much as I enjoy having her play with my hair? I felt like "turning my butt to her" and walking away. Interesting, huh?
_________________
"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

Copious_Amour · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:41 am Post subject:

Very interesting. Makes me wonder if that's why at the end of my head rub 'dues' it didn't feel as good to my mom? She made a deal with me. Ten head rubs and she would Psh my phone bill. At the beginning I didn't mind at all and she said they felt really good. But towards the end I just wanted to be done with them and that's when she said they just didn't feel that great anymore and I could work it off some other way.

Holy cow Deb. Intent works on humans too! Thanks for doing this little experiment.

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4477 Location: Missouri

Very interesting Deb! I never considered that aspect of touching; touching is just touching, right? Apparently not!! Will be trying this out, fun stuff

_________________
Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

misstux · Member Joined: 27 Feb 2009 Posts: 948

All this is really interesting. I can vouch for the hands on, hands off Reiki. I have tried hands on Reiki with 3 of my horses. Dusty and Scout both kicked at me right away. Strider did not, but he does prefer hands off from a distance, say me at home and him at the barn.