It's About The Horse

ErinR76 · Member Joined: 12 Aug 2011 Posts: 506 Location: Austin TX

Here's a great story from one of my clients about how talking to your animal really works:

I didn't realize how fast a quarter horse could spin until I took Rosie out in the traffic for the first time. When a quarter horse moves your surroundings blur for a nano second and then as if by magic you are standing in a different place to where you were a moment before. It's like quantum physics on four legs. Amazing. Especially for someone like me who had never ridden a quarter horse before.

When I first met Rosie I was struck by the expression of gentle resignation in her eyes. She was dearly loved and well looked after by her owners who had trained and successfully competed her in reining but she looked as though she was way over sliding stops and turning circles. She did everything her owner asked her to do and although he barely used the spurs and western bit she was well aware that they were there. Her reining days were over and her owners were thrilled that she was going to a new life of pleasure riding in paddocks and on trails and beaches. So was she. I promised her she would never be pushed again. No spurs, no bits.

When Rosie arrived I gave her time to adjust. I settled her in with a few gentle paddock rides but could hardly wait to get her to the beach. I didn't have a horse float yet and in my eagerness decided to ride her the seven kilometers to the beach.

As we set off along the main road, the only way to the beach, I thought I should explain to her where we were going. Anyone not familiar with animal communication would have thought I was crazy, but I didn't care.

And so I spoke softly to Rosie. I told her about the beach and how it was made of something like dirt but it was soft and pale and called sand. I told her it would feel soft under her hooves and there were no stones to bruise her. I told her about the ocean. How it would be the biggest water she had ever, ever seen. It was as big as the sky, I told her - and it changed color when the sky did. Today it would be bright blue. I spoke to her about the waves and the soft, rushing noise they made as they lapped the shore and how cool and frothy it would feel on her legs on this hot day.

In between the wild spins as the next lot of traffic passed she listened intently. Her ears twitched backward and forward, picking up my words as they were translated in the ether. After many more jumps and spins we made it to the beach. Even after my talking I thought her first sight of the ocean could be overwhelming. She had such a hard time dealing with the traffic I couldn't anticipate what she would think of the edge of the earth.

I slipped off her back to let her know I was beside her. As I led her down the track to the beach a beautiful calm came over both of us. She paused, her eyes full of wonder, like a little child as she saw the ocean for the first time. She slowly and calmly stepped her way down to the water. I led her in and she followed me with complete trust. We were both drenched and played and jumped around in the waves. There was not another soul on the beach, except for the birds. It was paradise.
Rosie and Debbie

When we came out of the water I jumped off a sand dune onto her back and we rode along the sand. A huge eagle came out from the cliff to observe us. Rosie stopped and looked. I reassured her she was too big to be carried away. She wasn't quite as confident to go in the water without me leading the way, but I found if we went in on an angle it was less daunting. If one of the waves was too scary she could scuttle out sideways like a crab instead of having to take it face on. But by the end of the ride she was happy to go past the little waves and into deeper water, bounding and splashing as she chose.

The ride back was just as treacherous as the ride there and we jumped and spun for another seven kilometers but we had the magic of the beach in us, so we arrived home exhausted, happy and safe.

With both of us bathed and fed, as I drifted off to sleep I had a realization that made me wonder about my intelligence. Why had I told Rosie everything she needed to know about the beach and nothing about the traffic which was just as foreign to her? She had been trucked from her home to reining arenas. She knew about the inside of vehicles but had never seen them as traffic, flying past on roads.

So the conversation on the next ride went something like this.........

'Rosie, I know the cars and trucks and bikes and buses look and sound scary but you have to trust me on this one. I love you and I would never, ever let anything hurt you. As long as we stay on the verge and we don't jump up onto the road nothing will happen. They will drive past us and we will just keep riding along. We are safe together, you and I, we look after each other.....'

On that ride Rosie's ears twitched backwards and forwards, listening intently, as we calmly made our way along the road to the beach.....
_________________
A horse is NOT a large dog that thinks like a person.

whisperingwindfarms · Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject:

Is this a great world or what? Thanks for sharing this!
_________________
Erin

Visit my Blog! http://havesavvy.wordpress.com/

MagicMandi · Member Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 42

That is just TOO cute! What a wonderful start to a nice, natural relationship!

It's amazing what a few words in a calm voice can do to a horse that trusts you. <3
_________________
Magic
By: Mandi Bodie
a lop-sided star and four uneven white socks
a tail held up high and mud to your hocks
you love to be spoiled, i don't mind too much
i'll give 1,000 hugs cause i love you a bunch

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

Great Sat. morning read.... thanks so much for thinking of us!
_________________
Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

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

coveredbridgefarm · Member Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 1626 Location: Missouri

That day at the beach will do for their relationship what dozens of clinics by BB, CC, PP and all of the other clinicians put together could never do, imo.

Larry

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