8.24.2013

It's not personal

I have said this to many students over and over again. I have seen people take their horses behavior, mistakes and communication personally if not very personally. Why do we do that?

Well, in my experience, there are several scenarios people feel like their horses' behavior or actions are personal. When a horse does not do what you ask, you assume he did it because he doesn't like you. He would do it for you if he liked/loved you. Another one I see is similar, He wouldn't do this behavior if he liked/loved me. You think your horse gets what you are asking and is purposely not doing it. You think your horse injured you on purpose. Then there's the idea that my horse should always want to be with me and should always want to do whatever I decide we should do.

Let's put this in another context. You probably have a friend, family member or partner that you are fond of. Have you asked them to do some task and they didn't do it or even said they didn't want to? Did you assume they don't like you? Did you think they were doing it on purpose? When someone does or doesn't do something it shouldn't injure the relationship. It is a difference of opinion or agenda. In healthy relationships, we talk about it and come to an agreement that is good for both of us. We also don't always want to be together and don't always want to do the same things as each other. Even if we care very much. I feel this way about my relationship with horses.
 
I never take it personally when a horse has a different agenda or idea then me. I am so grateful they allow me to ask for the things I do, It doesn't enter my mind. Look at it from their point of view. When a horse wants to eat grass when I am walking him, I don't think why does he want that grass when he is not supposed to eat it. I think of course he wants that grass he's a horse and I would love to give him some. Then we can have a conversation about how he could get some grass and when might be a good time to get some grass.

When it comes to being injured by a horse, whether it is being thrown off, kicked or bitten. As frightening and traumatic as that can be, I always know the horse had a reason for the behavior and that they are generally communicating something strongly to us when they do this. Just like they would to another horse. Sometimes, we don't see their small communications until they feel like they need to shout at us. Sometimes when I get a horse in for training that is supposedly behaving badly, I spend the first 30 days trying to see what that horse is saying and why he is saying it. I often find that the horse had a very good reason for saying what they said as unpleasant as it may be for us.

So if you find yourself taking your horses behavior personally, remember it's not. Just as I say to my horses when I may set a strong boundary, It's not personal I just need you to understand that this is not ok with me. And you know what? They don't take it personally. Oats for thought.

http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/ Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar



8.16.2013

Zoopharmaconosy Journal and upcoming Clinics

Barley Grass mustache
When I first started to learn about the Zoopharmacognosy, I was finding out what to offer and also because I have a good working knowledge of herbs, adding my own selections to offer. I knew what ailments and imbalances the horses may have and I let that guide the herbs I purchased. How interesting it has been!

I haven't been able to do it everyday as some days I can only offer a few things (I also run out!) or I couldn't be there. The days I did offer, I wrote down amounts and choices and found clear patterns and fascinating learning about my horses true needs. One thing I thought was, if you were worried about offering free choice amounts as some people are, It is at the very least, a good way to find out what your horse is really is deficient in and then supplement controlled amounts. So for example, Mercury really goes for the Rosehips in large amounts so I could easily see giving him a daily supplement of them and I think he would be quite happy! Rosehips have quite a lot of value as a supplemental and medicinal herb so I feel really good that I can give him what he is asking for instead of making educated guesses which I had come to find through using self selection were wrong despite my educated and well intended ideas.

Here is my list for Mercury(not consecutive days as I said and I was working out measurements as I got more accurate)
  1. Rosehips: several handfuls, barley grass: several handfuls, golden seal: pinch, licorice: 1 handful
  2. Rosehips: several handfuls, barley grass: several handfuls, Peppermint: pinch
  3. (Suspected he had Lyme around now) Echinacea: several handfuls, Rose hips: Container (square Tupperware)  barley grass: handful
  4. Rosehips: several handfuls, goldenseal: pinch, German Chamomile: several handfuls, Flax: Container.
  5. Rosehips: whole container, German Chamomile : half large container . Violet leaf (Essential oil) two drops.
  6. Barley grass: half container, Rosehips: half container, German Chamomile: Half container, Flax: Whole container.
  7. Barley grass: handful, flax: container, echinacea: mouthful, rosehips: container, kelp: Pinch, German Chamomile: container.
  8. Barley grass: mouthful, Chamomile: 2 mouthfuls, Dandelion root: pinch, Flax: container.
  9. Barley grass: mouthful. Rosehips: 1 pound. Chamomile: 1/2 container.
  10. Rosehips: 1.5 containers, Flax: mouthful
  11. Rosehips: container, barley grass: mouthful, chamomile: mouthful. Comfrey: mouthful, Astragalus: handful, Dandelion root: 8oz, Hibiscus: 3 handfuls. Flax: 4-oz.
  12. Rosehips: pound, Calendula: handful, Handful of Almonds! Garlic: 2 raw cloves.
  13. Two small pieces of raw Ginger.
I learned that he favors Flax oil (but not all the time), Rose hips (A lot but does not want them sometimes), and Chamomile (German and Non a lot at first then just a bit here and there). He liked Barley Grass in the beginning and took a good amount and now only takes it sometimes in smaller amounts. The Echinacea Angustafolia is interesting because I thought he might be getting Lyme Disease again and I did a few days of Lyme Nosode, he took a good bit of Echinacea one day and a pinch of Golden Seal and now seems fine and doesn't want it anymore. That's AWESOME! 
If you are interested in Learning more about this and having a session for your animal(s), Fiona Habershon will be here at my Labor Day clinic and is taking sessions for the week she's here. We are taking as many pre-bookings as possible. She does a 2 hour complete session with Essential oils and Herbs/oils and Supplements that it would cost you and I a a fortune to purchase and then offer in the precise way she does it. Fiona then gets what she calls a "health picture painted" through the Self Selection process. Here is the link to get an appointment. Schedules will be worked out over the week. http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2139011952 
Which leads me to the Labor Day Liberty-Line-Mounted Clinic. There is still some horse/rider spaces left due to some last minutes changes so if you are thinking about going sign up here and don't miss my only 3 day east coast Liberty-Line-Mounted clinic this year. Auditors need not pre-register and if you need to lease a horse for the clinic contact me. http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2138987660
On the heels of the Labor Day clinic is my second UK clinic this year which will be fun to to carry on with some of the people who went to the June one as well as some new faces. Register here for that one http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2138993665
It's a crazy busy time! But I am enjoying the journey. Hope you are too!
*Please remember to try Zoopharmacognosy at your own risk and do not offer things you are not sure about. 
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/ Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar
 
 

8.09.2013

Conflicting advice

Mecury and I are the final word for us.
Who hasn't been given conflicting advice in the horse world? Horse people are some of the most opinionated people. How do we know how to decipher what is right and wrong?

Well instead of looking at right and wrong let's call it different schools of thought or just plain schools. As a student of Horses and Horsemanship, I have made it my business to study as many approaches to horsemanship that I can and still do. My daily education and still most important teachers are the horses I work with. I learn from them everyday and I literally learn new things from herd observation and dynamics all the time.

I continually upgrade my knowledge because I feel that you can never know everything and there is always someone who knows more than you to study with. That said, as I found my own voice, I knew that certain schools of horsemanship and training were in line with my vision and goals and some weren't at all. As my vision on what I wanted for me and my horses became clearer, it was easy to see what approaches resonated and could be integrated into my existing way and make it better and more progressive.

Some criteria I use to determine whether to follow a school of thought or way of working is first I put myself in the horses place. I ask myself "would I like to be treated this way if I was in the horses place" if the answer is no. That's an easy one. Another interesting way of looking at an approach as I tell my students is, look at the whole method without judgement. Try to see what the exercises are trying to accomplish and what the desired goal is. Simply learn what the school is about. Then, if you are seeing some exercises and ideas that you can relate too but are not exactly to your liking, see if you can modify them to suit your style or your horses character. I often watch people work and get an idea and then adapt it to what I would like to do and how I like to work.

I don't discount a whole system of training because I don't agree with it. I see if there is anything I can learn and use with some "tweaking" to make it fit in with my approach.
For example by studying Dressage and merging Natural Horsemanship with Liberty, I was able to create a style that made each school complementary instead of contradictory as some would say.

Another important consideration is you and your horses' character and personality. People are drawn to ways of being with horses that match their personality. What resonates with one person may be absolutely horrible to another. Does that make them wrong or just different? Wrong for you, Right for them. Right for you, wrong for them. The bottom line is, are they happy and are they and their horse enjoying whatever they are doing. So are you and your horse happy? Then you are using the right approach!

Even in horse care there is much conflict of opinion. I always say for any 10 experts that say a food or supplement is good for your horse, I can find 10 that will say it will be detrimental or worse for your horse! So I listen to what feels right to me and then I ask my horse if he thinks it's right. Zoopharmacognosy has allowed me that option now. I also observe my horses habits. When horses are free to choose food and shelter and herd mates, you see a lot of what they really want and not what a bunch of human experts say is "right". Getting different opinions is a good idea when faced with difficult decisions and then go with what feels like the right path whatever it may be. Oats for thought...

We still have openings to see Fiona Habershon when she is here the end of August and the beginning of September. Contact me if you would like an appointment with her.
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/
Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

8.01.2013

Electra's first ride

Here is a video of Electra's first ride. She did amazing! Using the Liberty, Line, Mounted progression made our first ride easy and our communication transferred beautifully. I am so proud of her! I'll keep you posted on progress!
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/
Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar