The Way of the Medicine Horse*

MareSpeak is a form of equine communication I have devised that allows the horse to learn through remembering his connection to his mother, the mare.

 

The majority of all equines are familiar with and respond instantly to this method. Orphaned foals and / or improperly handled horses can take a little longer but they too will respond to the hard wired instinctual behavior I have used as the basis.

 

Through the use of storyboards I will show the basic methods I use to start or in the case of misunderstood horses re-start their training.

In the first story we are introduced to a two year old registered Paint filly who comes with the description ' pushy with no manners '.

We are told 'She doesn't really lead'......

Location: Lady Luck Stables, Lantzville, BC.

Owners Sara and Tyler Van Kesteren

April 4, 2009.

Photgraphs courtesy of Brandi Meyer, Gabriola Island

 

 Two Year old registered Paint filly with her owner Sara.

In this photograph Sara is explaining to us the problems she is encountering with their relationship.

 

 

 We notice in this first introduction that the filly quietly yet purposefully pushes Sara from time to time and Sara responds by quietly stepping back and out of the filly's space.

Notice the filly's overall demeanor and facial expressions.

Her ears are back, her eyes are partially narrowed, her lips are held firmly and overall she looks as though she has a brick sitting on her forehead.

When I 'read' this filly I see she has Crown Energy which is not flowing and wants to move off the body.

As we worked with her it became clear that being in close proximity to other energy beings such as humans expounded the Crown Energy which caused her distress or pain. 

In order to address her 'poor manners' (lack of direction and understanding) and to work with the energy we began as follows:

 I began by explaining to the onlooking participants in this workshop about the silent yet meaningful dialogue the filly had initiated and had been engaged in without Sara's awareness and how she (Sara) had been replying, again without awareness. 

 

 

 

I gave her the opportunity to begin some dialogue which she initiated as a slow 'push' with her nose into my space...this is the horse's way of asking if I need her to lead.

 Be reminded that she had initiated this dialogue with Sara earlier.

I began my response to her by first forming the thought 'no', setting my facial expression, expanding my energy and rocking toward her..

 

 When she failed to move away or even suggest with an eye movement that she was thinking of moving away I crossed her 'back and away' from me.

 Be reminded that Sara stepped back and away when the filly asked the question 'do you need me to lead?' by pushing in to her space.

 

 

 

 

As her resistance came up, so did mine to match and exceed 'just enough' to get the break over.....then I immediately turned it off.

 

 

 

Notice her off side leg is still in a position to move away again if I should require it. One 'correction' and this filly is understanding the language of her mother, "Do not push me and do not get ahead of me".

 

 

 

 

This photograph shows an imitation of the 'mare' about to swipe down on the rump to insist that the filly  move forward. I had already turned up the energy by beginning from a slight twirl of the rope and it had escalated to this 'swipe'.

 

 

 

 

She shot forward in response. I stopped the forward motion, settled her back in next to me and continued.

 

 

 

 

We moved around the ring. Notice my eyes are focused downwards. This filly had been showing me since we first met that she was very connected on the finest levels. Since she had been inadvertantly asked to be leader in the past she had picked up on 'where we were heading' and was really trying to get there. By dropping my eyes and focusing on right here, right now she was able to settle in and relax.

Also notice my hands are soft and / or open.

 

 

 

 

In this photograph not only is she walking quietly beside me, she is matching my 'lead' leg and stride.

 

 

 

 

I took a few minutes to speak to the group prior to turning her loose in the ring to do some work.

This also allowed me a moment to release some more Crown Energy. I have placed my hand where I felt guided to do so. Her lips have softened, her eyes look less 'pained' and one ear is beginning to turn forward.

I try to establish basic mare ~ foal communication prior to beginning round pen work. I want the horse to be expecting to hear from me through thoughts and energy. Once established or the 'reminder is in place' it takes mere minutes of a few up and down transitions and you have a horse ready and wanting to move on to do more...

 

 

 

 

An example of a stop, turn to the inside from thought and very little body language.

 

 

 

 

Once the filly had a solid understanding of walk, trot, canter, change of directions and halt her owner was brought in to the ring to begin to establish a new relationship.

 

 

 

 

A much nicer presentation between the two of them. A solid beginning to a very bright future!

At this point I decided the filly would like to move forward and so I asked Sara if she would like to witness a first saddling. I think she thought I was kidding her... but I explained that if the filly was in my program I would simply continue on with her. She had remained relaxed, she had not needed to break a sweat or be afraid at all.

So we moved ahead! While Sara and her husband Tyler went to collect a saddle and blanket I prepared the filly by adding a few more exercises.

 I cast the rope to the 'offside' of the horse.

 I apply light pressure and when a slight resistance is felt I raise my right hand and 'flutter' energy toward her right eye. This is just enough 'pressure' to have her move off in the opposite direction.

 She gives to the feel fully...

 ..and completes the turn in.

Through this simple exercise many things are established. Of course the obvious is that there is a rope swinging down and around her rump! but more than that she is learning to trust 'where I am not'. She is learning to follow the feel into the space  she does not expect to be led into.

This sets her up for many future successes. Success when a leg swings over into that area. Success when she is asked to step off in that direction. Success in following a light feel. Success in disengaging her hindquarters at the end of a simple turn...and so on.

This also creates trust like no other!

 

 

 

 

 

To introduce the saddle blanket I approach and blow/snort onto the pad...then blow out softly through my lips to tell the filly I have checked it for 'life' or to see if it is safe and have deemed it to be safe.

 

 

 

 

She remains nonplussed as I swing the blanket toward her and on to her. She is attentive and present but not reactive.

 I set things up for her to investigate at her leisure and from various angles and views...notice she is not being held. If she needs to move her feet to feel safe..she can.

Once she is comfortable checking things out I will pick up the blanket and we will 'chase it'. I will hold it in front of me and together we will follow it around. This establishes confidence.

Then I will place the blanket on her back and take it off..on..and off.

This is very critical in all aspects of training...you have to let the horse know it is not forever.

They have no concept or frame of reference of anything we introduce to them whether it be picking up a foot or getting on their back. They must be assured and reassured that it is temporary!

 

 I had only JUST begun to form the thought to approach the saddle when this filly decided she would be the one to 'speak' to this potential predator.

She approached, nudged it, bit it and when nothing happened stood quietly.

 

 

 

 

 

She deemed it safe and so I picked it off the rail and we 'chased it for a bit'

 

 

 

 

Please note she is not being held....she has not been round penned for ANY length of time..not a hair turned..

 

 

 

 

..and I simply swing the saddle onto her back as though it had been done a million times...from both sides.

 

She is still free to move her feet if she needs to. I am being VERY CAREFUL not to be CAREFUL!

 

My approach is steady and matter of fact. When you take it slow and easy you scare the bejeezes out of horses. You as a human being are a predator and when you move like one you confirm that fact if there was any doubt at all!

 

 

The filly had just begun to have a tiny bit of apprehension so I moved to her Root Center, rubbed her in small gentle circles at the top of her tail just as her mother would do if her foal were afraid..and the fear disappeared. The cinch was drawn up and we went for a walk.

This group of photos did not contain any of the girth done up snugly and the filly quietly walking off but I have another group to look through and if I find some I will continue the post!

Had time allowed and if this filly were older and more mature we would have continued on and put her first few rides on as well.

 

We began our day by meeting each other over coffee in Sara and Tyler's home.

I introduced my thoughts and concepts on energy patterns and associated behaviours with the use of diagrams and written information.

We moved outdoors to the round pen where I suggested Sara choose which horse to begin with. She chose her five year old mare Lady. Sara explained that the mare was very good but during saddling exhibited stress and would attempt to stiffen and take her back away. To me this signifies a lack of flow through the Heart Center as the first and foremost area with discomfort.

Sara led her into the pen and I began to balance her energy system. I showed the group how to check for areas the horse would like you to work on by watching the signifcant patterns of eye blinking. This is very useful to the novice or someone who doesn't feel the imbalance clearly. I demonstrated how easy it can be to work on horses from a distance by stepping back several feet and motioning around the tail head which the mare immediately responded to by whipping her tail.

 In this photograph I am working on the Solar Plexus

 

 

 Working on the Root Center

 

 

 Opening the Heart Center to allow better flow of energy. The mare is showing me that her Root and Solar Plexus are flowing into areas with more flow than she has felt in a while.

 

 Working on the Crown in the down position which allows for grounding and an abundant flow of energy to be released easily and without causing undue stress.

 

The mare is moments away from softening her muzzle, opening her jaw and releasing through a series of yawns.

 

 She had placed her head in this position under my hand for a release through the skull.

 

 She then stepped ahead of my hand and stopped here..at the Brachial Chakra which some (including me) refer to as the soul return.

 

 She turned to connect through eye to eye contact as she was opening.

 

 

 In this photograph she is breathing quite deeply onto my right temple and face which is an area where my flow of energy has been restricted from a former paralysis (Bells Palsy)...she is returning the healing.