View Full Version : Horses as Healers - Meet the 4-legged therapists
Spirithorse
10th January 2014, 21:21
As my forum name suggests I love horses, sadly though I don't have any in my life at the moment.
With growing interest I have been researching alternative ways of being and working with horses, and horse/human relationships are developing in fascinating ways.
People slowly begin to see horses in a different light, they start to recognize them for what they really are - powerful and wise spiritual beings.
This thread is intended to be about alternative ways of horsemanship
.
Horses and healing
Well, that of course makes us think of people healing horses, physically and /or emotionally with means like Osteopathy, Reiki, animal communication or horse whispering...
In the following you will see the roles reversed - you see horses healing people, physically and emotionally. The video below shows Liz Mitten Ryan's horses at work.
Liz owns a 320 acre ranch in BC, Canada where her herd of horses lives in a way a wild herd would do. They are free to roam or to come to the house as they wish.
Whenever Liz runs her workshops or retreats, the horses are there, right at the healing table....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knNcxwRq2cE#t=0
Sean Cullen
10th January 2014, 22:37
Hi Spirithorse,
That is an awesome video! It so wonderfully and gently shows that we are communicating continuously, effortlessly, and silently with our friends, the horses (and no doubt all life on this planet) in a way that we have mostly forgotten.
I hope that someday, we all can become healed so that we can truly share this wonderful planet with every horse and every lifeform.
Thank you for this beautiful post!
Seán
Spirithorse
10th January 2014, 23:31
Hi Seán,
Nice to see you here. Yes, that's my ultimate dream actually - living self-sufficiently on the land, in a community with like-minded, spiritually aware people, plus working with horses in alternative ways that bring healing and harmony back to the world.
Tesla_WTC_Solution
11th January 2014, 00:09
Horses are indeed very beautiful creatures.
This video leaves me in tears.
It's good though that they are helping people.
Carmen
11th January 2014, 00:30
Hi Spirithorse, I have horses and enjoy their company. They are all unique and different. I generally run them all together and they have a definite hierarchy. It's best to acknowledge the boss horse first as that is kinda the protocol. My retired trail horse "Cheeky" is the boss horse. He is nineteen, and is a chestnut cob. He has the distinction of having been in Lord of the Rings. That was before I owned him. I actually recognised him in the third movie!
The biggest of my horses is eighteen hands, that is 6' at the wither, which is just in front of where you sit on a horse. His name is Sampson. I took him off my teenage daughter at the time because I was scared he would kill her! He was a very scared, abused horse and at his size, very dangerous. I could not sell him on either as he was unsound and I would have hated anyone else to mistreat him. So he is retired and is a gentle big giant now.
Follyfoot is the little Arab gelding I trek on. He is a great wee horse that I "started" myself. That was a real "bucket list" accomplishment! My kids got sick of me bragging about it!
I have two breeding mares and a half share in a welsh cob stallion. My Arab mare "Bella" has a filly foal at foot by our stallion. It's a real wee cutie. Her name is "Rosie O'Grady". Our stallion is called "Livingstone Gladys" and he is about twenty now. We run him with the mares when we want them to breed, so it's all very natural. Gladdie was a bit of a rapist when we first bought him as he had been lent out as a "teaser stallion" for a year (a very frustrating job for a virile stallion!) Anyway, my friends two mares were big buxom Percheron cross girls and they beat the crap out of him for his raping tendencies!! Did us all a big favour, including him, as he is a very polite lad with his girls now!
That's just some of them, there is twelve altogether. My intention is to start and train my young ones and sell them to the right people. I use Clinton Anderson's natural horsemanship and it works a treat.
I have found that when horse and rider are really bonded and working well together the horse will reflect its owner in many many ways, so that when an attitude or habit is corrected in the rider it will be corrected in the horse!
Amanda
11th January 2014, 01:17
A local woman in my community has engaged in training with regard to Horses for Therapy. She has horses herself and it appears that as an extension to her love for her animals that she now has additional avenues to utilise the majesty and power of animals to help others. The passion with which she speaks of her horses and the additional training she has undergone is evident - I feel the therapy just by listening to her speak to me of her journey. I imagine working with her and her horses would be quite powerful and transforming.
Animals are amazing and they add so much to our lives merely by their presence - when we can live with them without violating their natural ways - that is a day I yearn for and will welcome when it arrives.
Much Peace ...to all the animals with whom we share this planet...
Carmen
11th January 2014, 01:55
Has anyone here read "The Tao of Equus"? It's a wonderful book that explores one woman's journey with horses. It also covers horses as therapy. Truly wonderful. I was especially taken with the story of a troubled teenage boy. At the time the author was rehabilitating an abused black Arab stallion. He was so full of testosterone fuelled anger at how he'd been treated and it perfectly mirrored the boy. Worth getting and reading this book.
I have had some experience of harsh treatment of horses causing their spirit to leave, a human induced helplessness. Horses will faint and just give up. It's awful and dangerous as they have no sense of their own self preservation. You can tell by there eyes, the fire is gone!
Tonya
11th January 2014, 04:55
The Horse Boy is a film documenting parents searching for a solution to reach their autistic son after trying drugs and other therapies. The only breakthrough they have is when their son is on the back of a horse. He becomes calm, content, and reachable...
onawah
11th January 2014, 05:28
This is so synchronistic.
I have a friend, a pet psychic and a Reiki healer, who had a horse named Sueno (it means friend), and she said her horse was the one she went to for healing.
I invited her to the Avalon forum a couple of days ago, before this thread was started, assured that she would find a lot of kindred souls here.
I've sent her the link for this thread, and if this doesn't convince her it would be worth her while to join, I don't know what would.
There is a woman with a horse ranch near where I live who offers riding therapy to disabled and troubled kids.
She doesn't speak of this aspect of the therapy to most people. but she confides to a selected few that it is not at all just the riding that is therapeutic, as the contact with the horses themselves, and the people who she employs to assist the children getting on and off the horses and holding onto them while they are riding, who are also healers--and they make sure to get lots of hands on contact with the children.
Thanks Spirithorse. I have always loved horses too, and being healed by horses is high on my list now of things I would love to do.
It's not even so much riding them that appeals to me, as just having contact with them and communing with their beautiful spirits.
More synchronicity! I posted this a couple of days ago on Theories of the Deep Understanding of Things
https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1557653_10152205847183185_634275343_n.jpg
"Not the ones speaking the same language, But the ones sharing the same feeling understand each other..." Rumi
araucaria
11th January 2014, 09:04
Normandy here is horse country, and therapy is one area where horses are used. I know that psychiatrists have sessions with poneys for autistic children - which is good for the children and probably helps the psychiatrists and their reputation...
jsb_swampfox
11th January 2014, 12:18
thanks for the wonderful thread
Spirithorse
11th January 2014, 12:25
Thank you soo much guys, for your stories and inspiration.
I want you to meet many more amazing horses and 'horsepeople' here, so please watch this space, there's more to come...
Spirithorse
11th January 2014, 12:36
These pictures are from Liz's latest newsletter and show a course participant with one of the horses in a moonlight session.
It's small in these pictures, but can you see the purple light between the two?
Spirithorse
11th January 2014, 13:04
Hi Spirithorse, I have horses and enjoy their company. They are all unique and different. I generally run them all together and they have a definite hierarchy. It's best to acknowledge the boss horse first as that is kinda the protocol. My retired trail horse "Cheeky" is the boss horse. He is nineteen, and is a chestnut cob. He has the distinction of having been in Lord of the Rings. That was before I owned him. I actually recognised him in the third movie!
The biggest of my horses is eighteen hands, that is 6' at the wither, which is just in front of where you sit on a horse. His name is Sampson. I took him off my teenage daughter at the time because I was scared he would kill her! He was a very scared, abused horse and at his size, very dangerous. I could not sell him on either as he was unsound and I would have hated anyone else to mistreat him. So he is retired and is a gentle big giant now.
Follyfoot is the little Arab gelding I trek on. He is a great wee horse that I "started" myself. That was a real "bucket list" accomplishment! My kids got sick of me bragging about it!
I have two breeding mares and a half share in a welsh cob stallion. My Arab mare "Bella" has a filly foal at foot by our stallion. It's a real wee cutie. Her name is "Rosie O'Grady". Our stallion is called "Livingstone Gladys" and he is about twenty now. We run him with the mares when we want them to breed, so it's all very natural. Gladdie was a bit of a rapist when we first bought him as he had been lent out as a "teaser stallion" for a year (a very frustrating job for a virile stallion!) Anyway, my friends two mares were big buxom Percheron cross girls and they beat the crap out of him for his raping tendencies!! Did us all a big favour, including him, as he is a very polite lad with his girls now!
That's just some of them, there is twelve altogether. My intention is to start and train my young ones and sell them to the right people. I use Clinton Anderson's natural horsemanship and it works a treat.
I have found that when horse and rider are really bonded and working well together the horse will reflect its owner in many many ways, so that when an attitude or habit is corrected in the rider it will be corrected in the horse!
Hi Carmen
Lucky you, living with so many horses, and thank you for sharing your stories. You're so right about the horse being the reflection of the owner/rider.
Horses are mirrors, and brutally honest ones. That's why they are so ideal in therapeutic work.
Is it any wonder, considering how screwed up many people in our current society are, that there is so much fighting and abuse going on in the horse world? - but it is changing, thank goodness.
You might have heard of Stormy May's documentary 'The Path of the Horse'. She has recently made the full version available on youtube.
Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQUMAJCh1fA
Becky
11th January 2014, 14:36
Hi Seán,
Nice to see you here. Yes, that's my ultimate dream actually - living self-sufficiently on the land, in a community with like-minded, spiritually aware people, plus working with horses in alternative ways that bring healing and harmony back to the world.
This is a really good dream/vision to have. I'm sure you will be doing this, sooner rather than later, hopefully :-) Thanks for sharing these beautiful videos.
I'll try to figure out how to attach a pic of me with a horse!
Becky x
Becky
11th January 2014, 14:44
https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/575534_589876811037266_710364589_n.jpg
Here's a link to a pic of me taken last early summer. I was with my friends horses for that day and we practiced all types of healing on the horses. My favourite way to feel their energy is just to have my hands a few inches away from their skin. These horses were so relaxed it was funny - a couple of times they just seemed to collapse onto the ground - but they were fine :-)
Becky xx
PS the thing over it's eyes is a fly net - my friend said her horses like wearing them - they can see through just fine
Spirithorse
11th January 2014, 17:40
Here is a personal story about my relationship with the horses.
I've been attracted to them all of my life, starting from a very early age. I took up riding lessons when I was a child and in my teenage and early adult years I spent a considerable part of my life in stable yards.
But seeing it from my perspective now, I always felt, deep inside, that something was missing but didn't know what it was.
Fast forward to 2011. I started with shamanic work and journeying. Being more the intellectual, mind-orientated person that I am, (working hard on changing that :-), I tried to overcome my (un)conscious belief that I won't see or get anything anyway - and if I did, it was because I made it up somehow.
In one of the sessions my teacher asked me to go on a journey to meet my spirit guide (totem animal). If a being would show up I should ask it 'Are you my spirit guide?' as if it wasn't, it would disappear but if it was, it would stay.
I was actually surprised that certain images came to my mind - some birds, a stag. - I asked him ' Are you...?' and he disappeared. Then I saw the silhouette of a white horse standing next to the path I was walking on. I asked him 'Are you...?' and in that very moment I felt tears welling up in my eyes. He stayed and I mainly saw his dark eyes in front of me. After that I felt as though I was skipping and jumping along the path.
In a later session it was revealed to me that my future work would involve horses. Again, I was in tears and every cell of my being was screaming YES,YES,YES! Yet I wasn't given any information about what kind of work that could be - I still don't have a clue.
I love the way Liz works with her horses (video in opening post) but sadly, she lives on the opposite side of the world.
I've been calling out to the Spirit of Horse, and somehow I feel I will be guided to where I need to be and to do what I'm supposed to do.
Carmen
11th January 2014, 19:56
Thanks for this thread Spirithorse. Horses have always been my passion. As a ten year old I would bike five miles to clean out a stable. Just to smell and touch a horse!
I work with my horses from an inner perspective, from the Spirit of Horse, usually! One of my horses is a solid rose grey gelding I call Trooper. I did all the initial ground work handling with this boy and he was an absolute joy to work with. A big soft booby who just wanted to be loved. Before he was gelded we did breed him a couple of times and he was a wonderfully polite and well mannered stallion. Your avatar picture looks very like a picture I have of him. He is half Andalusian and looks like the Classic European warhorse! Anyway, I'm getting on in years and I decided he was too big for me so I gave him to my daughter and she took him to a trainer to be broken in. I was really shocked when I heard back that he was difficult and could buck like a fiend!! I really felt I'd betrayed him. It was awful. He bonded to me you see and had no bond with my daughter or this trainer. To cut a long story short, I took him back. When I went to pick him up, my daughters comment was "Good luck catching him". Well, he caught me, so my intuition was confirmed! My daughter Hannah is very good with horses generally but there was no bond with this one! So I will work with him again and find someone who falls in love with him and vice.versa. He would make an excellent dressage horse with his big movement.
Spirithorse
11th January 2014, 22:51
Hi Carmen,
I absolutely adore Andalusians, they are the most beautiful and expressive horses in my view.
I so can understand your feelings of betrayal towards your horse Trooper.
That's the sad but all too common thing, many horse professionals don't connect with the horses they take on. They use force as a means to get them to do what they're supposed to. You mentioned the 'Tao of Equus' in your earlier post, that was exactly what happened to Midnight Merlin (the black Arab stallion). His trainer wanted to break his will - but Merlin wasn't having any of that.
Many horses literally break, their spirit just leaves, others take on the fight become dangerously aggressive.
In the following short videos you see Klaus Hempfling.
He's a German who, for many years lived in Spain, in the Pyrenees and close to wild horses. Since about 15 years he lives and teaches in Denmark though. He's one of the most amazing horsemen I have ever come across.
Here are 4 short clips, 3 of them are about 25 years old and show Klaus working with borderline horses in Spain.
The main essence of Klaus' teachings is: You have to be a spiritually aware, you must have mastered yourself, before you can go to a horse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_LsoDoC9X_Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N4aM-tssyI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQULL3jA3TQ
Here a more recent example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHBDfSXTnPk
Bob
12th January 2014, 01:38
SpiritHorse, the spirit breaks, gets lost too with captive dolphin - I speak from experience there. Either the soul there becomes empty or they become aggressive. I have found the same with the horses that I have known. Thank you for pointing that out to the Forum.
Becky
12th January 2014, 07:38
SpiritHorse, the spirit breaks, gets lost too with captive dolphin - I speak from experience there. Either the soul there becomes empty or they become aggressive. I have found the same with the horses that I have known. Thank you for pointing that out to the Forum.
That's really sad. I think any form of captivity is hard on the spirit - it's the same for other animals...and humans too.
Carmen
12th January 2014, 23:58
Horses treated with respect and sensitivity so not lose their spirit. The spirit is the animating force, as it is in us humans. We ride the spirit, we are in sinc with it. When horse and rider are bonded and in sinc, the rider just has to think of direction and horse will follow. A good rider is a good leader and cues become very subtle. The communication is back and forward between horse and rider. It is a partnership of equals, but the rider leads. Also a good rider or leader is totally in control of their emotions. An emotional mess of a rider confuses the hell out of a horse and causes lack of confidence in the horse!
Spirithorse
13th January 2014, 13:13
Horses treated with respect and sensitivity so not lose their spirit. The spirit is the animating force, as it is in us humans. We ride the spirit, we are in sinc with it. When horse and rider are bonded and in sinc, the rider just has to think of direction and horse will follow. A good rider is a good leader and cues become very subtle. The communication is back and forward between horse and rider. It is a partnership of equals, but the rider leads. Also a good rider or leader is totally in control of their emotions. An emotional mess of a rider confuses the hell out of a horse and causes lack of confidence in the horse!
Hi Carmen,
Again, you're so right with all what you said in your post. I didn't intend this thread to be focused on Klaus Hempfling to that extent, but he gives such good examples in his videos.
He uses body language, decisiveness, mental clarity and telepathic communication to achieve the results he achieves. All deeply routed in spiritual awareness and self mastery.
Here another short clip from his early years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNXddsvAjOc
Spirithorse
13th January 2014, 20:33
The following is a video suggestion from Carmen, who didn't know how to upload the video.
The guy is an Australian horseman with the name of Carlos Cabernaberri. I hadn't heard of him, but hey, I live on the other side of the world.
The message is pretty much the same, decisiveness, gentleness and respect... and you can regain a horse's trust.
Carmen is doing a clinic with Carlos early next month. I hope she will share her experiences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCYGyFUwi4I
Spirithorse
13th January 2014, 21:44
This is an older interview with Liz, whose horses you can see at work in the opening post. Here she speaks about how she came to write books channeling horse wisdom.
It clearly shows - there is only one consciousness and it connects all living beings.
The wisdom shared in her books is so profound that she won several book awards. Except from her website:
>In three years Liz and her horses, cats and dogs co-authored four books and won nine Independent Publishing awards. One With the Herd won five IP awards and The Truth According to Horses won a coveted Silver Nautilus Award , in company with Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle and the Dalai Llama, making Prima the first horse in history to win a literary award. Life Unbridled, co-authored by the horses, cats and dogs, won a gold Ippy and a gold Indie award.<
The way the horses in this video take part in the interview is quite amusing. (These were not her horses though)
http://vimeo.com/1840081
Spirithorse
14th January 2014, 09:31
This is just a quick notice to you guys that I will be away for a week, not sure if I have internet access where I stay.
So, if there are no new posts from me it's because of that. I will be posting more when I'm back. And if any of you feel they want to post related videos or pics, or share stories, please do so. x
Becky
17th January 2014, 15:55
Have a fab time away Spirithorse - sorry I didn't get in touch before you went xxx
spiritwind
17th January 2014, 16:28
I do believe that horses in general can be very healing to be around. I happen to live where there are 4 horses and I feed them every morning as part of my chores. Very interesting to watch the pecking order. There is one that is lame and used to be the head honcho and she is now in last place. I have to get kind of tricky to make sure she gets enough to eat. I have miniature goats and it was sooo funny when we moved here to watch these 15-16 hand horses acting like they were afraid of them! When I took my goats for a walk the horses would run, buck, snort and carry on. Hilarious. I’ve started bringing them carrots and apples slices (w/out the seeds!) and they think I’m pretty cool now. They are very attentive and have even alerted us to someone on the property not too long ago when the property owner’s dogs had totally fell down on the job. I’ll try to get a good picture of them when they come up and check out the goats.
I am going to watch these videos that have been posted here as soon as I can because…I am going to go look at a 2 year old section A Welsh filly hopefully this weekend. She is only 10 hands, so pretty small, but just right for my 6 year old grandson. I need a horse like I need a hole in my head, especially since I have 4 pregnant goats due to kid in about 6 weeks, but I can’t seem to get it out of my head. I did a bit of trail- riding about 10 years ago on a POA mare named Foxy and I can’t hardly think of anything more enjoyable in every way. One thing that really saddens me is the number of unwanted horses now, especially since the economy has been so challenged and hay prices have gotten so high. And so many want to get rid of their older horses after being in the family for years. I have personally seen how depressed a working horse can become when his lifelong owner suddenly doesn’t need him anymore and sells him to someone who just lets him sit out to pasture. But, things happen and sometimes you do have to make tough choices.
Love this idea for a thread Spirithorse and hope you are having a good time wherever you are!
Spirithorse
18th January 2014, 20:38
Hi Spiritwind,
Nice to see you here, I hope you will enjoy the videos.
Yes, I understand what you're saying about so many horses having a hard time... those just 'parked' on a field are probably still the luckier ones. So many are being neglected as people don't have the money to look after them/ feed them properly.
It's so sad to see so many beings suffer these times, people as well as animals of all kinds.
Please keep me updated on your filly, will you?. I'm not really familiar with 'hands and feet' I'm metric, you know. Unless you can give me her height in cm, I can't really picture her size. Will she only be for your grandson or will you also be able to ride her later on? It seems that you might have a story with this little Welsh girl - Horses often choose their owners for a particular reason. That you can't get her out of your head is a good indicator for that.
spiritwind
10th February 2014, 15:39
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b546/laurie_thompson1/Skittles_zps73cefa3f.jpg
Hi Spirithorse
Well, you asked me to let you know how the horse thingy was going. I know the last time I communicated with you I told you that I wasn’t going to look anymore when I couldn’t connect with the last one I was going to look at. Yeah, I said it would be wise to wait until after my goaties all gave birth etc. (3 weeks to go!).
I don’t know if I told you that I don’t always do what seems logical by most standards. I brought home 2 goats in my car in Oct. of 2012 when I still lived in the city to the surprise of everyone who knew me. I couldn’t fit the horse in the car though. Anyway, to make a long story short, I went and looked at Skittles yesterday, a 9 year old POA that belonged to the guy’s daughter who was now in college. My niece went with me as she has been around horses all her life. It was a long drive in snowy weather but we made it. And, I fell in love. My niece even loaned me the money (yeah, I know, crazy huh!) and we bought her for $500, which was one heck of a deal. She went and borrowed a horse trailer and is going to keep her for the next week and ride her and get her tuned up for me since she hasn’t been ridden much the last 2 years. But my niece was able to just tie her lead rope around on her halter, jumped on her bareback and rode her around the yard. What a dream girl. Very bright look in this horse’s eyes and now I have to get some tack. All that we used to have got burned up in a friend’s house fire a few years ago. My husband wants to get me an Australian saddle because I guess it’s good if you do a lot a trail riding (which is just what I am going to be doing). It has the flaps on either side to keep you from falling forward when you’re going down a steep hill.
This is the only picture I have right now (from the Craig’s List ad). I’ll take some better ones when I get the chance. Anyway, an exciting new adventure begins. Woo-Hoo.
Oh yeah, and she's about 14 hands high. I didn't know either but I looked it up and a hand is about 4 inches. So, a 14 hand horse should be about 56 inches tall. I think Skittles isn't quite that, but close.
Carmen
11th February 2014, 05:57
Carlos Tabernaberri is a fabulous teacher. I really enjoyed his clinic. I would describe it as the icing on the cake of all I have learned previously. He is extremely gentle with all horses and he interacts with all the participants in a friendly encouraging manner. I feel as though I have have a far better bond with my little horse since I attended his clinic.
Spirithorse
13th February 2014, 12:48
Hi Spiritwind,
That's fantastic news! She has a very bright and inquisitive look in her eyes. It's funny how it works sometimes, isn't it? She was obviously meant to be with you and that's why it didn't work out with the other horse.
Falling in love with her is such a beautiful part of the story.
Yes, and please keep us updated how you get on with Skittles (funny name :-)
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b546/laurie_thompson1/Skittles_zps73cefa3f.jpg
Hi Spirithorse
Well, you asked me to let you know how the horse thingy was going. I know the last time I communicated with you I told you that I wasn’t going to look anymore when I couldn’t connect with the last one I was going to look at. Yeah, I said it would be wise to wait until after my goaties all gave birth etc. (3 weeks to go!).
I don’t know if I told you that I don’t always do what seems logical by most standards. I brought home 2 goats in my car in Oct. of 2012 when I still lived in the city to the surprise of everyone who knew me. I couldn’t fit the horse in the car though. Anyway, to make a long story short, I went and looked at Skittles yesterday, a 9 year old POA that belonged to the guy’s daughter who was now in college. My niece went with me as she has been around horses all her life. It was a long drive in snowy weather but we made it. And, I fell in love. My niece even loaned me the money (yeah, I know, crazy huh!) and we bought her for $500, which was one heck of a deal. She went and borrowed a horse trailer and is going to keep her for the next week and ride her and get her tuned up for me since she hasn’t been ridden much the last 2 years. But my niece was able to just tie her lead rope around on her halter, jumped on her bareback and rode her around the yard. What a dream girl. Very bright look in this horse’s eyes and now I have to get some tack. All that we used to have got burned up in a friend’s house fire a few years ago. My husband wants to get me an Australian saddle because I guess it’s good if you do a lot a trail riding (which is just what I am going to be doing). It has the flaps on either side to keep you from falling forward when you’re going down a steep hill.
This is the only picture I have right now (from the Craig’s List ad). I’ll take some better ones when I get the chance. Anyway, an exciting new adventure begins. Woo-Hoo.
Oh yeah, and she's about 14 hands high. I didn't know either but I looked it up and a hand is about 4 inches. So, a 14 hand horse should be about 56 inches tall. I think Skittles isn't quite that, but close.
Spirithorse
13th February 2014, 12:55
Hi Carmen,
Thank you very much for sharing your experiences. It's so good to see that more and more people want to learn different ways of being and interacting with horses and that people like Carlos can help many horses with their people problems :-)
Carlos Tabernaberri is a fabulous teacher. I really enjoyed his clinic. I would describe it as the icing on the cake of all I have learned previously. He is extremely gentle with all horses and he interacts with all the participants in a friendly encouraging manner. I feel as though I have have a far better bond with my little horse since I attended his clinic.
Spirithorse
13th February 2014, 13:36
In addition to Carmen's post I wanted to introduce you to a 'community' called HorseConscious.
www.horseconscious.com
The site focuses to some extent on the USA, but basically it's a global community of people who are practicing horsemanship in a different, more holistic way.
Founded by Mark Mottershead, a Brit, who now lives in Germany, the website gives horse people from all over the world a way to connect with each other and with the best teachers/ facilitators in the alternative horseworld. There are videos, blogs, therapies, tele-classes and a whole bunch more.
Most of the people featured in 'The Path of the Horse',
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?67283-Horses-as-Healers-Meet-the-4-legged-therapists&p=783044&viewfull=1#post783044
- besides many more others, are on their teachers list.
Carmen, maybe you want to suggest Carlos Cabernaberri to them?
You can subscribe to a free monthly newsletter, where you get the latest info and the opportunity to take part in 'HorseConscious calls' with their teachers (including replay links, in case you missed it).
They also have a full membership for a reasonable yearly rate, which offers you a whole lot more, exclusive trainings and webinars. I only have the free membership as I currently don't have any horses in my life - at least not physically.
Spirithorse
28th February 2014, 12:14
'An incredible Journey'
Found on the Horseconscious site here:
http://www.horseconscious.com/inspiration/toms-journey-continued
A family from Sussex in England embark on a pilgrimage to Spain with 15 year old daughter and their horse Maggie. 1000 miles on foot, with horse and wagon, they share their incredible journey, their transition from their old lives as organic farmers in Britain to a something more worthwhile in the Spanish Pyrenees.
All the way guided by the horses.
Spirithorse
1st March 2014, 14:53
Interesting Info for all horse lovers and equine facilitators.
Starting Monday 3.3.14
For 30 days (1hr session/talk per (week)day available for free for 48 hrs)
HEALING WITH HORSE TELE-SUMMIT 2014.
http://healingwithhorse.com/TeleSummit.html
You have to sign up for it but it's free.
For a preview of the guest facilitators, scroll to the bottom of the page.
I attended last year's Tele-Summit and it had lots of amazing horse people on board. Dr Jennifer Oikle and her horses are the initiators of it and it sure will be an inspiring experience again.
Personally, I find her a bit difficult to listen to, but she is sincere and the information and the facilitators she invites are well worth your time.
spiritwind
25th August 2014, 02:12
Hi Spirithorse, I just had to pop in here and share a word about horses as healers. As you know, we did bring Freckles home in February this year. So it has been 6 months or so. I don’t claim to have much experience even having a horse, let alone much experience in riding/training etc. For me it really is about healing on many levels. You see, when I was about 9 years old my adoptive parents made some deal with a neighbor and brought home a pony. It was supposed to be for me, but I was told I could not do anything with her unless someone else (parental figure) was there with me. My parents were not into spending time with me so basically I never even got to interact with her. I had good reason to fear breaking rules. My much older sister, who had experience, could not even ride this pony. So, this didn’t exactly instill much confidence in me either.
I knew there were subconscious reasons for wanting a horse so bad, but it wasn’t until she was in our life that I have begun to understand on a deeper level. I had to go through somewhat of a major controversy where we were living at the time just to keep her, and I realized that this incident from my childhood was actually one of the reasons I still have trouble sticking up for myself today. By standing my ground in regards to her I took a big step in my recovery. We have now moved again and I once again have had to pull up from the depths of myself to keep her in our life. Since the woman we were caretaking passed suddenly we were faced with having to move with 9 goats, 2 cats, and a horse. A big chunk of income suddenly disappeared too. To most, the logical move would have been to lighten the load of responsibility so to speak.
Instead, we decided to move back to a very good friend’s rural property that is quite wild and not at all conducive to this type of adventure. A lot of back breaking work has already gone into making a place for them all. As I went out there this morning I fully realized that it has been the right choice for us. She is now a part of our family and just her presence is so wonderful and healing to be around. We have slowly been getting to know and trust one another. And I do believe that once you gain a horse’s trust, there is just nothing quite like it. Strangely, just her smell makes me happy.
I have been taking the 7 female goats we have on walks every day. I wasn’t sure how that would go, not having done it before. It’s amazing. They already respond to our whistle and absolutely love getting out and getting to eat whatever appeals to them. They don’t wander off when we are with them as I feared. And now, I want to eventually get the horse so that she can go with us on these walks. I have always done things kind of my own way. I may read and get ideas from what has worked for others, but tend to come up with my own way of doing things that works for me. I flat don’t listen to people who try and tell me I can’t do whatever, or that what I am doing won’t work. I have proved others wrong so many times I’ve lost count, which has actually really helped my ability to trust in myself. That is a very good thing, I believe.
Thought you might enjoy getting an update and this seems right in line with your original post. She looks quite funny right now as we had to get a fly mask for her when we moved her here. They immediately set upon tormenting her (the flies) and now she looks kind of like the bat horse because it’s a little big on her and the tip of the ears flop over on the mask. I’ll have to get a picture. She’s quite the talker too. And she knocks her water bucket over (until we put a weight in it and tied it to the fence) when she wants attention. A 1200 pound brat!
spiritwind
21st August 2015, 15:58
Outstanding little video on the trust technique that was used with these rescue horses.
http://www.facebook.com/TrustTechnique
Strider
2nd September 2015, 13:37
Hey spiritwind it's funny you found that about the trust technique as I actually went on the workshop earlier this year. I wrote about my experiences of it here http://www.talkingtoanimals.co.uk/the-healing-power-of-the-trust-technique/ if anyone is interested. It is a wonderful way to help the horses, and any animal.
norman
26th April 2024, 15:57
Viral horse spotting breaks out, or is it that horses are tuned to a more informed channel.
Bloody Horses.
https://t.me/disclosetv/13813
disclosetv/13813
edit:
The story:
ZLvVyP9lzL4
https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1783441571947450511
1783441571947450511
https://t.me/Qrashthematrix/80185
Qrashthematrix/80185
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