Noir
On the eve of World Animal Day a big, black, beautiful horse called Noir was killed in our livery yard here in the Netherlands at his owner’s request. A true equine ‘gentleman’, this regal gelding was only nine years old. His death at such a premature age brought tears to my eyes but not just for Noir. It is a fate, I am told, that is typical for sport horses in this country. If this is so, then may Noir’s spirit cry through me to the heavens for an end to the institutionalised abuse or neglect of horses and a start to the humanisation of their owners. But where to begin?
Noir
It is not my intention to lay blame with anyone, least of all with Noir’s owner. Like many if not most of the 450,000 horses in the Netherlands (representing one of, if not the highest concentrations of horse ownership in the world), Noir’s condition began before he was born. This noble black beast was the victim of a breeding programme gone crazy. He was a huge, heavy, big-boned animal but without the legs and hooves needed to support his weight and structure.
Noir at peace with the world
Noir’s owner acquired him when he was five years old. He had obviously suffered abuse, because he was virtually uncontrollable. Yet she managed to bond with Noir (French for ‘black’) and to develop a close relationship with him to the point where he became gentle and accepting, at least of her, for he remained wary of strangers.
I do not know anything about Noir’s previous history but, if his life was typical of a Dutch sport horse, which was his breeding, then he was probably removed from his mother far too early in life for him to have learned all the ways of a horse. If he was then placed exclusively in the company of other foals of a similar age for two years, as is customary in this country, this situation would not have improved. If he was then broken in (the phrase says it all) at the age of three, as is also customary, his undeveloped bones would have been subjected to serious strain long before they reached maturity at the age of five. For most of his life he was likely to have been shod and stabled. The metal shoes would have reduced the flow of blood in his legs. Imprisonment in a stable for up to 20 hours a day would have done the same and as most stables have feeding bins at chest height, he would have been denied the health benefits of eating off the ground, which horses are designed to do.
Pain
In themselves, these are major handicaps for any horse to have to put up with. Yet on top of this, Noir was expected to perform. He had to bear a rider for up to an hour or more at a time. Frequently, he was lucky enough to do this in a relatively straight line out in the forest. However, there were also times when he was required to do this in what must have been for a horse of his size very tight circles in a dressage manège. The wear and tear on his oversized frame must have been enormous.
I first met Noir in April 2011, when Vicki and I arrived in the Netherlands and made arrangements for our mare, Anaïs, to be accommodated in our current livery yard. What first struck me about him was his noble bearing. He carried himself upright with a dignity and presence that commanded respect. Yet at the same time he was clearly exceptionally sensitive and gentle. He shied away from sharp movement but melted in the glow of a calm human presence. You had to be made of stone not to be moved by him.
Noir at play with Dora
In April and May earlier this year I had the privilege of conducting two sessions of The Equine Touch on Noir with Vicki’s assistance. You can read about this experience in my post of 20 May 2012 entitled It is in the Eye. As I mentioned at the time, we encountered a horse in pain. Noir suffered from stringhalt, was being regularly treated for problems with his sacro-iliac joint and had pain in his withers. He was still being ridden regularly both on trail rides and in dressage lessons. At a certain point Noir even made it clear to Vicki and myself that he could no longer handle Equine Touch sessions, so we stopped and reported this to the owner. And he was ridden.
Death
Finally, a few weeks ago Noir revealed that he had pain in his right fore hoof. Whether this occurred as a result of compensating for the pain in his withers, sacro-iliac joint, hind legs or elsewhere, I do not know. What I do know is that his hooves were in less than optimal condition, even when his metal shoes were removed and the walls of the hooves were finally trimmed down to a level which greatly reduced the chance of flaring and separation. Flares and other evidence of separation were still everywhere to be found on Noir’s hooves.
The vet came and took X-rays. It appeared that Noir had advanced arthrosis in his right fore hoof. Although not as advanced, there was also evidence of arthrosis in the other fore hoof. I am told that the overall conclusion was that there was no hope of remedying the situation and that, given the breakdown of so many other parts of his body, it had been decided to kill this big, black, beautiful horse.
Noir at play with Dora
I use the word, ‘kill’, advisedly. Yes, we have euphemisms for this act in the English language. We talk about ‘putting a horse out of its misery’, ‘putting it down’ or ‘euthenasing it’. Ultimately though, we are doing nothing other than condemning it to death and then killing it. There are some humans who claim that horses do not experience death as we do, that it is not an abrupt, irreversible termination. This is at odds with the concept of a flight animal, such as the horse, whose first and primary purpose in life is to stay alive every single day always in the moment that is now.
Noir was killed, put to death. And the great tragedy of Noir’s death is the same as that of every other premature equine death that can be traced back to the problems which Noir had to contend with: an approach to equine breeding, upbringing, training, accommodation, care and nutrition which can ultimately do nothing other than produce a horse that suffers to the point of its human feeling a need to kill it.
Abuse?
In my last post I wrote about abuse and, as Ian has pointed out in his comment on that post, I seemed to reduce the matter to one of personal accountability or responsibility on the part of the abuser. Since then I have thought about the matter some more. It seems to me now that the issue is not quite as straightforward.
Take the conditions which we humans inflict on horses here in the Netherlands as an institutionalised, commonly accepted way of life. I have been told by various people that the average lifespan of a sport horse in this country is eight years and that foot and hoof problems ultimately account for some 80% of sport horse deaths. Given that such horses should normally have a life expectancy of about 25 to 30 years, and that most if not all are forced to wear metal shoes – which the farriers assure us, is the best protection we can offer our horses’ feet – should we not conclude that such figures are evidence of abuse.
Yet abuse implies intent: the intent that a human has to abuse … in this case the horse. Do sport horse owners actually intend to harm their horses? There may be exceptions but on the whole I am not convinced that they do. All of the owners or carers whom I have met express love and concern for the horses in their care and spend large sums of money on their accommodation, nutrition, training, farriers and vets. So what is it if it is not abuse?
Neglect?
Is it ultimately neglect? The overwhelming majority of us who interact with horses regularly have been introduced to these animals as creatures that are to be ridden. Our interaction with them is mainly designed to occur between their back and our bum. And our knowledge of them is largely confined to whatever will facilitate that.
There are relatively few horse owners and carers who take the time to learn what being a horse entails and hence of really getting to know our horses, their needs and their preferences. We go with the flow and, like water, we follow the path that is easiest for us. We outsource care for our horses to livery yards, farriers and/or vets. In itself this may be logical but we also outsource our responsibility for our horses to them, refusing to accept that responsibility ourselves. And yet we claim that we really love and care for our equine friends. How honest are we when we do so, to our horses and ourselves?
Yet even those of us who are supposedly more enlightened are sometimes guilty of such neglect. I catch myself in such a situation more times than I care to remember. Only the other day I took Anaïs into the jumping arena to get some exercise as part of her weight reduction programme. It took her three times to show me clearly and precisely that she was resisting, because she was in pain when being asked to trot. Evidently, she had pulled a muscle. But why did it take so long for me to figure this out? Simply because I neglected to be attentive to the horse in my care.
Intent
There are of course situations in which intent is present, situations in which actual abuse occurs, because the human involved is intent on abusing his horse for one reason or another but ultimately for nothing other than ego, whether it takes the form of popularity, profit or convenience. Popularity and profit are self-evident motives for abuse and, as such, are frequently condemned out of hand by those of us who are supposedly more progressive in our dealings with horses. The outcry against rollkur is an example of this.
What of convenience? From time to time one hears stories of a horse being condemned to death, because it is supposed to be too aggressive and dangerous to be handled safely. Here the owner has a choice. He or she can decide to try and ascertain the cause of this situation and to find someone to help him or her address it, or he or she can simply take the easy way out and arrange for the horse to be killed. There are a growing number of humans who specialise in helping owners or carers deal with dangerous horses by rehabilitating them. Ignoring this option and killing the horse is simply abuse for the sake of convenience, unless of course the owner or carer is so poor that he or she simply cannot afford this option.
Where to begin?
It seems to me that the place to start when seeking to address the institutionalised abuse or neglect of horses is first of all to accept that it is happening and to recognise it for what it is. Yet we should do so without judging the humans involved. Apart from finding that we also end up judging ourselves if we do so, such judgement serves little purpose and certainly does not help the horses or the humans involved.
I feel that those of us who recognise the institutionalised abuse or neglect of horses need to try and engage with the horses and humans involved in a way which offers support for both, finds all the positive aspects in their situation and seeks to build on them. This requires a certain humility and a recognition that in the process we may learn and develop ourselves. Perhaps it is here that we can begin.
Hempfling’s promise
Hope can also be sought in the actions of those fine horse people whom we look to for guidance, such as Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling. In my last three posts – Taking Hempfling’s Advice, Horses, Humans, Pip and Body Language and Hempfling and Hope – I have drawn attention to eight videos that have come out of Hempfling’s current one-year course. All of them feature the oh so black and beautiful stallion, Habanero, belonging to Hempfling’s senior body awareness instructor, Jo Ross, who is currently attending that course. In none of those videos is there any evidence of Jo being helped to learn how to care and interact with her horse, although she is attending the course, amongst other things, to become a ‘KFH Horse Practitioner’.
In my last post I raised the question as to whether Hempfling will still be able to produce any ‘KFH Body Awareness’ and ‘Horse Practitioners’ – as promised in his publicity material – in the little time remaining of his current one-year course. I expressed the hope that he would be able to, and the confidence that he could if he sets his mind to it.
Coincidentally, within a week Hempfling released a video entitled Hempfling – YOU CAN RIDE – licensed teachers world wide, which is essentially a montage of sections of existing videos featuring Hempfling interacting with horses on the ground and in the saddle. These videos have been sourced from the DVD, Dancing with Horses, and clips posted on YouTube in the past few years. The only riding that is involved takes the form of Hempfling’s recent outings with Habanero during his current one-year course and sections taken from the DVD, which date from well before the turn of the century.
Hempfling – YOU CAN RIDE – licensed teachers world wide
In his latest video Hempfling announces that there are ‘now teachers all over the world’ and promises that we will soon have licensed Hempfling instructors worldwide. Presumably they will teach humans to interact with horses and to ride them without violence ‘the Hempfling way’, as the video seems to imply. This is encouraging news and is to be applauded. Surely he has the capacity to do this and we must hope he can.
Hope
Realistically we may therefore hope that Hempfling – one of, if not the greatest horseman on earth, if the hype is to be believed – will be able to overcome the resistance displayed by Cody (whom he renamed Jo-Jack), the sweet, young, green horse, during the 2011 Compact Schooling I course, and the aggression exhibited by the mare, Romin. Hopefully, in the weeks to come Hempfling will release videos of his students at work with their horses. Hopefully, we may look forward to seeing Karina working with Cody, Nanda with Romin, Klaudia with her horse and of course Jo with her stallion, Habanero. Perhaps we will also see Kate, Betka and Cecile at work with someone else’s horse, and of course Ross, that astute young man who shared our home in Bellingen, Australia, during the two body awareness weekends we organised. And what of Jasmijn, whose grey 10-year-old stallion, Esperado, featured so prominently (if only for a few seconds) on two of Hempfling’s one-year schooling videos? Esperado we will not see for he is currently being offered for sale in Belgium as you can see here. Why isn’t Esperado still in Hempfling’s school? And Jasmijn? Will we see her working with another horse?
It has been my hope that Hempfling will live up to all of these expectations which his current one-year course has created, and that he will release a new generation of trainers who will be able to help spearhead the move towards a non-violent, horse-friendly way of interacting with and keeping horses. I look forward to seeing them teach humans how to interact with horses without the use of bits, spurs and other instruments of force and violence, and how to keep equines in safe accommodation in which they receive the care, nutrition and attention that will allow them to be healthy and happy. In this way it will be possible for the black and beautiful Habanero – along with a growing number of other horses – to avoid the conditions which condemned the black and beautiful Noir to a life of pain and an untimely death.
@NOIR
Due to the untimely death of his mother when Marcello was only 6,5 months old he was moved to a place where he spent the following 3 years of his life among youngsters his age.
Up till now I have the feeling that he still hasn’t completely matured. He is six now. His behaviour at the previous livery yard (I moved in April 2012) was according to the people there undesirable. He spent 20 hours inside. I couldn’t take care of him for a period of time due to 2 major accidents in 2 years.
In between the periods I could take care of him I ‘did’ the Hempfling work here and there in combination with WHR.
However, only after I moved to the livery yard I am now where he is out in the field 24/7 his behaviour has changed so much for the better. For the better meaning that I can take care of him on a basis of mutual understanding.
This doesn’t mean that he has the same opinion I have all the time.
It does mean that he does get the time and space to figure out if his opinion is the right one in a given situation.
I still, now that he is six, have the feeling that he is trying to figure out who and what he is. And that most likely has to do with having lost his mom at such an early age. So perhaps the foals that are intentionally separated from their mom at an early age might experience the same. Honesty makes me confess that had Marcello’s mom not died he would probably have left his mom at the age of 9 months. That was the culture I was in at that time. What did I know!! I trusted other (more experienced?) people’s judgement.
So I don’t blame me. I forgive me. I have seen the light in the meantime. And still I have to be constantly alert not to fall in one of the pitfalls from my ‘previous life’.
One way to check Marcello’s ‘inner lining’ is to have a scan made of his ‘body field’. Please check with http://www.neshealthforhorses.com.
And I also do check my own ‘inner lining’ regularly by scanning my ‘body field’ to prevent me from getting into old patterns again that don’t work anymore, but are sometimes difficult to get ‘out of the dark and transformed into the light’.
@PAIN
Talking about small circles with big horses. I agree.
When looking at KFH he very often uses small circles in the picadero. Or even out in the open space. The difference there is however, that he doesn’t ask the horse to trot or canter on a small circle for I don’t know how many minutes. He usually asks the horse for not more than 4 or 5 circles at a time. Or maybe even less. That makes a huge difference.
I wonder if humans who copy him diligently know this.
It would have been really interesting to get a view on the hows and whens and wheres of Noir’s exceptional sentivity and gentleness. As this could also have been part of his ‘problem’ and eventually of his salvation.
Having been so senstive and gentle this horse might have been like a sponge absorbing the energies of the various humans around him. And then there is a point where the body cannot handle anymore ‘toxicity’. In a ‘toxine crisis’, and certainly if there have been more than one, the body takes over and starts presenting all kinds of ailments. After all the body’s only concern is to stay alive.
@DEATH
Sadly this cannot be turned around.
@ABUSE?
Abuse consciously or subconsciously.
Even on the susbconscious level as I have taken the liberty to show, ‘abuse’ takes place where humans with even the best and more of the best of intentions interact with horses.
As soon as the ‘energy field’ takes a swing to disbalance a situation of ongoing disbalance could occur.
So even when a horse feels him/herself threatened by a predator a kind of ‘abuse’ takes place.
Emotional abuse? However, I have the view that an ‘abuse’ in whichever form will if it lasts for too long or recurs too often there again will cause the toxicity to skyrocket and in the end demobilize physical functions and deter cells from renewing themselves into the correct healthy cells they are supposed to be.
In some of KFH’s video clips I have the strong feeling the horse’s energy takes a swing now and then towards disbalance. At the same time I would not be surprised if KFH notices this in time and helps the horse in time to get back into a state of utter wellbeing. On all levels.
Well…………. I hope he does do that.
@NEGLECT?
If one knows there is a system that can give an idea of the horse’s inner lining why not use it.
Why not ask for a scan of your horse?
Even if one limits it to one, it gives an idea. And everything starts with an idea, doesn’t it.
However, funnily enough the majority of horse people stick to only taking advice from the vet once the (physcial and or behavioural) problems have come to the surface.
And even if the behavioural problems are being solved it doesn’t mean that for example on the quantumelectrodynamic level all is well as well. Oh yes, perhaps the animal can deal with it better again for some time. For some time……and what then?
You, Andrew, and I are still human as well. So we too are allowed to make our mistakes. It sometimes takes mistakes to come to a point where change can happen. And it takes a lot of openmindedness to give oneself the permission to look outside the box and keep looking outside the box. Without judging. Least of all oneself.
@INTENT
Not being able to afford assistance to make your horse’s life better depends on the person and the situation. If there is a real money problem then that horse and human can be helped free of charge.
@WHERE TO BEGIN
This has brought back to my mind the opportunity I created where I did research on how the BOWEN Technique could help horses deal with their day-to-day experiences. And make their owners more conscious. The funny thing that happened was that there were about 20 owners who liked the idea of their horse being part of this research which lasted for 6 months with monthly checks and BOWEN treatment. All free of charge. No costs whatsoever involved.
Two of the horses dropped out half way due to being sold.
One horse got so depressed due to the way it was being trained and treated that the BOWEN treatment managed to keep the horse ‘on its feet’ and a couple of months after the research was concluded, the horse got sold anyway. The comment there was “the horse is just not good enough”. In my view the horse had a lot of potential.
Although I did give the owners a report of my findings every month none of them acted upon it.
That is quite interesting isn’t it!
However, I have now decided to do another research project with the NES ProVision system. I still have to find the horses and owners who are willing to participate. The perfect picture is to have horses and owners all in one place. The livery yard Marcello has moved to could be a perfect spot. I have to check with the owner.
@HEMPFLING’S PROMISE
I received his latest video clip a couple of weeks ago. Had a look at it and thought a lot of ‘blablabla’. As if sand being thrown in the face with all these images running into eachother having to close my eyes, shake my head a bit to get some order back.
On second thoughts I decided this was his way of telling the world about his dream. Telling his dream as if it had already taken place. As if it has already materialized. Like the modern ‘mood boards’.
And then it is not only hope that is present, but a KNOWING. A CONVICTION.
If KFH ‘knows’ he is going to live up to all the expectations it can only be the doubts of ‘the others’ that will in the end create disappointment. But that does not necessarily mean that KFH has not lived up to his own expectations. That is the most important for him. Not to be concerned with the expectations the world around him has.
And if and when the world around him still is disappointed it is the world’s obligation and responsibility to look at oneself. Without judgement. With LOVE.
Namasté, Andrew.
Thank you for sharing. It gives me great pleasure to react to your wonderful piece of writing. And it gives me a feeling of deep gratitude to be allowed to respond.
Dear Geerteke
As usual, your response to what I have written challenges me to rediscover my humanity. For this I am ever grateful.
Marcello sounds like a lucky horse to have found such a human. Vicki and I are also searching for decent 24/7 turnout facilities here in the south of Holland but it is a bit like searching for a needle in someone else’s haystack. For the time being we count our blessings that our horses can be outside for up to 12 hours a day and that we enjoy a large amount of freedom in terms of the type of interaction and facilities available to us here.
True, it will be the world’s obligation and responsibility to look at itself, if it is disappointed with what Hempfling achieves with his one-year schooling course, and to do so with love rather than judgement. Hempfling living up to his own expectations may be the most important thing to him. What I sincerely hope is that those expectations are in the interests of his students and the horses that they will interact with in the future.
Friendly beams of energy to Marcello.
Take care!
Andrew
Dear Andrew,
@What I sincerely hope is that those expectations are in the interests of his students and the horses that they will interact with in the future
Don’t worry, Andrew.
If there is a mask somewhere hiding something it will drop to the floor sometime.
The humans involved will learn from and deal with their own part played in this. The horses involved will be full of forgiveness. Both will rediscover their own unique path.
There might be a feeling of sorrow. Perhaps even a feeling of mourning.
But it will all be worthwhile.
My DOG is looking at me with bright eyes.
“DOG” is “GOD” spelled backwards and this is no coincidence.
Take care
Geerteke
May NOIR Rest In Peace!
“And if and when the world around him (KFH) still is disappointed it is the world’s obligation and responsibility to look at oneself. Without judgement. With LOVE”
Geerteke you are a insightful and thoughtful insperations
Regards Kelly
http://www.waterfallcreek.com.au
Thank you Kelly – I had a look at your website – wonderful place, beautiful pictures, calm and assertive horses at the waterhole – whenever I shall be visiting Australia I would love to pay you a visit if I may.
Warmly, Geerteke
Geerteke,
You would be MOST welcome to visit any time 🙂
And thank you for the compliments, I know I am biased, but Waterfall Creek does have a lovely energy about it…many people comment on it.
Smiles
Kelly
http://www.waterfallcreek.com.au
Andrew,
This piece you have written on Noir and the attendant way horses are treated and used was beautifully written. Thank you.
May Noir, and the other horse souls through the centruries, that have suffered so through human neglect and abuse (be it through lack of awareness/knowledge or active action), may they all rest in peace to return one day to a new world where humans are far more enlightened and sensitive in our interactions with all things around us.
Kelly
Dear Kelly
It is so good to see that you are still ‘hanging around’ from time to time.
As you probably know, there are some horses that are more capable of penetrating to the core than others. Noir was one of those. I feel very privileged to have known him. Any credits for what I have written about him must go to his inspiration.
Like Geerteke, Vicki and I have had a look at your website. Waterfall Creek and its owners will be high on our list of priorities when we next visit Australia.
Be well!
Andrew
Hello Andrew,
Yes I am (as is Glenn) still floating around in here, reading the thoughts what you have penned and having conversations about them and sharing them with others.
And like Geerteke, you and Vicki would also be very most welcome to visit
our little corner of the world any time.
Smiles
Kelly
http://www.waterfallcreek.com.au
A lot to think about – ‘use’ is so close to ‘abuse’ and yet should a horse be considered to have no use, isn’t it considered ‘disposable’? It brings no (financial) return only costs, which have to be supplied from elsewhere. It is argued, in general, in our society, that if you can’t keep a horse in ‘ideal’ conditions, you would be better off ‘putting it out of its misery’. Andrew clearly describes ‘that’ as ‘killing’ the horses. In my position, I am literally carrying five horses on my back, looking to their happiness, which is also part of mine and my family’s. And yet, I can’t do enough for them even so. I know conditions could and should be better than I am able to provide. But I can only do so much, hoping conditions will improve instead of steadily decline. That said, each day is a day and a quest for happiness as we strive to work out the future… together and thereafter…
A very thought-provoking post as usual, Andrew!!!
Dear Ian
It sounds as though you and your horses are very much immersed in the business of living. The last time I looked there were no ideal conditions anywhere. There were just a growing number of humans caring for their horses as best they can.
Your horses will tell you if you are slacking off. I very much doubt though that they will have done so.
At the risk of stepping on your toes, my limited experience tells me that, when I abandon the quest for happiness and the effort to work out the future living in the now instead, the happiness comes of its own accord often when least expected.
I still hope to get around to your neck of the woods too at some stage. It must be pretty inspiring.
Be well!
Andrew
Thanks, Andrew: I guess what I was pointing out is that there is always going to be ‘wear and tear’ for both horses and humans no matter what we do, but that is life and life lived to the full, isn’t it? The paradox is that the process is, in part, renewing, revitalizing and revealing, such that each day holds it surprises and delights – and pastures, if not forests, thrive all around.
Very sad story about Noir!
I send this reply to the blog-post because I have been thinking about what you wrote about Hempfling and the horses that has not been featured in his youtubes – and the one that is up for sale.
I my opinion – in general the “teachers” and “instructors” especially those emphasizing “The relationship” with the horse only put the highlight on “success-stories” (Hempfling, Resnick… among others)
Don’t get me wrong, I think focusing on the relationship and the communication with the horse is fantastic but I do not like that they in so many ways are saying “Work on the relationship and everything you want to do with the horse will work out great – like magic!”
But what about the chemistry between a horse and it’s owner – some things that works like “magic” with one horse does not necessarily work out just as great with another. And what about differences in the horses own nature and its mental and physical capacity?
I like Carolyn Resnick very, very much and I am doing some of her WHR on a regular basis. Recently she had put up a link to a video showing a man saddling up his colt and the colt freaks out. Resnick points out that if this man had been doing the WHR and got the connection right with the horse before putting on the saddle, everything would have gone great…. Well, that might be the case, but honestly there is no guarantees – in fact working with a horse, no matter how good connection you have can offer surprises.
In my opinion there is a danger in this because people may “give up” just because they despite of wholehearted commitment don’t find the “magic” with their horses – and what should they do then? It’s almost like connection, relationship and trust being achievements that one can “measure” by being able to perform certain tasks… (like in the Hempflings video “You can ride”)
I do not know if any of this is making any sense but it is just some thoughts about what Hempfling and others wants to present to us…
Katarina,
Your comments are interesting. Indeed, what we see on YouTube etc. are ‘success stories’. I am sure that all the high profile horse people have things happen that they would not want the general public to see.
I think about this a lot in regard to my horse Magnum – he is basically a wild horse – and it was only after attending Klaus’ courses that I was able to halter him. However, it has been one step forward, two steps back! Yesterday I was able to get him to happily accept a fly mask – today – even my movements in separating hay at feed time scared him!!!!
So, would the ‘professionals’ say that today I had issues? I was tense, I had something ‘unresolved’ and the horse picked it up? I think there is too much emphasis on this and it is not right that caring horse owners should feel ‘guilt’ for not being ‘perfect’. Perhaps I have become cynical, but we need to remember that all these people writing books, selling courses etc. are in business!!!! They want you to do it their way, to buy what they are offering!
Yes – it would be easy to give up – to think that we can’t do this as well as the high profile people, to feel bad that we don’t have a ‘relationship’ or ‘a true connection’. I think it’s time we took the pressure off ourselves.
I have spent a lot of time observing Magnum. Even sometimes when he is eating – he will just jump at something – a distant noise – a wallaby, bird etc. He is fine tuned for survival – so at times I do not think it has anything to do with me – he is just following patterns he learnt from birth.
Re – a relationship – it can mean so much! I don’t think it happens in the arena. It is a gradual daily process. For example, each day I make sure Ducati has extra time to eat his feed – he is a slow eater and gets twice as much as the others! I make sure he can eat it in peace. I spend quiet time with him – just us two – brushing him, taking his rug on and off. I do this when the others are in a separate area as I know he loves the one on one attention with no other horses around.
Saadi, who can be itchy in summer, loves his tummy scratched. He will sidle up to me in a special way when he wants a scratch – so I do his tummy and then rub his tail.
Today Danny’s feet are a bit sore from having them trimmed yesterday. I kept him on the soft grass in our top paddock. He called out occasionally for the others – so I went and sat with him, brought him a bucket of water in the shade and put some hay next to it. He was happy to have the company. (and the hay)
And Magnum loves praise – I tell him what a good boy he is, particularly when I know he has struggled to stand still as his flight reaction is so strong (I have just started rubbing his legs with a fly repellant) – he just about glows with pride at his achievement.
So I see these little day to day things as the magic – the relationship. Sure, if I am extra tense, or in a bad mood, or hurrying, they will notice – but, like you say, it can be much more complex.
This ‘magical connection’ reminds me of when my kids were young. At that time, there was a lot of talk about spending ‘quality time’ with kids and it didn’t matter if you only spent an hour a day with them – in fact short quality time was better than hours of ‘average time’. But I found in the ‘average time’ (I was a stay at home Mum) there was many magical moments that just would not have happened in the designated ‘quality time’ hour!!!
What I’m trying to say is that I think all the little things that gradually develop over time is where the magic truly is with horses.
Okay – time for bed!
Cheers,
Heather
Hello Heather
I don’t assume you are, but if you are seeking a way to strengthen you relationship with Magnum, and build more trust, perhaps you might be interested in a thing called “Friendship Training”.
I have not done it, but I know a number of people that have, and they have nothing but wonderful things to say about how it has stregthened their relationships and trust with their previously “challenging” horses.
Everything I have read and heard about Friendship Training causes me to believe it is a very good, very kind and very authentic home based “program”. Bit like Carolyn Resnick’s Waterhole rituals – but different.
Just Google it if it is of interest to you.
Smiles
Kelly
http://www.waterfallcreek.com.au
Thanks Kelly,
I have actually looked at that site before. At present I am looking at something called CAT-H training. Many people are working on this with their brumbies. Magnum trusts me – however he does not trust others, and he also is forever on high alert. I can relax him and meditate with him to a certain extent, however I’ve never seen a horse who can switch so quickly back to high alert! But despite all this we have made great strides in the past year.
I will certainly look at the Friendship Training again – thanks for reminding me!
Heather
Hello Heather
I have never heard of CAT-H training, I will have a little investigate. It is always nice to know all the things going on out there to help horses and humans have a better relationship based on kindness and understanding.
Perhaps Magnum is just an extremely finely tuned horse, that it is instinctual in him. I could well imagine that coming from his wild heritage. I know the wild horses I have had the privilege to encounter seem to instinctively be so much more highly tuned to EVERYTHING – smell, movement, energy, everything – as though all their senses are razor sharp, because they have to be. Whereas most of the domestic bred horses have never had a requirement to so fine tune and hone that aspect of themselves, their lives have never depended on it.
How lovely that you can help Magnum find a way to experience the sensation of relaxation – even if it comes and goes quickly.
But I diverge too far away from Andrew’s post and musings…….
Blessings to you and Magnum, and your other horses
Kelly
http://www.waterfallcreek.com.au
Dear Heather
There are two points that you make which resonate with me. First you say that we need to take the pressure off ourselves. For too long we have been feeling bad because we do not have the ‘true connection’ which the equine gurus insist we need to have if we are to achieve anything with our horses.
This is not to say that I do not believe that it is possible to have a true connection with a horse and that having such a connection is indispensable if horse and human are to have a close relationship with each other. I do. Where I think the problem lies is that we are put under pressure to seek the true connection rather than create the conditions that will allow it to occur naturally.
Let me quote the example of Greer the deer. As you know, we are looking after a fallow deer behind our back yard. Greer used to be what your Magnum was in the past. Whenever we came near or into the enclosure, she would shoot off to the furthest corner. We simply ensured that we were always in a good mood when we went into the enclosure and just went about our business of replenishing the feed and water. Within a very short space of time Greer started to trust us. Now when we demonstrably offer her food from our hands, she stands off at a distance. But when we do so casually while going about her business, she comes right up and take it or stuffs her snout into the feed millimetres from our hands.
My view of this is that we are not perceived to be a threat when we do not exhibit any expectations. Indeed, the less we ask, the more animals give.
The other point you make is that ‘all the little things that gradually develop over time is where the magic truly is with horses’. Amen. I could not have put it better. Thank you.
Friendly energy beams to your equine mob.
Take care!
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Yes I remember you talking about the deer. Magnum has no trouble being around me – but sometimes it is too much for him to stand there – he may hear the wind blow or see a wallaby jump and he can run off – but always circles and comes back. I am always the same with Magnum – but it depends if something in the environment is causing him concern. I have told him many times I want nothing from him except to be able to look after him properly – and he is so proud when he learns something new! Last week he was happy to stand in the stable with the gate closed.
If he had come straight from the wild, I feel he would be much more relaxed – but he has obviously had a traumatic time with humans before he came to us. I knowit is a huge thing for him to be so trusting of me – so I can appreciate the magic which is happening – even if it has its ups and downs!
Heather
Dear Katarina
You highlight a very important point when you say, ‘things that work like “magic” with one horse do not necessarily work out just as great with another’. Like humans, no two horses are alike and the type of relationship we have with one horse will differ radically from the one we have with another horse. I see this very clearly in my relationship with our mares, Pip and Anaiis. Similarly, the type of interaction I have with Pip is very different from how I interact with Anaiis.
Truth is the great casualty of marketing. It should therefore come as no surprise to learn from the YouTube videos and websites advertising the services of our equine gurus that true success with horses is only possible through them. ‘The Hempfling way’, the ‘Waterhole Rituals’ (WHR) and so forth: they are all messages proclaiming that one size fits all humans and all horses.
You have discovered that this is not true. That is very liberating, because it allows you to explore different ways of interacting with your horse. You have probably already learned that what you may want to do with your horse may not be the same as what your horse would like to do with you. Having said that, many horses welcome the opportunity to do things that they would not normally do, because they are with a human who is happy, who cares for them and who is fun to be with.
At the end of the day, I think it all boils down to what is stated in the byline of this blog: ‘becoming the kind of human a horse wants to be with’. I think Hempfling is right when he urges his students to work on themselves in order to become the calm, contented humans whom horses seek to be with, although I do not think it is necessary to attend an overpriced course with him to learn that.
There is a very touching moment in Dancing with Horses, where Hempfling explains to two women that he focuses on healing the horse and giving it something rather than expecting anything from it. This is told in the light of a scene in which he calms a distraught, lame stallion (one of the most moving scenes of horse-human interaction that I have ever seen on video). Expect nothing from the horse and it will give you everything. Pip often surprises me in this way.
I hope this makes a little bit of sense.
Be well!
Andrew