About therapy and horses.
I wanted to mention a book I am reading at the moment called The Animal Healer by Elizabeth Whiter. This book has evoked such amazing feelings of empathy and reflected much of the love and compassion that anyone can feel for their animal companions, but worded so much better than I could hope to do. A pretty lady, a beautiful horse and a sweet faced dog are on the cover. It is left to the reader to decide if they believe or not in the healing but, I could not ever doubt the strength of love and what it can overcome. As I will always say I do not judge and am open minded, prepared to explore many avenues to advance my own knowledge on any perspective that will help. I respect this lady for her compassion and love of animals, and empathise very much with the way she felt for hers.
It would seem there are a number of people called 'Horse Whisperers' 'Natural Horsemen and Women', I do not question these terms in any way, I have the greatest respect for those to whom the term maybe related, not least people like Monty Roberts, Kelly Marks, Parelli, Clinton Anderson, would they call themselves that I wonder? I do not know. To my view these terms may be used to explain their ability to have horses behave a certain way when requested, by those who may not have spent the time in pure observation of a horses and behaviour in a herd towards one another. I do not mean this to sound derogatory at all, many people just do not have the spare time, the inclination or the interest, so why should they? I will not criticize anyone else, not everyone is horse mad and are quite at liberty to their own thoughts.
I have watched Pilgrim being returned to his paddock and friends and his dominant attitude towards any other horse, his best friend Bracken though he gaurded much like a dog protecting his owner. He tried to use his head to rub me and show dominance but, I learned to hold my hands up to my chest palms towards him and a stern NO stopped it. He knew this was not acceptable to me and stopped doing it, as I may have mentioned this was an intelligent boy and quick on the uptake.
I watch Tango now when I take her back to her field and friends, now she stays with me longer, today we had nose to nose sniffing, this is a trait that horses do between each other often. She stayed for a head scratch and fuss but never with a dominant rubbing attempt. Although when she is taken off the halter in her field I am surrounded by her friends, the most any of them do is sniff her nose and give me a good sniffing. It appears to me that they are greeting both of us, like humans saying 'hello, how are you' or 'hello, who are you?' 'what are you doing?' or even 'welcome to our field' of any of the interpretations 'hello' is a greeting and the sniffing is a greeting.
When I saw a pony walking up and down along a fence and autistic child walking along paralell to the pony, it was like being back in the field with either Tango or Pilgrim, an equine companion ot either of these two horses would walk along side, it is like an invitation to join me scenario. The innocence of a child was speaking the same language as the horse, without the ties of adult logic. No training, formal learning and all the ties that adult behaviour gets kind of bogged down with.
I found myself looking at me more critically than ever, I am selfish, I want to be liked, loved, cared about and for. Other people have hurt me by teating me like an idiot and I have nearly lost the plot. I wanted my horses to love me but I began to realise that I loved and cared for them and it HAD to be thier choice and theirs alone. Mimickery of their behaviour when left to their own and free choice can work, kind of , would you like to join me, but I'm not fussed either way. Just watching them together is theraputic, it is quiet and peaceful....bliss. One day I will video Tango going back to her field and put it on here.
I do not and will not judge others, what I will say is that using observation and natural behaviour of the animal under observation gives us greater tools to connect with the animal. Watching dogs, cats, horses can teach us so much, without the barrier of voices telling us what is right and what is wrong, what we MUST do and MUST NOT do. We are inhibited to a great degree by formal teaching, this where the therapy comes in I feel. If you want to cry why should you not? Society for too long has said ' don't cry' 'don't get upset' or patronised with ridiculous satements of 'cry and you cry alone' nonsense, go with the flow but do not think you are alone, YOU ARE NOT, animals are not when they feel off the ball, why should we be? Never hurt others or yourself are the two most important things to remember, the other is there is an alternative to loneliness, hurt, pain, disillusion and any other hang up you may be feeling, you can move on when you are ready and in your own time. It takes courage to get there but pull on the reserves and give it go, you would be pleasantly surprised where it will take you.
A sense of purpose, relations without judgement, acceptance for who you are, not what you SHOULD be to others. To know you ARE wanted and needed and loved. A role to play in another precious life that makes you special and precious to that life. The sites that advocate therapy through horses promote the relationship between human and horse and how it can be applied to other areas in human to human contact, various situations and to me looks to be a healthier and happier life style. Confidence, communication, team work, relationships, work, mental well being and a more peaceful, relaxed approach to life in general are some of the advantages it would seem. I must say I find animals so much easier and they do make me very happy, my cat doesn't give a hoot if I say something daft, all he wants is a fuss and food (and his good night cuddle before he stalks of into the night ) . Happy to be with me? Well if always wanting my attention is anything to go by .....at a rough guess I would say yes. Tango? If she were not, why let me near her, she can out walk me any day of the week, never mind run(as an ex-racehorse she has quite a turn of speed), not only that at over 16HH if she threw her head up I could not hope to halter her. Why do her friends hang around and sniff me? Making sure I can be trusted? I don't know these are human thoughts and the kind that bog me down, I just enjoy every second of it and it is simply lovely. To me that is all there is to it, a thing happens, it passes, then something else happens. That is the joy of the whole of life, not knowing what is to be, the good the bad and the down right ugly. Accept the good with grace, when the bad happens remember the good to hang on in there and look forward to the good coming again, enjoy it even more. The down right ugly? The pretty picture in the minds eye of the nicest moment in life erases the ugly. This why I thank the powers that be that let me know Pilgrim and now get to know Tango, two very beautiful pictures of two very beautiful animals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I hope everyone can have the pleasure of meeting with such gentle characters and be as fulfilled as I have felt around them, I wish others the same joy in their lives.
It would seem there are a number of people called 'Horse Whisperers' 'Natural Horsemen and Women', I do not question these terms in any way, I have the greatest respect for those to whom the term maybe related, not least people like Monty Roberts, Kelly Marks, Parelli, Clinton Anderson, would they call themselves that I wonder? I do not know. To my view these terms may be used to explain their ability to have horses behave a certain way when requested, by those who may not have spent the time in pure observation of a horses and behaviour in a herd towards one another. I do not mean this to sound derogatory at all, many people just do not have the spare time, the inclination or the interest, so why should they? I will not criticize anyone else, not everyone is horse mad and are quite at liberty to their own thoughts.
I have watched Pilgrim being returned to his paddock and friends and his dominant attitude towards any other horse, his best friend Bracken though he gaurded much like a dog protecting his owner. He tried to use his head to rub me and show dominance but, I learned to hold my hands up to my chest palms towards him and a stern NO stopped it. He knew this was not acceptable to me and stopped doing it, as I may have mentioned this was an intelligent boy and quick on the uptake.
I watch Tango now when I take her back to her field and friends, now she stays with me longer, today we had nose to nose sniffing, this is a trait that horses do between each other often. She stayed for a head scratch and fuss but never with a dominant rubbing attempt. Although when she is taken off the halter in her field I am surrounded by her friends, the most any of them do is sniff her nose and give me a good sniffing. It appears to me that they are greeting both of us, like humans saying 'hello, how are you' or 'hello, who are you?' 'what are you doing?' or even 'welcome to our field' of any of the interpretations 'hello' is a greeting and the sniffing is a greeting.
When I saw a pony walking up and down along a fence and autistic child walking along paralell to the pony, it was like being back in the field with either Tango or Pilgrim, an equine companion ot either of these two horses would walk along side, it is like an invitation to join me scenario. The innocence of a child was speaking the same language as the horse, without the ties of adult logic. No training, formal learning and all the ties that adult behaviour gets kind of bogged down with.
I found myself looking at me more critically than ever, I am selfish, I want to be liked, loved, cared about and for. Other people have hurt me by teating me like an idiot and I have nearly lost the plot. I wanted my horses to love me but I began to realise that I loved and cared for them and it HAD to be thier choice and theirs alone. Mimickery of their behaviour when left to their own and free choice can work, kind of , would you like to join me, but I'm not fussed either way. Just watching them together is theraputic, it is quiet and peaceful....bliss. One day I will video Tango going back to her field and put it on here.
I do not and will not judge others, what I will say is that using observation and natural behaviour of the animal under observation gives us greater tools to connect with the animal. Watching dogs, cats, horses can teach us so much, without the barrier of voices telling us what is right and what is wrong, what we MUST do and MUST NOT do. We are inhibited to a great degree by formal teaching, this where the therapy comes in I feel. If you want to cry why should you not? Society for too long has said ' don't cry' 'don't get upset' or patronised with ridiculous satements of 'cry and you cry alone' nonsense, go with the flow but do not think you are alone, YOU ARE NOT, animals are not when they feel off the ball, why should we be? Never hurt others or yourself are the two most important things to remember, the other is there is an alternative to loneliness, hurt, pain, disillusion and any other hang up you may be feeling, you can move on when you are ready and in your own time. It takes courage to get there but pull on the reserves and give it go, you would be pleasantly surprised where it will take you.
A sense of purpose, relations without judgement, acceptance for who you are, not what you SHOULD be to others. To know you ARE wanted and needed and loved. A role to play in another precious life that makes you special and precious to that life. The sites that advocate therapy through horses promote the relationship between human and horse and how it can be applied to other areas in human to human contact, various situations and to me looks to be a healthier and happier life style. Confidence, communication, team work, relationships, work, mental well being and a more peaceful, relaxed approach to life in general are some of the advantages it would seem. I must say I find animals so much easier and they do make me very happy, my cat doesn't give a hoot if I say something daft, all he wants is a fuss and food (and his good night cuddle before he stalks of into the night ) . Happy to be with me? Well if always wanting my attention is anything to go by .....at a rough guess I would say yes. Tango? If she were not, why let me near her, she can out walk me any day of the week, never mind run(as an ex-racehorse she has quite a turn of speed), not only that at over 16HH if she threw her head up I could not hope to halter her. Why do her friends hang around and sniff me? Making sure I can be trusted? I don't know these are human thoughts and the kind that bog me down, I just enjoy every second of it and it is simply lovely. To me that is all there is to it, a thing happens, it passes, then something else happens. That is the joy of the whole of life, not knowing what is to be, the good the bad and the down right ugly. Accept the good with grace, when the bad happens remember the good to hang on in there and look forward to the good coming again, enjoy it even more. The down right ugly? The pretty picture in the minds eye of the nicest moment in life erases the ugly. This why I thank the powers that be that let me know Pilgrim and now get to know Tango, two very beautiful pictures of two very beautiful animals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I hope everyone can have the pleasure of meeting with such gentle characters and be as fulfilled as I have felt around them, I wish others the same joy in their lives.