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I have chosen to write this report based on Monte Robert’s book Horse Sense For People as it is in my belief system that in order to provide an effective massage for a horse, we must first understand their energy and how open they are to receive this gift of touch, to provide both their physical and emotional healing. Throughout the pages I will share many first hand experiences of understanding and feeling the horse’s energy. This report will also demonstrate on how our horses are reading us as well. In regards to the term “energy medicine” and “energy work” it is my thought that by continuing to educate on these non-invasive healing techniques, we will be able to draw closer together this gap which separates allopathic and conventional health care with that of more natural healing modalities such as the Bach Flower Remedies, Aromatherapy and Essential Oils, Healing Touch and other forms of energy work which includes Reiki for example. It is only by my first hand experience that I am able to write of these things as each time I practiced and learned a new modality to help my own horse to heal, I would listen to him and observe, as I believe he was brought into my life to be the vehicle from which to I would learn. In each case there were times when I thought there would be no change or success which included the removal of his metal horse shoes 10 years ago. Did this provide overnight success? No, not even close. However, after several bad bouts of abscessing and the use of hoof boots we did get over it and years later believe it or not, my thin soled TB sports bare hooves as he is ridden in his gait of choice (usually a big trot or canter!) through the trails in the mountains of Pritchard, B.C. There were of course other moments when the effects would be immediate such as the offering of Water Violet (Bach Flower Remedy which supports the proud horse who can be even anti-social in the herd, which is not a healthy place for them to be). After overcoming some depression which included a lack of appetite and not showing any initiative to move from a selected spot in the field for three days, Water Violet was administered and when turned back into the field with the horses, not only went out to the herd but placed himself directly in the middle, I am sure to feel the comforting effects of the other horses around him. This was a quick fix (more like a miracle when you see results such as these happen in just a moment’s time).
At the turn of the twentieth century the horse was our primary vehicle and practically the only power source on the farm. By the mid 1900’s they were scarcely used in these ways, yet in North America the total horse population at the turn of the twenty-first century was three times higher than it had been 100 years before. How can this be when we don’t need them anymore? The answer remains obvious; we both want and need the horse in our lives today and it is my belief that the horse chooses unconditionally to accompany us, their people, in their lives today also. The horse has been our partner in a large range of activities from horse racing, polo, dressage, jumping, rodeo, pleasure and even today are still used as working companions whether it be cowboys rounding up a herd of cows on the range or the Musical Ride of the RCMP. All of us that have owned horses have our own reasons for having these wonderful partners and servers of some. They have held meaning for us and each reason is to be respected. It is with this knowledge that I am able to walk into different fields of horses not all coming from the same place, and connect with them as I believe each and every one of them, once gentled if need be, will want to come to know us.
For the 18 plus years I've had my horse, I have found him to be the best teacher of all. I didn’t quite get it right away I must say, but I have learned that my horse will always mirror my energy perfectly, be it good or bad (positive or negative). I have never had a better gage to show me where my emotions were at than showing up at the barn and having my horse demonstrate to me (on occasion!) as to how I am doing! Today, I pay attention and I never discount what I hear from the non-verbal communication I have with him. He doesn’t miss a beat and is with me all the time. I will never forget how ever so grateful he was when I finally got the lesson “not to sweat the small stuff”! It is an absolute joy to spend time with him today. In his retired years he is taking me for the best rides ever, strong, sound and full of the child like energy he had when he was a baby, retired from the track as a three year old. Because of our extraordinary relationship with each other, he is showing even stronger emotional connections with me. Some may argue that it is just the place he is coming from however when one ties in their personal life as I have, and listen and observe my horses behavior, I know there is always a message to be found, no matter how off the wall it may seem. To share with you just one small example which taught me hugest lesson up to date, I ask that you may remain open minded in your thoughts and think quietly how his behavior and body language moved me so that I could take further steps in my life, in moving out of a place of which I no longer wanted to be.
There was no way this horse would be tied up in this stall, he was about ready to rip it down. After spending a year and a half living in a beautiful field with lush grasses growing in the spring, summer and fall I might be speaking the same language too if I were a horse. Given his age, Jimmy was now going into his 21st year and after going through a very difficult winter after what we thought would be the healthy move just described, he developed some serious health concerns, but survived it, obviously wanting to stay here a while longer, I was in no way going to enforce any discipline onto this horse. His loud and vocal neighing, pawing on the floor with some sweat starting to break did not leave me feeling comfortable at all with this situation. His heart rate seemed to be going straight through the roof and I know some might say I was spoiling my horse in doing so, but I grabbed his lead line from the tie (he had already broke out of this stall running loose down the isle way going somewhere but tying him only aggravated him further) and took him back to his paddock. I had only brought him up to the barn to trim his feet but after this episode which left me quite upset, I decided to wait on this project. I left him quietly as he settled down and started to happily munch away on his hay. I returned several hours later with my hoof jack, knives, chaps and gloves ready to do the job. I did the usual thing; put his halter on and tied him to the fence in his paddock. Well, I didn’t even manage to bend over to pick up his first front hoof to trim that he pulled back hard and busted his halter; once again free and obviously not wanting to be tied. My next inclination was to go get someone to hold him while I trimmed but didn’t really want to bother anyone. So I quietly asked him if he could do this with me, got my yes and then proceeded to trim. No tying was necessary as he stood quietly while I got to work. Well, this experience really had me thinking. What was it he was trying to tell me? Was there some place in my life that I felt that I was being restrained? I know that in order to find out answers to some of these things I had to check in, deeper than where I really wanted to go. What had been going on in my life that I didn’t want to face? To make this short and sweet I realized that I had become fearful about a very personal matter that had come up in my life and if I did not move on it (free myself from the emotional bondage in which it held me) I would never move forward and grow and that it would not be healthy for me to stay in this place. I never would have got this lesson had I not tied my horse the second time. He was as cool as a cucumber for the rest of the trimming. His demonstration of needing to break free out of the confinements of a stall sent the message home strong to me that I needed to do the same.
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