Hearing With More Than The Ears
Horsemen who spend a lot of time trying to work at a deeper level with their horses put in a lot of time and effort. Gunny, pictured above, taught me a very valuable lesson about how a horse can hear listen with more than their ears. This little short, stocky mare came to me young with her sister. Such a beautiful pair. One of the things I learned from this mare is that just because a horse looks steady from the outside doesn't mean there's not a lot going on inside. Ol' Gunny could be standing there looking at something & seem okay with it. But inside she was working it over & deciding whether or not to stick or move. I like my horses to stick unless it's unwise to do otherwise.
I put in a lot of time in ground work. I have a spinal injury that makes me less than ideal for working with a little Ferrari but this little mare has a good mind. She learned to communicate with me easily. I like my horses to move at a slight touch & for them to learn to read my energy, my intent as well. This can only be done over time with a lot of practice. She learned that sometimes her human falls down or doesn't get around so good. Grandpa always told me that if I had to tie a horse to saddle, bridle, brush, etc... then I failed the horse. So most of this would be done with the rope thrown up over the top rail of the corral or -most often- the rope laying over my forearm. Gunny got so good & seeing when I only needed her to step an inch or two or when I needed her to swing her hips away.
When the farrier came the first thing he did was snub the horse up tight to a post & go to work. The old timer we had was a steady fellow who didn't move. He was returned to the pasture without a hitch. Next he worked on her sister, the herd boss & again, no trouble other than her being young & getting fidgety. The Lippi mare came next. We saved Gunny for last because she's the easiest. I could loop a rope around her leg & with the slightest pressure lift her hoof, preventing me from having to bend over. I could use a work rope or a hay string or even yarn. I could back her up the same way. But when the farrier attempted to snub her up & lift a foot... we had an explosion. My little gruella mare came unhinged. I was standing at the mare's hip, with my hand resting up between her hips. So when she broke the post & came back I was in a bad place. I pushed, intending to push myself away for her & was surprised to feel & see my little mare literally pivot around me without stepping on me or even jostling me. The mare was listening through touch.
Grandpa was always telling me to talk to the horses while I worked with them. But somehow I'd managed to get Gunny to listen with more than her ears. There were too many instances like this where something would happen & Gunny would block me from the other horses, block me from danger or literally dance her way around me. I've no doubt all three of my mares could not only see but sense that their human had physical wreck. But each of them learned to listen with their whole bodies.
There becomes an awareness change. Grandpa always taught me to be light with my hands but I began to see just how light we could go. Horses are very willing to try to meet their humans more than halfway but first they have to feel safe, to feel as if you're trying. Once the horse knows the door is open to deeper communication beyond what they've had before, several perk right up & try their hearts out. Gunny certainly did. I tripped one day & fell right into her side. Rather than spook away she not only leaned into me but side passed gently closer. That's trust from the horse.
Try an experiment sometimes. Go up to your horse & give them a rub on their shoulder, then place your hand flat on the horse. What happens? Now this time take your hand away, then place it back on the horse in the same way as before but do it with intent, don't say a word but through your touch ask the horse to move away. What happened? When you first start not much happens. When you tap into the learning potential of the deeper horse, you can put the intent/energy into that same touch but it has different meaning. The horse hears you but first you must teach him you're listening & you're aware that the horse is just that smart, that the horse is capable of deeper.
My wonderful Gunny-girl taught me that she could listen with every part of her body. Once that door is open & you understand how to bring your awareness up as well as the horse's, there is nothing like it!
I put in a lot of time in ground work. I have a spinal injury that makes me less than ideal for working with a little Ferrari but this little mare has a good mind. She learned to communicate with me easily. I like my horses to move at a slight touch & for them to learn to read my energy, my intent as well. This can only be done over time with a lot of practice. She learned that sometimes her human falls down or doesn't get around so good. Grandpa always told me that if I had to tie a horse to saddle, bridle, brush, etc... then I failed the horse. So most of this would be done with the rope thrown up over the top rail of the corral or -most often- the rope laying over my forearm. Gunny got so good & seeing when I only needed her to step an inch or two or when I needed her to swing her hips away.
When the farrier came the first thing he did was snub the horse up tight to a post & go to work. The old timer we had was a steady fellow who didn't move. He was returned to the pasture without a hitch. Next he worked on her sister, the herd boss & again, no trouble other than her being young & getting fidgety. The Lippi mare came next. We saved Gunny for last because she's the easiest. I could loop a rope around her leg & with the slightest pressure lift her hoof, preventing me from having to bend over. I could use a work rope or a hay string or even yarn. I could back her up the same way. But when the farrier attempted to snub her up & lift a foot... we had an explosion. My little gruella mare came unhinged. I was standing at the mare's hip, with my hand resting up between her hips. So when she broke the post & came back I was in a bad place. I pushed, intending to push myself away for her & was surprised to feel & see my little mare literally pivot around me without stepping on me or even jostling me. The mare was listening through touch.
Grandpa was always telling me to talk to the horses while I worked with them. But somehow I'd managed to get Gunny to listen with more than her ears. There were too many instances like this where something would happen & Gunny would block me from the other horses, block me from danger or literally dance her way around me. I've no doubt all three of my mares could not only see but sense that their human had physical wreck. But each of them learned to listen with their whole bodies.
There becomes an awareness change. Grandpa always taught me to be light with my hands but I began to see just how light we could go. Horses are very willing to try to meet their humans more than halfway but first they have to feel safe, to feel as if you're trying. Once the horse knows the door is open to deeper communication beyond what they've had before, several perk right up & try their hearts out. Gunny certainly did. I tripped one day & fell right into her side. Rather than spook away she not only leaned into me but side passed gently closer. That's trust from the horse.
Try an experiment sometimes. Go up to your horse & give them a rub on their shoulder, then place your hand flat on the horse. What happens? Now this time take your hand away, then place it back on the horse in the same way as before but do it with intent, don't say a word but through your touch ask the horse to move away. What happened? When you first start not much happens. When you tap into the learning potential of the deeper horse, you can put the intent/energy into that same touch but it has different meaning. The horse hears you but first you must teach him you're listening & you're aware that the horse is just that smart, that the horse is capable of deeper.
My wonderful Gunny-girl taught me that she could listen with every part of her body. Once that door is open & you understand how to bring your awareness up as well as the horse's, there is nothing like it!