In the last few of my columns I we have discussed how horses learn, but how about how horses feel? For thousands of years horses have been “beasts of burden”, carrying us into battle, plowing our fields, or transportation. As the modern world moves forward in leaps and bounds towards technology and travel at the speed of light the horse is no longer required as a “beast of burden”, and is now moving into our lives as a newfound teacher and in some cases to those with a mind for knowing – a healer as well.

The stories go on and on about horses who have taught their owners a lesson of life, love or even just to listen to their own heart. Time and time again we are reminded through our horses that we are here as a journey, to learn from ourselves, each other and even that of our horse companions. The beauty of what I get to do with horses and people is helping someone discover they have a whole new sense that they didn’t know existed. From that point on the person and the horse both are forever changed. I don’t feel that I teach anything to anyone as this is a part of us we are born with full capacity to experience. I merely provide some awareness to your actions. Fundamentally the horse realizes to seek release over resistance and subsequently the owner learns the same. This is the first transition in becoming an intuitive rider and knowing when to be mechanical and when to use the intuition.

For many of us in the horse industry, owners, leasers, clinicians or handlers we tend to run our daily activities together with regard to our interactions. You turn the horse out, you clean the stall you bring them in, ride, feed and the day of chores is over. I am sure many of you take note of horse’s body language, as it is often a compass for their own health and wellness. There is so much more to a horse than their body language for health. Not only is do horses demonstrate an in the present moment of emotion but there is also the opportunity for us to see a mirror image of ourselves if we are willing to face it.

There is no deceiving a horse; their bodies have evolved through history as a device that senses emotion or intent as a means to survive. Herein lies how a predator that has just fed can move through a herd of zebras to the waterhole with nothing but a wary glace, whereas a predator on the hunt a mile away causes a herd to scatter. With a system of awareness as highly evolved as a horse can you imagine the capability to assist us in becoming not only more whole humans but center us in our experience?

All emotions have a place; there is no one less important than another. Linda Kohanov states that “Tears have power” in fact they do, so much of our emotion is subjugated out of us in order to make it through our daily tasks that often we lose what true feeling and emotion really feels like. Tears, rage or anguish have just as much power to help you move through a situation as any other emotion. When working with your horse, take note of your emotion while you work, where your body has more sensation than others, where you become tense, when you become tense and rather than tell the emotion to leave you alone, use it to put your training exercise into perspective and as a tool to know when to press forward and when to back off.

Horses may also hold the keys to us becoming better communicators; in a prior column I brought up the socio-sensual form of communication, or rather the art of reading body language. No matter what field you work in being a better communicator has rewards, not to mention it can improve your personal relations as well.

Work on human kinesics or “body language” by the American psychologist Dr. William James identified four main postures. To add some equine communications to this there are two parts to each of the four in relation to an equine behavior, this is by no means all of them, just an example.

Approach – HUMAN: an attentive, ‘warm’ posture, communicated by a forward lean of the upper body. HORSE: In round pen terminology this is the “join up” or “hook on” characteristics may include the neck or entire body curved around you, an ear pinned in your direction, eye movement in your direction, movement of jaw. Or when you enter the stall or paddock the horse turns to face you, takes steps with ears forward nose outstretched.

Withdrawal – HUMAN: a ‘cold’, negative posture, communicated by drawing back or turning away. HORSE: Turning hindquarters towards handler, turning away from handler to retreat as opposed to body turning towards the handler to change direction or stop, flattening of ears, nostrils pursed.

Expansion – HUMAN: A proud, conceited, arrogant or disdainful, dominant posture communicated by an expanded chest, erect or backwards leaning trunk, erect head and raised shoulders. HORSE: Tail held higher, elevated head without bend throughout body, expulsion of air in loud snorts.

Contraction – HUMAN: a depressed, downcast or dejected, submissive posture, communicated by a forward leaning upper body, bowed head, drooping shoulders and sunken chest. HORSE: Licking, chewing, head stretched towards the ground while moving out, usually demonstrates certain signs of fear.

This is fairly basic kinesics approach to some equine and human body language displays. Not only can we easily recognize these postures in horses - no doubt they can equally easily recognize them in us.

Finally, let's consider eye contact. In humans, as well as cats and other laboratory animals, experiments prove that the pupil of the eye dilates in response to sights that have an emotional impact, and that this dilation is controlled by the hypothalamus. It would seem highly likely that this occurs in horses also and that further studies might well throw more light on how horses react to different people. The effect of increase in pupil size has been in use for some time by advertisers who, when using women to advertise products which are aimed at men, re-touch photographs so that the pupil size is increased. Until your attention is drawn to these slight differences you are not consciously aware of them; nevertheless they do have an impact. If a horse watches the approach of a person who is tentative with fear or with the objective to dominate, and whose pupils therefore do not dilate out of heightened interest, is the horse socio-sensual awareness can create a change in their own body language and or create a boundary that must be dealt with prior to the training session or a true connection to be made.

As in many human cultures, ‘hard’ eye contact is viewed as a threat by both horses and dogs. It may be useful as a way of rebuking the horse for bad behavior but there must also be the possibility that it will be taken as a challenge. Eye contact will most likely be seen as one element of a total kinesic message by the horse and, ideally, it should be made to fit the overall pattern of behavior.

The world of intuitive equestrians is increasingly dominated by females more and more. Women have long been the intuitive diviners of the world; the nurturing gentleness of a woman is vastly more accepted in animals. I’m not claiming in any sense that horses prefer women to men, just that the population as a whole of women have an easier time connecting to another living creature. Remember from a previous column our discussion about the Limbic system of the brain? The Limbic system is responsible for emotional tagging or coloring, bonding, receipt of smell, and ultimately any emotional attachment that you may have to a memory, lesson, or experience. Incidentally women have a slightly larger Limbic System than men in order to be the nurturers and mothers of the family; women must be able to bond to children at a more rapid rate in order to be the primary care giver. It simply might mean that a woman can find that connection of soul to equine at a more rapid rate that that of a man.

At this time of the year most of us Alaskans are wondering where our summer went, there never seems to be enough saddle time for us die hards, I for one thoroughly enjoy riding in normal jeans as opposed to my winter gear of Carharts. However – there is much to hold gratitude for over the summer’s events thus far. I’ve had a summer of revelations both of my own and of my clients and their horses. Please remember that I am inspired by all of you, each and every one. As always I hope you enjoyed your read, I’m always available through my website for commentary or questions. Until next time Ride Arete!