Day 2 on the halter with Aquila.
Yielding to pressure —> Moving toward a release —> Following a Feel. Finding harmony in two complete balanced systems uniting into one.
Wonderful weekend with @blueiriseq 💫 It fills our cups in profound ways to engage with such eclectic, vibrant, passionate humans and horses #horsemanship #mindfulhorsemanship #dressageisforthehorse #holistichorsemanship #feeltimingbalance #pillaroneallthetime
This little gal is doing just fantastic on just her 3rd day out of the wild. #blmmustang
Hi friends!
Here’s a clip from a demo video on Offering a Feel through our Extended Embodiment. There are many reasons why I might choose to work a horse from horseback and what doing so might accomplish but that’s a conversation for another day.
The game in this video was about facilitating connection between three beings by inviting balance in movement through offering a Feel. To me, Feel is simply HOW we present ourselves and our intentions to the horse. Playing with this work from horseback certainly adds several layers of nuance, Takoda and I are communicating our Feel through our body language, energetics, intention and tools, to influence Eowyn to find her own physical and emotional balance. This included setting and maintaining boundaries, inviting cuddles, using drive and draw to ask her to move in a particular direction in a particular way- with spinal integrity/healthy biomechanics.
Feel is how we can co-create Balance in others and balance to the horse is sacred. In this example:
Balance = my own emotional elasticity, the ability to bring my energy up and down as appropriate.
Balance = my physical integrity/equitation, the ability to move with the horse and for the horse.
Balance = my knowing how much pressure to use and when (ie the Balance between Feel and Timing)
Balance = Takoda’s emotional elasticity.
Balance = Takoda’s physical integrity, his willingness to be influenced by me and to influence Eowyn.
Balance = how I use extended embodiment (my body, Takoda, the walls of the pen and the flag).
Balance = Eowyn’s emotional elasticity.
Balance = Eowyn’s physical integrity, her willingness to be influenced by us.
While I’m mostly operating on my own two feet, this is how I ideally begin working with any and every horse- loose in a pen where they are free to respond to me how they wish, where I do not have the equipment/ability to overpower them but I can use Feel, Timing and Balance to establish communication around con
I’d like to share this clip of a demo video from my Horsemanship Intensive. In week 2 we discussed Extended Embodiment, a term which in philosophy and psychology refers to the extension of the mind beyond the brain and body, encompassing external tools as integral to cognitive processes. This term is used in the growing field of Embodied Cognition- The idea that the body (sensations and bodily experiences) is essential to our understanding of the world, the construction of conceptual knowledge, as well as meaning formation (Fincher-Kiefer, 2019) such as in the study and application of mirror neurons.
Because this clip does not go into depth about What I do with my hand tools but more so offers ideas on How I use them, here are a few things to note:
I mention that I do not do any “desensitizing” work with the horsemanship flag and this is because I do not want my horses (or anyone, for that matter!) to be desensitized to me. Our shared sensitivity (the quality or state of being sensitive: such as a: the capacity of an organism or sense organ to respond to stimulation; e: awareness of the needs and emotions of others, Miriam Webster) is what allows us to co-create our experience. Instead, I work to “familiarize” my horse with the flag and other tools through extended embodiment so that they might understand when they are being asked to respond to them and when they are not.
The order of go in my use of the flag is
1. Visual Stimuli
2. Physical Stimuli (touch)
3. Auditory Stimuli
I use the flag as an extension of my body, to apply both driving forces and drawing forces, ie sending the horse away from me or inviting the horse closer to me. Remember that horses LOVE rhythm so I use the flag in all three ways with rhythmic motion and I try not to make any unnecessary or sloppy movement or sound with the flag.
I try to always hold the flag overhand (like a tennis racket) as this allows for smooth movement as opposed to underhand which encourages
Yesterday, Ferdinand had his first lesson on “contact with the bit”.
I think about the moments leading up to this that have cultivated in a good feeling for this young feral horse as he learns about contact, confinement, power + influence.
Here, Zak blends the arts of Cranial Sacral Therapy, Balance Through Movement Method and NueroBiomachics with his Horsemanship practices as an offering to set Ferdinand up for success as a balanced, grounded, confident, respectful and joyful equine partner.
I don’t do many demo videos for our page as I tend to get tight and awkward in front of a camera. A tight and awkward rider leads to a tight and awkward horse which leads to somewhat less-than-ideal demonstration. *Sigh*. So here is me challenging myself to get in front of the camera even though it makes my palms sweaty and my butt cheeks clench. Thank you ‘Koda for showing others how, even when we are not at our best, the simple, daily tasks in our partnership can be accomplished in balance and harmony 💕 ~ Chiara
Bridling young stallion Rocco 🦄
Chiara and I often say “how we do the small things is how we do all things.” The first few times a saddle goes on a young horse can make a huge impression and when we take the time to be particular and caring about all of the steps we can really help soothe a horse at a time when they could easily become anxious. These not-so-little bits of clarity and consistency are really worth it to me especially when the next thing I put on their back (hopefully smoothly) is my own body. Rocco, 4yo Westfalen Stallion.
Bridling Preparation with young stallion Rocco during our clinic with Blue Iris Equestrian LLC 💕🦄
Mindful Horsemanship Coaching 
