Supporting horse owners to deepen their horse/human relationship & develop their horsemanship skills. Relational & Trauma informed.
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Embracing both Spirituality & science. Liberty training
Advocating for horses
Play! 😀
Check out the final blow made by DJ with his 🌿 weapon 😆
How do your horses like to play?
Play fighting with each other?
Object play?
What's your horses favorite play object?
Did you know that playing can be a sign of the wellbeing of your horse, but can also be a frustration release?
😆 Banj creeping up behind... Mmmm is that 🥕 you got there?
Share their story everywhere.
I know I have overseas followers here.
Thank you🙏
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=733823685613534&id=100069577278632&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6
I love you. ALL of you. You do not have to help me achieve my goals to earn love. My goals changed because I love you.
Love is a verb.
Remembering those lovely Springtime walks! We are in Autumn now and it's pretty chilly already. The recent rain is starting to green things up again though after a long, dusty summer.
Please sign for the Brumbies
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/aeCCb4Djrgj9KWok/?mibextid=xfxF2i
Brumby advocates – here is the truth.
On Wednesday I put up a motion calling for the killing of brumbies to stop. The National Party put up an amendment calling for a pause while the shooting was investigated.
The amendments failed after the Shooters Party MPs turned their backs on the brumbies and voted against their own party’s position against aerial shooting. They voted to support the Government’s aerial shooting program. Further, two MP’s from the Liberal Party abstained from voting- never even coming into the chamber.
The Liberals then walked out of the chamber on my motion, causing the first ever Coalition split in this term of Parliament. I am now told that the Liberals have put out a statement that they ‘cautiously support aerial shooting’.
We are in the last days of the Upper House inquiry where the huge majority of submissions called for the killing to stop. Sign the petition calling on the shooting to stop here: https://www.emmahurstmp.com/petition_stop_the_slaughter_of_brumbies
I don’t know what deals have been done behind closed doors to get support for this bloodbath. In my speech in Parliament I said, “One day Parliament will have a genuine discussion about true interspecies justice, rather than ignoring the truth about humanity and kindness - to pretend that these animals do not suffer or feel pain is not a political position - it is cowardice.”
Your horse is not stubborn.
You just haven't worked out why he/she is not comfortable with what you are asking them to do.
Stubborn is an interpretation and a label.
To foster a safe and mutual relationship with a horse, it is more helpful to fill in these blanks...
When I ask my horse to .............
What I observe him/her do is..........
Then get curious about what's going on for them. What might it feel like if you were in their hooves right now? Feel into their experience, as a horse, with horse needs and horse fears.
Then fill in this blank
My best guess around what is going for them is ..........
From here you can formulate an initial support plan.
Your horse is not stubborn. They are trying to tell you something. Are you willing to listen?
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From our Connection Clinic last year!
Participants did a great job deepening their horse listening skills, supporting their horses nervous system regulation and facing challenges together as a team ❤
The first 2 photos are before and afters which show the relaxation that can occur from practices that support co-regulation and feeling heard.
Kody and I doing some float training today. It's going well 😊
I think he likes our new float better than the old one.
I often hear of people's struggles to learn how to train their horse or work on a specific thing and there can be an overload of information. There are still many trainers with Do and Don't mindsets.
The reason why trainers offer so many points of view is because there are so many ways to communicate and train horses. People share the ways that have worked for them in their own experience and they also have their own different standards and values.
Every person and every horse has their own unique personality so the journey is discovering yourself and who your horse is and together, develop what works for you as a partnership.
Personally, I found that polarised (black & white) thinking did not support me in life or horse training, so I learned to recognise it and let it go.
I have trained my horses in different ways. I don't have a fixed program to get the same behaviour. The method I choose does however influence the horse's emotional state and the style of relationship we have and it will be determined by what feels right.
I have force free sessions (Liberty Positive Reinforcement) and I have sessions with pressure release (for example; ground work in the Cavesson or Liberty with natural negative reinforcement)
So what feels right?
Regardless of what 'technique' I am using, I look for:
* my horse being within their window of
tolerance (aiming for calm and regulated)
*They understand what I am saying/asking
* I feel safe
But the ultimate is when they are totally engaging with me and what we are doing together!
Developing your own style of communication with your horse happens over time in relationship. Some things that help this are;
* Having an idea about how horses learn through association (e.g Positive Reinforcement and Pressure Release)
* Trust (probably a good topic for its own post)
* Healthy boundaries
* Ability to track your horses stress responses.
These are just off the top of my head.
I think the message I am trying to get across is that learning to be a team with your horse comes from learning over time together in relationship, to be open to experimenting and take the right/wrong pressure off yourself.
Not sure if this helps anyone but I hope so!
💜🐴☯️
Going through my laptop to find videos for my course and I come across older stuff that I don't know if I ever shared. I like to think that I've improved since this compilation in that I've been learning how to improve the biomechanical function of their tricks.
We've had some fires out this side of Victoria recently. The biggest one reaching the Victorian Brumby Association! If anyone would like to support the VBA there has been a Bushfire Appeal set up.
Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of Victorian Bru… Tanya French needs your support for Brumby Sanctuary Bushfire Appeal
For those seeking Equine Assisted Practitioner training. In this relational model, both client and horse experience safe relationship.
Not only is the practitioner training amazing, you'll also learn about 'I-Thou Horsepersonship'.
~ Late enrolment open for a limited time only ~
Our next cohort of online students has just commenced their training in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning.
Will you be joining them?
We have limited places available for late enrolments to join this life changing, nourishing and enlightening program, where you'll learn our unique approach to effectively, safely and ethically include horses in equine assisted practice to support client change.
Our training inspires growth, opens hearts and minds and is the first step for many students toward not only a career, but a life they love.
Our online training supports students to fit their study around other commitments and provides space to apply and integrate their learning to become skilful and masterful practitioners.
Contact us or head to our website for all program details.
https://www.equinepsychotherapy.net.au/our-horse-therapy-training-programs/online-equine-assisted-training-eap-eal/
Just a reminder to EPI students/practitioners that tomorrow (Friday 1st) is the final day to enroll in the 12 week I-Thou Horsepersonship course. We begin next week!
Memories of the 2014 Australian Brumby Challenge. I almost didn't do it at all because of self doubt. From memory, the application date was extended so I decided to just apply and see what happens.
I was accepted to compete, VBA Lana and I took out Reserve Champ Yearling, I met some wonderful people and it supported the Brumbies.💞
Funny how the writer of the article referred to riding. Lana was not ridden of course, as she was only a baby.
If we want to look after our horses physical health, we need to consider their skeletal maturity. Many people are now choosing to wait to back their horses until they reach at least 5 years of age. Even then, horses still have a few more years of development to go. It must be done with care and knowledge of healthy biomechanics.
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What does Liberty mean to you?
Does your Liberty training include freedom, choice, autonomy and consent?
Do you have an example of something you do that fosters these?
I'll share one of my examples...I'll train in an open space or with a gate open so the horse can leave if they need/want to.
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Another snippit from the Liberty Essentials 2023.
~The wellbeing of horses in Equine Assisted activities~
From time to time, I see things written on social media questioning the wellbeing of horses who work in Equine Assisted practices. It’s an important topic because it is indeed true that whenever a horse is ‘used’ for the benefit of the human while the horse's own feelings and needs are not considered, it compromises the horse's welfare and wellbeing.
Whether you are interested in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning from a point of deciding which practitioner training is best for you, from a point of becoming a client, or as a horse advocate, it is helpful to know that the different models include their horses differently.
I do remember some time ago now that a certain technique used by some models came under scrutiny. It involved a horse being in a round pen with a client and the activity was for the client to get the horse to move around the pen (which may also involve a lunge whip). The goal was often around supporting the client to develop assertiveness or similar. This is an example of an activity that can easily slide into the territory of an unsafe space for a horse. It is a task oriented experience and the horse is a prey animal in a small space being moved around by someone they might not know, potentially with a whip. How might that feel for them? What’s in it for them?
Not all models are like this.
I am the Equine specialist for the Equine Psychotherapy Institute (EPI), where the horses’ welfare and wellbeing are prioritised. This begins outside of sessions and includes ensuring their species-specific needs are met and the human-horse relationship is one of equality. These qualities are then brought into the sessions. The model is relational and the horse’s wants and needs are always valued, therefore it is important for practitioner to be able to recognise their horse’s communication signs and know how to support their horse. In this model, sessions are aimed towards being mutually beneficial. These elements matter so much to the Founder of the EPI (Meg Kirby) that she has now written a book on it…” Horses, Love & Science-The 8 Commitments of I-Thou Horsepersonship”.
In summary, the wellbeing and welfare of horses in Equine Assisted practice varies on the model and Code of Ethics adhered to.
Let’s hope that all practitioners across the globe continue to reflect on and implement ways to keep their horses physically and emotionally safe, and to enrich their horses' lives both in and out of sessions.
I bet some of you know who this is!
Anyone recognise him?
❤
Exactly! Methods are methods. It's what YOU bring into it (your attitude, intentions and relationship skills) that determines the quality of connection and type of relationship. ❤
Thank-you Belinda Bolsenbroek Academy.
"If you focus solely on technique or methods without looking into the horse's eyes and connecting with their soul, your technique will never matter, and a true connection with your horse will not be established."
-Belinda Bolsenbroek
Liberty training has amazing benefits but is all Liberty training equal? Nope! There are many versions of Liberty training out there. Some trainers focus on choice/freedom/consent when teaching behaviours, while other trainers find more forceful ways of achieving goals without tack and also call it Liberty.
It's important to know this when looking for support with your Liberty training. Reflect upon what you value in your horse~human relationship and training and how you want your horse to feel, and make sure to check that it matches up with any potential coach or mentor that you are considering before taking your horse to them.
❤🐴☯️
Video snippit from SHR Liberty Essentials 2023
Exactly. The art of training without training.
Nice one Cumberland Equine Body Therapy and Services
“Beneath every behaviour there is a feeling.
And beneath each feeling is a need.
And when we meet that need rather than focus on the behaviour, we begin to deal with the cause, not the symptom.”
(Unknown)
Not all Liberty training is relationship focused.
Knowing and applying the science of Equitation does not make a method relational.
Your attitude and the way in which you relate to your horse does.
🐴💞
(Snippit from my Liberty Essentials presentation 2023)
Happy new year everyone!
How adorable does Mystical look in her new fly mask! 🥰
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Play! 😀 Check out the final blow made by DJ with his 🌿 weapon 😆 How do your horses like to play? Play fighting with each other? Object play? What's your horses favorite play object? Did you know that playing can be a sign of the wellbeing of your horse, but can also be a frustration release?
Remembering those lovely Springtime walks! We are in Autumn now and it's pretty chilly already. The recent rain is starting to green things up again though after a long, dusty summer.
Kody and I doing some float training today. It's going well 😊 I think he likes our new float better than the old one.
Going through my laptop to find videos for my course and I come across older stuff that I don't know if I ever shared. I like to think that I've improved since this compilation in that I've been learning how to improve the biomechanical function of their tricks.
What does Liberty mean to you? Does your Liberty training include freedom, choice, autonomy and consent? Do you have an example of something you do that fosters these? I'll share one of my examples...I'll train in an open space or with a gate open so the horse can leave if they need/want to. ❤🐴 Another snippit from the Liberty Essentials 2023.
Liberty training has amazing benefits but is all Liberty training equal? Nope! There are many versions of Liberty training out there. Some trainers focus on choice/freedom/consent when teaching behaviours, while other trainers find more forceful ways of achieving goals without tack and also call it Liberty. It's important to know this when looking for support with your Liberty training. Reflect upon what you value in your horse~human relationship and training and how you want your horse to feel, and make sure to check that it matches up with any potential coach or mentor that you are considering before taking your horse to them. ❤🐴☯️ Video snippit from SHR Liberty Essentials 2023
Not all Liberty training is relationship focused. Knowing and applying the science of Equitation does not make a method relational. Your attitude and the way in which you relate to your horse does. 🐴💞 (Snippit from my Liberty Essentials presentation 2023)
My beautiful Brumby & I on the beach. Soul Horse Revolution #soulhorserevolution #brumby #horseriding #bitlessriding
Wishing the Soul Horse tribe a lovely holiday period. May you all have lots of time to play with your ponies ❤🐴🎄
The FIRST thing to do when your horse avoids the halter... Hint: It's not making the area he or she is in smaller so you can trap them. The very first thing I do is ASK MYSELF "WHY" this horse doesn't want to be haltered. I reflect on both the current situation and any possible associations the horse may have made with the halter from previous experiences. What does the halter mean to them? Does it mean something enjoyable, is it new to them or does it mean loss of autonomy or worse? THIS guides what action needs to be taken. THIS is the difference between relationship focused horsemanship and one-sided horsemanship. Are you 'catching' your horse or 'haltering' your horse? Video- I went looking for a pic to go with my thoughts and came across this old clip that I didn't know I had. It's an example of a horse, Kody, willingly enagaging in the haltering process. Not through force or learned helplessness but through feeling safe and having formed positive associations.
Happy horses. Peaceful moments ❤ My guys are so happy now that the rest paddock has opened up.
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Hi, I’m Valence from Soul Horse Revolution. Since becoming a horse trainer a number of years ago, I have witnessed a shift in the dynamics of the horse/human relationship, with the quality of connection becoming more mutual and people beginning to put their relationship with their horse before the tasks that they wish to achieve. Horses are becoming seen and loved for exactly who they are as individuals.
The world now has a better understanding of natural equine behavior, their needs & psychology, nervous systems, trauma and the growth and healing possibilities through safe connection.
What does this mean for horse lovers? We are able to understand our horses better and train them in ways that are more joyful than before, we can communicate more effectively, support their well-being and experience an amazing connection, even entering into a much deeper partnership with them… a journey of self discovery and development and Soul work. This is the Soul Horse Revolution.
To support people on their journey as they explore new ways of training, I offer Horsemanship Coaching which is science based and trauma informed. This can be delivered in person (I am based in Victoria, Australia) or in the form of video coaching (clients send in a video followed by phone or zoom consultation.)
Here on the page, I aim to share educational and motivational posts that help you to expand upon your horsemanship and relationship that you already have with your horse partner.
Welcome to the Soul Horse tribe!
