Sozo Cheval Equestrian Services

06/01/2024

What a surprise I had this morning. These two buddies is farm horses, used to a very hard life and not open and trusting towards humans at all. I need to train them, but first I just put my horses with them first and keep on working with worh the already broke horses. Totally ignored these two, but they followed us around wherever we go.

I started to feed my horses again to make sure they get some minerals and other stuff that I deem neccesary. And the two plasies got their share too. This happened twice. Keep in mind that there is no way that they will come near me at all.

This morning I went to feed them again. I mixed the feed, left it at the fence and walked in without anything to see if they will follow me back. That is; my two horses. When i approached the herd, this bay horse, the one shyest of them all, come to me first to say hello. Allowed me to scratch his ears and his withers. And just stood there. Second up is the fleabitten grey.... same story. While "my" two kept their distance and just watch.

Eventually they followed me to the feeding place and enjoyed their snack. Maybe they are not as wild and dangerous as others want me to believe.

Ps . They do not even have names yet? Any suggestions?

03/01/2024

My day at the office....I actually drove right into that storm on a dirt road.... thank goodness for a proper truck

02/01/2024

Had a lovely morning spending time with these two kids and their horse. (The painful look on my face is because of the effort I put in to take some useful selfies. I was not born into this skill).

01/01/2024

We are entering a new year. And resolutions, which is not my favourite and I usually dont follow through. But I want to be more visible again and focus on my passion and my horses and the things I still want to do before it is too late. So I started the day with a session with Cari nda and I have plans for the year. Follow me to see. And maybe share what you want to do and accomplish this year

08/09/2023

This explain why being in the presence of horses is so calming and good for the soul

Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way ′′healing′′ that occurs when we're close to horses.
According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body.
While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.
Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent′′ heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can feel better when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy-that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace.
In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy.

31/07/2023

These guys change the way I look at life in general. But it hugely change the way I think about and handle horses. It opened up a new world to me which are much safer, more mindful and so much fun. It brought my enjoyment and appreciation of horses and consequently of people to a whole new level. A worthy cause to support

22/05/2023

Hierdie skoolvakansie is dit weer kamp-tyd! Enige kinders 3-13 jaar welkom. Bespreek nou jou kind se plek!

05/05/2023

Getting away with it!

I had an interesting conversation with a clinic spectator yesterday. She is a confident and capable rider at a yard that puts more focus on the horses mental well being than average, so this conversation did surprise me a little. It just shows how prevalent certain unhelpful outlooks are in the industry.
I was working with one of the horses she rides in the clinic. He was a nervous arab and we had great success getting him relaxed through the day.
Her question was about his exercise rides for endurance. Now I generally recommend a horse like this needs more practice being emotionally fit before working on physical fitness, but I also need to offer advice of how to proceed if that doesn't happen.
My main advice is to pay attention to signs of building anxiety and do something about it. In extreme cases that something is "get off and do groundwork".
This raised the question. "... But isn't that letting him get away with it".
I answered with a question. "What would he be getting away with? Being scared?"
Horses don't enjoy an overwhelming sense of doom. They don't plan it just to make their riders have a bad day. They genuinely fear for their lives.
The simple act of noticing they are worried and doing something constructive to help them through it builds their belief in our ability to keep them safe.
Sure, if you get off your scared horse, and while they're still scared untack them and let them go, they will associate riding with fear. Their last memory of a ride was them in terror for their life. If they get worried and a disengagement doesn't bring them out of flight mode, getting off and addressing that worry on the ground is only going to build confidence. Getting them relaxed and maybe getting back on a relaxed horse, or even just working them on the ground at the place they got worried until they relax is not letting them getting away with anything.
I feel the idea of horses getting away with things shouldn't be in our vocabulary. Yes, release teaches, so be mindful of what you release on, but it's not a battle of wits.
If anything I see riders trying to get away with surviving a ride on an animal in fear of it's life.

24/04/2023

Die Vroue Wegbreek-naweek kruip al hoe nader... Ons is baie opgewonde om die dames by Witfontein Game Lodge te ontvang!

Die perde is gereed vir aksie, die kunsbokse is gepak en die natuur het begin verkleur in die mooiste herfskleure. Moenie nog huiwer nie! Bespreek nou jou plek om nie hierdie welverdiende ruskans mis te loop nie. (Enkele plekke nog beskikbaar).

Wanneer: 19-21 Mei 2023
Waar: Witfontein Game Lodge, Noord-Kaap
Koste: R3000 per persoon

Wat kan jy van die Wegbreek verwag?
Daar is elke dag 'n sessie met die perde, een waar ons kreatief raak en nog een waar ons tyd in die natuur spandeer. Daar is ook Siesta-tyd op die program om seker te maak dat elkeen kan afskakel en wegbreek van die lewe se besige gejaag.

Navrae en besprekings: Heilette 076 4733 448 // Christine 078 329 4564 // Lida 083 441 7752

04/04/2023

You know what makes horsemanship suck?⁣
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You’ve probably experienced it. Maybe it’s even an ongoing battle…⁣
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➡️ Measuring your self worth based on how “successful” you are.⁣
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Some clues that you’re in this mindset:⁣
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👉🏼 comparing yourself to other people⁣
👉🏼 always feeling behind⁣
👉🏼 have a sense of being constantly judged by those around you⁣
👉🏼 discouraged by the vast difference between where you are now, and your long term goals⁣
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There’s a good chance your felt sense of safety, well-being, and value comes from your performance.⁣
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This is a harmful belief system 💔⁣
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When you have this wound… you’ll always feel like you’re lacking. The goal post keeps moving as you progress.⁣
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You’ll never actually “get there,” no matter how much you succeed.⁣
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And on the never-ending path toward trying to earn your worthiness, you’re going to push yourself… and rush your horse.⁣
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Urgency essentially always leads to poor training.⁣
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Training takes the time it takes. The more you hurry, the slower it goes.⁣
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When you’re *not* trying to prove yourself, you can truly be in the moment, present, and aware.⁣
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Being present leads to better listening, and therefore better communication. Better shaping of behaviors, and therefore better training.⁣
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And the best part? You get to 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 like it’s a luxurious stroll on the beach, filling your senses with awe, beauty, wonder and indulgence…⁣
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Instead of sweat pouring out of you while you run on a never-ending treadmill that cannot get you where you want to go.⁣
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This shift can profoundly change every area of your life…⁣
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But it probably won’t be easy.⁣
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It can take time to uncover, and much more time to deconstruct each piece—then heal, little by little.⁣
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Having a lack of self worth comes from our earliest life experiences. They’ve been carved into our very psyches. Our neural pathways have been programmed to support the belief that “I am not enough as I am now.”⁣
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So… be patient with yourself.⁣
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And keep going, even when it’s hard. It’s worth it.⁣
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You are worth it ♥️⁣
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- written by the MM team 💫

06/03/2023

Ons hou weer 'n Vroue Wegbreek-naweek in Mei! Kom geniet 'n heerlike naweek saam met ons om weer jou fisiese, emosionele en geestelike emmertjies vol te tap. Ons gaan met perde werk (alles op die grond), ons gaan kreatief raak en ons gaan rus in die natuur vind!

Wanneer: 19-21 Mei 2023
Waar: Witfontein Game Lodge, Noord-Kaap
Koste: R3000 per persoon (alles ingesluit)

(Jy het geen ervaring met perde nodig nie, hoef nie baie kunstig te wees of kreatiewe talent te hê nie en hoef ook nie 'n natuurfundi te wees nie. Ons leer en wys vir jou alles wat nodig is! Ons doel is rus en ontspanning, so die aktiwiteite is nie fisies of emosioneel té inspannend nie.)

Slegs 10 plekke beskikbaar, bespreek sommer nou! Deposito betaalbaar om jou plek te verseker. Vir navrae en besprekings kontak Heilette 076 4733 448; Lida 083 441 7752 of Christine 078 329 4564