Stef Perkins's Posts - Barnmice Equestrian Social Community2024-03-29T07:36:51ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkinshttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2188008243?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2w2tscx5x4j0b&xn_auth=noAre Your Finances Affecting You in the Tack?tag:www.barnmice.com,2013-10-22:1773158:BlogPost:6987952013-10-22T17:00:00.000ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkins
<p>Did you know that your finances affect your second chakra? Did you know that your second chakra is located in your lower abdomen? Did you know that the lower abdomen is your point of balance and strength when you ride, allowing for an independent seat and effective communication with your horse?</p>
<p>For more information on the importance of your lower abdomen when riding, check out <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com/2013/02/25/three-centers-for-communication/" target="_blank">this…</a></p>
<p>Did you know that your finances affect your second chakra? Did you know that your second chakra is located in your lower abdomen? Did you know that the lower abdomen is your point of balance and strength when you ride, allowing for an independent seat and effective communication with your horse?</p>
<p>For more information on the importance of your lower abdomen when riding, check out <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com/2013/02/25/three-centers-for-communication/" target="_blank">this article</a>.</p>
<p>When I decided to heal my marketing fears and my financial struggles, I started by realizing that my sense of self-<i>worth</i> and self-<i>value</i> were completely entangled with my beliefs about money. I learned that I did not value myself or my services and that I really questioned whether or not I was worthy. There was a lot of pain and an overwhelming lack of self-love and empowerment. All of those beliefs and emptions were reflected in my personal finances and the success of my business. I realized that I needed to heal myself to heal my money problems.</p>
<p>I approached that healing process by integrating my body, mind, and soul. I sat and felt all of the feelings of unworthiness and all of my fear about money. I became aware that I felt those feelings the strongest in my lower abdomen. I knew enough to know that was my second chakra so I looked up the energies for that chakra. Sure enough, the second chakra is all about money, sex, and power! Energetically, your finances are hanging out with your personal power and creativity.</p>
<blockquote><p>“Our relationship with money profoundly affects our health, particularly the health of the second chakra – our organs of reproduction, the bladder, parts of the bowel, and the low back. For years and years as an ob/gyn physician I have seen up close and personal how a woman’s health is affected by issues of money, sex, and power – second chakra energies. For example, a woman’s pelvic health is generally good when she has control over her own finances versus being controlled by the finances of others, or feeling unworthy to accept more money for the work she does.” – Dr. Christiane Northrup, excerpted from the foreword of Money: A Love Story.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Developing this awareness and understanding was life changing for me. My greatest fear revolved around money and my greatest health concern revolved around my reproductive organs. I finally had a way to link all of this together to be able to heal my body, mind, and soul.</p>
<p>As someone who takes a holistic approach to riding, I quickly made the connection that this energy would greatly affect riders in the tack – particularly women. If our beliefs about ourselves and our financial health can manifest into physical ailments in the lower abdomen and pelvis, it would surely be enough to affect us as equestrians. The lower Tan Tien, 2-3 inches below the belly button, is our physical and energetic center. When we ride, we need that area to be strong, balanced, and responsive. Our stability and fluidity in the saddle revolve around this point.</p>
<p>We use our pelvis, lower back, and lower abdomen to ground and center us on the horse’s back so that we are secure in the saddle. We use it as a point of strength so that our limbs can be supple and gently give aids. We develop our independent seat and ability to communicate effectively with the horse from this base. The lower Tan Tien is crucial for our effectiveness and safety in the tack. So, if the second chakra is energetically out of balance, it will affect our ability to ride just as much as it will affect our health or creativity.</p>
<p>It is crucial to look at your sense of personal power and relationship with money. If you are an entrepreneur, it is even more important. You are responsible for bringing in your own paycheck. If you do not feel worthy and empowered, you will not market yourself well. If you do not market yourself, you will struggle financially. When you struggle financially, you will question your worth. Do you see how easy it is to end up in a downward spiral?</p>
<p>This is compounded for the equine entrepreneur who works directly with horses. The horses you work with will be able to sense that you are not empowered and will relate to you differently. In addition, that energy just may be affecting your ability to ride and train as well as you could if you healed this self-worth, money, and marketing cycle.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥</p>
<p>Stef Perkins is an <strong><span>Equine Entrepreneur Expert</span> </strong>who helps self-employed equine professionals that struggle to market their services effectively and are motivated to fill their practice with clients consistently. Stef can help you<span> <b>get clear, get organized, and get clients</b></span> with holistic marketing strategies that work. Click on the links to find out more about the <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com/equi-preneurship/the-equi-preneurship-system/">Equi-preneurship System </a>and <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com/equi-preneurship/coaching-program/">Coaching Program</a>.</p>2 Questions to Help You Build an Empowered Partnership with Your Horsetag:www.barnmice.com,2013-06-01:1773158:BlogPost:6661722013-06-01T20:47:44.000ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkins
<p>Are you looking for a way to build a better partnership with your horse? Below are two simple questions that you can ask yourself to help release the tension and resistance between you and your horse. All frustration and resistance (the effect) really comes from a misunderstanding and miscommunication (the cause). If you can find a solution for the cause, you do not need a solution for every single behavior because they are all the effect of something deeper. You can learn to observe the…</p>
<p>Are you looking for a way to build a better partnership with your horse? Below are two simple questions that you can ask yourself to help release the tension and resistance between you and your horse. All frustration and resistance (the effect) really comes from a misunderstanding and miscommunication (the cause). If you can find a solution for the cause, you do not need a solution for every single behavior because they are all the effect of something deeper. You can learn to observe the surface interaction between you and your horse as a way to see and honor the underlying feelings and needs that result in the outward expression. </p>
<p><b>What is alive for me right now?</b></p>
<p>Asking this question reminds you to check back into your feelings <i>and</i> your horse’s feelings which will allow you to interact authentically in the moment. It is common to enter the arena with an agenda and a list of “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts.” When you impose those limits on yourself, you can lose the opportunity for connection and inspired work. If you can, instead, ask yourself, “What is alive for me right now?” and “What is alive for my horse right now?” then you can approach your work together with fluidity. This is a method of staying present, honoring what comes up internally for both of you, and creating a flow that prevents resistance and frustration.</p>
<p>What does that question mean? It means honoring the feelings, desires, and attitudes that are strongest within you. It means that you give a voice to the internal urges. It means that you follow your heart. So, let’s say that you entered the arena today with a plan to practice your dressage test for the upcoming show. Along with that plan comes a picture of what your warm-up <i>should</i> be, how your horse <i>should</i> behave, what you <i>should</i> do better coming down center line, and how much time this <i>should</i> take. Of course every <i>should</i> implies a host of <i>shouldn’ts. </i> This type of thought process can leave you very rigid and frustrated. It leaves little room for deviating from the plan while still feeling successful.</p>
<p>In that scenario, you enter the arena and your horse is jittery and snorting at things, you’re a little distracted about that meeting you had before you left work, your horse feels like a slinky down every straight line and counter bends through his corners, and the whole thing is not going according to plan. Now all of your <i>shoulds</i> are not being met. This leaves you with two primary choices – to grow frustrated, irritated, and forceful to make the reality match your standards (I was really good at this though it was rarely successful!) or you can pause and ask yourself this handy question.</p>
<p>“What is alive for me right now?” Listen to you own inner guidance. You may get the response that you are disappointed. How can you honor that? Is there a way to choose one task in which you can be successful? Can you choose to accept that you are both distracted and use that as an indication that maybe you should take a little stroll through the back field to re-connect with one another? You may get the response that work was tough today and you really just want to play a little. Can you find something fun to do that has nothing to do with your dressage test yet will help your test in the long run? Like maybe you can hop off and build an obstacle course that involves working through a tunnel of poles followed by standards to weave around that will help with your horse’s straightness and bend. Listen to whatever arises for you.</p>
<p>“What is alive for my horse right now?” Try to feel your horse’s mood. Perhaps you get a sense that he has too much pent up energy or is feeding off of your pent up energy. What can you do to help regain his focus? Would a little hand gallop be really fun and exhilarating for both of you and allow you to return to the task at hand? Would your horse benefit from you hopping off and letting him get his yahoos out at liberty, reconnecting with you, and then getting back to work for a few minutes? Or maybe you get a sense that he is tired and can’t keep himself straight and focused right now. Would you be willing to go back to the barn and do a little massage for him? Giving him the rest he needs now means that he will be able to peak for your performance later. Listen to what is going on rather than staying attached to your plan – this will help prevent major conflicts between you and your horse and build your understanding and partnership. </p>
<p><b>What is preventing my horse from saying yes?</b></p>
<p>Asking this question reminds you to check in with your underlying needs, and those of your horse, to build the empathy that allows you to remove the thoughts that block you from building an empowered partnership with your horse. Horses are not defiant. They do not have the capacity to plan a purposeful rebellion against you. They act based on their needs, instincts, and intuition. When your horse seems to say “no” to a request it is based on one of his needs not being met. Common needs that are not met, and lead to a “no” from your horse, include trust, safety, and understanding. Often there is a breakdown in communication for you and your horse which results in neither party’s needs being met.</p>
<p>Let’s look at a common, mutual need that is not met in an effective way: safety. This includes physical and emotional safety. When you do not effectively honor this need for you and your horse, the result is escalating fear and an environment that grows <i>less</i> safe and secure as a result. You have seen it happen time and again at the barn – let me play out the exaggerate sequence of events for you.</p>
<ol>
<li>Your horse, a prey animal, suspects a danger by the rail and shies away from it with a little look and counter bend.</li>
<li>Your underlying need for safety reacts with a slight fear response and you try to control your horse to maintain safety by pushing him back toward the rail to control the situation and show him who is boss.</li>
<li>Your horse thinks, “Oh crap, the predator on my back is trying to send me into that danger – they really want me dead now!” and his fear escalates into a more exaggerated spook the next time around the arena.</li>
<li>Your fear kicks into overdrive – now you really don’t feel safe – your horse is acting like a crazy idiot spooking at nothing. “I’ll teach you there is nothing scary over there!” and a little inside spur is applied to prove your point.</li>
<li>Now the fear is validated for your horse – the scary thing is now associated with pain – ouch! As a result, your horse doesn’t want to go past that point on the rail at all.</li>
<li>“This is ridiculous! You have already gone past it twice!” and you are feeling less and less safe up there on your powerful mount so you get after him.</li>
<li>Your horse concludes this is a very dangerous scenario and begins to act out with a buck or a crow hop.</li>
</ol>
<p>Now you have effectively escalated the situation so that no one’s need for safety is met. Communication has broken down because fear from both parties has taken over. Both of you feel like you are not being heard so you grow more defensive and determined to <i>win</i>. The trust between you has been harmed. I have certainly seen it get this bad between horse and rider – even worse truthfully – though a lot of times it is much more subtle. Even in the subtleties it is important to look for the needs that are not met.</p>
<p>If you had honored your horse’s need for safety initially, you could have prevented the entire escalation of fear and negative behavior, built your horses trust and belief in you as a reliable leader, and met your own need for a safe and enjoyable ride. How? At the first shy away from the perceived threat on the rail you had the opportunity to ask, “What is preventing my horse from saying yes to my need for a quiet ride around the arena?” His own need for safety! A good leader would not push a fellow herd member into potential danger – she would push her herd away from the threat to ensure safety. There is your opportunity. Honor your horse’s need and ask him to counter bend and step away from the object with a cool and calm demeanor. Your horse will learn to trust you, your fear isn’t triggered, and within a few laps you have proven that there is no threat allowing your need for a quiet ride around the arena to be met and your horse’s need for safety to also be met. Now your horse wants to work with you because you are fulfilling his needs.</p>
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<p>*Note: my understanding of feelings and needs has been greatly impacted by my study of <a href="http://www.cnvc.org/" target="_blank">non-violent communication</a>. Check it out for a more in depth understanding of our universal needs. </p>How is Soulful Horsemanship Different from Natural Horsemanship?tag:www.barnmice.com,2013-05-20:1773158:BlogPost:6639382013-05-20T16:42:38.000ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkins
<p>Natural horsemanship revolutionized the way that we interact with horses. Even if you do not follow one of the big natural horsemanship methods, you likely have some knowledge of them. I think that even individuals who say that they do not use natural horsemanship techniques have still been influenced, to some degree, in their approach to horses by the influence natural horsemanship has had on the attitudes of the industry. Even the non-equestrian culture has been made aware of this…</p>
<p>Natural horsemanship revolutionized the way that we interact with horses. Even if you do not follow one of the big natural horsemanship methods, you likely have some knowledge of them. I think that even individuals who say that they do not use natural horsemanship techniques have still been influenced, to some degree, in their approach to horses by the influence natural horsemanship has had on the attitudes of the industry. Even the non-equestrian culture has been made aware of this monumental shift through films like “The Horse Whisperer” and, more recently, “Buck.”</p>
<p>Personally, I was very excited to learn about a new way to work with horses that was less invasive and dominating. I grew up in the traditional hunter/jumper world on the east coast. Learning how to use ground work that didn’t involve mindlessly running the horse around on a lunge line to get the bucks out and learning how to read my horse’s body language better was so refreshing. I was eager to learn about natural horsemanship and try new ways of training and interacting.</p>
<p>Eventually, I came to realize that I still wanted more connection, harmony, and understanding between my horses and myself. I came to realize that the horses have much to teach us and, if we choose, working with them can go beyond training to personal growth. My desire to seek out a collaborative form of interaction led me to expand on the wisdom of natural horsemanship into the wisdom within each individual’s heart. <i>Soulful Horsemanship</i> is my first delicate step into a new realm of partnership with horses. Soulful methods are a continuation of the growth the equestrian industry has made thus far. </p>
<p>Below are the six primary ways in which I feel that Soulful Horsemanship differs from the proliferation of natural horsemanship techniques that have been introduced.</p>
<p><b>Communication</b></p>
<p>I take my hat off to the individuals who first promoted the importance of understanding the way horses communicate. Natural horsemanship was so key in learning the body language and herd dynamics necessary for understanding how horses behave, think, and interact with one another so that we could learn to work with them in a more humane way. Through this awareness we were able to empathize and relate in a less violent manner. It has improved the lives of horses. </p>
<p>It is time to build on that knowledge and take our communication to the next level. There is nothing natural about training a horse to work with us and perform for us. There is nothing natural about a horse/human interaction. We will never be equipped to communicate like a horse because we are not built like a horse, we are not functioning within a herd, and we are asking the horse to do completely unnatural things that would never be requested of them by an alpha mare. It is wonderful to see and understand their language as best we can but we cannot replicate it. So what is the next step?</p>
<p>Soulful Horsemanship proposes that we can learn to communicate on the only level that both horse and human can become fluid and equal. Horses will never develop our complexity of spoken language and humans will never develop the complexity of equine body language and herd dynamics. We can <i>both</i> learn to connect and communicate through heart energy. Our emotional field, intention, and intuition are the only way that the horse and human can flawlessly hear and be heard. It is time to change our communication from a means to get the horse to do things for us and into a means to connect and work collaboratively.</p>
<p><b>Collaboration</b></p>
<p>Natural horsemanship helped to shift the equestrian mentality out of physical domination and forced control. I think of natural horsemanship as interacting with the horse through mental means rather than such harsh physical means. When I watch natural horsemanship demonstrations I feel as though I am watching a precise form of control. When it is done <i>really</i> well there is a sense of cooperation on the part of the horse. In other words, the horse agrees to meet the desires of the human without too much of a fight.</p>
<p>Mental control over a horse, or even cooperation, is not the same as true collaboration and co-creation. I want to collaborate with my horses. I want them to have a choice in the process. I want horses to move beyond willing compliance to an attitude of joyfully seeking out the interaction with humans and actively participating in that partnership. I believe that we have a lot to offer horses to meet their needs for peace, security, safety, and companionship. We do not have to dominate them in any form if we choose to connect through the heart and see their needs in addition to our own. </p>
<p><b>Partnership</b></p>
<p>Horse training, in all its forms, has been a way to change the horse’s behavior in order to meet the needs and desires of the human. The human needs transportation, desires the thrill of show jumping, has cattle to move on the ranch, or wants to entertain people through the thrill of gambling at the track. To meet those needs and desires, we find an effective training methodology to mold the horse’s behavior. The focus has been on changing the horse to get what we want. Whether you use traditional or natural means, this is still a one-sided approach.</p>
<p>A true partnership requires that the needs of both the horse and the human are understood and met. Both parties should be heard, understood, and respected. If we are not meeting the needs of both, it is not a partnership. In addition, both members of the team must grow, learn, and develop. When we work with horses we have an opportunity to learn the way of the horse and grow on a spiritual level. If we just focus on the development of the horse, we are missing out on the depth of relationship because we are only trying to affect change in half the team. </p>
<p><b>Empowerment</b></p>
<p>One of the premises of natural horsemanship is that if we can gain control over the horse’s movement, we can gain control over the horse. If we can prove that we have the ability to move their feet, the horse will submit to us. I believe that this is disempowering for the horse <i>and</i> the human. When you try to force compliance, you are manipulating the horse to behave in a certain way. That leaves them with limited options – they can either resist which is met with punishment and intimidation or become submissive. Neither of those things creates a willing partner.</p>
<p>In addition, when we believe that the horse must do as we say, go where we want, and listen without any question, we are disempowering ourselves. As soon as you start looking for external control over a situation, you are giving up you authentic, internal power. When we manipulate the horse and move their feet to prove that we are in control and dominant over them, we have lost the collaborative partnership and the opportunity for empowerment. </p>
<p>Soulful Horsemanship proposes that we can build a synergistic, empowered partnership with horses. We can focus less on controlling the circumstances in the arena and instead address our internal, emotional worlds. It is not enough to learn a less forceful way to make the horse comply with our demands; we must shift into a relinquishment of those demands in favor of a fulfilling, harmonious interaction. </p>
<p><b>Love-based</b></p>
<p>Horsemanship methods have been very fear-based for the horse and human. We feel the need to exert external control over the horse because we are afraid of what will happen if we lose that perceived control. The horse also responds from fear – the fear of being cornered, trapped, and pushed around by a predator. From this space boundaries are created to mitigate fear rather than foster love and compassion. It is very hard to learn new things and make lasting change when we are in a state of fear.</p>
<p>We can move out of survival mode into the joyful expression of partnership by focusing on love-based interaction. When we interact as a way to help the horse and human improve the quality of life through compassion and understanding, we can encourage one another to grow and find the peace and harmony we are seeking. We can take the ego out of training and lovingly dance from the heart. </p>
<p><b>Awareness</b></p>
<p>Natural horsemanship has really focused on systems, techniques, and equipment to gain results. A lot of ego is introduced in regards to which method is better, who is qualified to teach, and if your good enough to use it. When we focus on executing movements with precision, we miss out on the natural flow, communication, and energy exchange. We can, instead, focus on awareness in the moment to interact authentically based on all of our knowledge and filtered through our intuition.</p>
<p>Horses naturally live in the moment. We can learn how to enter that space with them through mindfulness practices. It is important to quiet the mind and the ego so that we can interact through the motion of our bodies. Working with horses is very physical and we must be aware of our movements – natural horsemanship taught us this but made it somewhat mechanical. The way to flawlessly communicate through the body is through emotional awareness.</p>
<p>The key in Soulful Horsemanship is the focus on the emotional worlds of the horse and human. It is time to get in touch with our heart and soul. It is time to understand the emotional needs of horses and humans. It is time to become aware of how we are feeling and become empathetic about how our horses are feeling. We can accomplish so much more in the arena and in life through the development of emotional intelligence. The horses can teach you how if you empower them through authentic interactions. Emotions are the heart of our experience.</p>
<p>-Stef Perkins, <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com" target="_blank">Bend Equine Solutions, LLC</a></p>
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<p><b> </b></p>Understanding the Body Mechanics of Working in a Frametag:www.barnmice.com,2013-04-25:1773158:BlogPost:6590512013-04-25T18:05:57.000ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkins
<p>Most riders eventually understand that it is ideal for their horse to work in a frame. A frame is a way of carrying the body that utilizes the ring of muscles by asking the horse to engage his haunches, lift his back, travel lightly on the forehand, round the neck from the base and drop the head. This is an efficient way for the horse to move that prevents injury and helps the horse to carry the weight of the rider. Unfortunately, many people lose sight of the whole picture and focus only on…</p>
<p>Most riders eventually understand that it is ideal for their horse to work in a frame. A frame is a way of carrying the body that utilizes the ring of muscles by asking the horse to engage his haunches, lift his back, travel lightly on the forehand, round the neck from the base and drop the head. This is an efficient way for the horse to move that prevents injury and helps the horse to carry the weight of the rider. Unfortunately, many people lose sight of the whole picture and focus only on the head and neck carriage of the horse. This is an easy mistake to make since the neck has the most movement and is the most visible.</p>
<p>Focusing on the head and neck alone leads to people using devices, such as martingales, draw reins or tie downs, or harsh rein aids to force the horse to drop his head. All of that is entirely unnecessary and can actually lead to injury, chiropractic problems, muscle tension and a bad attitude. More importantly, it will break the trust of your horse. The head and neck set is an extension of the rest of the body and with correct movement from behind, your horse will naturally carry his head and neck correctly. Since it is the most visible, the head and neck can help serve as a an indication of what is happening in the hind end, back and shoulders if you do not yet know what elevation, collection and suppleness feels like as your riding. </p>
<p>To help you understand the body mechanics, I want you to feel the difference between working in a proper frame and working hollowed out. Stand up with your feet shoulder width apart. Gently stick your butt out, hollow out your back, pinch your shoulder blades together and slightly tip your chin up. This position is the equivalent to a horse that is inverted and not working in a frame. When the horse is in this position, his haunches are out behind him, his back is dropped down, he is unable to lift his body up through his shoulders, his neck will be in a “u” shape and his head in the air. </p>
<p>While in this position, gently try to lift your knee to your chest – you can’t get your knee very high which is akin to your horse being unable to step under his body to propel himself forward with power. Now try lifting your arm over your head – does your arm get stuck half way up? You have reduced movement through your shoulders. Finally, try to bring your chin to your chest. If you stay hollowed out through your body your head can only drop so far and all of the movement will come from the base of your skull, or the poll in the horse. In fact, it likely hurts to try to do this. If you ratchet your horse’s head down when his body is hollowed out you are going to cause pain and injury and the horse will never be able to maintain it naturally and comfortably.</p>
<p>Now I want you to put your body into a correct frame. Engage your stomach muscles to tuck your butt in, round your back, round your shoulders and gently tip your chin into your chest. While in this position, lift your knee to your chest. How much farther can you lift it? You should be able to see a significant difference. Raise your arms above your head one at a time – how much more freedom of movement do you have. From this position you can likely get your chin all the way to your chest though that would be the equivalent of going behind the bit. It should, however, be comfortable to drop your head to stay in the arc of the rest of your spine. In fact, keep your back rounded and try to tip your head back. You can’t go with your head straight in the air without pain. If your horse’s body and spine is in this position he will naturally carry his head and neck where you want them. In this correct frame the horses hind end is engaged creating power, his stomach muscles are lifting his back helping him to carry your weight, his shoulder is free to swing and you don’t need anything other than soft hands to get the head and neck set that you want. </p>
<p>When the horse is in an inverted position he will have to compensate in order to move forward. With his hind end out from under him, his weight will shift to the front end and he will become heavy on his forehand. However, without freedom of movement through his shoulder he will have to use his chest muscles and the muscles on the underside of his neck to pull his body along. Essentially you have a front wheel drive horse at that point that is heavy in your hand and unbalanced preventing him from performing good transitions, bend, or lateral work. In addition, his quality of movement will be lessened. This heaviness will cause more concussion with each stride and you are setting him up for injuries in his back and legs. When he shifts into a rear wheel drive horse and the power comes from behind everything changes. He will shift his weight back onto the hind end and reach under his body with the hind limbs, he will become light and responsive your aids and he will have improved movement and softness. </p>
<p>If you need help understanding this concept, we can take the above exercise a step further. Find a carpeted area or go out into the grass to protect your knees. Get onto your hands and knees – you are going to do the cow and cat stretches practiced in yoga. Start with the cow – drop your back down gently, stick your butt out and lift your chin up. Again you should be able to feel that your hips and shoulders are restricted and you are unable to drop your head comfortably. Stay in this position and start crawling. You will likely feel that you have to catch yourself with your arms so that you don’t fall on your face. Your legs end up out behind you, you are heavy on your forehand, your movement is stiff and there is a lot of concussion with each “step”. Can you sense that if you were able to go faster in this position that you would end up rushing your arms along to hold you up and keep your balance? Imagine a child sitting on your back – how much more difficult would this become? </p>
<p>Now put yourself into the cat position by rounding your back, tucking your pelvis in and dropping your head. Stay in this position and resume crawling. You should feel a big difference. You can bring your legs under your body and support your weight on your legs. You should feel much softer on your hands with more ability to swing your shoulder forward. You should feel balanced and more flexible through your entire body. Feel how it would now be uncomfortable to go with your head straight in the air while in this position. Imagine how much easier it would be to move quickly, to turn and to stop. Imagine how much easier it would be to carry a child on your back. </p>
<p>Hopefully these exercises help you to understand how you have to ride your horse from the back end forward. To do that you must ride off your seat and leg which is what controls everything from the hind end to the shoulder. If you can get that part right, your arms can stay relaxed and simply catch the energy that comes through the neck and head from the body. To learn how to control the body through your seat and leg takes patience, practice and intent but the rewards are great for you and your horse. Please do your horse a favor and stop forcing his head down without addressing the root of the problem. <br/> </p>
<p>Stef Perkins, <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com" target="_self">Bend Equine Solutions, LLC</a></p>The Art of Teaching Your Horse to Read and Writetag:www.barnmice.com,2013-04-20:1773158:BlogPost:6579902013-04-20T17:03:51.000ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkins
<p>Horses are fluent in the spoken language of the horse. Any movement that you ask your horse to perform is something he already does naturally. The horse can carry himself with perfect balance while executing the most technical movements. We do not need to teach the horse how to move. However, we do need to teach the horse how to move under our weight based on our cues. This is the equivalent of teaching a child who can speak how to read and write. We must take the horse’s natural…</p>
<p>Horses are fluent in the spoken language of the horse. Any movement that you ask your horse to perform is something he already does naturally. The horse can carry himself with perfect balance while executing the most technical movements. We do not need to teach the horse how to move. However, we do need to teach the horse how to move under our weight based on our cues. This is the equivalent of teaching a child who can speak how to read and write. We must take the horse’s natural movement and language and translate it into a series of symbols and cues that we can use to build a story. This is similar to teaching the horse to read and write.</p>
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<p>Just like with a child, the process of learning the written language must be broken down into logical steps that build on one another into more complex thoughts. It takes a human many years to get to the point that they can write an essay or read a novel. We must allow the horse time to work through the learning curve and become proficient in working in partnership with people. We must break training down into logical lessons that progress naturally through their training. It is important to remember that, like children, each horse will have his own strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, abilities and interests. In addition, we must understand that the horse does not tell time and may not complete a lesson in the time frame that we would like. If you plan to teach each concept in a 45 minute lesson you will likely become frustrated. The horse will pick up some concepts in 20 minutes and others in 90. You must work at your horses pace with each new concept and keep in mind that sometimes less is more.</p>
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<p>When training the horse you must start with the ABCs as your foundation. This includes haltering, grooming, working on the ground, moving away from pressure, accepting equipment, accepting the rider’s weight and offering responses to stimuli. There are dozens of fundamental pieces that must be learned as a base to training under saddle. I would consider all of these things to be the consonants in the alphabet. They are absolutely integral to forming words and will be put together in varying combinations to create different meanings. If you skip any of the basics, you will eventually come across words or phrases that you cannot build without that letter. It is important to take the time to learn the entire alphabet so that you don’t have to send the horse back to kindergarten later in training. </p>
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<p>As you know, consonants make up the majority of the alphabet but without vowels to link the consonants together the English language is useless. Vowels make up less than twenty percent of the alphabet but are present in every single word. They are the power house letters. In the case of teaching horses the fundamentals, vowels are represented by core values such as trust, relationship, respect, confidence and communication. These core concepts will be utilized, in some combination, in every task you ask your horse to complete. You cannot have solid movements and training without linking your basic training together with solid core values. As you are teaching your horse his ABCs I want you to remember the importance of vowels.</p>
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<p>Once your horse knows the alphabet you have all of the building blocks to continue training. You never need other letters. You have the basics and then begin to put those things together into words or more complicated tasks. The next thing you would teach a child are short, simple words. These are words that the child already knows but you are teaching them how to read and write the word. For example, one of the first things you will likely teach a horse after you get on is to walk forward. The horse already knows how to walk – he’s been doing it since he was less than an hour old. However, it is a new thing to walk forward on command while carrying the rider’s weight. This is like learning to spell the word “cat”. You take the concepts that you have already taught the horse and put them together to create the desired outcome. Let’s say the “c” is the training foundation of carrying your weight and the “t” is moving away from pressure. You have to have a vowel in there so we will call the “a” trust. You combine carrying your weight with moving away from pressure linked together with trust and your horse walks forward off your leg aid. </p>
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<p>At this point he deserves a gold star at the top of his paper. Be sure to reward every movement that he correctly gives you. This is not the time to fuss over how fast he walked off, if he went in the correct direction or his head carriage. All of that comes with time. You can’t be disappointed when your child has messy handwriting, can’t yet spell the word “dog” or doesn’t understand punctuation. You haven’t taught those things yet. Reward the horse for walking forward. When he has practiced that you can try another short word. The rest of it will come with time. You slowly start to teach your horse more basic words and soon your horse will be able to walk, trot, canter, turn, stop and back up without too much of a struggle because you are using a concrete alphabet the horse understands.</p>
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<p>The next logical step is to teach the child really simple sentences such as “the dog ran”. You want to start with words they have already learned – keep it short and simple. This will look like basic patterns and transitions in training. Maybe you want the horse to walk a figure eight pattern with a halt each time you come to “x”. To do this you use the basic words that the horse has learned – walk, turn and halt. Remember that each of those words is made up of the foundational pieces that create the alphabet. You can’t lose sight of the individual letters and simply view it as a word. The letters form the words and the words form the sentence. This also means that you must hold onto those vowels – practice your relationship, communication, trust, respect and confidence in every section of every ride. It is also important to remember that this is still a simple sentence structure – do not ask for straightness, bend, working in a frame or perfect tempo. </p>
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<p>If your base up until this point is really solid the child will be able to start sounding out words. You can ask for more complex “words” through your aids and the horse should be able to start deciphering your intent based on the aids applied. This is the point that you start to ask for the horse to carry himself correctly, bend, straighten, move laterally and change speed within each gait. Remember that each of these are separate concepts and you must build them in a logical manner. Bend at walk is different than bend at trot or canter just as working in a frame is different at walk than at trot or canter. If you want the horse to bend while in a frame it is an even more complex word and is, again, different between the gaits. The horse is starting to learn more complex words but being able to write one difficult word does not mean that he will automatically know the next word. </p>
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<p>From here you start to build more complex sentences with longer words. Perhaps you go back to the figure eight pattern but now you are asking for straightness, bend, a change of speed within the gait, or a lateral movement within the figure eight. I would recommend learning each of those things one at a time and then slowly combing them until you can have any or all combinations within the same figure eight. You cannot expect to accomplish everything all at once. Allow your horse time to learn one concept, reward him and then move onto the next concept. Eventually, you get to the point that you can put together entire paragraphs and then full stories.</p>
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<p>Remember that a child does not start reading the classics in third grade. They know every single letter in a classic and will even understand a lot of the individual words but they are not yet to the point that they can follow such a complex story. If you ask them to read something that is beyond their ability you will discourage them. The goal is to pick stories that are a challenge and introduce new words or concepts but are not so far out of reach that the child is left feeling stupid. The same is true for the horse. You want to push them to learn but you don’t want to overwhelm them or punish them for failing to succeed at something that they are not yet ready to accomplish. You must encourage them and reward them for trying hard and never break their spirit. Just because you can read the novel doesn’t mean that they are ready to go there with you. You must work with them at their own pace.</p>
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<p>It is also a really nice reward for a child to get to choose books that they enjoy. A child will choose a more challenging book if it is on a topic that they really enjoy. Give your horse a chance to read fantasy books if that is what he is into. In other words, go on trail rides, play games or go back to basics on occasion. No one wants to read text books everyday – it kills your enthusiasm for reading and writing if you never get to enjoy the creative, fanciful side of language. Don’t just drill your horse in the ring. Everything you do can be enhanced by changing things up. Even if you do flat work out in a field on occasion you will get better movement and enthusiasm from your horse. </p>
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<p>Remember, that even when you get to doctorate level work you are still only working with the same 26 letters in the alphabet. You never move away from that foundation – you just build on it. So take the time to teach the basics and to teach the horse how to learn. Also remember that you can never decide to stop using one of those foundational pieces because then the entire framework of the written language falls apart. It takes years to get to upper level work in any discipline but you must carry each lesson that is learned along the way to be able to build the full story. You can’t write the next great American novel without the letter “q” or the word “the” – they are small but integral pieces of the English language. </p>
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<p>Stef Perkins, <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com" target="_blank">Bend Equine Solutions, LLC</a> </p>
<p> -An excerpt from <em>Soulful Horsemanship, A Path to Emotional Freedom for the Horse and Human</em></p>Body Awareness: A Ridden Meditationtag:www.barnmice.com,2013-04-16:1773158:BlogPost:6574572013-04-16T17:14:05.000ZStef Perkinshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/StefPerkins
<p>Riding can be a form of moving meditation. When you do a walking meditation you work on quieting the mind, becoming fully aware of your surroundings and experiencing the present moment. You use intense concentration on each movement your body makes to help bring you into this meditative state. Walking meditation is often easier for an individual than a long sitting meditation because you do not have to quiet the body and the mind. I would argue that a riding meditation is even more…</p>
<p>Riding can be a form of moving meditation. When you do a walking meditation you work on quieting the mind, becoming fully aware of your surroundings and experiencing the present moment. You use intense concentration on each movement your body makes to help bring you into this meditative state. Walking meditation is often easier for an individual than a long sitting meditation because you do not have to quiet the body and the mind. I would argue that a riding meditation is even more powerful because you can use the movement and energy of the horse. The horse is already living in the moment and much more aware of his surroundings than you are which can help you go deeper into your meditative state. In addition, from this state of mind your connection to your horse will strengthen.</p>
<p>A ridden meditation is really a hybrid. Technically you are sitting but your body is in motion from the ripple effect of your horse’s movement as he does the walking. With regular practice you can get all of the benefits of meditation while simultaneously improving your riding skills and relationship with your horse. Make sure you are in a safe place to practice your ridden meditation prior to starting. If you need to, lightly work your horse first to take off the edge.</p>
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<p><b>Part One:</b></p>
<p>The first exercise is a basic body awareness exercise similar to a guided relaxation meditation where you focus on each body part and allow the tension to melt away. Start with a soft eye. Become completely aware of your surroundings without focusing your attention on any one thing. Be aware of the sounds around you and the smells. Now take all of that awareness and bring it into your temples and then into your head. Bring your focus down your neck. Is there tension? Is your head stacked on top of your neck or is it tilted? Drop down into your shoulders. Release any tension. Are your shoulders even? Bring your awareness down your arms. Are they fluid and following the motion of your horse’s head? Feel your hands and the reins that run through your fingers. What does the grip feel like? Can you feel the connection to your horse’s mouth?</p>
<p>Follow the energy and motion in your arms back up to the point between your shoulder blades. Feel where both sides of the energy connect at this point. Allow your shoulder blades to melt down your back. Follow the energy down your spine. Are your vertebrae stacked on top of one another? Feel the motion from your horse ripple through your spine. Now bring the awareness around though you entire torso. Focus on your breathing. Are you breathing deeply by using belly breaths to pull the air all the way into your lungs? Or are you breathing shallow with only your chest rising falling? How does the motion of the horse affect your breathing?</p>
<p>Next move your awareness to your hips. Is your pelvis tilted? Are you sitting evenly on both seat bones? Are your hips moving equally with the motion of the horse? Can you feel the vibration and connection with your horse through your seat? Drop down into your thighs. Are they tight or relaxed against your horse’s side? Continue to take your awareness down through your knees, down your calves, into your ankles and then your feet. What does your lower leg feel like against your horse’s side? Can you feel your horse breathing? How do the stirrups feel across the ball of your foot? Is your weight evenly distributed into both feet?</p>
<p>From here focus on your breathing and become aware of your entire body and how everything is working together. Feel the motion of your horse and be completely in the moment in your body. Release any places of tension. Slowly start to shift anything that feels blocked, stuck or out of balance. Allow yourself to be aware of any other thoughts and watch as they pass. Allow any emotions to rise up and fall away again. You are having the very unique experience of a sitting meditation while in motion. </p>
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<p><b>Part Two:</b></p>
<p>After you have practiced, and are comfortable with, part one you can take your ridden meditation a step further. It is hard to quiet our mind and stay in the moment. By bringing awareness into your body you can stay present a bit easier. To take it to the next level you can use your horse’s body as your focus. You are no longer trying to feel what is happening in your own body- let that fade into the background and become connected into your horse so that you can feel what is happening in his body.</p>
<p>Keep soft eyes throughout this exercise. When you bring your focus and attention onto your horse it is not through visual cues. You don’t need to stare at the ears or the neck or the shoulders. You should feel it. You can either blend into this exercise from the previous exercise or use it on its own. If you are starting your ridden meditation with this exercise start the same way you started part one- by becoming fully aware of your surroundings and then you are going to bring that awareness into your horse’s nose. If you are continuing your part one meditation you will take all of the awareness of your body and bring that into your horse’s nose.</p>
<p>Starting at your horse’s nose try to connect into your horse’s energy and sense the air that is passing through his nostrils. The breathing pattern of your horse can give you an enormous amount of feedback about his mental state. Move your attention to his mouth. Can you feel the connection through your reins? Try to sense if his jaw is tense or relaxed. Become aware of his head- what position is it in? How does it move with his stride? Bring your awareness up to his ears. Remember, you are trying to feel your horse’s body not just look for visual cues. The ears can also give you a lot of feedback about your horse’s mental state.</p>
<p>From here move to his poll. The poll is made up of a series of joints- the head connects to the first cervical vertebra, the atlas, which connects to the second cervical vertebra, the axys, and then down to the third cervical vertebra. This is the area of the spine that has the most movement, allows for flexion and provides range of motion for the head. It is the series of joints that really provide the head and neck set that we are looking for when our horse is in a frame. It is also an area that tends to get tense and blocked so really focus on the poll to get a feel for its movement and how it is different from the rest of the neck. You can follow the energy down the neck. What does the movement in the neck feel like? Where is that motion coming from?</p>
<p>Then move to the shoulders. Is one shoulder bigger than the other? Is the movement in each shoulder equal? Can you tell if your saddle is interfering with the motion of the scapula? Remember that the horse’s front limbs are not attached to the horse’s body with bones. They do not have a collar bone like we do. The entire body of the horse (and the weight of your body and saddle) is supported in a sling of muscles between the front limbs. Therefore, any tension or issues in the shoulders or chest can cause a deviation in the movement of your horse. Take your awareness down the front legs. How are the legs swinging forward? Do they swing freely in a straight line or is there a deviation in the swing? Is your horse reaching forward equally with both front legs? Can you feel the point that your horse’s hoof touches the ground and the moment it pushes off again? Is the break over point in his stride smooth?</p>
<p>From there bring your attention back up his back. Is it hollowed out or lifted? There really is very little lateral bend in the back. When your horse bends the feeling comes more from the swing of his ribs. Can you feel the ribs swing as he walks? Some horses have more body swing to the left due to the weight of the cecum. Can you feel his breathing in his chest? Can you sense if he is using his abdominal muscles?</p>
<p> Bring your attention down the rest of the spine and all the way down into the tail. Pay attention to the lumbosacral and sacroiliac joints. The first is where the lumbar spine, or lower back through the loin area, meets the sacral vertebra. The sacral vertebra typically fuse together creating one piece called the sacrum. The sacroiliac joint is where the sacrum runs through the ileum of the pelvis (this is what causes the “jumper bump” or the bony protrusion on the back above the hip joints). These two joints allow the horse to engage his hind end which then allows him to elevate his front end and go in a proper frame. It is also the final area that you are going to get any lateral motion in the spine to generate bend. Many horses have issues in this area so focus on it and see if you can feel the movement. This is the area that allows the pelvis to tip with each stride. What does it feel like? The tail can also tell you a lot about mood, tension and what is going on with the rest of the spine. How does your horse carry his tail? Is it crooked? Is it tense? Is it active?</p>
<p>From here become aware of your horses hind end. This is the power house of your horse can you feel the push and power generate from the large muscles in the rump? Many people forget that the hip joint is actually sitting inside the rump and the motion in the hind legs is generate from this joint and the deep muscles surrounding the pelvis. Bring your attention down the hind limbs. What are the stifles doing? The hocks? Remember that there are absolutely no muscles in the lower limbs on a horse. All of the movement in the hock all the way down to the hoof is generated from the muscles above the hock (the same is true in the front limbs- everything comes from above the knee). Can you sense how the muscles are creating a pulley system through the ligaments to allow the extension and flexion of the lower limb? Again, feel how the legs swing and how the foot is placed on the ground. Is your horse tracking up evenly? Is he landing flat on his foot? Or is he landing on one part of the foot first?</p>
<p> From here bring your awareness up to the entire horse. The horse uses a ring of muscles to generate movement. When you are riding you are the one who is directing that movement. You take the lead in the dance to determine the speed and direction of the movement. Therefore, visualize the energy starting in your core. You send that energy down into your pelvis and down your legs to ask the horse to move forward. The energy then travels across the stomach muscles and into your horse’s hind sparking the forward motion in your horse. That energy travels in waves along the horse’s back. You must allow that energy to travel through your legs. It continues up into the chest and shoulders and then down the neck. From there it goes through the poll, into the jaw and then transmits into the bit and up the reins to where you catch it with your hands. The energy goes up your arms, into your shoulders, down your spine and back to your core. Try to feel this circuit of energy and connection with your horse. I think of it as a figure eight motion or a lopsided infinity symbol. You don’t want to allow a break in the circuit and the energy should flow freely through you and your horse. </p>
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<p><b>Part Three:</b></p>
<p>Now you can build on the mindfulness, connection, awareness and clarity gained through the first two exercises to help build your relationship, communication and performance with your horse. Once you have practiced developing full awareness of your body and your horse’s body you can use it to enhance your riding skills. This is where the practical side comes in for those of you who are not the sort to meditate. </p>
<p>From the state of awareness gained from part one and part two you can start to manipulate your neutral body position and your horses natural walk. Again, we will start by exploring your own body first since that is easier. You should start in a meditative, mindful state. Begin to manipulate your body. What happens if you put your head off balance? Can you feel what else changes in your body? What changed in your horse’s body? What if you make one hand tense? Both hands? Try dropping a shoulder or rotating your shoulders slightly. Each time you make a change feel what happens through the rest of your body and feel what happens to your horse. Go back to a neutral position prior to changing something else. </p>
<p>For example, go back to a neutral position and then try shortening one side of your torso. When you shorten one side of your torso the other side lengthens. What happens with your shoulders? Your hands? Your head and neck? Your hips? Do you now have more weight on one seat bone? Does one leg now feel tighter against your horse’s side? How do your feet feel in the stirrups? Feel how that change in your body rippled throughout your whole body. Then take the awareness down to your horse. Is he still tracking evenly? Moving in a straight line? Are his back and ribs still neutral? What about his head and neck? Once you feel how one change in your body affected your horse go back to your neutral position and try something else. </p>
<p>Once you have played around with small manipulations in your body and start to really feel how everything is interconnected you will better understand why our body position is so important when riding. When your instructor tells you to stretch up or drop your shoulders it isn’t just about looking pretty- it is affecting your horse and your ability to communicate with your horse.</p>
<p>Then you can take it to the next level. Can you start to make movements without moving everything else? This is your independent seat. Can you bring one leg back an inch while keeping your pelvis and body neutral? Can you bring one hip slightly forward without throwing everything out of balance? Can you open one hand out to the side without it affecting your body position? When we can start to isolate each body part it allows ud to communicate with our horses with precision and clarity. It is the ability to develop an independent seat that turns a good rider into a great one. Think about upper level dressage riders. They can, through small isolated movements in their body, communicate complex movements to their horse and stay in perfect balance while their horse exerts an amazing amount of power. They become one with the movement. </p>
<p>If you can stay in this mindful awareness while you ride you will start to feel the feedback between your energy and movement and your horse’s energy and movement. It is all interconnected. When you make a change in your body you can make a change in your horse. When your horse makes a change it will naturally have an effect on your body. It is this give and take that allows you to ride in unity. When you apply the proper aids and ask your horse to bend his ribs will swing to the outside and your body should naturally go with that movement to allow it to happen. You must follow the motion and energy of your horse to stay in balance with him while simultaneously isolating specific movements within your body to communicate through your aids. The best way to learn to do that is through the mind body connection developed in the ridden meditation exercises.</p>
<p>Try to maintain your meditative state and build on the basic walk. Start to ask for changes in the length of stride, change of bend, try a lateral movement, walk over poles, do walk-halt-walk transitions, etc. Practice your independent seat, communicate clearly and try to maintain the awareness of your body and your horse’s body. Keep the connection and presence. As you get better you can continue to build on it. You can practice maintaining your ridden meditation while riding the trot, canter, pioff, sliding stop, over fences or whatever you are working on in your riding. If you can learn to do that it will not only help your communication. If you can feel your body as practiced in part one you will know when you are tightening your jaw or forgetting to breath. If you can feel your horse you will know when he is not tracking up all the way on his right hind when practicing a movement. It will transform your riding and your relationship with your horse. </p>
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<p> Stef Perkins, <a href="http://bendequinesolutions.com" target="_blank">Bend Equine Solutions</a> </p>