It's All About Listening!

Some time ago, the term “horse whisperer” came into being, not necessarily by the horse enthusiasts themselves, but largely by the people outside of the industry. The term claimed its fame thanks to Robert Redford who starred in the movie with the same title, while he posed as a rancher who developed a spine-tingling connection to an otherwise unmanageable horse. The romantic notion of being able to communicate with horses was propelled into the mainstream media and readily devoured by horse people and others far removed from equi-mania.

Long before the movie came out, and fairly early in my horse career, I had already started taking lessons in ‘natural horsemanship’. Not only could my friends and I already do what Robert did in the twinkling twilight (with the mysterious, hovering silhouette of the horse in the background), but we knew there was so much more to *communicating*. And it begged the question: if we weren’t whispering, what were we in fact doing?!

Along my path to becoming a more educated horse person, I learned a common-sense truth that follows me to this very day: the most effective way to whisper to a horse is in fact to LISTEN.

If you’re not a horse-person, you’d be amazed at how much horses communicate – to each other and even to humans. If you know how to listen, and how to interpret their body language, you would be an adequate interpreter of these amazing creatures. It’s not a secret other-wordly skill. Just be quiet enough and sensitive enough, learn the body language signs, and the world of horses will open up to you in a most organic manner.

So here we are in my first official entry of my blog entitled “Horse Listening”. My intention for the blog is not to necessarily expound upon incredible lessons, or pass on fantastic secrets and techniques, or even to tell you that I know anything of great significance. In this world of electronic communication, I want to stick to a timeless, ancient source of education: I just want to ramble! In a sense, I want to put forth a proposal, if you will, about a topic that has my attention at the moment. And then I just want to Listen.

I am hoping to open discussion about many and varied topics related to horses, riding, dressage and ultimately, life. Because if there is anything that the horses have taught me, it is that EVERYTHING about horses has a human parallel and every growth (and setback?) we gain through the horse world can be mirrored in our own lives. And the more we think we know about horses (and life), the more we discover that we in fact know so little. Each can be an ever-learning and developing process, and there’s stuff to be learned from everyone….

Originally posted: http://frwdnrnd.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/its-all-about-listening/

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Comment by E. Allan Buck on August 15, 2011 at 5:58pm: Kathy;

I did not realize the affect of 'hearing the silence' until I started riding in SB. The horses began to teach me to hear their requirements and to observe their language of silence. When the rider obtains the ability to 'hear the silence' the rider then has the opportunity to 'feel' the physical language being transmitted by the horse to the rider.

Comment by Kathy on August 13, 2011 at 10:31pm: Hi Jackie and Allan,

Thanks so much for your comments. You both added another dimension to what I'm trying to say. Jackie - your point about the two-way communication - yes! I think the term "communication" means that there is an exchange. Both parties must be involved in the exchange of information. And Allan - you nailed it - I think I am alluding to the silence but I never thought of "hearing the silence." Very nice.

Comment by E. Allan Buck on August 13, 2011 at 8:27pm: Interesting!

I am of the experiential belief that horses communicate primarily through telepathy.

And that is something we civilized humans have lost touch with.

It is called hearing the silence.

Comment by Jackie Cochran on August 13, 2011 at 3:24pm: One of the "benefits" of having MS is that it disabled me so much that I HAD TO learn to listen to horses to survive being around them. I just ride now, but I listen to what the horse is saying much more than other riders.

I see it as a two way street, I listen to what they are saying and change what I am doing if the horse says it isn't comfortable, and the horse tends to give me some warning before any behavior problems come up. Shying seems to be less vehement. I do not have a good sense of balance, I have a slight hand tremor, I don't have much of a proprioceptive sense, my coordination is not good and I am weak. The horses I ride find me irritating. They only consent to give me good rides because I listen to their complaints and I change anything that they tell me is uncomfortable.

I think that 99.999% of horse "mis-behavior" is the horse trying to tell it's human that it hurts, usually from poorly fitting tack (saddles, bridles and bits), poor riding (especially heavy hands, mis-timed aids and heavy spurring) and seats that abuse the horse's back. Nowadays I am careful of saddle fit, extremely picky about any head gear, and view any objections from the horse as a comment of my riding ability. In return I have been able to ride safely and I am becoming a better rider.

Listen to your horses. They are our best riding teachers if we just hear them.