Books with Spirit – Joyfulness between horses and people

Two months ago I purchased a TB gelding that has all the makings of a stunning perfermance horse.  He is 13 years old,and we know very little about him. I bought him, knowing I was buying a severely shut down, depressed horse. He is the horse I mentioned in the pin worm article. 

I have read through Zen Connection, but haven’t listened to the audio track yet, so I am going from my first impressions.

Gulliver was so shut down, he looked like he had left the building.  His eyes were glazed over and he stared into space.  In the moments when he emerged from his cocoon and he feels safe, it is easy to see he has been trained and knows his stuff.  More often, particularly since his has started to feel better, being out of the cocoon has made him feel vunerable and he verges on the edge of “not so sure”  and  “oh shit’ zones.

He looks like he is always on guard. He has a weird energy about him.  This is a very sad way for him to be.  I also feel he is a kind and generous horse.   I think this horse has given a lot of himself. 

Today I played with some of your ideas from Zen Connection with Horses.  I thought I would look for any relaxation,  him looking at me, and see how we could work with this in the spooky spots in the arena.  Most of all I waited for The Chew.  There were also other signs a blink, a sigh, yawn, chew.

Black, blank staring eyes turned to soft amber enquiring eyes.  He then went from being on guard, to wanting to come to me. He connected. 

Next revelation!  I had taught Gulliver headlowering  to help him relax and he picked it up well, it did help.  Headlowering worked by suppressing the tension, but the tension was still there.  So I waited for the chew like you described.  Yes he was now genuinely in his comfort zone.  So a turning point. 

I will keep you posted on our progress.    Cheers Anne.

Jenny’s comments:

I don’t know about you guys, but I had tears in my eyes reading that bit about his eyes going from blank “to soft amber enquiring eyes”.  One of the saddest things that I see is not the “stuff” that that happens to a horse, but those dead eyes that tell you that this horse is broken.  It is sooo… cool to have a way to come back from that.

Zen Connection with Horses and her own innate talent is what she has used to make this breakthrough.  You have innate talent too, no matter who you are - everyone does.  Zen Connection with Horses, with it’s 8 audio lessons that you download to your MP3 player and take out to your horse, helps you to understand and develop that talent. 

I have altered the time on this blog so that first time readers read these emails about Emma’s lovely journey with her horse Rosie in the right order.  So for the regular readers, just skip to the next post.  Everybody else, read on and enjoy!

I’ve had a number of people say to me over the years, “Oh dear, I don’t think I want to hear my horse, I don’t want to know what my horse thinks about me.”  And I’ve realised that although they talked like they were joking, that that is a very real concern for some people – if only subconsciously.

Why indeed would we want to know what our horses think, if we had no simple way of changing that for the better for us and our horse?

If you could be interested in a beautiful journey with your own horse and never having to be worried about what your horse thinks of you - here’s a new perspective, click here for an email from a reader.  My reply is in italics.

I have changed the dates on this blog, so that both Emma’s emails are side by side with the first email reading first, so that if you are reading them for the first time, you can enjoy them in the order in which they are meant to be read.

You will share her beautiful journey with her horse Rosie – as she is making it.  It’s a lovely glimpse into something quite special.

Click here for the rest of Emma’s email, with my reply in italics.

Debra wrote:    Hi Jenny,

TC and I have been making great progress. I find him more excepting of me and he seems to be teaching me a lot.

I have a question I hope you may have an answer to. I have been doing a form of Natural Horsemanship and in the course they do what is called a  ‘passenger lesson’ where the horse can go where ever he wants to as long as he  maintains the gait you ask for. The rider doesn’t direct the horse at all for a total of 30 mins.

Upon working with TC and using your suggestions, I am starting to feel this is giving the leadership role to the horse. What do you think?

I am now changing to your ways of communication and it is a success I sure thank you for reading this and your help a couple of weeks ago.          Regards Debra

This is such an interesting question, click here to read my reply

I love it when I get emails from people telling me how much they love my books or what a beautiful change has happened for them from reading one and putting it into action. 

It’s especially nice to get an email from someone like Stormy May, who can help spread the word to sooo…. many other people.  Stormy May is the producer of a beautiful documentary called “Path of the Horse” – a “must see” journey with some amazing horsemen and horsewomen.  I cried to hear people like Klaus Hempfling, Linda Kohanov, Nevzarov, Carolyn Resnick and Mark Rashid expressing my thoughts about the consciousness of horses.

And Stormy May loved Zen Connection with Horses so much that she couldn’t put it down.

Here’s what Stormy has written for our website:

“Zen Connection with Horses gives a simple formula for how to begin or refine true communication with horses.  This skill is a prerequisite if a person wants to shift from dominance to partnership with his or her horse and Jenny makes learning it fun and straightforward, like scales to practice on the piano.  Do your horse a favour and put the information in this book straight to work!”

Stormy May, producer of “The Path of the Horse” documentary.  For your copy of The Path of the Horse go to Stormy May’s website www.stormymay.com or if you are in Australia, then www.pathofthehorse.com.au

I must tell you that emails like this one from Jenny, about rediscovering the joy that is riding and horses, just make my day! 

“I just want to thank you and Bobby for your book Bobby’s Diaries. Since I purchased it from you at the (Connected Riding) Clinic in Warragul I have spent time most days with my horse Luke and am writing a diary myself about the insights I am receiving from him.”

Click here to read the rest of this lovely email from Jenny Spilsbury

Here’s an excerpt from an email to the discussion group that is based around the life and horse enriching book “Bobby’s Diaries – Straight from the Horse Mouth to You”.

“I have been discussing some issues that my horse and I have with Jenny and have been thrilled to find that “Bobby’s Diaries” seems to be able to answer questions that have haunted me for years; and in the recent past been screaming in my ear. 

I am thrilled to see that Jenny doesn’t use the terms respect and disrespect but instead discusses horse leadership rules. It was like lifting a huge weight from my shoulders placed there for many years by traditional horse people that demanded that I, “Make my horse respect me”. That of course is an impossible task as I believe that respect can only be earned through trust and understanding.

How wonderful to know that if the leadership role is lost it can be regained. There have been times that my horse’s leadership has been invaluable to our safety, this swapping of leadership makes for a lovely partnership.”

Click here to have a look at the book that is enriching so many horse lovers lives.

With her permission, here’s an excerpt from an e-mail this morning from Tiriana in New Zealand.

I’ve been working with Ally (or should I say she’s been working with me?) and reading your book at the same time.  Her – book – rest.  Her – book – rest.  And your book has been like a bible, bringing up exactly what I need to learn, at the right time.  Ally has been extremely patient and kind to me and I’ve been in tears a lot with gratitude, apology and awe of just who she is.  Absolutely fantastic, there’s hope for me yet. 

At times we’ve had so much fun when we’ve got it, that we’re dancing and singing in the middle of the turn around area.  Yep NUTS!  It’s been an amazing journey. 

Please accept my deepest gratitude to Bobby and you, in helping Ally get through to this one silly human.  God save the world!

Here’s some lovely excerpts from an e-mail from Valezka in Victoria, Australia.

“Please feel free to put my comments up, I only hope that they encourage more people to have a go at interspecies communication.  My life and that of my kids has changed forever because you have helped me believe in myself and now I have the courage to act on that, for my good and the good of all the beings sharing my life. Good luck spreading the message!”

Valezka, like lots of other people, had already been experiencing “hearing” her horses. Reading in the book “Bobby’s Diaries – Straight From the Horses Mouth to You” how she could do this consistently and use this for deliberate and consistent communication validated her own experiences and deepened them.

Back to Valezka “My horses and I are enjoying working with Bobby’s Diarys, it has made a world of difference to our relationship especially since one of my horses is an ex-racehorse, and we have only been together for 4 weeks.,  He is what inspired me to search for different techniques on line and thanks to that I found your site. Now I feel that’s why he came into my life. We rescued him from slaughter and I was never sure as to why he chose me to rescue him, but now I know that he is a great teacher and thanks to him my daughter and I are learning a lot about these amazing creatures. Many times we are the ones who need the training because we humans don’t understand much at all.

Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for your book, Valezka, Amaya and horses”

You too, can hear your horse in an extraordinary way. Ordinary people can do this. Extraordinary people can do this. Click here to go to the shop to buy this life changing book – “Bobby’s Diaries – Straight From the Horse’s Mouth to You”