Books with Spirit – Joyfulness between horses and people

We can feel quite powerless to change the things that happen on our planet, but I’m telling you that every time we open up our wallets at the supermarket, we can change the world, one baby step at a time and this is a very powerful way to be changing the world.

This is way outside of what I normally write about on this blog, but for some reason I am drawn this morning to write on this subject.  Buy free range.  It’s simple.  Everytime you buy any meat or eggs, then buy free range and nothing else is OK. 

Make a commitment to not eat suffering.  Make a personal commitment now, today,  to give x number of chickens, pigs, cows and sheep a life by not eating their suffering.  Keep these animals out of cages, out of feed lots and give them a life.

That’s a lot of animals in a year to rescue. If you ate nothing but chicken, the average family, voting with their wallet would rescue about 400 chickens per year and give them a life.

That’s powerful…

Two ladies from our Bobby’s Diaries discussion group were raving about Carolyn Resnick’s work, so I sent off to America and bought the DVD “Introduction to the Waterhole Rituals”. 

The dancing self carriage of each of the horses that Carolyn was working with in her DVD and the sheer poetry of that, tells me that every one of those horses was deep in its comfort zone and absolutely joyful in what it was doing.  Even the big grey horse  on it’s 7th ride ever (the same horse featured with Carolyn on Stormy May’s DVD The Path of the Horse), was in various levels of glorious self carriage for the whole time – which speaks wonders for Carolyn’s methods.

I take my hat off to her… 

If you’re looking for some more techniques compatible to what we do with Zen Connection with Horses, then Click here to have a look at Carolyn’s lovely work and how she achieves that. 

Jenny’s new book gives you a systematic way of getting rid of old buried emotions that are getting in the road of what you want in your relationships with your friends, your family and your horse if you’re lucky enough to have one. 

Almost all illnesses, if not caused by buried emotions, are made worse by buried emotions. 

This includes everything from back pain to arthritis to cancer.  “Talk to Your Soul” makes it possible for you yourself, to work at your own pace – fast or slow - clearing away those old buried emotions.  It makes it possible for you to take charge and start making yourself the expert in your own health.

Click here to read more about this book, which comes with Jenny’s “love this book or get your money back” guarantee.  or click here to go straight to the shop

I am very pleased to recommend Cynthia’s new bitless bridle.  We were able to try out the new model on Melissa’s horse Buck a few months ago (sorry I forgot to post blog about it then, but am fixing that now!) and were most impressed – and that’s the first time that I had been impressed with a bitless bridle.

What impressed me about it?

• it has light, clear and direct communication – no misunderstandings about what you want.
• It’s comfortable to wear, comfortable to use and there is no pain.
• it doesn’t jam on even when you use it hard and it releases instantly for an instant reward.
• it has what I call “a very good oh shit button”.  There’s good leverage to bend a horse around to one rein if everything goes to hell. (I hope you never need it, it’s not pretty to be doing things like that!)
• the horse’s like it and even on two reins Buck was carrying himself nicely not forced down into a position.
• it looks like a bridle, so you don’t get the strange looks or those well meaning dills stopping you and reminding you that you forgot to put your bridle on! (That actually happened to me once.)
• Cynthia gives you a 30 day trial, be happy or get your money back.

Click here to go to Cynthia’s website to read more about her bitless bridle.

Re the clinic in Tasmania  recently, I was commenting on how tough they are down there, riding in all sorts of weather and realised that I hadn’t made much of a deal about the dry seat saddle pads that encouraged them by keeping them dry and warm while riding in the lousy weather.  I must say I was pretty impressed and put one on my “must have” list!

The wet weather covering for the rider rolls out simply from the front of the saddle pad covers that part of us that always seems to get wet in the bad weather, our lower body!

Cynthia Cooper at Natural Horse World reviews all her products extensively and has a great little web shop down in Tasmania that sends out all over the world. You can get more info about one of these saddle pads from Cynthia by clicking here

I barefoot my horses where I can according to the fabulous principles and trimming instructions that I learned from Marjorie Smith’s informative website www.barefoothorse.com

However, I have two racehorses who are not allowed to race barefoot in Australia. 

When you’re barefoot trimming yourself, I know from experience how much difference a hoof stand can make.  A good hoof stand is worth its weight in gold!

www.hoof-it.com South America, is selling the new Stramet hoof stand.  It has both a post and a cradle and the supports are covered with rubber and comes with a draft sized cradle as well. 

The famous Bobby of “Bobby’s Diaries” fame has been barefooted for quite a while now.  Not heard of him? You’re kidding! Click here to read more about the best horse training book ever

Bobby loves his Rydair saddle pad
 
Saddle fit is one thing that drives us conscientious horse owners to distraction at times. 
 
But I’ve found something that irons out the little problems. 
 
Bobby loves the Rydair saddle pad when it’s put on properly – he was noticeably more comfortable after a long ride and I could feel the difference as I sat in the saddle for the first time.  They’re not cheap, but they are worth it!
 
Putting it on properly for us, means lifting it up into the gullet of the saddle when both pad and saddle are on his back and slightly forwards of the position that I want the saddle in and then sliding both back into position to keep the hairs nice and flat.  And then making sure that there is no extra pad up in the gullet.  I know most of us do this procedure anyway, but it’s even more important to put it on like this with the Rydair.
 
To find out more about the Rydair saddle pad, connect with their website here.