Books with Spirit – Joyfulness between horses and people

This last clinic in New Zealand has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  I wonder if that’s always going to be the case from now on. 

You don’t have to have a problem horse to get a significant improvement in your relationship with your horse, but the problem horses do make the most spectacular stories!

Shade, a Welsh thoroughbred cross, came into the clinic with his lovely owner Crystal desperate to solve his incredibly dangerous problems.  He was a nightmare to ride in company, running backwards at high speed to attack other horses.  He would double barrel them, getting them from 10 metres away, frequently connecting with the riders at the same time.  A very unpleasant character to go out riding with. 

No matter how fond people were of Crystal, nobody wanted to ride with her any more – and who could blame them.

Click here for the rest of the story about what Shade was REALLY doing and how Crystal fixed this.

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.

Cheryl, our New Zealand clinic host at Wainuiomata has a very peaceful herd of horses.  They usually run together and the humans can walk amongst them all in absolute safety with all the horses kind of mooching around quietly as the humans move amongst them.  I noticed this particularly on my first visit to her place.  In my herd, I have to insist that nobody play dominance games when humans are in the paddock, but Cheryl and her horses have created this lovely safe and feeling safe environment.  (I think I’m going to have to figure out how she does that and create it here at home too!)

During the clinic, it was much easier to put the new horse, little Nugget, who had been elsewhere on the property for a week by now, with his mate Apples into the paddock with Whisky.  ”Promise me you’ll look after him” Cheryl said.  And Whisky agreed.  Cheryl has been working on excellent communication with Whisky for some time now.

So, they put Nugget into the paddock and within a minute or two, Whisky had asked Nugget to move, Nugget said “no”, turned around, backed up to Whisky and kicked out.  Then the thud of hooves smacking into flesh could be heard and felt from clear across the paddock as Whisky gave young Nugget a hiding.

Becx, Nuggets owner, was wringing her hands in distress at her baby being on the receiving end of such violence and Cheryl was upset too at what she saw as Whisky breaking his promise.  “But, Whisky”, she said, “you promised to look after him!”

“I AM looking after him” said Whisky.

Then the pennies started dropping into place. Becx had been in the paddock with her children who had always been safe amongst this herd that never pushed each other around or played games amongst the humans, when Nugget had chased another horse towards one of the children.  It only stopped in time because of its own effort to not run over the child. 

“Oh my God”, said Becx, as she realised that Whisky was actually protecting her and the children by establishing the ground rules of this herd in this really special place.  “Thank you Whiskey!”

You know, we say everything happens for a reason, but sometimes it’s from a kind of empty place, with no real hope of knowing what the reason was.  In this extraordinary communication with our horses, we develop the ability to find out what the reason really is.  Like Cheryl and Becx did, with Whisky and Nugget that day. 

Now, you might think that this story is a bit “out there”, but there are more and more people who are “hearing” their horses in this extraordinary way … consciously and deliberately.  “If you want to hear your horse like Cheryl and Becx and learn the secrets of the great horsepeople of the world click here to buy Bobby’s Diaries right now