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Flutter’s Arrival – An Inspiring Birth Story

Source: Marcy Criner is the creator of Horses of Us, an equine artist, and a follower of horse wisdom. This story is one of the inspiring posts on www.horseconscious.com.

 

One flick of the finger turns the barn from a soft dreamy darkness to bright glaring light. In a flash, our mood and tenor shifts to the urgency of birth. From her black hindquarters, we see a translucent sac covering two hoofs quickly emerge. Aspen is standing then chooses the lay down with a graceful thump. We see the baby’s nose between its feet. Another choice is made and Aspen is up again. Taking a moment to think she moves then decides to go back down.

Once she is down, I find myself on the ground covered in fluids with the baby’s nose in my hands. I pull the white slick sac away from his nose and hear him take his first breath. Another push and the baby is out. A rush of welcoming whinnies and neighs fills the space. This strong black colt is still linked to his mother through the umbilical cord. I begin to stroke him feeling his warm body below me. Aspen turns her regal head and stares at him with a look of adoration. A deep neigh emanates from her. His long legs are moving as if to say he wants up! I continue to touch him as we wait for his mother to rise.

Before me I see all legs ready to run, hop, and explore the world. I feel nothing but shear appreciation. Appreciation that I am a witness to the essence of life. Seeing life in its purest form. I feel the aliveness in me as I stand with Martin and watch Aspen rise, as her baby knows he will follow. He struggles and falls all the while being encouraged by his mother. I feel a deep knowing well-up inside me. From this place, I am connected to a greater universe. This is it. In this moment the curtain pulled back and a feeling of life force called me in.

All four feet were planted on the ground. He is standing! Waves of wonder flow though me and he starts experimenting with his newly discovered legs. Falling and twisting he tumbles. As quick as he falls, he is back up on his feet.

Martin and I see milestones like nursing come and go. I wonder about transformation and think of this newborn foal. I see myself in him. In twenty minutes, he transformed himself from one world to the next. Thoughts of mental states and our ability to transform them flood my mind. A quiet stillness settles in for the night as early morning approaches.

With a full belly, the newborn colt, Flutter, begins his peaceful sleep. We are mesmerized by the simple, perfect beauty that life brings to those in the dark or in the light. In stillness or in fits of urgency, the ability to move to the essence, to feel the source of all things is the gift within. That moment of pure presence opened my heart to true joy that quiet night in May.

 

Dancing in Freedom – A man who Found his Authentic Self

A wonderful video I thought you would all enjoy.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/Xn87-mcnoVc[/youtube]

Source: www.carolynresnickblog.com

Change and Horses don’t always mix – Equine Accupressure Can Help

Many horses don’t take kindly to any type of change. They are hardwired to be rather disgruntled with changing facilities, moving in with new horses, traveling cross country to a show, or even something different in their paddock. This reaction to change has to do with herd behavior and survival.

Herd structure is essential to equine survival and every horse knows it.  Every horse knows his place and, for the most part, wants to keep peace within the herd. It’s the herd that protects the individual horse and it’s the individual horse that’s responsible for maintaining the integrity and strength of the herd. Even when traveling 20-30 miles in a day, knowing their place gives them a sense of safety. Take a horse’s sense of safety away and he will feel vulnerable, fearful, and self-protective.

Some horses seem to manage change easily while others react badly when there’s even a minor routine change because he feels threatened. This can lead to behavior issues, dangerous situations, as well physical reactions such as colic. As a prey animal, a horse’s reaction to a threat is to take flight and we all know what can happen then – “Not Good,” as we say in Chinese medicine.

Adjusting to Change
An equine acupressure session can help restore a sense of well-being when a horse is faced with change. And, acupressure offers the added benefit of helping you bond with the horse, which gives the horse a greater sense of safety.

The acupressure points, also called “acupoints,” given on the chart below were selected to help a horse adjust to  change by calming his spirit, providing a sense of grounding, enhancing his self-confidence, and creating a harmonious flow of chi, live-promoting energy, throughout his body.

By offering this equine acupressure session every third day, you can give your horse the gift of comfort and safety when he feels threatened by change or anything else, for that matter.

 

Equine Accupressure – Adjusting to Changes

 

Taking Territory to Gain Respect (Part 2)

Reference: Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship – Liberty Horse Training

Working Horses at Liberty:

While working horses at Liberty, a horse has a sense of personal power and he can be much harder to deal with because of the freedom you have given him. A horse learns right away that he is in charge of the decisions of whether or not he will listen to your direction. Working with a horse at Liberty in a free playing field, the human must use prudence in order to develop the relationship further rather than keeping a horse on a rope.

Having a rope on a horse, the horse has the mind set that he cannot get away and that he must tolerate his handler. While working and connecting with a horse using tack, a person doesn’t know who their horse really is until you give him his freedom to speak the truth. Without a rope you know exactly what your horse is thinking… The horse knows that he is in charge of your leadership.

In this freedom you connect with your horse by being in control of your personal space and by not letting your horse too close to you if he will not listen to you or he is aggressive. You also are in charge of the extra food sources. In no way do you keep him from his daily rations. My method is to shape a horse to be a care taker as your horse shapes you to be a care taking leader. From the freedom you experience with your horse true harmony is born.

Without the Freedom:

When horses are raised and trained by man what happens is that horse becomes dull. The horse learns to stay close to their handler from the tack that holds them to their handler. They then lose their natural instincts and will. The horse’s spirit generally drops away. You can recognize this in a horse’s performance under saddle if the spirit and enthusiasm are not seen; when the sparkle in the eye is gone.

Many times I hear people say “my horse loves me because he doesn’t want to leave me”, I suggest something else is array. If you think you have a bond ask yourself, how much time do you spend with your horse? Does your horse prefer other horses company over yours? Maybe your horse is hanging around you because of the cookies you have in your pocket? We want those cookies to be added bonuses not to become the whole reason. If your horse will perform with complete enthusiasm without cookies or tack… this is the bond I want you to have.

The True Nature:

From your interaction of Sharing Territory, Taking Territory, the pause, and from the flexible boundaries you share together in freedom, you become more giving or more assertive and your horse blooms into his true nature and spirit. Then a partnership forms and a loyalty arises. You and your horse look at life optimistically because of the connection you have with one another.

I am so proud that I have affected people all over the world to get people interested in giving freedom to their horses and to take the time to make a real connection with them. You know you have that real connection when you discover that in no way could you ever sell your horse. If you are planning on selling your horse in the future, you approach your horse differently than someone who is going to keep their horse forever. The plan that you are going to sell your horse puts a wedge in the relationship because of your vibrations.

 

Taking Territory to Gain Respect (Part 1)

Reference: Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship: Liberty Horse Training

Taking Territory creates respect and raises your position in the pecking order. You can gain the right of passage to be accepted in the horse world as a leader. Taking Territory is not about chasing a horse around; it is about Taking Territory away from a horse.

All animals in nature experience the loss of territory in social interactions and it is what builds their character and social behavior to fit in and be responsible in the community. You can Take Territory easily with a horse by surprising him in order to initiate his flight response.  However, you can only do this if the horse is not looking at you and not paying any attention to you.

The Proper Guidance:

Taking Territory Ritual is a ritual which is seldom used without my guidance and that is a good thing. In most cases it would not be applied properly, in the way it needs to be applied, without proper coaching. You do not need it at all in order to train a horse with my method, though it does have its place in the right hands.

When Taking Territory the horse is never touched, but only encouraged to move forward by being surprised. This causes the horse to take off by responding to his flight instincts. The horse is only scared for a second and when he finds out it is you and your purpose was to Take Territory, he is instantly relieved and wants to join you showing no fear at all, along with having a new healthy respect for you!

Why you would not want to use this Ritual without My guidance:

My Dad told me that whenever force comes into the picture with a horse, you better know what you are doing. My father left me alone with horses as a small child so he had to feel comfortable about my safety. The rules he laid down in order for me to stay safe with my horses was to only work with a willing horse and never try to force him to do anything. My Dad felt that as long as there was no tack involved, and that I never asked a horse to do something he wasn’t willing to do, chances were that I would be safe. Wouldn’t it be nice if more horsemen took this approach?

Taking Territory is one of those things where you need to know what you are doing.

Something to consider:

Taking Territory by surprise activates the flight instinct of the horse! Allot of my students and readers may object to this ritual, but the good news is that this ritual in no way needs to be used to get a perfect relationship going with most horses when using the Waterhole Rituals. However, there is true magic in this ritual for some horses. If done properly, this Ritual will return the free spirit of the horse. It also will bring out his herding instincts to want to connect with you. Many people have brought horses to me so that I could use this Ritual on their horse in order to bring back the horse’s spirit, willingness and innate personality.

Self-Serving Bully Nature vs. Care Taking Nature:

Taking Territory from the horse brings back his natural instincts and he learns to have a care taking nature rather than a self serving bully nature, in regards to you. A bully nature is a natural behavior to most all creatures on earth including humans, until they learn social adjustments and consider the feelings of other living beings. When this happens their behavior and character are developed. Most children are bully’s by nature until they are properly guided in social awareness and sensitivity, which in turn will bring out proper conduct without having to manage it.

A surprising thing is that a sweet horse can also be a bully. Sometimes we overlook this. The way this happens is that the good natured horse becomes the center of attention and he learns how to take control, not paying any attention in how he needs to fit in with others. It isn’t the sweet horse’s fault. What happens is that the sweet horse didn’t have to make any social adjustments, so therefore he is socially inept and will push people around until he is developed socially.

Each horse is different in how you approach gaining respect when you need it. Some horses you cannot use this ritual with because they are aware of where you are at all times. So these horses need to be handled differently.

The Appropriate Approach:

When the timing and approach for Taking Territory are done appropriately your horse will respect you and want to follow your lead with a shocking positive result. If this does not happen right away, your timing and approach is off and you need to stop this pursuit. Taking Territory isn’t something that you drill.  The result of experiencing Taking Territory, in my Method, is a deeper connection and willingness that is fast and immediate. The quick results only take about two or three attempts and than your horse will want to be completely in your pocket and he will begin to try to win your favor. He will be all about you, though there might be times that you will need to reestablish your position with this Ritual. The reason for this is that leadership in animals fluctuates and the pecking order does too. Your position is not set in stone.

Here are some reasons why you do not want to do this ritual without the proper guidance:?

1. It could break the bond you already have for good if done incorrectly.

2. Your horse might become too upset from not being approached in a timely manner and that would cause you to receive no benefit.

3. Your horse might take offense to you asking and become aggressive.

4. You might not be ready for, or capable of, carrying out the Ritual in the proper manner.

5. You could run up to your horse too closely and your horse could charge backwards and kick you.

 

Natural Healing Therapies – Amazing Chia Plant (Part 1)

Reference: HolisticHorse.com – Andrea Baldwin is an Herbalist and lifelong horse advocate. She is currently studying at David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies to expand her clinical knowledge. Andrea is also pursuing her practitioner certification in Equine Acupressure with Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute.

Small seed packed with big benefits

Chia, a cheerful upright plant that can grow to a height of about 3 feet, has a square shaped stem and oblong pointed bright green leaves.

Chia (Salvia Hispanica), a member of the mint (Lamiacea) family, prefers well drained soil and a sunny location. The small blue flowers bloom on a cylindrical spike-like head in random order. The seeds require a long summer to mature and have a cool and moist energy. This plant grows well in parts of South America and subtropical climates like Bolivia and Ecuador.

The tiny brown and white seeds of the Chia plant are packed with nutrition, antioxidants, fiber, amino acids, vitamins and essential fatty acids.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are vital for almost all body functions of a horse. Amazingly, chia seeds have 18 of the 22 amino acids required by a horse, including 9 essential amino acids and the complementary nonessential amino acids in proper proportions. Pretty impressive for such a small seed!

Essential Fatty Acids – High Omega 3

Chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acid, having a 3:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 essential fatty acids. This balance of EFAs makes chia seed a strong anti-inflammatory, as well as boosting immune function, supporting healthy skin, hooves, mucous membranes and shiny coats.

Fiber and Mucilage

When soaked in water, chia seeds form a polysaccharide rich, thick gel coating that can help your horse in a few ways. First, it is helpful for clearing sand, much like psyllium. Both soluble and insoluble fiber in chia seeds help sweep debris out of the intestines. This gel also helps to heal gut mucosa, reducing inflammation, which would be beneficial for a horse with ulcers. Another benefit of the gel is slowing down the absorption of sugar by the body, helping to keep blood sugar levels more balanced. A clinical animal study (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24120122) showed prevention and reversal of insulin resistance that had been caused by a high sucrose diet, suggesting chia seed could be helpful in the diet of metabolic horses.

Disclaimer: We always recommend consultation with your equine vet prior to using any of these natural products.  They are not meant to replace vet care.

 

Healing with the Marijke Method – An Online Radio Show for Healing People, Horses, Dogs & Cats

This Wednesday, February 26th 2014, don’t miss the online radio show, Healing Horses Naturally by Marijke van de Water.

Learn how to heal common horse health conditions with diet, nutrition, natural remedies and supplements. Colic, bloating, gas, injuries, infections, colds, flus, arthritis, skin conditions, allergies, hormonal imbalances, liver conditions and a variety of other ailments that horses are prone to.

Listen to Marijke live every Wednesday at 11 am PST (2 pm EST). www.toginet.comCall in with your questions and comments 1-866-404-6519. Can’t make the show?  Download PodcastsClick Here for Podcast Health Topics and More Show Info

Marijke van de Water, B.Sc., DHMS Marijke is a Health & Nutrition Specialist, Homeopathic Practitioner, a gifted Medical Intuitive and Healer, Author & Educator. She considers food, natural medicine and energy healing as “mainstream”. Marijke has over two decades of clinical experience in private practice helping people and animals regain optimum health. She has guided thousands of success cases.

 

Introduction to Equine Behavior – Part 1

Reference – Dr Sid Gustafson is an equine behavior educator, novelist, and practicing veterinarian representing the health and welfare of animals. Know more about him on  (http://sidgustafson.blogspot.ca/)
Horses keep an eye on people, a very keen and knowing eye. In Equine Behavior we are going to learn how to keep an eye on horses. Together, we shall come to see the world as horses see the world, and with that we will improve our ability to develop willing partnerships with horses. By appreciating horses’ long evolved nature as social grazers of the plains and group survivalists, we can more readily and consistently keep horses happy, healthy, and willing to learn. In a sense, we will learn how to become part of their herd.
We begin our equine behavior education journey unknowing what awaits us, much as horses began their journey through time 60 million years ago. Three million years ago the footsteps of man were fossilized next to the hoofprints of horses in what is now Kenya, suggesting that humans have been contemplating horses for some time. But it was not until perhaps ten to twenty thousand years ago that man began the dance of domestication with horse, the horse who became Equus caballus.
There is archeological evidence that man formed a close relationship with horses by 5500 years ago in Botai, Khazakstan where the horsefolk kept and milked horses, probably rode them, this after millenia of hunting horses for food. Both trained and wild horses co-existed in this realm south of Russia and west of China. Trained horses soon spread throughout the world, civilization of man the result. By the early 20th century the predecessor to man’s newest animal partner, the tarpan, had gone extinct. No truly wild horses remain, excepting perhaps the Przewalski, which has a different number of chromosomes than the horse, and is not thought to be horse’s progenitor. To the best of our knowledge, all horses today are descended from tamed and selectively bred horses. The progenitor of the horse, the tarpan Equus ferus, went missing from our planet in 1918. One gauge of domestication is the extinction of the progenitor, and mankind has managed that. The horse of today is with us to stay, it seems, and can live with humans, or without them.

Natural Horsemanship ~ Open Borders by Honza Bláha

I just had to share this incredible video with you! Honza Blaha is such an inspiration as he combines Natural Horsemanship together with the equestrian sport. Make time to watch this beautiful video and be amazed at Honza’s relationship with his horses!

 

[youtube]http://youtu.be/K5ZmDkhqhW8&[/youtube]

 

Holistic Horse Health: Is Stress Affecting Your Horse’s Liver? (Part 1)

See below for an educational and informative article from Madalyn Ward, DVM, on the topic of stress and how it affects a horse’s liver function. This is part 1, stay tuned for part 2.

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Last month we talked about how stress can cause ulcers in horses and this month I want to talk about how stress in horses can affect liver function. Liver health is essential for proper digestion, sugar metabolism, hormone production and detoxification. Stress and liver health are connected through the hormone, insulin. Occasional stress will strengthen the body’s defenses but chronic low grade stress will have the opposite effect. The liver is particularly damaged by chronic stress.

Critical liver functions in the body:

• Fat digestion
• Sugar metabolism
• Hormone production
• Detoxification

How Stress Affects the Liver

Stress in horses causes an increase in the hormone cortisol which causes the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream and if there is a real danger then the glucose activates the fight or flee response. If the danger is not real but more of a chronic trigger then the body must produce insulin to lower the glucose levels in the blood. One way that insulin lowers sugar levels is to convert the sugar into fat. When sugar and insulin levels drop back to normal, the fat can be broken back down for energy but when stress is ongoing, insulin levels never drop to normal and fat can’t be broken down even
with strict diets.

Normal stress reaction — increased cortisol — increased sugar released into bloodstream by liver — sugar used up by body energy output

Abnormal or chronic stress reaction — increased cortisol — increased sugar released into bloodstream by liver — insulin released by pancreas to lower sugar levels — sugar turned into fat which is deposited in tissues including the liver — weight gain, poor liver function, inability to breakdown fat stores.

More from Madalyn Ward, DVM:

www.holistichorsekeeping.com
www.horseharmony.com
www.horseharmonytest.com
blog.horseharmony.com
http://www.facebook.com/HorseHarmony
Twitter: @madalynward