enlightened horsemanship through touch

Another in the long line of “duh, we already knew that” articles, this time out of the University of Rennes in France.

Why Does My Horse Do That?

If a horse spends most of his time standing in the same position in his stall, would you say he’s just bored? And what about a mare that threatens to bite when you approach her stall–is she vicious?

The latest behavior research coming out of the University of Rennes suggests that these behaviors are not the result of viciousness or boredom as one might think. They have cottoned on to the fact that, chances are these actions indicate that something is not right with the horse.

snaffled with gratitude from www.regardinghorses.com

Equine behaviorist Carole Furieux, PhD of Univ. Rennes studies 59 horses in three equestrian centers In a study of 59 horses in three equestrian centers. Furieux and her team hoped to define the criteria for the evaluation of a very amorphous state, “well-being,” in the domestic horse.

Furieux et. al. discovered from this very small sample that certain posture positions and behavioral habits directly mirrored health problems such as back pain or abnormal blood parameters.

It turns out that the horses who aren’t feeling well physically or mentally are more likely to spend the majority of their stall time in particular positions.

Furieux said, adding that more precise descriptions of these positions will be released soon. “Researchers have already defined specific positions that reflect acute (immediate) stress, but it now appears that these can indicate chronic stress or pain as well.”

This might be useful as a glossy wall-hanging in a barn of novice horse owners. For anyone who has been around horses for 6 months, I suggest contacting Furieux with an offer to describe and illustrate the positions of distress, both acute and chronic.

Furieux also said that certain postures also appear to give insight into well-being, according to ongoing studies. Laboratory testing of stress hormone levels and other parameters are still underway.

The behavior and posture indicators we’ve discovered so far offer a reliable method to evaluate well-being. If a high percentage of horses in the same equestrian center are positive for these indicators, that should signal an alert about the level of living conditions being offered to these animals.

Furieux and her team plan to expand their research to greater numbers of horses and equestrian centers. Those results should lead to practical definitions and guidelines for evaluating equine well-being in the near future.

This is the foundational tenet of Tellington TTouch. Undesirable behavior is the result of pain, fear of pain or discomfort caused by health issues we may not have noticed. Add to that oversights in horsekeeping and the common horse sense that only develops over time, and you get a host of observable horsey behaviors or even non-behaviors, each with its own cause.

The key is keeping your eyes open and learning how to look, with eyes unclouded by preconceived notions of why a horse’s behavior should be a certain way, and what we should do if it’s not. The human brain organizes the world in such a way that we see what we expect to see, and we attribute to that the reasons we are accustomed to attributing. Truly open eyes, open mind, open heart–these things take a lot of work and some risk.

Could it be that your horse does that because you have neglected something in his horsekeeping?

Think again.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that the welfare of horses in one discipline affects that of all horses. You’ll also know that an examination of the biomechanics of hyperflexion; riding ahead of the vertical, behind the vertical and on the vertical; low, deep and round, long deep and round, etc., will teach us all things we didn’t know about what can be good for the body of the horse. If your interest is piqued, you may investigate ways to lengthen the horse’s back, bring it up, safely lower the head and keep the nose a little in front of the vertical for a loose and swinging back and ribcage with a lively connection to impulsion from behind. If, like me, you are interested in learning more about how to do this, stay tuned. The long-ago promised Tuesday’s Touch series will deal with these issues.

The FEI’s affirmation that it will stand behind its own stated principles is a pretty good start, and a nice reminder that we all, no matter our discipline, need to look back at fundamental principles now and again to see that we have not strayed too far. As with all things, there are trends in riding. Remember your hairdo in the seventies? Hopefully most folks’ hairdos were not potentially harmful. But often, the things we cling to with the most ferocity can be, and we don’t even realize it. As I have mentioned before, when I first came to horses as an adult, I learned the natural horsemanship/cowboy horsemanship way. I still use a lot of what I learned then, but a little distance and time have revealed to me that so much of what I was practically evangelical about was harmful to both the horse and me. I look back with embarrassment, just as many do when they think of their Dorothy Hamill haircuts or parachute pants. In this case, however, harm is done.

Just Say YES, a Facebook publication of Horses for Life, contains a post entitled, Article 401 Not Just for Dressage.

Here is Article 401, in case you have been living under a rock for the past 6 months, or have just been lucky:

Article 401 Object and General Principles

1. The object of Dressage is the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse. As a result it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with his rider.

2. These qualities are revealed by:

2.1. The freedom and regularity of the paces

2.2. The harmony, lightness and ease of the movements

2.3. The lightness of the forehand and the engagement of the hind quarters, originating in a lively impulsion

2.4. The acceptance of the bridle, with submissiveness throughout and without any tenseness or resistance

3. The horse thus gives the impression of doing of his own accord what is required of him. Confident and attentive, he submits generously to the control of his rider, remaining absolutely straight in any movement on a straight line and bending accordingly when moving on curved lines.

4. His walk is regular, free and unconstrained. His trot is free, supple, regular, sustained and active. His canter is united, light and cadenced. His quarters are never inactive or sluggish. He responds to the slightest indication of the rider and thereby gives life and spirit to all the rest of his body.

5. By virtue of a lively impulsion and the suppleness of his joints, free from the paralysing effects of resistance, the horse obeys willingly and without hesitation and responds to the various aids calmly and with precision, displaying a natural and harmonious balance both physically and mentally.

6. In all his work, even at the halt, the horse must be “on the bit”. A horse is said to be “on the bit” when the neck is more or less raised and arched according to the stage of training and the extension or collection of the pace, and he accepts the bridle with a light and soft contact and submissiveness throughout. The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the rider.

7. Cadence is shown in trot and is the result of the proper harmony that a horse shows when it moves with well marked regularity, impulsion and balance.

Cadence must be maintained in all the different trot exercises and in all the variations of trot.

8. The rhythm that a horse maintains in all his paces is fundamental to Dressage.

Fédération Equestre Internationale

As you can see, the great majority of the above relates to horseback riding and horsemanship in general. As they say on Just Say YES,

Article 401 is a blueprint of keeping our horses biomechanically healthy. To treating our horses with the respect that they deserve.

It might just apply to all disciplines. If you can think of one that Article 401 does not apply to, I’d like to hear about it.

This is the stated objective of dressage:

The object of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with the athlete.

Is this not the objective, implied or stated, for all equestrian disciplines?

Below is a video made in 1932 revealing the style/trend of dressage at that time: riding ahead of the vertical. I know for a fact that no one who rode this way can look back with shame, regret or embarrassment.  I wonder how the “top” riders of today will feel in years to come when they view video of today and realize that the principles of training they so vehemently adhered to were merely trends?

Straying too far from the fundamentals, no matter what you learn as time progresses is a guaranteed recipe for harm. Think: permanent waves, the Big Lick, polyester, hyperflexion, peanut rolling, and tanning beds. None of us is immune!

I still think that my Dorothy Hamill haircut was kind of cute.

Here is a brief article on the roundtable conference decision at the FEI today.

image courtesy FEI

Following constructive debate at the FEI round-table conference at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne today (9 February), the consensus of the group was that any head and neck position of the horse achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable. The group redefined hyperflexion/Rollkur as flexion of the horse’s neck achieved through aggressive force, which is therefore unacceptable. The technique known as Low, Deep and Round (LDR), which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable.

The group unanimously agreed that any form of aggressive riding must be sanctioned. The FEI will establish a working group, headed by Dressage Committee Chair Frank Kemperman, to expand the current guidelines for stewards to facilitate the implementation of this policy. The group agreed that no changes are required to the current FEI Rules.

The FEI Management is currently studying a range of additional measures, including the use of closed circuit television for warm-up arenas at selected shows.

The group also emphasised that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider.

The FEI President HRH Princess Haya accepted a petition of 41,000 signatories against Rollkur presented by Dr Gerd Heuschman.

The participants in the FEI round-table conference were:

HRH Princess Haya, FEI President
Alex McLin, FEI Secretary General
Margit Otto-Crépin, International Dressage Riders Club Representative
Linda Keenan, International Dressage Trainers Club Representative
Sjef Janssen, Dressage Representative
Frank Kemperman, Chairman, FEI Dressage Committee (by conference call)
François Mathy, International Jumping Riders Club Representative
David Broome, Jumping Representative
Jonathan Chapman, Eventing Representative
Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Representative
Tony Tyler, World Horse Welfare Representative
Ulf Helgstrand, President, Danish Equestrian Federation
John McEwen, Chairman, FEI Veterinary Committee
Dr Sue Dyson, Veterinary Representative
Dr Gerd Heuschman, Veterinary Representative
Prof. René van Weeren, Veterinary Representative
Jacques van Daele, FEI Honorary Steward General Dressage
Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director
Trond Asmyr, FEI Director Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage
John Roche, FEI Director Jumping and Stewarding
Catrin Norinder, FEI Director Eventing
Carsten Couchouron, FEI Executive Director Commercial
Richard Johnson, FEI Communications Director

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations. Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes – horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.

(all emphases mine)

In true FEI style, this is a shimmer of progress for the welfare of the horse, but no definitive steps have been taken.

To address the points I emphasized above:

1. The group redefined hyperflexion/Rollkur as flexion of the horse’s neck achieved through aggressive force, which is therefore unacceptable. Thank you FEI for listening.

2. The technique known as Low, Deep and Round (LDR), which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable. This is problematic.

3. The group unanimously agreed that any form of aggressive riding must be sanctioned…The group agreed that no changes are required to the current FEI Rules.
Translation: “It’s not OK but we’re not going to do anything about violators.”

4. The group also emphasised that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider. They take no responsibility for enforcement other than placing cameras. Though the FEI will establish a working group to expand the current guidelines for stewards to facilitate the implementation of this policy, we know how slowly this process moves forward. It will take continued pressure to make the change that has begun here a definitive and permanent success for the good of the horse.

5. The FEI President HRH Princess Haya accepted a petition of 41,000 signatories against Rollkur presented by Dr Gerd Heuschman.
41,000 and growing by the minute.

Please keep the pressure on. And have a wee dram of something good to celebrate a success. Thanks to all who participated in bringing this to reality. So many people worked behind the scenes to force the FEI to consider the welfare of dressage horses and by extension horses working in many disciplines. I am grateful to all of them. The weeks leading up to this decision have not been easy. May they take a few days’ rest before beginning anew.

FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, February 9, 2010.
Various representatives will meet (by invitation) to discuss the controversial topic of Rollkur/hyperflexion of the neck.

Who knows what kind of, if any, progress will be made at this meeting.
Please take a moment to email the representatives listed below. At the bottom of the list I have added a sample email you can feel free to use or tailor to your specific needs.

All you have to do is copy the email addresses below and paste into your email address bar, copy the email and press SEND. Feel free to forward to your friends, post on Facebook and Twitter. When these representatives below come to work on Monday morning, they will receive a barrage of emails. Let’s take this viral, please.

The experts who will be attanding the round table conference:

HKH Prinsesse Haya, FEI President of FEI
P. O. Box 111888
World Trade Center Complex
Convention Center Building, 5th Floor
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 329 2333 Fax: +971 4 329 2555
info@hrhoffice.ae

Alex McLin, FEI Secretary General
Alex.Mclin@FEI.org

International Dressage Riders Club

International Dressage Trainers Club
idtc@idtc-online.com

International Jumping Riders Club

David Broome, Show Jumping Representative
David Broome Event Centre
Crick Chepstow MON NP26 5XP

Sjef Janssen, Dressage Representative
Bolst 13. Erp, 5469 SC NL
+31204688071

Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director
graeme.cooke@fei.org

Trond Asmyr, FEI Director of Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage
trond.asmyr@fei.org

John Roche, FEI Director of Jumping and Stewarding
John.Roche@FEI.org

Catrin Norinder, FEI Director of Eventing
Catrin.Norinder@FEI.org

Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports
Ian.Williams@FEI.org

Carsten Couchouron, FEI Executive Director Commercial
Carsten.Couchouron@fei.org

Richard Johnson, FEI Director of Communications
Richard.Johnson@FEI.org

Jacques van Daele, FEI Honorary Steward of General Dressage
Jacques.van.Daele@fei.org

Frank Kempermann, President of the Dressage Committee
Romeinendreef 27 3620 LANAKEN, BELGIUM
(49 241) 91 711 07
frank.kemperman@chioaachen.de

Sven Holmberg, President of the Jumping Committee
Södra ED 66194 SÄFFLE, SWEDEN
(46 533) 151 22 f (46 533) 151 08
sven@ab-holmbergs.se

John McEwan, President of the FEI Veterinary Committee
Cross Country Equine Clinic
Devauden CHEPSTOW, NP16 6NN Monmouthshire, GREAT BRITAIN
(44 1291) 650 690 f (44 1291) 652 035
johnmcewen@theglyn.fsnet.co.uk

World Horse Welfare
Roly Owers and Tony Tylor
Anne Colvin House
Ada Cole Avenue
Snetterton Norfolk NR16 2LR
01953 498682
info@worldhorsewelfare.org

Ulf Helgstrand, Representative of the National Equestrian Federations
Rytterager 1, 2791 Dragør
32 53 47 47
uh@rideforbund.dk

Dr. Sue Dyson
Centre for Equine Studies,
Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford,

Dr. Gerd Heuschmann
www.gerdheuschmann.com/
Allee 28, 48249 Dülmen
+49 – 2548 – 919222
kontakt@gerdheuschmann.de

Dear Sir/Madame:

The February 9 conference on Rollkur at the FEI headquarters in Lausanne will be behind closed doors. Thus the voices of thousands will not be heard.

I wish to add my voice to that of Dr. Heuschmann and other compassionate, educated luminaries of the horse world who have spoken so passionately against the use of hyperflexion. We refuse to be silenced in the presence of interests that are not governed by the good of the horse.

There are thousands upon thousands of horse lovers who stand with those who have signed the petitions Dr. Heuschmann will bring to you.

Sincerely.

(your name)

Email list for your convenience: kontakt@gerdheuschmann.de, uh@rideforbund.dk, info@worldhorsewelfare.org, johnmcewen@theglyn.fsnet.co.uk, sven@ab-holmbergs.se, Jacques.van.Daele@fei.org, frank.kemperman@chioaachen.de, Richard.Johnson@FEI.org, Carsten.Couchouron@fei.org, Ian.Williams@FEI.org, Catrin.Norinder@FEI.org, John.Roche@FEI.org,info@hrhoffice.ae, Alex.Mclin@FEI.org, idtc@idtc-online.com, graeme.cooke@fei.org, trond.asmyr@fei.org

Go to http://www.wu-wei-verlag.com/neu/ua.php?DIR=vor. Add your name to the petition. Many voices sing one song.

Many thanks to Project Horse for the list of attendees.

HKH Prinsesse Haya, FEI President of FEI
P. O. Box 111888
World Trade Center Complex
Convention Center Building, 5th Floor
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 329 2333 Fax: +971 4 329 2555
info@hrhoffice.ae

Alex McLin, FEI secretary general
Alex.Mclin@FEI.org

International Dressage Riders Club
International Dressage Riders Club

International Dressage Trainers Club
International Dressage Trainers Club
idtc@idtc-online.com

International Jumping Riders Club
International Jumping Riders Club

David Broome, show jumping representative
David Broome Event Centre
Crick Chepstow MON NP26 5XP

Sjef Janssen, dressage representative
Bolst 13. Erp, 5469 SC NL
+31204688071.

Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director
graeme.cooke@fei.org

Trond Asmyr, FEI Director Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage
trond.asmyr@fei.org

John Roche, FEI Director Jumping and stewarding
John.Roche@FEI.org

Catrin Norinder, FEI Director Eventing
Catrin.Norinder@FEI.org

Ian Williams, FEI Director Non-olympic sports
Ian.Williams@FEI.org

Carsten Couchouron, FEI Executive Director Commercial
Carsten.Couchouron@fei.org

Richard Johnson, FEI Director Communications
Richard.Johnson@FEI.org

Jacques van Daele, FEI Honorary Steward General Dressage
Jacques.van.Daele@fei.org

Frank Kempermann, President Dressage Committee
Romeinendreef 27 3620 LANAKEN, BELGIUM
(49 241) 91 711 07
frank.kemperman@chioaachen.de

Sven Holmberg, President Jumping Committee
Södra ED 66194 SÄFFLE, SWEDEN
(46 533) 151 22 f (46 533) 151 08
sven@ab-holmbergs.se

John McEwan, President FEI Veterinary Committee
Cross Country Equine Clinic
Devauden CHEPSTOW, NP16 6NN Monmouthshire, GREAT BRITAIN
(44 1291) 650 690 f (44 1291) 652 035
johnmcewen@theglyn.fsnet.co.uk

World Horse Welfare,
Roly Owers and Tony Tylor
Anne Colvin House
Ada Cole Avenue
Snetterton Norfolk NR16 2LR
01953 498682
info@worldhorsewelfare.org

Ulf Helgstrand, representative of the national equestrian federations
Rytterager 1, 2791 Dragør
32 53 47 47
uh@rideforbund.dk

Dr. Sue Dyson

Centre for Equine Studies,
Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford,
Dr. Gerd Heuschman
www.gerdheuschmann.com/
Allee 28
48249 Dülmen
+49 – 2548 – 919222
kontakt@gerdheuschmann.de

I’ve been slacking around here lately. That doesn’t mean that I’ve been slacking in general, however.
There’s a lot going on behind the curtains, my little pretties!

I can claim no insider knowledge of or participation in upcoming events, but let me whisper in your ear: interesting developments in the horse world are afoot. I will report when I can. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, more on this: Horses For Life has made a statement against Rollkur/hyperflexion that is as persuasive as it is eloquent. Entitled, Enough Is Enough, the Editor’s note accompanying the letter begins

We were going to keep this quiet. Our small part of continuing to make a difference, that no one really needed to know about. But quicker than a rabbit finds his hole, the emails were being forwarded. Surprisingly the emails were being forwarded not just by the anti-rollkur but by the pro-rollkur camp as well. That, I must admit, came as a surprise.

Since we always wanted to make this issue freely available anyways, we do so now today for a limited time.

On behalf of our continuing efforts for the horses.
From the Desk of the Editor of Horses For LIFE Magazine

The following email/letter was sent out as a special request, on behalf of the veternarians that feel that their voice is not being heard, to close to 150 officials at the national level.

You can view the entire online magazine here

Dear Mesdames/Sirs:

I am sure that you have been inundated with emails about the rollkur issue. Our online magazine, Horses For LIFE recently dedicated an issue to that subject. In response, several of our readers, all of them practicing veterinarians contacted us and made a special request. They requested that we make this issue available for free to certain officials of the USDF and USEF.

Below is a link to this issue. This is what we refer to as our flip version. If you click the diagonal arrow at the top of the page, the magazine will appear full screen on your computer. If you hover over the magazine itself and then click, you can zoom in or out, and if you hover over the right side you will see a white arrow to virtually flip the page to see and read the rest of the magazine.

I would like to especially direct your attention to certain articles including Jean Luc Cornille’s Hyperflexion: A Failure of Olympic Proportion, Stealing the Dragon’s Breath, The Changing Perception on Stretching, which addresses the issues of Poll Ossification, and Enough is Enough, among others.

Below is one of many letters that we received from the veterinarians who are adamantly concerned about the effects of hyper-flexion on the psyche and the body of the horse.

“At least the notorious “Blue Tongue Dressage” video has reawakened the outcry among horse enthusiasts against Rollkur (hyper-flexion). The problem is that horse lovers, veterinarians, and true horsemen have been complaining about this abuse for years, to no avail. The FEI has in the past given lip service to the concerns, while essentially doing nothing. Worse, yet, the FEI even states that its various “experts” have determined that hyper-flexion in “short” increments does not hurt the horse mentally or physically.

As the wave of antipathy towards equine sport swells among the internet savvy animal lovers, it portends a dangerous progression for future developments in dressage.

The dressage community needs to correct this problem of horse abuse from within, rather than let animal rights groups stifle the entire sport or (even the legality of people’s right to ride horses), from without.

Your professionally produced presentation about the abuse to the horse caused by Rollkur (hyper-flexion) riding contains numerous testimonials and articles from scientists in biomechanics, horsemen, and equine behaviorists, as to how and why Rollkur is harmful to the horse. The photos of horses being subjected to the cruelties imposed upon them by man moves one to tears.

If we, in the sport, do not condemn and stop this practice, we will be stopped altogether by those more radical groups which have the funds and public support to carry out their agenda of abolishing all horse sport. Who in dressage could even think that Rollkur would have anything in common with a discipline which is supposed to be promoting the horse and rider in lightness, self carriage, elegance, grace and creating the impression that the horse is doing all his movements of his own accord? Please help stop the abuse of the horse.”

On behalf of the horse we, here at Horses For LIFE, offer freely to you this issue in the hope that we can further help the horse. If we can be of any help, in promotion of the work that you do on behalf of the horse, or if you think some of our articles might help your local , regional , or national areas through your own newsletters and magazines, please contact us and we would be pleased to assist.

Working together on behalf of the horse.

Warm Regards,
Nadja King

Editor
Horses For LIFE Publications

http://horsesforlife.com

equestriansquest@horsesforlife.com

In order to give the Progressive Medication Scale its due attention, another satire poster by Michelle Guillot of Superprix:

In my post about the FEI’s progressive medication scale, I wrote about, obviously, the hyperflexion issue. Why such a fuss? It’s only one discipline among many, and horses asked to perform this manuever as only those of the upper echelon of the sport. Right? Wrong on many counts.

We all have heroes, teachers we look up to and learn from. If they do it with good results, we might try it too. Especially those who are new to a discipline and don’t yet have the confidence or knowledge to decide whether a given exercise is harmful to the horse or not. I’ve been there. I know.

Hyperflexion is not limited to dressage, either. There are western disciplines that use it.

Should the FEI make a decision to outlaw it, the trickle down effect would affect a wide range horses in many disciplines. Reason enough to keep the pressure on, regardless of whether or not we believe there is hope.

Dr. Heuschmann, author of Tug of War – Classical versus Modern Dressage, will present his anti-hyperflexion statement to the FEI at its meeting on February 9. With him he will carry a list of names of supporters. Closed door meetings in which the fates of horses are decided do not serve the larger community unless the majority of voices are heard. To lend your support, help put an end to Rollkur on Feb.9th at the next FEI meeting. Sign your name to a list Dr. Heuschmann will take with him by going to Wu Wei Verlag (the publishers of his book) and clicking on Officials! Stop Hyerflexion!. You will have to verify by email.

Now is the time to stand up and be counted for the good of horses in the discipline of dressage. If you want to help Dr.Heuschmann prevail, I suggest posting this message on your blog and Facebook wall. It will take many voices to get the attention of the FEI.

Don’t let Dr. Heuschmann stand alone, let your voice be heard with his and fill that room with compassion and a plea to end a practice that robs our beloved horses of their dignity, strength and beauty.

A less charming Aussie perhaps, but one with ears that work.

I’m interested to know what you think.

I read a review at blogcritics.org of The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz* that made me laugh out loud. Only problem was, I was on my lanai and it was 11:30 at night. I’m sure I awoke my neighbors who had an early plane to Minnesota this morning. Sorry!

Here’s what the reviewer said to evoke my mirthful response:

Before I get started with this review, I feel the need to get one important caveat out of the way: I am not one of those navel-gazing, crystal-wearing, pipe-smoking, new-age freaks. There, I feel much better.

Funny: a year ago, I might have written that. Elements of the statement still apply. But if the desire to get to the elemental truth of man’s relationship to horses qualifies me as a freak, so be it. Few changes in the world have been wrought by folks who walk the middle of the road. The reviewer’s statement did give me an idea for a good Halloween costume, though.

In my post asking for input on a equine bill of rights, I said,

If we love our animals, why not ensure that they enjoy the same benefits of living in the modern that we hope to provide for our loved ones? After all, when we assume the stewardship of an animal, we also take on the responsibility of treating it humanely.

From that statement, I’ve been steadily work backward to the foundation of humane and compassionate treatment of horses in the area of riding, training and basic care. Working deductively toward a kind of mission statement as to the essentials has not proven easy. The constituent articles of such a foundation will always be hotly debated unless we arrive at the most fundamental of conclusions. That’s why I was thrilled to learn of,

The Four Agreements
by don Miguel Ruiz

Be impeccable with your word.
Don’t take anything personally.
Don’t make assumptions.
Always do your best.

In The Four Agreements, a book written with the self-actualization of people in mind, don Miguel Ruiz writes from the ancient Toltec perspective, revisiting the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. The Four Agreements offers a code of conduct for the transformation from old patterns of reactiveness to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. According to Ruiz, we have domesticated ourselves from birth to accept confining cultural and spiritual constructs. He labels the beliefs borne of this process of domestication agreements. Everything people do is based on agreements we have made – with ourselves, with other people, with life. He goes on to explain that the majority of these agreements are detrimental to us in that they derive from fear, which saps our energy and diminishes our self worth. They limit our ability to live in the moment with joy and clarity of vision. Ruiz emphasizes the fact that the most important agreements are those we make with ourselves. Here we tell ourselves who we are, how we should behave, what is possible, what is impossible. These agreements can be changed with determination and awareness.

Like tiny seeds planted in cold, dark soil, I suddenly felt the faint stirrings of promise sprouting in some of the darkest places of my mind. While these simple concepts might be rather obvious to some, for me they were wonderful reminders of the importance of stopping, taking a step back, and reevaluating habits and priorities.

The current, longstanding welfare problems for horses can be said to arise from our dysfunctional agreements with ourselves on the subject of our relationship to other beings (and, for the purposes of our discussion, to horses). I’d like to examine the agreements with respect to horses in light of the proposed equine bill of rights.

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”
Here is where your Horseman’s Manifesto will come in handy. Deliberate application of our personal manifestos on a moment-by-moment basis will take concentration at first, but will soon become second nature if attempted with an open heart. Speaking to our horses comprises just about every possible action taken under saddle and on the ground. These are promises that must not be broken.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
“Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”
This agreement is less easy to interpret. Our relationships with our horses are personal. The danger of personalizing their reactions to our requests and demands however, is that reactivity seldom produces positive results. Greeting our horses’ reactions to us with the emotional detachment that derives from unconditional acceptance and compassion eliminates the potential for harmful ego-based negative reactions. An example: When I first started riding, I thought my Quarter Horse Brego was trying to kill me. It really hurt my feelings that day after day I would go to him and try with all my might to stay on during his frenzied spins, only to get repeated mouthfuls of turf. One can see where personalizing issues like this can lead. If I were a different kind of person, I might have punished him for this kind of behavior.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions
“Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.”
We don’t speak the same language, horses and people. Even those who claim to be horse whisperers will admit they don’t listen as well as they should all the time. In all fairness, making assumptions is a natural function of the way the human mind works. We gather evidence and theorize based on what (we think) we know. All too often, however, we are wrong. This is fine when we are doing small-time science experiments in a lab, but not fine when we are dealing with the malleable mind of another being.

The downside to incomplete listening is that in order to fill in the gaps, you have to make assumptions. Going back to my example above: based on my limited understanding of equine behavior, I assumed that Brego deliberately tried to put me on the ground time and time again. As I have learned a little bit more, I now see how he suffered terribly from a lack of confidence and was reduced to near panic attacks in certain situations. Repeated exposure to them in the form of “desensitization” did not help. It just exposed him more and more to what scared him. I didn’t have the tools to listen and not make incorrect assumptions. If you have ‘em, use ‘em. If you don’t, stay open. You soon will.

4. Always Do Your Best
“Your best is going to change from moment to moment. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”

Acknowledgment and acceptance of the fluidity of the process while making a commitment to such agreements might allow our horsemanship to undergo a pretty profound transformation. Exchanging those old, worn-out deleterious agreements for Ruiz’ deceptively simple and powerful guiding principles could have an effect on our entire lives.

Like all great wisdom derived from the ancients, the good stuff is often hidden in plain sight. Mindfulness and concentration are required to detect, examine and implement the most elegant solutions to any problem, and the “problem” of ensuring the continued welfare of our horses and guaranteeing that of others needs a solution. If you have thoughts on these agreements or how they might be used to further the idea of an equine bill of rights, please let me know.

*Bio at audible.com and wikipedia.

For many reading today, it’s the depth of winter. Getting out and riding can be difficult, unless you are blessed with a heated indoor arena. I always had a really hard time making myself do more than visiting my horses on the short dark days of winter, particularly when it was raining or snowing. You may even feel guilty that it’s hard, and that the weather and the shortness of days has sometimes prevented you from spending adequate time with your horses. I say, don’t.

Solomon’s message, ❝this too shall pass,❞ or the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence (Pāli: अनिच्चा anicca; Sanskrit: अनित्य anitya), reminds us that all of conditioned existence, without exception, is in a constant state of flux. Nothing, absolutely nothing has a permanent state. I find this a comfort when enduring painful times or even when I’m just plain uncomfortable.

Someday soon, it will be spring. Not only will it be physically easier to get out there and play with horses, but it will also become a kind of instinctive call. Nature will summon us to enjoy the warmth of the sun and share the company of our warm-blooded outdoor friends. It’s a biological, evolutionary imperative for humans. For the time being, for those of us who are daunted by the prospect of entering the dark frozen landscape, no matter the reward outside, it will be a kindness to ourselves to hold in awareness the knowledge that this too shall pass. Instead of feeling guilty or forcing yourself to do something that makes you dreadfully unhappy, consider the following:

• If you hold in your awareness the fact that this time is impermanent, it may be easier for you to get out there in the cold and visit or ride.
• If it is essential that you feed, clean stalls, maintain the facility, then you have no choice. Having no choice is an excellent opportunity for practicing radical acceptance. Reminding yourself that “this too shall pass,” even while fully experiencing each moment, the coldness of your fingers, the dry icy intake of your breath, the damp footing in the aisles, places you in greater contact with the flux of reality.
• If you cannot force yourself to get out there, it is no great disaster. Do not feel guilty. If your horses are lucky enough to be in the company of others and to have the care of hired professionals at a boarding stable, then know that they are receiving the care you have generously arranged for them. They are in their natural company. They are taking care of themselves, and probably welcome the break. You need add nothing more. Take care of yourself.

While you’re waiting for the thaw, here are a few things you can do with your horses if you can’t ride.

1. Groom, groom, groom. I have a friend, Debbie, who has used the bad weather to elevate the grooming her horse Laddie to an art. Not only is Laddie the most beautiful Belgian cross around, but he also gleams with the joy of Debbie’s close contact and touch.

2. Massage. Do bodywork. Find the elusive magic scratching spot. There’s no time like the present to practice what you have been learning in those videos you rented. If you haven’t, get some! Your horse will thank you. He gets plenty of exercise outdoors. Maybe he doesn’t get enough muscle love from you.

3. Perfect that special braid you’ve always wanted your horse to sport. Equine Ink has two excellent posts on braids. Check them out. Do yourself a favor, though: wear some fingerless gloves.

4. Learn to trim your horses’ hooves yourself. This is a long term project requiring lots of education. It’s worth it.

5. Try something totally new. Something you would NEVER try when you are in work. Maybe something you can do right there in the stall. Clicker Train your horse to do a useful trick like lowering his head for the halter or even kneeling for mounting.

Maintaining an awareness of each of those moments, celebrating them even as we are mindful of their impermanence honors our lives and those of our horses. Got any more ideas to help take advantage of the moments we will never experience again this winter?