Watch this video of my horse relaxing his head when I use a relaxation technique of deep cleansing exhalation. A horse will lower their head when they feel relaxed. Was I successful?
Many of you that follow me know that one of the ways I “fill my soul” is through spending time with my buckskin quarter horse, Buck. I am new to the equestrian world. One of my lifelong friends introduced me to it during Covid and I’ve been hooked in ever since.
One of the many things that I love about the equestrian world is that there is always something new to learn. Not only about horses but about ourselves.
I’ve been teaching, coaching, and practicing relaxation stress management for over 3 decades. But today, I was challenged to convert that knowledge to my horse, Buck. Horses read and reflect our energy. It is the herd animals’ survival technique. They also look to us as leaders. When we are calm, the horse feels that it can relax. So the challenge was to relax me and my energy so that Buck could sense it and relax as well. When you see his head lower (also almost all the way to the ground) you’re seeing him relax.
What a fun test for the expert. Glad I passed. Lol
~Michele Burch Reid, MS
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