What a moving reflection. Thank you for sharing. I am wondering: are horses uniquely equipped to offer this gift of healing presence to us (maybe because of their size or level of awareness) or can other species take on this function in humans’ lives?
I obviously don’t know the answer to this, but Ann told us horses lack a prefrontal cortex or lobe, where “busy thoughts” happen. So they literally think differently and are in the present moment all the time.
It makes so much sense. When I needed time out, I would often go to my horse with my grooming kit and brush him, feel him, stroke him, and I suppose love him and he would react. He'd watch me despite that he might have a bucket of feed to eat, his ears would move constantly because I would talk to him and I'm guessing his ears flicking was a sign that he had something to give at that moment. Sometimes, he'd lean against me, full weight, so relaxed, and honestly, I think I felt 100% relaxed back. Those were precious moments, those grooming sessions. Even better than riding in a way. I gained far more in companionship and I hope he did too.
He's been gone a few years now, but I treasure the partnership.
It sounds like you had a beautiful relationship with your horse; you were giving to each other. We were watching for the slightest movements in the horses as a sign of their reaction to ourselves; sometimes it must've been a fly landing but the goal in the exercises was to notice the subtlest movements, so I'm sure you and your horse were communicating with your whole selves. Thank you for sharing.
I intend to keep writing about this each week. The reaction I had the first week threw me off so much that I couldn't write about it until after the second week.
Maybe I need to get my prefrontal cortex removed then.
LOL.
...I cannot endorse or support that.
What a moving reflection. Thank you for sharing. I am wondering: are horses uniquely equipped to offer this gift of healing presence to us (maybe because of their size or level of awareness) or can other species take on this function in humans’ lives?
I obviously don’t know the answer to this, but Ann told us horses lack a prefrontal cortex or lobe, where “busy thoughts” happen. So they literally think differently and are in the present moment all the time.
What a fabulous thing to do.
Please write more about it, it's so interesting.
It makes so much sense. When I needed time out, I would often go to my horse with my grooming kit and brush him, feel him, stroke him, and I suppose love him and he would react. He'd watch me despite that he might have a bucket of feed to eat, his ears would move constantly because I would talk to him and I'm guessing his ears flicking was a sign that he had something to give at that moment. Sometimes, he'd lean against me, full weight, so relaxed, and honestly, I think I felt 100% relaxed back. Those were precious moments, those grooming sessions. Even better than riding in a way. I gained far more in companionship and I hope he did too.
He's been gone a few years now, but I treasure the partnership.
It sounds like you had a beautiful relationship with your horse; you were giving to each other. We were watching for the slightest movements in the horses as a sign of their reaction to ourselves; sometimes it must've been a fly landing but the goal in the exercises was to notice the subtlest movements, so I'm sure you and your horse were communicating with your whole selves. Thank you for sharing.
I intend to keep writing about this each week. The reaction I had the first week threw me off so much that I couldn't write about it until after the second week.
A head butt and nuzzle -- two indisputable stamps of approval.
It's possible to do this "Listening to Horses" more than once, so let me know when you want to do it and I'll do it again.
Thanks for the dopamine hits!
It sounds like it will start again in the spring -- April or May.