June 9, 2008
Caroline Rider Natural Horsemanship Newsletter
WHAT’S NEW in Experiential
Learning?
Three days that could change your life forever!
Developing connection and unity with our horses creates brave
and confident partners and it shouldn’t take a fortune or
a lifetime to achieve. It takes a shift in our paradigm, or
daily habits, and can be as easy as breathing!
Come spend a phenomenal 3-Day
Holistic Horse and Human Workshop with Master
of Applied Healing Arts, Chris Himmel and “Tao of Horsemanship”
Practitioner, Caroline Rider as they team up to present: “Transformative
Practices for Awakening Unity, Partnership & Harmony within
You and Your Horse”
Do you dream of riding your horse like Alex Ramsey did with
the Black Stallion – bridleless and free? Would you like to
dance with your horse like the World famous Cavalia performers?
For those of you interested in a deeper connection with your
horse, this introduction to practices, combined with horsemanship
skills, will enable you to not only discover the endless possibilities
we can attain with our horses, they will positively affect
your entire life in just 3 DAYS!
The Applied Healing Arts curriculum focuses on the following
personal development goals and guiding principles:
- The development of a wider worldview with learning
rooted in nature and timeless wisdom traditions (meditation,
breathing, interconnection and awareness);
- The engagement in deeper work of daily transformative
practices – develop, embody, and establish healing
habits of mind and heart (living your life authentically
and creatively);
- The bringing of one’s vision and practice to a specific
arena of life where one commits to making a positive
difference (becoming more in tune with the present
moment – you and your horse
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In conjunction with the Applied Healing Arts curriculum the
following horsemanship skills will be displayed, elaborated
on and nurtured within each participant:
- A more harmonious partnership with your horse on
the ground and while riding;
- Mental Connection (join up) & Rhythm while working
through ground & riding exercises;
- Centered Riding principles designed to develop feel,
harmony and balance within you so that you and your
horse celebrate moving as one.
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Sign up before June 27th and receive “Early
Bird Rate*”.
| Date: |
July 18-20 Rain Date: August 15-17 |
| Cost: |
Participants $525/Early Bird • $575 after
June 28th |
Price includes:
Healthy and nutritious breakfast and lunch, tea & coffee,
bottled water, “Tao of Horsemanship” Daily Guide, 12x12
pen for your horse.
Please note: You are responsible for your horse’s
feed, bedding and pen. |
| Auditors: |
$35/Day ($100/3-Days) • $50/Day ($140/3-Days)
includes breakfast and lunch |
Due to the intensive nature of the weekend, space will
be limited to 8 participants ONLY!
Registration: Email crider@carolinerider.com
for itinerary details and registration.
Overnight accommodations can be made at Whitehaven’s Historic
Inn within walking distance: www.whitehavenhotel.com
or the Ramada
Inn, Salisbury (20 minutes way): 410-546-4400.
This Month’s Topic of Interest:
“How to develop a happy, safe and confident horse.”
Let’s start first with basic horse behavior and psychology
and what’s elementary and important to the horse as far as
survival.
Horse’s are always on self-preservation mode, meaning they
are prey animals and in order to survive they have to be ultra
sensitive to their surroundings. This is why some are “spooky”
or tense. They are always on guard, waiting for the next stick
to break, alarming them of the impending predator lurking
around the corner. Not only is the horse’s mind “reacting”
to every stimuli, their body’s are also highly sensitized.
They have eyes that operate and see differently from one another,
as well as their ears can pick up noises all around them.
They also have built in “radar” that detects certain levels
of “energy”, yes, energy from other animals. Basically their
senses are on over load, and with certain breeds this means
they can become “hot and dangerous” in certain situations
that overload their senses.
Understanding this basic instinct for survival and then developing
the necessary skills needed to demonstrate to our horses we
are worthy as their leader is crucial. As natural followers,
the horse seeks a leader they can trust – just like a firstborn
foal does with its dam. It will follow her through raging
rivers, woods and rocks because it understands at birth that
she is its only protector – the one that can lead it safely
out of harm’s way. Not only does the foal’s mother provide
safety, the herd does as well – safety in numbers. The more
horses there are around, the better the chances of being alerted
as well as protected. The herd provides leadership, safety
and comfort and for those of us that have buddy sour horses,
this is what it’s all about.
I have spent countless hours observing the social dynamics
of domesticated horses and because of this have been able
to identify the many different behaviors and languages horses
display with each other. Reading their body language has allowed
me to be in a great position here at my farm; a leadership
position that creates and fosters what is intrinsically important
to the herd: harmony, socialization and social order, safety
and comfort. By domesticating our horses we have inadvertently
taken them away from an environment where social skills are
nurtured. Combine that with negative methods of training such
as force, domination and intimidation and we have created
horses that are emotionally, mentally and physically broken
down. These are the horses that exhibit displaced anxieties
and are labeled “crazy and dangerous” when in actuality they
are protecting themselves.
The best we can do is help our horses learn how to live in
harmony and peace again, after all they wouldn’t be in this
position if it weren’t for us. And, it begins with acceptance
and trust from our horses, then rapport and friendship is
developed from which loyalty and companionship are created.
This is the language of the horse and the better we are at
understanding what is intrinsically important to them, the
better our relationship will be. This is how we develop happy,
safe and confident partnerships!
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