I love this session because it clearly demonstrates how important it is that we let our horses direct their own healing. And that we cannot possibly anticipate what they need; or how their needs may evolve over the course of a session!
While I was filming, I was quite focused on Montaro. But in editing this video I found myself watching the other horses more than him, and there was so much fascinating stuff going on with all of them! A bonded herd like this can really demonstrate group consciousness at work – it is both illuminating and a privilege to behold.
Many thanks to Güliz Ünlü for doing this session, allowing me to film, and being willing to explore vulnerable spaces on camera! Güliz also provides these 4 really good questions to ask yourself before having a bodyworker come and treat your horse.
You can learn more about BodyTalk for animals here.
Jini Patel Thompson is a natural health writer and Lazer Tapping instructor. She began riding at age 2 in Kenya, and got her first horse at age 8 in Alberta, and so continues a life-long journey and love affair with these amazing creatures.
This is so brilliant thank you Jini! I have often felt some equine massage therapist ‘forcing the issue’ with my horse when they were working on him, whereas I taught my guy that he could show me wherre the ‘next spot’ was that needed my attention/energy/help releasing etc., even if it logically didn’t make sense to me. They have so much wisdom in their bodies and in the group consciousness I agree! I’ve included a photo I edited of the herd that my gelding Prowler was part of for a few winters. They are sharing space/energy/healing. Thanks for your great perspective and brave posts!
pic:
Beautiful pic!! And I totally agree with you; that’s why everyone has to work with my horses unhaltered in a big area – so the horses are able to communicate properly. We’ve found they also heal/shift more quickly when given choice, because then they bring their whole self to the treatment.
I think the other important piece to this approach is that every practitioner knows they will get paid the same rate for their time, regardless of how much work the horse wants– or doesn’t! So if I book a 1-hour treatment and the horses walk away after 10 minutes, then the therapist gets paid for the full hour. Most therapists I work with have a pretty big toolkit though, so even if the horse walks away from hands-on treatment, they are usually open to energy work, reiki, etc.
Or, something I’ve been learning from Guliz, is that even just having us dialogue together about the horse’s issue can bring about shift or healing – because we are focusing our attention/intention on it, in a loving, caring manner. And then usually after that happens, the horse comes back and is now ready for hands-on, or at least energy work. The same thing has happened when Ainsley Beauchamp works on my herd – we’ll discuss something and then the horse will come over and give her the next piece, or the answers to our questions.
Life is so much more fascinating when we allow everyone around us to live in their own power! And love your site name, btw 🙂
Lovely women, lovely sunshine, lovely horses, a pleasure to be with you here. Thanks Guluz, thanks Jini.
Thanks Thea, I just added a link in the post to some good questions Güliz offers for us to ask before any equine bodywork session: http://equuarius.com/montaros-session/
watching this over again. Good stuff…
I know, there’s so much happening it’s hard to catch/notice everything the first time through 🙂
Jini,
Loved the long version of all the footage. My only question is how long did it take before Montaro decided to come back in from the field? I think that part was edited. I was hoping to see his decision making process and his approach. I also noticed that all the horses had at least part of their mane, somewhere in the middle hanging on the right side. I was wondering if you’ve noticed that and has it changed depending upon what’s going on in the herd.
We were chatting and looking at the other horses, but I’m going to estimate he was out there for about 7-10 minutes. He pretty much just walked to the water trough, drank for a long time and then walked slowly back. We couldn’t really see him as the water trough is quite far away and mostly blocked by blackberries. But I did notice that he walked very slowly in both directions.
And no, I did not notice the manes! But I did read somewhere that if a horse’s mane falls to one side only, that is a clue that their body or neck/shoulders are unbalanced and that a balanced horse’s mane will fall to both sides. Of course some people ‘force’ the mane to lie on one side for esthetic reasons and from foalhood keep it braided on one side only to train the hair to go that way. I wonder if mapping which part of the mane falls left or right could be a clue to mapping corresponding body function, ease, balance, etc…
Thanks Jini. Your continued willingness to share fills me up. This was interesting to watch and get to be a part of…even after the fact. I learn so much from your blog and all the horses. Feels so positive to be part of this environment. ✌?️❤️?
Thank you Michelle and know that YOU are a vital part of this positive environment – we learn a lot from you and love sharing in your stories too! Someday I will come visit and we will hang out with your horses for sure!