Addendum on Horse Brains

[dancinghorse]

Joni had an interesting story to tell today.  Apparently there was a study in which famous horse-training master Linda Tellington-Jones (she of the TTEAM method of patterning behavior) was EKG'ed while working on a horse, also hooked up to electrodes.  The horse was a basket case to start, but as the session went on, his brain waves began to match hers exactly.

The lesson was that we have to impose our mental calm on the horse no matter how frazzled he may be.  If we aren't calm, we have to maintain two levels of awareness: the scared primate gibbering away beneath the surface, and the totally calm alpha horse on top.  The horse should only be able to sense the latter.

Them as knows martial arts can get this concept--it's about centering and focus.

The thing about Pook and Camilla is...they're projecting empaths.  They can force their brain waves on whoever is within about a twenty-foot radius, which means that if they're panicking, so is everybody else within reach.  They are very powerful and very focused and correspondingly difficult because while the average horse just gets freaky, these two make you freaky.

I can never get off my guard with them.  Whatever I'm feeling when I'm working with them might not be what I'm really feeling--it's coming from them.

Then again, this means that if I can sort out who's thinking what, I can plug in really solidly, get them calmed down, and get a level of focus that's like nothing else. 

But oy, sometimes they give me a headache.

Comments

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Horses have a tremendously calming effect on me in general. Among Lipps, Pluto boys seem to have a lock on Calm Vibes--especially the geldings. They stand there and radiate at you.

If they're well-adjusted, happy, and well fed, horses are wonderfully mellow and good-natured animals. And they can project that in your direction.

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

I would love a chance to find a farm with Lipps to learn to ride around. It just is so what I know would be so relaxing and fun for me. I miss horses a lot.

But yes, you're very right. You could always tell which of the school horses was being overworked, because they'd stop projecting that calm.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Lipps can be weird if you're used to normal horses--they have a way of interacting that isn't quite like anything else.

If you're ever in Tucson.......

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

Are they similar to Andalusians or Fresians? Because I know both of those breeds are a little different to interact with, and I loved the Fresian I had the honor of being around. He was amazing (and also the first stallion I'd ever been around that wasn't... er... stallion-y). The Andalusian I took lessons on was just awesome, too. She was SO responsive, and if I gave her the wrong cue, she let me know.

And, if I'm ever fortunate enough to get out to anywhere in Arizona, I will definitely let you know, and make a concerted effort to get to Tucson! :)