|
|
| EFT for Horses
EFT for behavioural issues We are all aware of the sensitive nature of horses and how easily they pick up on our mental state, how they seem to know our 'internal state' ie, if you are nervous or tense or calm and confident. In the past, despite knowing this, I have found it almost impossible to fool a horse into believing I am in a positive place inside my head! We have probably all been in this position, knowing it is unhelpful to run disaster movies in our imagination, but lacking a way to actually turn the movie off, or run a more positive outcome. Until NOW! With EFT I have finally been able to change my movie and put something much more positive in its place. This small change has had an enormous impact to my confidence and effectiveness as a rider and trainer. Many of my pupils have had amazing improvements too. This change has been instumental in radically altering the behaviour of my horses. EFT for veterinary issues Always consult a vet if you have worries about your horses health! However, once diagnosed, or in emergency situations, EFT can add immesurably to traditional treatment. EFT is particularly helpful for chronic problems such as laminitis, gastric ulcers, degenerative joint disease and long term lameness caused by navicular etc. In emergency situations, for instance, whilst waiting for the vet for suspected colic, EFT can really help to keep you calm and effective, and also help to reduce your horses anxiety. To read about some of these, please click here | |
| Last week I worked with a lady over the phone, she had called me because a horse that was stabled along with hers was having problems. One of these problems was that the horse was quite aggressive and had bitten her quite badly, which naturally had shaken her. We began to tap round the short cut points as Susan described the story of Joshua. Joshua told me how he had been bought by a family who hadn’t fully understood the needs of a horse like him, bought from the stud that bred him and a horse that was destined for success in the show ring. All the time Susan described the story, we tapped at least a full round on each new fact, sometimes a little longer if it felt there was strong emotion involved in the telling. Susan told me how sometimes Joshua would be left without a rug in the winter, kept a little short of food and worked in a saddle that didn’t quite fit him. These things were not done to him because his owners were cruel, heartless people, only that they didn’t really understand Joshua. Gradually his behaviour deteriorated until his owner’s daughter didn’t want to ride him anymore, and another family took over his care. His behaviour improved to some extent, but he still appeared angry and defensive, especially around food. We began to talk directly to Joshua- even though you were left in the field when it was wet and cold, you are a stunning horse. Even though they didn’t understand what you needed, you are a gorgeous looking horse. Even though they made you really angry because they just didn’t know enough, you are great horse. Susan then moved on to talk as if she was Joshua, and we began to offer Joshua some slightly more positive versions of his story. Even though I was cold and wet and muddy, they just didn’t know I needed something better, and charlotte and Susan both do their best for me now. Even though I was hungry, I always get enough to eat now and love going to shows with Charlotte. Even though I’m sometimes angry at people, maybe the way I get angry at them isn’t helping either them or me, maybe I could try a different way because I’m a cool horse really. T he last full round I had a mental picture of a horse, stood in his stable with his ears slightly out sideways, looking a little perplexed! Susan said that she felt a warm glow had enveloped her and Joshua and we tapped a round or two on holding onto the feeling and letting the cold hard feeling go. We both felt that the energy had altered and Susan could see Joshua being calm and friendly with people. We finished up the phone call, and I promised to do some tapping for Joshua by proxy later that evening. I began by tapping a picture of Joshua in his stable, still enveloped in his warm glow. He looked calm, content and relaxed. I took the picture back to when he was first purchased from the stud, and immediately, he became agitated and angry. Even though they took me away from everything I’d known, I know I’m a special horse. Even though I deserve better than this, I’m a special horse .Even though it’s ok for those fat woolly ponies to be ignored like this, don’t they know that I’m Special? Even though my life has turned upside down and I was always told I was Special, they just don’t understand that I need more than this, because I’m a superb horse. Even if they don’t really understand me, surely they can see I’m special? Even though I’m APPALLED at my circumstances, and really feel angry at how life has turned out, I know I’m a special horse .Even though I get angry when I think what my high expectations led me to believe I can now accept that these people only did what they thought was right. Even though I expected life to be better than it was and I was so appalled when it wasn’t what I thought it should be, these people were only doing what they thought was best, and people in my life now are trying hard to get it right I felt it was fine to leave it here, as Josh had begun to think of a ‘reframe’ and was happy to leave him ‘thoughtful’ as he was whilst tapping with Susan. I had no perception of him as a nasty, vicious horse, just as one whose expectations of his future had radically altered, due to changes of circumstances. Susan had told me that, surprisingly, he was always really well behaved in the show ring – but now it made perfect sense! He was made to show off in the show ring, his whole upbringing had been geared towards the primping and preening necessary to show, whereas many horses really HATE this sort of life, especially if it is forced on them after an upbringing involving freedom and a lack of fuss. From this one session, Joshua’s story is much improved. He is far less aggressive, although he still sometimes flicks an ear as if to lay them back, or twitches a leg as if he thought about kicking – he now very rarely follows through. He went out hunting on the first day off the season and behaved impeccably – in the words of his first owners, who didn’t know we had had done some work for him. They were impressed that Joshua had changed, despite not knowing how! Hopefully Susan will continue to tap for him, for her distress at the bite he gave her, and his story will now have many chapters telling of his good behaviour. | |
| Fleur is a home-bred youngster, now four years old, who has been kept in way many horses would envy! She has been kept in a secure herd, still grazes with her mother and brother and other long term friends, she has had very little confinement and has been allowed, if not encouraged, to have opinions about her routine and daily activities. For example, throughout last winter the whole herd was kept overnight in a large open barn with ad lib access to hay. On most days I would turn up with their breakfast, then throw a waterproof rug onto some of the more delicate horses and put the horses out, one at a time into one of two fields. Some mornings Fleur would not stand still for her rug and would continue to walk off as I approached her with it. Traditional horsemanship would suggest that either I tied her up or held her, to enable the rug to be fitted, or that Fleur was being ‘disobedient’ and to correct her by working on her ‘respect’ issues. What I did was to reflect that fleur was telling me in her own way that she didn’t want a rug on today and I would shrug and tell her she’d regret it if it did as forecast and rained later! Some days she would get wet and muddy, some days the forecast would be incorrect and she would have a few hours with a lovely winter sun on her back. Some days she would stand at the junction of the two fields and insist she would rather go left or right. Mainly she went where I told her, but if for any reason she refused, I would put her in the field she wanted. Tradition would have this as a dangerous move, which would have the horse ‘walking all over’ the handler, and calling all the shots, I tended to see it as Fleur communicating her wishes, and in this instance at least, I had no problem with fitting in with them. All this is a long winded way of explaining that Fleur is quite used to the scenario where humans ask her to do a desired action and she is allowed to have an opinion about whether she does it or not. This summer it was decided she should be started under saddle. On the fourth day, tacked up and ready to go, half way between barn and school, Fleur stopped and as far as I could guess, communicated that she been there every day and really, she didn’t want to do it again today.....My strategy for this situation has varied as to my mood, but on the BEST days – luckily increasing with my continued use of EFT on myself! – I would stand and wait for Fleur, trying to use passive persistence to communicate ‘thank you for letting me know what you want, but unfortunately today, it is not possible and you must accept my opinion in this instance’. I was not sure if that was communicated, but that was my intention, and horses are great at reading intention! The longest Fleur had ever made me wait was about 8 minutes, the first time I had done it, now she rarely makes me stand for more than a couple of minutes. It occurred to me I might as well tap while waiting. For some reason I struggled to come up with any sensible words so in their absence, I made some pictures in my head, of Fleur cantering in circles and having a bit of a leap about, then pictures of her grazing in the field, then a brief picture of her cantering on the lunge, then back in the field, whilst all the time tapping. I had not got beyond the collar bone point, when the rope went slack and Fleur strode out beside me. We walked and trotted on both reins then I asked for canter – Fleur having fun by having a small buck and a play, then a short canter on the other rein – perfect, then back to the first rein, perfect calm transition and a full circle of canter. I told her how good she was and lead her out of the school, towards the barn, as she slowed down I remembered I’d said she could STRAIGHT back into the field, so stripped her tack off in the lane and put her out. This was the first time I had played with ‘the stories I tell my horse’ but this had a major influence on how I now deal with my horses and the improvements in their behaviour have often been dramatic. | |
|