Straight From the Horse's Mouth

2

LEARNING TO LISTEN

I was born into a military family and animals have been a big feature of my life for as long as I can remember. We had rescue animals all through my growing-up years - many of whom had been badly treated and came from awful surroundings, so I guess you could say I have always had sympathy for the abused, the sad and those in pain. Many of our creatures were understandably nervous and I would do whatever I could to make them feel safe, secure and at home.

I was already 'talking' to animals from a young age and not questioning it, because why would I? Surely everyone can hear what their cat is saying to them? And hearing that the tortoise has a sore leg is normal, no? It wasn't until I got older that I realised this wasn't necessarily the case and I started to consciously listen.

Children definitely question less than adults, don't they? When we are young we see fairies, chat to trees, and completely accept the existence of different worlds that we consider to be fantasy when we are adults. It's a shame that we lose this when we get to an age where we're supposed to be grown-up and 'normal'. Who wants to be normal, anyway?

My horse career started young, as it does for so many of us. How can you not fall in love with such a strong, powerful, noble creature? Yes, even Shetlands are strong, powerful and noble in their minds, even though they only reach halfway up the stable door!

A 'heard' horse is a happy horse. (Anna Curtis)

I started riding enormous horses from a very young age, at a military base in Poole, Dorset. These horses were huge, being used for the military - and I was never an enormous person! Riding these big, strong horses has prepared me for facing some huge challenges in my life. My mum used to come home from a hack to find me wandering around the school, mounted on a 'mountain', in tears because I was being shouted at by military trainers who were used to big, burly men instead of a tiny seven-year-old girl. Although it was hard work, they taught me a lot about horses and I had a fantastic and thorough introduction to riding, for which I will always be grateful.

There were some amazing characters at the yard and I would have happily carried on riding them forever, however, because of my age, I wasn't allowed to hack out and was restricted to just schooling, but I had caught the horse bug and I couldn't imagine a life without horses and riding. This leads us neatly on to Ranger in the following chapter.

When I was around thirteen, I came across a series of books by Anne McCaffrey called Dragonriders of Perne. If you haven't read these fantastic stories, they're about humans who ride dragons and communicate with them telepathically. Anne McCaffrey was a horsey person and there have been comparisons drawn between the dragons and the equine species, which is not too surprising when you look at it. Communicating with horses is just about the only way to truly know them, experience them and connect with them - and it makes the rest of the working relationship, including the riding, so much more rewarding.

I'm not sure whether reading these books encouraged me to be more open to communicating with creatures in a language other than the spoken word, or if the books came to me because they were a clue to the direction that my life was going to take, but there is no doubt that they had a huge impact on me.

Having a good job that pays well is fine, but if it doesn't stir your soul and make you feel happy at least 50 per cent of the time, then it's not really worth it. Yes, I know we all have bills to pay and working at your dream job may not be practical or possible - but if a chance comes your way, you should grab it with both hands and not let go!

I had what most people would consider a good job; I was working in a bank, which paid well and kept me busy for the week. However, working in a bank is never going to be one of those things that stirs your soul though, is it? I enjoyed my non-work life considerably more, I had got into Tarot card readings and, through a chance encounter with a neighbour, I was training to be a reiki master.

Having done several readings for friends and family, my reputation as a 'psychic seer' was becoming established. I used to meet up with friends at their yards and would pass on what the horses were telling me. These friends mentioned me to other people and word of mouth was spreading. I soon had to hand in my notice at the bank, because I simply didn't have time to fit in the day job around the growing equine communicator work I was doing. Needless to say, life got better from then on! There is a lot to be said for a job that you love, which gives you fulfilment and satisfaction every single day. I genuinely love talking to your horses.

So, let's talk a little about the communicating itself. There is no special preparation, no gimmicks or rituals that I undertake to hear what the horse is saying - I can just hear them. Sometimes I still travel to meet the horses, but I find a photograph of the eye is just as effective. I'm sorry if you are reading this book wanting to be told, step by step, how I communicate with horses, and you are imagining a big reveal of the secret techniques and tricks I use, but I honestly cannot explain how I do it. I think a lot of it is to do with being open-minded, listening to that tiny inner voice and trusting your instincts - something we don't tend to do very much these days.

If you think about it, the majority of horse communication between herd members is silent. They use body language, facial expressions, and almost certainly their thoughts and feelings can be 'heard' by other members of the herd. This is why most of them are not surprised to be communicated with in the same way as they do with each other, although they often feel relief at finally being heard.

We know about horses' body language, right? We can watch how the herd interacts; we can tell if our horse is grumpy; we know when they are pleased to see us. Being open to this form of communication and allowing our horses the space and freedom to express themselves is a big part of what I do. I can fully imagine that you are also in tune with the moods of your horses; you know when there are days that they feel a little moody, or those days when they are filled with the joys of spring. Horses have different moods and feelings, just like we do.

I find often that a horse is very keen to talk to me. They are talking to us all the time; we just struggle to believe that there is any way of communicating beyond the spoken word. The truth is anyone can do this, you just have to remember what it was like that time you thought your horse was a little 'off', to then discover that they were coming down with something or hiding a cheeky hoof abscess. This is your - and their - inner voice trying to talk to you.

Can you do it? Yes, of course you can. I'll tell you a little more in subsequent chapters about the ways that you can make yourself more open to communicating with your horse, and what you can do to encourage open communication between the two of you. Remember there is absolutely nothing wrong with realising that you need outside help, whether that be from a vet, a bodyworker or an equine communicator - doing the best for the horses is what we all want, ultimately.

As horsey people, we know our horses inside out. Often, we have a stronger bond with them than we do with most people; they are our relaxation partners, joy bringers, therapists, challengers, teachers. Being open enough to know how they are feeling is not a big step on from this. I have always noticed, with every single client I've had, that people are actually very open to hearing what their horse is trying to say; there is usually a huge sense of relief from the owner as well as the horse that there is some sort of issue that can be worked on - something that can be fixed, as it were.

A horse who is in pain and is being asked, or forced, to continue to work through their pain, will react in the only way they can to express their discomfort - they will refuse to do what is being asked, or they will explode in a raging ball of bucking, kicking, rearing and biting. Being able to pinpoint what the problem is and help the horse and the owner work through it is just about the most satisfying part of my job.

Imagine being asked to do something that hurts you, while being surrounded by people who do not speak your language. You would probably first become upset, by the pain and the lack of understanding, then you might become angry. You are telling these people, in the best way you possibly can, that you are unhappy - yet they are not listening and are still forcing you to do whatever it is that is causing you pain. If they could sort out that niggling ache, or at least try to help you through what is scaring you so much, instead of blindly ignoring you, you would be much happier. But because they don't listen, or they don't seem to care, and they just keep telling you that you are bad, you decide the only way to make them stop hurting you is to hurt them back. You don't want to do this, it's not in your nature, but there really isn't any other option.

If I can get through to a horse that is considered difficult or dangerous, 100 per cent of the time there is a reason for their behaviour - whether it be past traumas, physical body issues, or even something as simple as disliking their nicknames! Horses are sentient beings,...