I just finished the book, Sacred Spaces: Communion With the Horse Through Science and Spirit. Wow. So. Much. Amazing. Insight.
As I was reading True Horsemanship, a friend recommended it to me, and it builds beautifully on the philosophies of the Dorrances, but expands on the idea of the energy/ spirit, visualization, and intention.
From True Unity by Tom Dorrance:
“I didn’t use to elaborate on the third factor, spirit; I only just mentioned it. But I’ve begun to wonder about it in the last few years. Maybe if people got to realizing the importance of that part of the horse, they could get more feel and understanding from right in the horse’s innards. Then they could try to figure out the mental and the physical parts.
Riders may want to get an answer to their questions right early—on the surface. I want them to try to figure out something; I want them to work at figuring out the whole horse—his mind, body, and spirit. Maybe they will figure out what they are missing.”
Spirit, energy, intention, stories, visualizations, communication: my head is swimming with all the things the book brought up and how it expands on the concept of feel and connection, taking it even further to communion.
I will write more tomorrow, but today I am heading to the barn to spend time with Foxy, the passive leader of our herd and the one Tumbleweed loves with every cell in his body.
I have a lot to learn from her.
I believe that only humans separate mind, body and spirit and think of them as different. I think thst for animals it’s all one and the same. I don’t even know if if I can adequately explain. But Carmen has taught me that balancing her body balances her brain and she’s happier. I think many riders are taught to just ‘make the horse do it’ and that is rarely the answer (sometimes you have to for safety).
ReplyDeleteThat’s an interesting way to look at it. Good insight. You’re right. It is all one, not separate.
DeleteThis book is focused on the rider—how our energy, intention, and expectations can set the foundation for our interactions to go well or not. She gets into the science of energy and brain and body changes, and how all of it comes together to affect everything from our seat to our overall relationship with them.
Good food for thought. My head would also be wandering 'er wondering. It is hard to process that which one cannot see, but feel.
ReplyDeleteVery true. The concept of spirit and feel and communion are not measurable, although she does bring in a lot of measurable science behind what is happening. There’s no doubt the stories we tell ourselves are powerful, and she dives into that and positive visualization and the changes it makes and how. I will try to put it into a blog post soon, before I forget it!
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