In Their Shoes

"Natural Horsemanship" is a term coined by Pat Parelli, whose philosophies and methods are followed by all of us at EBC.  There are many horsemen in the world who use these same natural methods; the most obvious differences are in the terms they use.  Their goal is the same; that is, to make this world a better place for horses and humans.  

Learning to be a 'natural' horseman means that you have to think like a horse.  After decades of research on horse behavior, Pat Parelli created seven games that we humans can play when communicating with horses, in a language they understand.  And in learning these seven games, I found it imperative to just sit quietly and observe the interactions of the herd.  The first three of the seven games are the ones I have witnessed most frequently. 

Friendly Game...it's as nice as it sounds.  Horses will rub on one another, mutually groom and swat each other's flies by standing head to tail.  Playing 'friendly' is what we do when we start any activity.  We greet with a smile and hello, we groom (and they sometimes attempt to groom us - but no teeth are allowed!), we scratch their itchy spots and they use us as scratching posts.  We allow the horse to see, smell and feel every thing we are about to introduce, be it a piece of tack or a toy or an obstacle, and even if they have seen it a million times before.  This is the basis of a nurturing, trusting relationship.

Porcupine Game...it's as to the point as you can get, at least when the horses play with one another.  They will use their teeth or a swift kick to move another horse out of their space.  They lead up to porcupine with softer driving methods but, if the horse at whom these communications are directed doesn't move, the intention is then made fully clear -whoops...you can be sure they'll move faster next time.  We use porcupine in phases of steady pressure.  Porcupine can be used to move them in their stalls, get them out of your space or get them out of trouble and keep them safe.  Our phases, using our fingertips or tip of a carrot stick (a communication tool), start as light as pressure on their hair, then deeper to skin, then to muscle & then bone.  Most horses move pretty quickly off of the lighter pressure.  Rare for us to use the last phase.

Driving Game...it's all about the use of rhythmic pressure without touching the horse.  They use it on one another usually with their heads, bobbing up and down, increasing the intensity and speed as needed.  Sometimes they can drive one another away with just a look - the energy is intense.  We use driving game, like porcupine, in phases of energy intensity and for the same reasons listed above.  I'm proud to say that I can back Jitterbug with the wiggle of a finger - cool stuff.

These games are also used to achieve bigger goals in our riding but we do them in baby steps.  You can't be a straight-line thinker with a horse - 'I want to get on, ride and ride well and my horse and I will be perfect' - um, no, it doesn't work that way.   

Being a good horseman, able to think like a horse - moment to moment - and understand their behaviors gives me pause.  There is a tremendous amount of dissension and prejudice in our world.  When I'm with the horses, now that I have a better understanding of why they do what they do and when, there is harmony.  My patience has grown a thousand-fold and I'm happy to move in small increments to attain greater success in all aspects of life.  The horses have taught me how to better 'put myself in someone else's shoes' to foster communication, compassion and breadth of knowledge.   If only more people could have these mentors in their lives...

Peace.

Cowboy's story

Nearly four years ago, EBC acquired our dear Quarter Horse, Cowboy.  He was a used up barrel racer who had been left in a field to rot.  Forgotten.  A skeleton covered by skin and dull hair.  There were these things, resembling hooves, that had grown unsuitably long to properly protect the underlying bones, ligaments and tendons.  He had zero affect, as lifeless as any living being could get.  I had never seen anything like it...not up close and personal.  That was then.

In the months that followed, his character emerged, though that character was scarred with a lack of confidence and distrust.  He gradually gained weight.   The farrier carefully trimmed his hooves, just a little at a time, to allow the ligaments, tendons and muscles to realign.  His eyes began to shine.  And his palomino coat...ooh, that golden coat simply gleamed with renewed health! 

Many of us tippy-toed around him, only wanting him to feel calm, cared for and loved.  Over time I realized he also needed a more assertive leader because all horses need a leader to feel safe and, if you're not the leader (or a confident one), they become dominant in different ways (and you don't want to be dominated by a 1,000+ pound animal - believe me).  And Cowboy's dominance was based on that lack of confidence and trust - on both our parts.  At times, he lashed out.  "I need to trust!  I need to feel safe!", he'd scream internally.  He needed "love, language and leadership in equal doses". 

He suffered from PTSD...post traumatic stress disorder.

At EBC, there are programs for veterans with PTSD and other afflictions.  I was given the opportunity to work with the vets in these programs.  Such eye-opening experiences.  These men and women barely cracked a smile.  They weren't even sure why they were there, stating that the program piqued curiosity but they had their doubts.  They groomed, they learned ground games, they tacked and they rode.  They bonded.  With the aid of the horses over a short period of time, these wonderful people became more confident, more assertive, more open with their feelings and concerns and, best of all, more trusting.  I heard one gentleman at the beginning of the program say, "I don't trust any one."  And, nearing the end of the program, the vets were asked if they wanted to switch to a new horse.  I then heard him say, "No, I trust Babe."  He shocked himself when he said those words. 

And then he smiled.

 

A Conversation

When you engage in any new venture, you realize there's a whole new language to be learned.  In the equine world, it seems never-ending.  First you have horse anatomy.  I personally loved "A&P" in college so I picked up on this pretty quickly...poll, withers, stifle, hock, pastern, chestnut, frog - the list, of course, goes on.  Then you have tack and parts of tack.  That's all the stuff we humans put on the horse for leading and riding...halter, bridle, bit, cantle, pommel, girth/cinch (depending on whether you ride Western or English) - and that list goes on.  Grooming tools...curry comb, Dandy brush, scraper, mane comb, hoof pick, etc.  Styles of riding...Western pleasure, cutting, roping, barrel racing, hunter/jumper, dressage, endurance, competitive trail, gymkhana, vaulting - need I say more? 

Then there's the need to learn to read a horse's body language, if you want to stay safe...perked or pinned ears?  wild or soft eye?  flared or relaxed nostril?  swishing tail/stomping foot and are they caused by aggravation or flies?  And how to read a horse's sounds...shallow breaths or blowing out?  chomping or licking/chewing?  whinnying or nickering?

Many of the clients who come for therapy cannot express themselves in words and use their bodies, hand signs and sounds.  It's imperative we learn that, too.

I'm just throwing these well-defined and important lists out there to introduce to you something even more significant...the not-so-obvious silent language.  The use of energy in our postures, gestures, facial expressions and breathing.  Not only to be aware of their uses around the horses but with the clients who come for therapy...or for that matter, with anyone you encounter on a day-to-day basis. 

One can be extremely loud in their silence just by raising their head and chest, or arcing an eyebrow...or picking up their walking pace, swinging their arms.  Were you ever approached by someone who almost blew you backwards because of their energy?  Horses pick up on the slightest of detail.  They are extremely sensitive, so intuitive to a person's mental/emotional state, as they should since we are predators and they are prey.  A person can take a breath in and the horse will raise its head and speed up...breathe out and the horse lowers its head, slows or stops.  Amazing stuff.  You can just stare at a horse and make them nervous - it's energy, it's pressure.  Lower the eyes, pressure's off.  Or stare but add a smile - makes a huge difference - and it makes sense for all of us.  When an autistic child comes for therapy who is already on sensory overload, our team attempts to lower its collective energies with soft words, deep breaths, smiles or averted eyes as the child attempts to process, giving their nervous systems time to reorganize.   Profound.

A young client (I'll call her "T") came for therapy one day in an irritated mood.  Her day had been less than ideal.  At the end of her therapy on Cowboy, our gorgeous palomino Quarter Horse (who has a story all his own), she fed him his treat and just stood there in front of his lowered face.  She had totally quieted in her half hour session and stared into Cowboy's softened eyes.  He felt no pressure from her stare.  "T"'s own eyes welled as she stroked his face and gently whispered, "I love you, too."

Tissue please.

To Give and To Get...

The holidays are here, it's snowing and cold.  This time of year is when I look back - way back - and feel thankful.  But I'm not here to share my sometimes idyllic childhood memories...just some of the things I've gleaned through experiences over the past five years at EBC Therapy Center.

When you think of giving and getting, what comes first to mind?  Work, school, play???  Some would say they give time to get paid; give ideas to get recognition; give money to get educated; give sweat to get fit.  These are awesome examples and they all add up to a rise in self-esteem and self-improvement.  Well, I don't work any more, nor go to school (though do take the occasional continuing education class), but I definitely play...and, most importantly, volunteer - at EBC.

My experiences as a Physical Therapist brought my retired self to EBC to check out this thing called hippotherapy.  My knowledge of horses was next to nil, except that they were big, gorgeous, powerful animals and, as a young adult who periodically went to trail ride, I needed to hold on and not fall off.  I was immediately in love with hippotherapy and what I observed it gave the kids.  My love for the horses came shortly thereafter...I think after the silent conversation I had with Babe, whose loving look told me so much more about his relationship with those kids than any person could ever put into words, that it made me cry. 

I began reading everything I could get my hands on related to the equine species, watched every video, took (and continue to take) horsemanship lessons and, six months later, I had my own horse...my Jitterbug Boy.

If I actually tried to tell you in this one sitting all that I've "given and gotten" in these past five years, this blog would go on forever.  Instead, I'll share these gifts in segments - gifts I've given and gotten in my time at EBC and my journey for never-ending self-improvement.  And I hope that, by sharing, I can somehow make your life's travels smoother.

Happy Trails!

AHA Level I Equine Skills and Treatment Principles course to be offered at EBC!

This is my first time blogging, so be kind!  I'm trying to let you all know that EBC has been approved to host the AHA Level I and Level II Equine Skills and Treatment Principles courses in 2013.  Until I figure out how to post the brochures, you'll have to call the office or email us for a copy.  Here's the front of both brochures.

Like I said, I'm new to this blogging thing, but I'll get it figured out!  Thanks for your patience and feel free to email or call us with any questions!!

Liz Chauvot, PT, HPCS

Volunteer Training at EBC

What does Volunteer training involve?
VOLUNTEER training is this Saturday February 16th 2013 at EBC - 251 Cole Hill Road, East Berne, NY. Time: 11:00-1:00. Come Join Us. For more information call 518-872-1870 or email us office@ebcpt.com.

Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes.Equine movement provides multidimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive. The horse provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, addressing weight bearing, and. motor planning. Equine movement offers well-modulated sensory input to vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile and visual channels. During gait transitions, the patient must perform subtle adjustments in the trunk to maintain a stable position. When a patient is sitting forward astride the horse, the horse’s walking gait imparts movement responses remarkably similar to normal human gait. The effects of equine movement on postural control, sensory systems, and motor planning can be used to facilitate coordination and timing, grading of responses, respiratory control, sensory integration skills and attentional skills. Equine movement can be used to facilitate the neurophysiologic systems that support all of our functional daily living skills.

Therapeutic Riding: is a term that has been used for many years to encompass the variety of equine activities in which people with disabilities participate. Though still commonly used, this ‘umbrella’ term has caused confusion among the medical community. When the therapist utilizes the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy to improve neuromuscular function, it is important to consistently use the correct terminology and refer to it as “hippotherapy”.

Hippotherapy: Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, or speech and language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement. Hippotherapy literally means “treatment with the help of the horse” from the Greek word, “hippos” meaning horse. Specially trained physical and occupational therapists use this treatment for clients with movement dysfunction. In Hippotherapy, the horse influences the client rather than the client controlling the horse. The client is positioned on the horse and actively responds to his movement. The therapist directs the movement of the horse; analyzes the client s responses; and adjusts the treatment accordingly. This strategy is used as part of an integrated treatment program to achieve functional outcomes.


Why the Horse?
The horse’s walk provides sensory input through movement, which is variable, rhythmic, and repetitive. The resultant movement responses in the patient are similar to human movement patterns of the pelvis while walking. The variability of the horse’s gait enables the therapist to grade the degree of sensory input to the patient, and then utilize this movement in combination with other treatment strategies to achieve desired results. Patients respond enthusiastically to this enjoyable experience in a natural setting.