Category: Horses

Horses

Reflecting on Horse Show Season: Using Animal Communication to Understand Your Horse’s Experience

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date November 14, 2024

As equestrians, we often end each show season reflecting on our own performance and achievements—be it the ribbons, judges’ comments, or the goals we set out to meet. Success in equestrian sports can mean different things for each rider, from mastering a new skill to simply getting the horse on the trailer and showing up. But how often do we consider our horses’ perspectives? Can we truly call it a partnership if only one voice is setting the goals?

In other competitive partnerships, such as figure skating or ballroom dancing, both partners communicate, coordinate, and compromise to create a shared vision for their performance. But in the equestrian world, the rider often drives the partnership, setting the path forward while the horse is expected to follow. When goals align with a horse’s natural abilities and temperament, the result can be harmonious. When they don’t, it can lead to frustration and stress for both partners.

Animal communication offers a powerful tool to bring our horses’ voices into this process. Here’s how it can deepen the bond between you and your horse, helping you truly partner in training and competition.

Communicate, Compromise, Coordinate

Working with an animal communicator can facilitate an open dialogue, allowing both horse and rider to share their experiences and goals. Through telepathic communication, a horse can convey their physical sensations, emotions, and even preferences, enabling a more balanced partnership. A few of the ways communication can help include:

Creating a Shared Vision
By involving your horse in the process, you create a partnership where goals are mutual. During a session, an animal communicator can help convey your horse’s likes, dislikes, and potential areas of discomfort. For example, a driven dressage rider I worked with had ambitious goals, yet her horse seemed content with a more relaxed life. This mismatch led to frustration for both. Ultimately, the rider found a different horse more aligned with her competitive spirit, allowing her original partner to enjoy a quieter, happier life.
Identifying Physical Discomfort
Horses often experience physical challenges that are hard to detect without professional guidance. An animal communicator can help identify these, which can then be addressed through adjustments in training or equipment. Horses may share sensations such as soreness, saddle pressure points, or the need for more balance during certain movements. Simple tweaks based on this feedback can lead to significant improvements in comfort and performance.
Understanding Emotional Responses to New Environments
Many horses feel excited or anxious when traveling to new venues. They might become distracted by new sights and sounds, feeling overwhelmed without a chance to explore. Giving them time to settle in can make a significant difference in focus. One horse shared with me that they felt more grounded if allowed a few minutes to explore the environment before heading into the ring. Such feedback can help you prepare your horse mentally for the show ring.

Lessons from Performance Horses: What They’ve Shared

During my consultations, performance horses have shared invaluable insights about their experiences and even pain. Here are a few examples that reveal how these sensitive animals perceive their training and competitions:

“My shoulder feels stiff when landing on the right lead over a fence. I feel more confident when we take one stride straight before bending to the right.”
“When we arrive at a new place, I feel completely distracted by all the sights and sounds. I need time to settle before I can focus.”
“The saddle puts more pressure on my right shoulder than my left. I have to take shorter strides on the right. Please balance it.”
“The longer I stand in the stall, the more anxious I feel. I need to get out and walk more during the show.”

These messages weren’t spoken in words but were conveyed through emotions, imagery, and sensations, which I interpreted for their riders. When riders make even small adjustments based on this feedback, it often creates a ripple effect, improving trust, comfort, and cooperation between horse and rider.

Building a Harmonious Partnership

Animal communication opens a channel to understand your horse’s preferences, needs, and challenges. By allowing your horse to “speak,” you create a balanced partnership that encourages both partners to thrive. Through this dialogue, riders can build routines that honor their horse’s unique personality and limitations, leading to a more successful experience in the show ring.

In the end, every rider’s definition of success may differ, but achieving it becomes so much more meaningful when our horses’ voices are included in that journey.

Horses

Tailoring Horse Training with Animal Communication: Creating a Winning Routine for Your Horse

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date November 6, 2024

As horse owners, we’re surrounded by a vast sea of training methods—everything from classical dressage to liberty work. Social media is packed with content claiming to be the “right” way to train, but sorting through all this advice often leaves us (and our horses!) feeling overwhelmed and even confused. The reality? There’s no universal “right” way to train a horse. Each horse is unique, with different breeds, temperaments, and goals, making it impossible to apply a one-size-fits-all approach.

Why Communication is Key in Horse Training

At the core of every successful training relationship is clear communication. Regardless of the technique or discipline you choose, true training requires patience, consistency, and, most importantly, a mutual understanding between you and your horse. A horse must be able to interpret your cues—hand, leg, body signals, and even your emotional state and mental focus all play into how they understand your intentions.

Yet, too often, communication breakdowns lead to frustration. Trainers may misinterpret a horse’s “naughty behavior,” while horses might shut down, feeling unable to find the right answer. This disconnect, where humans and horses “speak” different languages, can be the root of many training challenges. As a result, many promising relationships end up in conflict simply due to mixed signals and misunderstandings.

Animal Communication: Bridging the Gap

This is where animal communication can bridge the gap. Just as we rely on our vet, farrier, coach, barn manager, massage therapist, and other professionals to support our horse’s well-being, an animal communicator or animal medical intuitive can be an invaluable part of your training team. How many times have you thought, “I wish my horse could just tell me what’s wrong or why he’s behaving this way”? While they might not speak our language, horses can express their experiences, discomforts, and needs through telepathic communication.

An animal communicator acts as a translator, enabling your horse to “speak” through images, emotions, and sensations. They offer clarity to both you and your horse, helping identify where pain, confusion, or conflicting goals may be affecting the training process. For example, your horse might reveal discomfort in their hocks during collected work, while you might explain that you’re aiming to maintain rhythm rather than increase speed. By bringing these perspectives together, an animal communicator can help align both parties’ intentions.

The Benefits of Adding Animal Communication to Your Training Team

Think of animal communication as relationship counseling between you and your horse. It’s a way to clear up misunderstandings, set mutual goals, and establish a true partnership. When your horse is given a voice, they can share what they enjoy, where they need more support and even the challenges they’re facing. This understanding fosters trust, boosts motivation, and strengthens your bond—both in and out of the show ring.

Animal communication can clarify mixed messages that often get sent during training. For instance, while approaching a ditch jump at speed, your leg aides might be saying, “Go, go, go,” yet, at the same time, your mind may be replaying past refusals. To the horse, this combination says, “Be sure to run out like before, but do it faster this time.” An animal communicator can help the horse and rider clarify these mixed signals, creating a more aligned, successful training session.

Strengthening Your Partnership with Clarity and Compassion

If you’re ready to deepen your connection and tailor your training to meet the unique needs of your horse, consider adding animal communication to your toolkit. It’s an investment in a partnership where both you and your horse can thrive together, understanding one another with greater clarity and compassion.

When your horse has a voice, training becomes less about following a technique and more about building a stronger, happier partnership. That’s the true reward of tailoring your training with animal communication—creating a bond where both you and your horse can flourish.

Beyond the Barks and Meows: Decoding Pet Body Language

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date August 29, 2023

Can you imagine being in an age where verbal communication wasn’t prevalent? All animals on Earth today, including the Human animal, evolved for most of its history relying solely on non-verbal communication. Some studies show that it was not until perhaps 50,000 years ago that humans developed a spoken language, while others say it could have been around for well over 200,000 years.

Today, Humans Focus On Verbal Communication, Not Body Language

Despite when scientists believe verbal language started being used, we have, by this time in our evolution, become quite focused and reliant on our verbal skills to communicate with others. Becoming ever more distant from our earlier knowledge and familiarity of the non-verbal, or body language of our ancestors. This deep ancestral knowledge of reading body language has not, however, gone away completely. It has just faded into the background of our awareness while we focus on the busy and loud human world we live in.

This loud, verbal world has left little attention remaining to focus on and “listen to” the subtle, silent, non-verbal “language” of our animal companions. The animals, however, have had little attention or use for our loud babble and have been developing and refining their non-verbal communication skills over thousands of years.

Each species has developed its own unique set of body language skills that include

Eye contact and pupil dilation
Head posture
Ear position
Body stance
Facial expression
Tail carriage and movement

These can be combined in an infinite number of combinations to express the feelings, intentions, and ideas that they need to convey to friends or foes.

Animals Rely on Body Language and Sounds

Many species have also developed sounds to use along with their body language, such as barks, meows, nickers, and chirps, but these are used as a nuance to the primary non-verbal language in most species. In fact, many scientists still do not qualify them as language because they lack some of the defining characteristics of language, such as grammar and syntax.

Some animal species are considered “vocal learners” that can mimic human speech, such as parrots, dolphins, and beluga whales, yet this is usually not considered “language” but an excellent imitation of human speech. These animals do not use human speech to communicate with their own kind, just with humans as they are taught.

Miscommunications Between Pets and Their Owners

“Whether we speak the same language or not, the most important thing is that we strive to understand one another.”

Many of us train verbal commands to our pets in an effort to make ourselves understood, and I believe that we should be making an equal effort to understand the unique signals of communication that are native to our animal companions.

In consultation with my clients, I find that many of the “problems” pet owners experience with their family pets are due to miscommunication between the two species. We speak and expect our pets to understand our meaning, yet we are often completely unaware of the language they are attempting to share with us – the non-verbal language of their own species.

The Importance of Understanding Your Pet’s Body Language

One might see a dog wagging its tail and assume it is relaxed and happy, but that signal does not carry over to the language of a cat or horse. A cat wagging his tail conveys excitement or annoyance, and when a horse “wags” his tail, you better step back because he is quite irritated and may follow through with a kick.

Whether you have adopted an adult dog, are training a young horse, or trying to negotiate with the family cat, having the skills to notice and respond non-verbally will help to develop the relationship between you.

Developing a deeper relationship with our companion animals relies on developing accurate communication between us. After all, when traveling in a foreign country, speaking louder and slower in English is not the best way to break through the communication barrier. Take the time to learn about the subtle nuance of language and communication that is used by the one you wish to communicate with.

Any individual, whether human or animal, feels better when they can express themselves, be heard and understood, and understand in response. Developing this common communication system helps to develop trust in relationships and fosters a feeling of belonging and safety.

Resources for Pet Owners

Dog Owners

Imagine being able to tell when your dog is stressed and preventing a bite based solely on the dog’s body language. Well, you can! Here is a general guide to interpreting stress signals from your dog.

Cat Owners

Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy breaks down what you need to know about cat body language in this video.

Horse Owners

To handle a horse safely, it is important to understand the changes in expression and posture that can tell you what they are thinking. You can read more here.

An animal communicator can also help you cultivate a deeper understanding between you and your pets by translating your thoughts and ideas into images and feelings that your pet can understand. Consider scheduling your personal consultation now.

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Summer Reading for Pet Owners

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date July 31, 2023

Do you love to spend some of your summer downtime reading? If so, I’ve got a great list of books for you! Whether you spend your summer lounging on the beach or browsing through an old bookstore, this list of books will help you discover a new (or old) book and begin looking at your human-pet relationship in a new way.

Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin – If you’ve ever owned, cared for, or had a care in the world for an animal, this book is for you. Grandin explains the core emotional needs of animals and encourages you to explore our bond with them.
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin – Looking for a life-changing book you won’t want to put down? This book is it! It will forever change the way you think about animals and give you great insight into the way they think.
As the Stars Fall by Steve N Lee – If a heartwarming novel is more your speed, read this book. You’ll see how friendships heal us and how compassion can make us whole again.
Horse Brain, Human Brain by Janet Jones – If you are into brain science, this one might be for you. In this book, seeing, learning, fearing, trusting, and focusing are discussed from both human and horse perspectives. You’ll see just how much can be communicated between these two beings and how they can negotiate the world together.
Mental Exercises for Dogs by Timi Foster – If you and your dog want to get out and get busy this summer, try this family-friendly guide to unleash your dog’s potential.
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Carol Kline – This Chicken Soup collection shares stories about the unique bonds that animals and humans have and how pets have been teachers, healers, heroes, and friends. It’s a book that’s sure to bring you joy and inspiration.
Feline Nutrition – Nutrition for the Optimum Health and Longevity of Your Cat by Lynn Curtis – The rate of diseases such as cancer and diabetes is skyrocketing amongst our companion animals in part due to the increase in commercial “junk food” available on the market today. Often filled with chemical additives and low-nutrient fillers, these high-carbohydrate foods do not come close to the “natural” diet our carnivorous cats crave. Reading this book will help you nourish your feline friend and strengthen your understanding of their needs.
Mindfulness Coloring Book – If you don’t feel much like reading but prefer to relax into a state of mindfulness, these animal images might do the trick.

No matter if you like jumping into science or just want a heart-warming book, these books can help you deepen the bond and understanding between you and your animal by embracing new ideas. You can also deepen your bond by hiring an animal communicator which can give you even more insight into the way your animal feels and behaves.

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9 Important Independence Day Tips for Pet Owners and Non-Pet Owners

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date June 29, 2023

Protecting animals from fireworks is crucial during celebrations like New Year’s Eve, Independence Day, or any other events involving fireworks. With Independence Day falling on a Tuesday this year, we’re in for several nights of celebration by those around you. This means that not only do we need to be mindful of our pet’s safety on July 4th, but we also need to be mindful days before and after. The loud noises, bright lights, and sudden bursts can cause extreme stress and anxiety for animals, leading to panic, injuries, or even escape attempts.

Here are some steps you can take to help protect animals from fireworks:

Keep animals indoors: The best way to ensure the safety of your pets is to keep them inside your home during firework displays. Close all windows, curtains, and doors to minimize noise and block out the flashes of light. Provide a safe and comfortable area for them, such as a cozy room or their crate, where they feel secure.
Create a calming environment: Reduce the impact of fireworks by creating a calm and familiar environment for your pets. Play soothing music or turn on the TV to drown out the noise. Use white noise machines or calming pheromone diffusers specifically designed for pets to help create a peaceful atmosphere.
Stay with your pets: If possible, stay home with your animals during fireworks displays. Your presence and reassurance can provide comfort and alleviate anxiety. Avoid leaving them alone, as their panic may lead to destructive behavior or escape attempts.
Provide a safe space: Make sure your pets have a safe place to go if they feel scared. This could be a familiar room or their crate, equipped with their favorite bedding, toys, and treats. Creating a den-like environment can help them feel protected and minimize their stress.
Use positive distractions: Engage your pets in activities or playtime before the fireworks begin to tire them out. Offer interactive toys or treat-dispensing puzzles to keep them occupied and redirect their focus away from the noise and lights. Mental stimulation can help alleviate anxiety.
ID tags and microchips: Ensure that your pets are wearing identification tags with updated contact information. If they manage to escape or become lost, this will increase the chances of a safe return. Additionally, consider microchipping your pets and keeping the registration details up to date.
Consult a veterinarian: If your pet has an extreme fear of fireworks, consult a veterinarian. They may recommend various options, including anxiety-reducing medications, natural remedies, or behavioral training techniques to help your pet cope with the stress.
Inform neighbors: If you know in advance about upcoming fireworks displays, inform your neighbors about the potential impact on pets. This can encourage them to be mindful and take precautions as well.
Inform authorities: Contact local authorities or event organizers to advocate for quieter or alternative fireworks displays that are less distressing to animals. You may even want to educate yourself about the effects that fireworks have on wildlife and domestic animals so that you can be more persuasive. For instance, the combination of deep percussion and vibration hinders a bird’s navigation abilities. Additionally, SFGate reported on studies that showed that birds leave their nests when fireworks explode, which leaves their eggs vulnerable to predators. As a result of these findings, some towns have banned traditional fireworks displays.

By following these measures, you can help protect animals from the anxiety and stress caused by fireworks. Remember to be patient and understanding, as each animal may respond differently. Your care and attention will go a long way in ensuring their well-being during these festive occasions.

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How Does My Energy Affect My Animal?

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date June 1, 2023

In our everyday lives, we humans tend to think of ourselves as quite different from the animals we call our pets. In fact, we are all made up of the same materials and are very closely related when you look at the details of our DNA. Despite our differences, all Beings are made of energy. This life force, or electromagnetic field is the thing that causes all of us to be Alive and to recognize this energy in one another.

Energy as a Guide

Animals of all types instinctively rely on their senses to assess their surroundings and survive in their environments. They use their sight, smell, and hearing of course, but also a sense of “feel” that allows them to sense changes in energy around them. Bats sense energy fields in order to navigate and hunt. Birds sense the earth’s magnetic field to guide their migration. Dogs are being used in medical science to locate and diagnose diseases using their senses.

Changes In Our Bodies

Modern science is able to measure the various changes that take place in our bodies as we experience emotions, thoughts, and physical activities. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of physiological changes, occur moment by moment, such as when our body temperature changes and brain waves fluctuate in frequency. Our bodies release chemicals and hormones into our bloodstream as our emotions change. Blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, and pupil dilation are constantly changing as well.

One very important fact worth noting is that all of these physiological changes take place in our bodies when we have an experience AND ALSO when we IMAGINE an experience. The animals in our vicinity have no way of distinguishing our physical danger signals as real and current or as fear we are remembering from past experiences or anticipate happening. Their response will be the same in both cases – they will believe we are in danger.

Our pets are able to sense these changes in much more detail and more accurately than we can ourselves. Anyone that spends time around companion animals has seen how they respond when we are sad or stressed. Horses are able to sense the human heartbeat from 4 feet away, this gives them information about us before we even approach. It is said that they can “feel our fear” and in truth, they can. Additionally, horses in a herd tend to synchronize their heartbeats so when one senses danger, they all know instantly.

This type of highly attuned sensitivity has served animals well throughout their evolution and increased their ability to survive. In today’s modern society, however, sensitivity can have both its pros and cons for a companion animal.

Pros

They feel safe and reassured when their people are “broadcasting” relaxed energy signals
Animals are able to sense wellness and illness in the people they meet
Anger and fear energy from a person signals an animal to be wary and cautious
Dogs learn to respond instantly in training exercises based on the energy we broadcast, even before we can speak a command
In some cases, a person’s energy helps a dog to distinguish between friend and foe
A horse is able to adjust his speed and energy output using the rider’s signals as guidance

Cons

Misunderstandings can frequently occur when an animal reads our energy but chooses an inappropriate response
Animals can suffer from hyper-sensitivity in a world filled with sensory stimuli
Humans unconsciously broadcast inaccurate information to their pets and the pet is left wondering how to respond, creating anxiety and a lack of self-confidence
Humans tend to dwell on remembered events and imagined events that carry their own energy pattern, and a pet cannot distinguish which thoughts are real and which he should be responding to

Our companion animals come to know us quite well by our voice, personal scent, stance, and facial expressions. They also become familiar with and “evaluate” us by the energy that we “broadcast”.

When we become aware of all the ways that our energy can affect animals, we can begin to intentionally think, imagine, visualize, focus, and act in ways that accurately lead and guide our pets to desired behaviors rather than misleading them into undesired behavior. Anxiously worrying about an upcoming event only makes them anxious. A relaxed posture and slow deep breaths can quickly signal to our pet that we are safe. We can consciously become their confident leader and broadcast information in the form of energy that our pets can accurately use to choose the right response in any given situation.

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Pain Signals from a “Sound” Horse

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date December 16, 2022

Have you ever looked at your horse and just had a “gut feeling” that something was off? How do you determine if that feeling is accurate? How does any horse owner know what is motivating their horses’ “bad behavior”? Is it pain? An illness? A general unhappiness about their environment? The trainer may say that it is poor work ethic, rider error, or just plain naughtiness. The vet may not see any obvious lameness and declare the horse to be sound. Yet, the gut feeling still persists, but where do you look for answers?

Through my 40+ years as a horse owner, equestrian, and equine sports therapist, I have not only experienced it for myself, but I have heard some version of this sad and frustrating story time and time again. I have watched so many of my friends and clients navigate the unexplained behaviors of their beloved horses. The story often sounds like this:

The months go by and I feel the joy has gone from riding. I look at my equine friend and partner and see a dull and listless gaze. I can see he is not happy. I remember the days of laughter, hard work, and accomplishment when we felt powerful together, fit, strong, and forward. The strides felt long and light as we covered the ground, the wind in our hair. Today we trot forward with a stiff feeling back, short strides, and no energy to push on. His ears are back, his tail swishes, and he chomps the bit and stumbles frequently. If I ask for more, we end up in a struggle. He has no more to give. I know in my heart that this is not “bad behavior” or a “poor work ethic”. This is not the result of “poor riding”. This is not the natural state of my beloved horse.

All of the stories sound similar.

“I know something is wrong with my horse but I can’t find the cause.”

“This is not his usual behavior.”

“I know when he is happy and well and this is not it.”

“He is ‘off’ but no one else can see it.”

“My trainer says to push harder, my horse is just being naughty.”

“I have tried everything, massage, acupuncture, Magna Wave, chiropractic, saddle fitter. Everything helps but only temporarily. He is still ‘off’ and reluctant to work.”

So WHAT IS IT? It’s PAIN.

These behaviors are often the early signs of musculoskeletal pain that appear before a lameness can be detected.

Our horses are strong and brave. They work hard for us and try to meet our expectations. They push through the pain. They push and push, doing their jobs despite the pain in their body. They move differently and act differently while they compensate for the pain and continue to work. They work until they no longer can. By the time we detect an obvious head-bobbing lameness, it may be too late to help.

Sadly, our equestrian culture has developed a deaf ear to their pain. We have somehow lost the open dialogue that says, “Hey, my friend, what’s up? You feel a little off today. You’re not yourself. I can feel your back is stiff. Do you need another day of recovery? Maybe some stretching?”

Horses are generally very honest creatures. They don’t try to trick us into giving them a day off. When they are feeling playful and full of energy, they let us know. When they are in pain and honestly unable to perform they also let us know. They communicate with the same body language they use in the herd; stance, posture, facial expression, and willingness to move.

We Need To Trust Our Horses

We, as equestrians, need to practice our listening skills. Listen with our gut and watch with our eyes. If your horse is telling you he is “not himself”, trust him!

When we don’t trust, the frustration is real, painful, and expensive. These are statements I often hear from clients when they are searching for answers in the wrong places.

“My vet can’t see a head bobbing lameness, writes a prescription, and sends an invoice.”

“My trainer pressures me to continue training and competition despite my concern.”

“My horse is losing weight and muscle tone even though he is working regularly. I buy more supplements and treatments for ulcers.”

“I take time off to let him rest…..get radiographs…..try some shockwave….get a second opinion…..how about some joint injections….and still he is acting out under saddle.”

“I bought a new custom saddle and the latest magic pad. Still he bucks.”

Help To Identify Pain is Available

Sue Dyson, VetMB, Ph.D., a world-renowned expert in equine orthopedics, with a particular interest in lameness and poor performance in sports horses, has developed a tool that I hope will change the way we judge horse behavior. Her tool “The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE)”, developed through years of studying behavior in the ridden horse, teaches horse owners, trainers, and medical practitioners a new way of qualifying a horse’s behavior to determine if the horse is experiencing musculoskeletal pain.

An E thogram is a catalog or table of animal behaviors used to qualify normal vs. abnormal behaviors. You can download this table related to the Ethogram to keep for your reference. When used as a diagnostic tool, this Ethogram can help horse owners to identify and treat pain before the condition progresses and perhaps ends the horses’ riding career. An in-depth application of the Ethogram by NIH is detailed in this study.

The technique for evaluating a horse using the Ethogram can be seen in detail in Dr. Dyson’s film The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain. I believe this film is a MUST-WATCH for all horse owners. It is 35 minutes which could be the best investment in your horse’s wellness plan.

A General Synopsis of The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain

The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain is a film that dares to challenge the way we look at “badly behaving” horses, and promotes the notion that lameness doesn’t start at the head bob. Through a six-phase study, spanning three years, and over 400 horses, Dr. Dyson, and colleagues developed The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE), a tool to reliably predict lameness before the condition worsens into limping and other obvious signs of injuries. The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram is a catalog of 24 behaviors, which scientific studies have demonstrated can be associated with pain in the ridden horse. The majority of these behaviors are at least ten times more likely to be seen in lame horses compared with non-lame horses.

The film follows Dr. Dyson and Dr. Jim Myers of Gold Coast Equine, as they examine and diagnose show jumper Lauren McMahon’s beloved mare Galina, who was not obviously lame, yet seemed increasingly unhappy under saddle. Lauren had “tried everything” to figure out what was wrong, including ulcer treatments, multiple joint injections, and specialized shoeing but Galina only became more resistant under saddle. Galina’s story is not uncommon for horses that do not present with an obvious head bobbing lameness. Oftentimes these are horses that get labeled as “resistant,” “lazy,” and horses that buck or rear from pain, “explosive.” Trainers often tell riders to “push them through it.”

It also educates horse lovers on how to spot the early signs of pain while taking viewers on an emotional “ride” through the eyes of a young girl who loves her horse and will stop at nothing to try to figure out how to make her comfortable.

Dr. Dyson’s research was further explained in an article published recently in Equus Magazine. An excerpt from the article explains:

“Undiagnosed lameness has a far-reaching impact on the lives of horses and their riders, says Sue Dyson, VetMB, Ph.D. “One of the reasons I was incentivized to develop an RHpE was I had become so dispirited by seeing so many horses who clearly had pain-related problems that had been ignored for far too long,” she explains. “The horse, the rider, the training technique were being blamed over and over again. Coercive training techniques were being used. Longer whips, spurs, tighter nosebands, and ‘stronger’ bits were being employed. Moreover, veterinarians did not understand what they were looking at either—if an enlightened owner sought advice, and there was no obvious lameness seen in hand, they were told that the horse had behavioral problems.”

Learn more about Dr. Dyson’s Train with Trust Project.

I hope that you will join me in continuing the conversation with our horses, giving them the opportunity to express their needs through behavior and building trust for a pain-free partnership.

Reference: The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain: Shifting the Paradigm of How We See Lameness by Padmavideo

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Why Every Horse Trainer Needs An Animal Communicator

Post author By Marjorie Lewis
Post date August 13, 2022

As every experienced horse trainer knows, there is no magical shortcut to training a horse. For every horse you take on for training, there is a unique process of observation, trust building, cue and response, repetition, reward, and patience. Whether the trainer is starting a green colt, retraining an OTTB, or polishing the skills of a Grand Prix competitor, they must be tuned into the non-verbal communication used by all horses.

Trainers Are Already Using Animal Communication

Without even realizing it, the best trainers are already using the main skills of animal communication.

Acknowledging that the horse is a thinking, feeling, non-verbal being.
Remaining focused and present at the moment with the horse in front of them.
Collecting and processing non-verbal information from the horse based on his body language and response to cues.
Allowing his intuition, or “gut feeling”, developed from experience, to guide him to the instant and appropriate response.
Always remaining self-aware and responsible for non-verbal, physical, mental, and emotional messages that he is sending out to the horse.
Building trust and a mutual language that allows for two-way communication.

Miscommunication Is Bound To Happen

At any, and every point in this training process the opportunities for miscommunication and misunderstanding are almost limitless for both parties. Even the horses that are willing and able to clearly communicate are often confused by mixed signals or lack of information.

In many cases, a trainer starts with very little knowledge of the horses’ temperament, past experiences, and individual preferences. Just as humans see the world through the filter of their own past experiences, the same is true for horses. They carry the baggage of past training, fear triggers, and physical discomfort forward with them into each new experience.

Why Having An Experienced Animal Communicator Is Important

The skills of an experienced animal communicator can offer the perfect complement to those of the horse trainer. Through telepathic animal communication, one can explore other aspects of equine behavior that can not be answered from visual observation. The communicator can gather information in the form of images, emotions, and physical sensations that can build on the visual picture of who the horse is. By adding this tool to the training toolbox of skills, any horse handler can enrich the partnership they share with the horse.

Save Yourself Time And Money

Can you imagine the time, money and frustration to be saved if the horse could simply answer the following questions?

What is the trigger for this behavior, is it physical, mental, or emotional?
Where do you feel pain? What is the quality of the pain; sharp, dull, pulsing?
How does the saddle fit? Do you feel any uneven pressure?
What training exercises do you enjoy most? Which ones confuse you?
In which environment do you feel most focused? In the indoor arena or the outdoor jump ring?
Which daily activities stimulate you in a positive way? Which causes boredom or shuts you down?
Does the pace of your schooling suit you or do you need more of a challenge?
What things, places, or activities trigger your fear response?
In what exercises are you feeling confused and how can I clarify the goal to make it easier?

Customize Your Training Based On Your Horses Needs

It is amazing how often humans and horses alike come to assumptions about one another that are inaccurate and cause conflicts and misunderstandings that disrupt the training partnership. Giving the horse an opportunity to share their perceptions and clarify goals, opens up new possibilities for negotiation and compromise in the relationship.

Armed with these answers, the horse trainer now has the opportunity to rethink and format the training environment to suit the unique nature of that particular horse. Making even small adjustments to accommodate the individual horses’ needs can go a long way to building a deeper, trust-based, relationship with any horse in your care.

If you are interested in more tips and exercises for building trust with your horse, please visit this article by Erica Ash.