🥰 Find the joy 🥰
Its all too easy in this chaotic life to loose the joy in things.
This past year its something that has reawakened in me, i was just doing things without seeking the joy, too much of an agenda and a focus on the end goal, but what is the end goal?
Last night i took Elmo in the arena on his cavesson to lunge and do groundwork. I started to warm him up, his energy was playful so i thought come on then, lets have some mad joy instead. So off came the cavesson and we spent 20 mins laughing and playing with each other in the light of the sunset.
Did this bring me joy on a friday evening after a long working week? - YES!!!
Did i still exercise my horse? YES!
Did he work his body and his brain better than a structured session... I'd say YES!
Was it perfect? Absolutely not!!
Do i care? NO!
What i do care about is that i was in the moment enjoying all the joy this little horse brings to me, no agenda just going with the flow and being completely in the moment. To me, this is the joy of having horses. I'll remember this session over any other sessions because of the feeling it gave me 🥰 to me this was perfect.
I'm not saying everybody needs to be as woo as me, or that schooling doesnt bring people joy but maybe next time you're planning a very structured schooling session, say f**k it, and go on a hack instead or just do something that reignites that joy.
In a search for perfection we sap the joy out of the moments we should be cherishing.
Enjoy these little moments, they are the memories you will keep 💜
It wouldn't be a weekend of learning without a bit of mad joy to start the day 💜😆 @jemma.aigner
Glorious morning for some CPD 💜
This video may seem very unassuming, it's just a horse mooching around having a yawn.
What you may find very odd is this video that came through tonight whilst I was watching TV actually made me cry.
Why?
I saw this lovely boy earlier this week and he physically couldn't yawn. He opened his mouth about an inch and rolled his eyes like he was going through the motions but it wasn't a yawn as we'd think.
Big deal?
Well yes, if a horse cannot fully yawn, they cannot fully release. Funnily enough, that's one of the issues that was raised in our pre treatment chat, that he is unable to fully release and regulate himself.
Gentle work throughout his body had the yawn growing slightly throughout the treatment. But this is huge in comparison. He can now fully release and is on the way to fully releasing his body.
My client knew this was a big deal and sent me a video. It is a big deal, it blows my mind that I am able to help horses through these struggles, to enable them to live more comfortably in their bodies.
Imagine not being able to release?
Thank you so much, its the little wins that make the biggest impact 💜
❄️THE BIG THAW❄️
The thaw is finally happening for us that live in Narnia (count your blessings if you live where there's no snow, this week has been tough!).
This is just a little post to just be mindful of what you do with your horses over the coming days. I know many of you will want to jump straight back on and get back to where you were on your training schedule but please consider the following before you do so.
❄️Has your horse been unable to go out in the field because of the snow and ice?
➡️If yes then be very aware that their joints and muscles haven't moved very much for near on a week, a bit like us being bed bound.
➡️ Consider taking them for a walk first before you set them free in to the field. Chances are they will get quite excited at the prospect of going out in the field and this could lead to an injury if the tissues are cold and stagnant.
➡️ Allow them time to have a good roll somewhere to free up their spine.
➡️Consider doing some in hand work for the next week to get your horses body moving and firing up properly again.
➡️Take a few steps back in your training schedule once you get back on to allow the body to catch up again.
I see so many injuries this time of year so please take this advice seriously. The cold makes chances of injury even higher.
The video is of my boy and his friends doing some synchronized rolling the other day 🥰
Many of you will know I have been away this weekend at the Warwick Schiller's Attuned Horsemanship journey on podcast summit.
Although it was horses that brought many of us there, there weren't any horses there, well not in physical form anyway.
This was not a weekend to learn how to train horses, more a weekend to learn how to horse.
Horses are very good at the things most of us struggle with.
They are present and connected to the world around them. They are empathetic, they are forgiving, they listen, they hear, they are still, they hold space, they communicate, they form connections, they're vulnerable, they love, they grieve, they teach us and they know how to be joyous and care free.
This weekend brought me back to all of that.
I've belly laughed, ive cried, I've held space, ive connected, I've communicated, I've learned. All in the presence of strangers. The energy and belonging in that room was indescribable. No judgement, no expectation, just like being in the presence of your horse.
I have a lot of licking and chewing to do after this weekend. But my main take home message is just be me. Once you start adding in all the other things life becomes quite exhausting. I've learnt this weekend that if you strip yourself down to your true authentic self, it will welcome in the people you need to surround you.
You may wonder why I have then chosen a video of me in a club. I'm not sure going out in to the clubs after day two was on everybody's agenda, and it wouldn't usually have being on mine. But this weekend made me want to dance. And dance we did. For 4 hours straight.
And what i found funny was that my inner teenager would have spent hours getting ready for that night out. Planning my outfit, doing my make up and being worried about how I was perceived. I was in comfy clothes, my hair down and no make up on as I'd cried it all off. But it did not matter. I literally danced like nobody was watching, care free and was absolutely euphoric. And the f
When the blood starts pumping and the endorphins start flowing 😴😴😴
A horse-led holistic approach to Veterinary Physiotherapy focusing on posture reeducation and balance both physically and mentally. No bulldozing or flooding💜
