The holiday season

Hi, all.

Here we are in the thick of the holiday season.  How are you doing? Are you remembering to breathe, and take some time for yourself?  I know, these can sound like platitudes, but it is vitally important that you take time to nurture yourself.  At this time of year, it is so easy to get caught up in giving everything we’ve got to others, leaving us exhausted, drained, and with little time to enjoy what really matters—our family and friends.

It is easier to be generous to others when we are not running on empty. Allow yourself the time to do what feeds your soul—make a cup of tea, sit with a favorite book, spend time with a friend, two-legged or four-legged. Give yourself a few extra minutes at feeding time to bask in the company of your horses.  I find that there is nothing that grounds me more than sitting in my barn, listening to my horses munching on their hay.  Their contentment washes over me, and I am at peace.

Here’s wishing you all a truly joyous holiday season, and the best to you in 2012!

Weekend plans!

Heading to a two-day Equine Biomechanics clinic tomorrow, taught by Dr. Deb Bennet, a noted expert in the field, with Dawn Jones-Low of Faerie Court Farm.  Positively can’t wait!

Help your horse, help GMHA!

Hello, friends.
 
As you know, GMHA was devastated by the hurricane.  How can you help?  WHEN YOU BOOK A MASSAGE SESSION FOR YOUR HORSE FROM SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31, 2011, I WILL DONATE 15% OF THE PROCEEDS TO GMHA.  You’ll be helping your horse feel and perform better,  and we’ll be helping GMHA together!

This offer is good for all my clients, current OR new, and don’t worry—I’ll still be applying the discounts you are used to getting (multi-horse discount, equine senior citizen discount, and Good Neigh-bor Discount, to name just a few)!

Why am I doing this?  GMHA has been a wonderful resource for the equine community over the years, and I am strongly committed to giving back to  and supporting my sport.  

Help me to help GMHA!  Thanks!
--
Judith Falk, ESMP
Second Wind Equine Sports Massage
www.SecondWindESM.com
www.secondwindesm.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/SecondWindEquineSportsMassage/
802-989-3350

Just had an awesome ride on Monarch, to the music of Caravan Palace.  They are a jazz/techno/gypsy band, and they are a blast!  (Think Django Reinhardt on hallucinogens, and you’ve got the idea, but way more fun) I particularly recommend tracks 1, 14 and 15 if you need to energize yourself or your horse.  

Courage and confidence

Let’s talk some more about courage and confidence, especially as it applies to your horse. (Check out cegavt.blogspot.com/2011/07/courage.html)  If courage is about overcoming fear, and confidence is not having the  fear to begin with, what does this mean to your horse?  

Courage in your horse is asking your horse to give a little more, push himself a little harder, try something he hasn’t done before, trust you.  Confidence is all about that “look of eagles” that some horses have—they don’t know the meaning of can’t!

What happens when your horse is not feeling courageous, even fearful, about the task confronting him?  He becomes tense, rigid, tight.  His back may hollow, his jaw may lock up and clamp down, his neck becomes rigid, his gaits lose their fluidity.  His muscles will tighten as he prepares to “fight or flee”. What does this mean for his performance?

A horse who is rigid and tight is only going through the motions.  He may be technically doing what you ask, but something will be missing.  

What is your job in this?  What can you do to help?

The first thing, of course, is to know your horse, his personality and how his mind works.  Does he  thrive on challenges and learning new things?  Does he need plenty of time to absorb the new task?  Does he get tense, wound up, and have to be pushed/helped through his tension? Or does pushing him make him even more tense?

Some horses are naturally courageous, some are not.  You can help your timid horse to be more courageous by first helping yourself to be more relaxed, of course-if you are anxious, you can bet your horse will pick up on it!  Remember to center and ground yourself by using three deep breaths to release your own tensions.  Ask your timid horse to expand his comfort zone incrementally, whether it’s leaving his herdmates a little farther behind, or tackling a slightly more challenging series of jumps.  Praise is always a good thing, as long as you are praising for actual good behavior. And if you feel yourself becoming frustrated, take a break—don’t add to the stress level.  

And remember that our horses are so often mirrors of ourselves.  Take the time to really examine what’s going on, and ask for help if you need it.  

What techniques do YOU use to help yourself and your horse relax and gain courage?

What makes you tick? How about your horse?

As we move through life, striving to improve and grow, a key portion of this is finding out what motivates us to achieve our best.  In our relationship with our horses, we also need to find out what motivates them.  How do they learn best?  Are they sensitive, “thinking” types, easily bored? Do they question everything we ask them to do?  Are they good-natured, willing to comply with anything within reason that we ask of them?  Do they need to think about a request, take time to absorb it, before they can comply?  And there are many more ways to learn, especially when you put different riders and trainers into the equation.   

In my barn, I have four horses, each with one of the learning styles I mentioned above.  I have to approach work time with each of them differently.  The sensitive thinker is happiest with doing something different all the time, keeping him happy and engaged.  My just-for-fun horse will do anything, really, and will babysit anyone on his back, including my three-year-old grandson.  Another is sensitive in his own way, needing time to  process information before I ask again, and gets confused if asked again too quickly.  And the mare questions everything!  She should really have one of those question mark cartoon bubbles over her head, permanently.  

None of these styles is necessarily any easier than the others—it all depends on us, our personalities, and how we approach our ride time.  I’ve found that I need to be completely relaxed, have all the time in the world, for Mr. Sensitive Thinker.  If I’m in a hurry, he gets stressed out.  If I’m tense, he is exponentially tense. Of course, tension in us affects them all, but some of them hide it better than others. Mr. Easy-Going is my relaxation ride, but he doesn’t like to be taken for granted just because he is easy-going.  Mr. Processor shuts down if nagged at.  He will just give the minimum effort to get by.  And Ms. Questioner needs to be asked, not told, to do anything.   Try to force a situation with her and she will never forget it.  

Essentially, I have to be four different riders with these four different horses, although the base line is the same: relaxed, focused, listening.  These are my basic tools in my tool kit.  Then I pull out others as I need them, depending on which horse I am working with.  It’s made me a better, more well-rounded horse person.  

What does your horse want YOU to know about how he learns? And what does he want you to know about how YOU learn, to be the best partner you can be for him?

Spring in VT

Ahh, yes...this is the weather we’ve all been waiting for!  Sunny, 70 degrees, nice breeze, puffy clouds but not too many!  What are you going to doto get out and enjoy it?  Just  had a lovely ride on Sid, found a new trail in the woods that seems to go on forever....wish the weather would do the same!

Give yourself a treat....take back some time for yourself, and get out there for a walk, ride your horse, go sit by the river, get a lawn chair out of hibernation, but get out there!  These days are  gems!

Inspiration

Looking for inspiration in your life?  Here are three things that come to mind for me, right off the top of my head.

First, watch the movie “Temple Grandin”.  It is the story of a truly amazing woman, who has autism, but that assumed “disability” enables her to think in pictures (her words), the way animals do.  I’m not doing her story justice, I know—so watch the movie, or read one of her books.  

Also, because I am fresh back from the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, I am still thinking about that a lot.  It was won by Mary King of Great Britain, riding the lovely King’s Temptress, a mare that Mary bred, raised and trained herself.  Mary also took second place, on the gorgeous gray Fernhill Urco.  First and Second place both?  Unheard of!  Unprecedented!  Mary is no spring chicken, either—she is 49 years old. Oh wait, that’s how old I am!

 Third place went to Sinead Halpin, who has NEVER competed at Rolex before, and her horse Manoir de Carneville.  Sinead is only 29, and to watch her ride, and the love and credit she gave to her horse after her gorgeous show-jumping round, brought tears to many eyes.  

We’re never too old, or too young, or too “handicapped”, to let that stand in our way.  It’s no good sitting on our butts, wishing and dreaming, waiting for things to be different.  Get up and make your dreams happen!  Ask for help if you need it, but do it!  What are you waiting for?

Spring happenings

Had my first ride on Simon today in several months.  Yahoo!  Half an hour of brisk walking, trying to maintain that nice steady 1-2-3-4 rhythm.  Good for both of us.  Couple that with the return of the songbirds, and the fact that it is raining and melting the snow, and I’m feeling pretty good about things.  

Fun Day!

Just had a most fun ride on Burnished Monarch!  Now I’m off to UVM’s Healthy Horse Day, where yours truly will be giving a talk on the Center for Equestrian Growth and Awareness’ programs.  Check it out!

Great sheepherding lesson with Beck today!  Some good outruns, getting the hang of wearing, much more focused on the sheep and less focused on me (which is a good thing, in this case.)  Now he is contentedly napping while I type.  

The horse trailer is all cleaned out and ready for spring.  Too bad spring isn’t ready for us.

The wonders of life-coaching

I was recently asked to give a talk at the University of Vermont on Equine Massage, to a group of pre-vet students. I was flattered, but one of my first thoughts was, “Oh no!  How am I going to get through this?  I hate public speaking!”

See how we can sabotage ourselves?  This was a golden opportunity, gift-wrapped and handed to me on a silver platter, and all I could see were the possible pitfalls.  How did I get through it, and even more, turn it around to be a really positive experience? CEGA, of course!

There are lots of different coping skills we can use in such a situation.  Here’s what I did.  I made a list of all the positive things that could result from this clinic, such as increased business, greater recognition, the chance to share something I really love, and working on an area in which I’d like to improve—public speaking.  Some of these benefits I came up with on my own, some of them were pointed out to me by friends with whom I shared my anxieties, but really, what helped me most was “channeling” Barb Torian, professional life coach and one of the founders of CEGA.  I could hear her, helping me to turn my thoughts around and take control of the situation before it was able to take control of me.  Allowing myself to step back and look at it from a different perspective enabled me to focus on the positive aspects of the UVM talk.  I’m not saying that my days of feeling anxious about public speaking are over, but what if they ARE?  What if I just allow myself to imagine that I really like public speaking, having the chance to talk to a roomful of people about work that I truly love?  Suddenly, that adrenaline rush I’m feeling is excitement, not nerves. Wow!  Thanks, Barb!

Haven’t had a chance to work with Barb yet?  Do yourself a HUGE favor and give her a call, send her an email, and get started!  Your possibilities are endless!

Heading to UVM

I’ve been invited to teach a class at UVM today, on Equine Massage.  So excited!

I have been feeding my horses free-choice second cut hay from lovely, sweet-smelling round bales this winter.  One of the nice things I’ve noticed from this is that when I kiss them on their furry noses, they smell like summer—that gorgeous smell of green grass and fresh air.  Aaaaahhh.....

Acupressure

Spent a fun-filled and most interesting hour this morning with my equine acupressure text.  I love how this dovetails so neatly with my equine massage practice!

Great clinic!

Yes, that’s right—another great CEGA clinic today!  This one was at Dalneich Stables at Hibernia Farm in Cornwall, VT.  Our intrepid participants braved a truly “interesting” day of Vermont weather, for a fun, enlightening afternoon full of learning and connecting with their horses.  Watch our website (CEGAVT.com) for details on upcoming clinics, and reserve your place!

Of dogs and ponies

Those of you who know me, know that my favorite breed of dog is the Border Collie.  I love everything about them—their intelligence, their work ethic, the way they look and move, the close bond they form with their person, and their unbelievable energy. I have a lot in common with Border Collies.  I love to be busy, don’t do well with idle time, and my mind is always going.  This is great for me, and my interactions with my two Border Collies, but can be more challenging for those around me who don’t operate on the same high frequency.  

Take my three horses, for instance.  Sid, my Standardbred, is happiest when he gets worked no more than 3 or 4 days a week.  If I try to work him more than that, he responds by simply walking away from me in the pasture.  Monarch, my Thoroughbred, would love to be worked every day.  He is a lot like a Border Collie—intelligent, sensitive, great work ethic.  And he acts out when he doesn’t get enough work.  

And then there’s Simon.  As we have been struggling with some soundness issues with him, (strained check ligament, abscess, some arthritis issues), I have been struggling with not super-imposing my needs and work ethic on him.  Simon is 22 now, and has had a very active career, mostly with other people.  I asked him yesterday what he wants—does he want to be retired?  He let me know that he isn’t ready to retire yet, but that winters are hard for him in this climate, so her would really like to have winters off.  This will be a hard one for me—I am a firm believer in keeping older horses moving as much as possible, to keep them limber.  Also, riding is something that I really need to help me get through the winter, and I find the prospect of trying to get an older horse back into condition in the spring after a winter off to be daunting.  

But we’ll try it.  Simon will have the rest of this winter off (yes it’s still winter here—below zero this morning), and we’ll see how he does over the summer.  And if he decides that it’s time to retire, that’s what we’ll do.  This old dog is trying to learn a new trick.

CEGA clinic

Only 3 days left until our next clinic, at beautiful Hibernia Farm in Cornwall, VT.  Still a space or two left! Sign up and see why everyone is talking about CEGA!

Something new for your tool kit!

In mid-October, my horse, Simon, strained the check ligament in his left fore-leg.  (This ligament is also known as the accessory ligament of the deep flexor tendon.  It "checks" the amount of flexion of the deep flexor tendon.  The check ligament is an important part of the stay apparatus, which allows the horse to sleep while standing.)  A couple of weeks of cold-hosing and stall rest, in tandem with NSAIDS, leg wraps, and of course, massage, and he was ready to begin limited turnout and finally go back to work.  Except it wasn’t so easy.

One of the side effects of his stall rest and limited mobility has been a stubborn stiffness and tightness, mainly in his shoulders. This is not surprising, as Simon is a big guy, and taking one of his forelegs out of the equation has put a lot of strain on the rest of his body, especially in this case his right foreleg and shoulder. This has manifested itself by a reluctance on Simon’s part to engage in any kind of lateral movement with his forehand; instead of crossing over nicely with his front legs, he has been taking little shuffling steps to the side, and has been noticeably stiff and tight when leaving his stall in the morning.  

What’s a massage therapist to do?  Let me introduce you to my very good friend, “Equine Acupressure:  A Working Manual”, by Nancy Zidonis, Amy Snow, and Marie Soderberg.  I LOVE this book.  It is a very well-done, complete resource for the horse owner.  I believe that massage works and feels so good, in part because the massage therapist may be manipulating acupressure points as she works, freeing up and stimulating the flow of Chi and energy along the meridians.  Flipping through the book to find an answer to Simon’s predicament, I came across the pages on treating shoulder soreness, and bingo! One treatment later, he was greatly improved.  

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  Treat your horse (and yourself!) to this great addition to your equine library.  You’ll be glad you did, and so will your horse.

Do a 180! Or even a 360!

With cold weather here to stay, at least for a couple more months, not only is this a good time to get educated by watching videos, auditing clinics, and reading, it is also a good time to think about our relationship with our horses.  A couple of weeks ago, I suggested that you turn off your brain—now I’m suggesting that you turn it back on!

What I’m thinking of is taking a look at things from a completely different perspective.  For instance, if you have the mind-set that your horse hates arena work, you already have certain expectations of how your time in the arena is going to go.  We all know how our mood and attitude affect our spouse or children, and of course it affects our horses too.  You head to the arena, after grooming and tacking up your horse, somewhat less cheerfully than if you were heading out for a nice hack or to jump cross-country.  You may be a little resentful at having to ride inside, or that winter is dragging on, or that you can’t find your favorite winter riding gloves.  Make no mistake, your horse has picked up on your mood.  This may be manifested, for instance,  as your horse being sluggish and unwilling to work, or being squirrelly in an attempt to get your attention, or being cranky and resentful that you aren’t thoroughly grateful to be spending some time together.  

Our relationship with our horses is just that:  a relationship.  It needs to be fed and nurtured and not taken for granted, like all relationships.  Can you envision how different it would feel, if instead of saying to yourself, “Poopsie doesn’t like arena work”, you were to say, “Poopsie and I  have an opportunity to work on our serpentines” or lateral work, or drill team maneuvers with a buddy, or simply spend some time together.

I encourage you to sit with both these scenarios.  Try them on for size, and allow yourself to feel how your energy changes as the scenario changes.  Then think about how your relationship with your horse is affected by your energy.  And that’s just the beginning!

Raise the roof and help the horses!

Hey all—here is a very worthy cause to get your New Year off to a great start!  Please make a donation—any amount is much appreciated!
www.LendaHandtoRaisetheRoof.com <http://www.LendaHandtoRaisetheRoof.com>
Happy New Year!