A new study by researchers in the Department of Animal Environment and Health at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala apparently shows that horses’ heart rates can be affected by a human’s heart rate.  The study had people both ride and lead horses near someone holding an umbrella.  The person with the horse thought the umbrella was going to be opened on the fourth time around, but it was not.  There was an increase in both the human’s and the horse’s heart rate even though the umbrella was not opened, and the fourth pass was similar to the three previous passes.

The above was from a blog I was reading today, “The Voice of the Horse” and it got me to thinking … and feeling rather smug, actually (confession! *grin*) since I’ve been ‘preachin’ ‘ synergy and energy for years and years. Although, I have to say,  the place where my heart and ‘knowing’ is now is not the same place it was even just 10 years ago (but almost.)

When I start talking about ‘energy’ coupled with ‘horses’ I see alot of eyes rolling around. That’s OK cause I know that the ‘eyes’ are where mine used to be a couple of decades ago and somewhat even as recently as just one decade.

I’m hoping that the statement, “With age comes wisdom.” is truly exhibited in my own life. I’m ‘mature’ … heck, I”m old. Well, to a 20 year old I’m old but to an 80 year old I’m still a spring chicken. Whatever … some days I FEEL older than the hills but most days my mind is still as young as I was when I was raising my young family. Again, whatever. … we’re talking about “wisdom” here. And now that I’ve introduced several topics in one writing I’m sure you’re asking what the heck it is I’m trying to say! HA!

Let’s just say that I’ve learned the wisdom and art of breathing …

Today I am embroiled in a discussion about ‘controlling’ horses. My contention is, do we really WANT to ‘control’ our horses or do we want a friendship, a relationship, a mutual understanding and respectful partnership with our horses? Do we attempt to ‘control’ our friends, our spouses, our partners? I think not – well, for the majority of us anyway. There’s always going to be a different sense of ‘balance’ in some others. But the maturity aspect of this is … the more mature, the more we age, the more we experience and feel and love and give – the more we understand the ‘synergy’ of life with friends.

In the simple illustration above we have control on one spectrum, out of control on the far end with Balance centered in the middle. As children we’re out of control until we learn, little by little (or maybe never) to ‘control’ ourselves. In that process of learning and growing, certain elements of living may cause us to swing completely the other way to ‘control’ where we feel we need to control everything that goes on around us. The fear of being ‘out of control’ leads us to the very ‘control’ issues that so many anger management therapies address. Back and forth; back and forth.

 In either spectrum of the ‘control’ issues we breathe, yes? Usually rapidly, shallowly and our heart rate zooms with either extreme.

And the article referenced above talks about how the horse mirrors that … the horse’s heart beat increases as the human’s heart beat increases.

Now think of being with your horse, your horse is obviously NOT listening to you, you’re getting a bit peeved … the more peeved you get, the more agitated and ‘un-controllable’ your horse becomes … and so on and so forth.

That horse is simply mirroring YOU! Your breathing has increased, your heart rate has increased and as the study in the article has shown, the same happens to your horse.

A horse that has an increased heartbeat and is breathing more rapidly is  in ‘alert’ mode and is going to be more reactive and ready to bolt for survival than one that is calm and quiet.

Obviously.

OK … again — I’m off in different directions all at once. Let me regroup here.

I’m not perfect by any stretch of any means(just ask my husband!)  but, as I’ve ‘matured’ I’ve learned the value of being balanced. See that illustration above again … Balance is right in the middle between control and out of control.     B.a.l.a.n.c.e.d.   And according to the article cited, if *I* am balanced then my horse will be also.

If I am ‘balanced’ then I am ‘centered’. (Centered in the middle of the line above!) And so will my horse be ‘balanced’ and ‘centered’.  Thus, the two of us are synergistic. The term synergy comes from the  Greek word syn-ergos, meaning “working together”.

TA DA!!!!  Working together. You have become ‘centered’ and ‘balanced’;  the horse has ‘entrained’ to you;  and thus you and your horse are synergistically related.

You’re working together!

There is no CONTROL of the horse. There is no OUT OF CONTROL with the horse.  The horse is ALWAYS right where he or she is at the moment as designed to be. That means the horse is always balanced and always centered. And that means ….

ITS’ NOT ABOUT THE HORSE!

It’s about US. OUR balance or lack of. OUR ability to center ourselves, our minds, control our own breathing (forget about controlling the horse) which will, in turn, control our heart rate which, in turn, will cause the horse to entrain to … US!

So, where does that leave us about maturing? Growing? And where I WAS compared to where I am RIGHT NOW?

“Out of Control” to “control” to “out of control” back to “control” … back and forth, back and forth; MAKE that horse do what you want! Use your CROP! Spin him in circles til he gives in! Get his feet moving FAST until he finds the only place to be quiet is with you! CONTROL YOUR HORSE! Be the BOSS! Be the ALPHA!

Be THIS. Be THAT. Control, control, control.
Been there, done that (ashamedly) and now …

to …

Simply one word (which a dear friend/perpetual student has heard over and over and over again) …

B.R.E.A.T.H.E.

Breathe and become ‘one’ with the horse. Breathe and center yourself with a balanced horse. Breathe and simply … be.

It’s not about the horse.

Now, have I totally confused you? Or does this make perfect sense? Let me know.