Edition XI

Hi

Welcome to this month’s HorseConscious Newsletter.

I hope you had a good holiday and/or Christmas. The New Year brings new hope, new ideas and new plans and here at HorseConscious we too are making plans for the year ahead as I’m sure you are.

Elsewhere in the world, the fight goes on against the BLM’s apparent attempts to slaughter the whole wild horse population in the US and so I am pleased to tell you about a great FREE call coming up.

It is hosted by Anna Twinney and her guest is Ginger Kathrens, Emmy Award winning producer/ cinematographer, writer and Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation (see also article below). Kathren has been at the forefront of the fight against the looming slaughter and you can listen to the call by going to Anna’s podcast page at www.reachouttohorses.com/podcast.html. Anna also has some other great guests coming up on the show including Dr. Robert M. Miller, world famous Veterinarian, Ethologist and Father of the Internationally known foal training technique, Imprint Training and Lucy Rees, renowned Horsewoman and Author of the equine behavioral classic The Horse’s Mind. All the calls are free the week after they appear on Anna’s site, so do check it out.

I’ve also heard of some very interesting developments in the Blue Tongue dressage affair but these are not confirmed yet so I cannot tell you. Sorry to be such a tease but you’ll be the first to know when I hear!

I would like to thank all the HorseConscious Members who completed our end of year survey, this was very helpful in plotting our course for the future. One of the most popular requests was for more calls with the Teachers and also a variety of different guests. We are listening and will therefore be looking to have more calls moving foreward, some of which will be public and open to everyone on the HorseConscious newsletter list regardess of whether you are a Member or not.

The reason for this is that we must look to spread the message that there is a kinder, more empathetic way to be with horses. It’s clear from the whole Blue Tongue affair and comments I see on various websites that there is a great deal of misunderstanding and ignorance about the very nature of horses. Most people will say they love their horse, as the rider in the Blue Tongue video said afterwards, but when their premise of what love is and what it entails is fundamentally flawed, then we have to find a way to get through.

I was speaking with Carolyn Resnick this week and whenever we have a conversation about her Method and why she does what she does, I always play devil’s advocate so that she is forced to go right back to basics to explain it. The reason I do this is to establish a line of reasoning that is beyond question.

What I see is that many horse people don’t know what they don’t know and whilst this is true for us all, it doesn’t help the horses. However, what you and I understand and see with horses is such a long way along the spectrum from where most horse people operate, that we really have to an absolutely rock solid stance to work from.

I saw a comment on a YouTube video saying, more or less, what’s the point in liberty work and how can it possibly help with riding. Now this was presumably written by someone who rides and would probably claim to love their horse, which is scary. As we know, horses are the most forgiving of creatures but if they lose their patience or are just plain confused or frightened, they are labelled ‘difficult’ or have ‘behavioural issues’. Sounds like descriptions used for kids too, right? Society is so keen to label thereby shifting the responsibility and blame onto someone else.

It’s about relationship and family and community and responsibility. The person who does not see the connection between libery training and riding, does not see this truth. If he or she happens to be reading this, then please see Carolyn’s wonderful blog post from Tuesday last week entitled Liberty Training to Riding Your Horse, which explains clearly why.

I’m no horse expert and have never claimed to be. In fact, if you don’t know my story, I actually came to horses pretty late in life. However, I think this has given me an ability to have an unbiased and fresh perspective on the horse world as I am always looking at it with fresh eyes. So when I see something that is so blindingly obviously the truth, then my sense of justice wants me to help tell people about it. That’s what HorseConscious and being Horse Conscious is all about.

My aim this year to help spread the word about the true nature of horses and we can all do this too in our own small way. I need to devote more of my time to making contact with magazines and radio stations as well as through the social media online, so I would also like to thank those HorseConscious Members who have volunteered to help us do this and I will be in contact with you shortly about this.

One quick point of housekeeping before I go. We get a great number of extremely kind and helpful comments in reply to the newsletter (thank you!) and so if you feel moved to write in, I invite you to share your comments on the HorseConscious Community site at www.horseconsciouscommunity.com. It’s totally free to join and a great place to meet new friends and connect. However, if you do feel the need to email us, please start a new email rather than replying to this one. The reason for this is that we get so many each time and they all end up in the same ‘conversation’ in our email system, which makes it extremely difficult to keep on top of them all. This will really help us and means you won’t be ignored!

Till next month, enjoy the weather, enjoy the horses and keep spreading the word.

Best wishes

Mark Mottershead

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The Death of the Calico Colt – An Essay by Ginger Kathrens

He was wild and free, roaming the vast expanses of the rugged Calico Mountains with his mother and father and the other members of his family. This would be his first winter, a time when life slowed down for all the wild ones—the elegant pronghorn he watched on the distant horizon, the tiny pygmy rabbits that foraged in the sage brush undergrowth and darted into their dens when he tried to touch them, the fat sage grouse that were some of his favorites. When he was just days old, he heard their strange, booming sounds and saw the males strutting and displaying for a mate. When he wandered toward them, it was his father who gently guided him home. His mother softly nickered to him. She smelled of sweet sage and invited him to nurse.

Then, one day while his mother and father and the others in his family were quietly foraging, conserving their energy in the growing cold, he saw his father jerk his head up. Ears forward, the stallion watched and listened and the colt did too, mimicking his father. The colt could hear a rumbling drone. In the distance, he could see something flying toward them. It was even bigger than the majestic golden eagles that soared over his home. It came closer and closer, dropping low over the sage. The drone grew into an ear-shattering roar. His family began to run and he followed, galloping beside his mother where he would be safe. Mile after mile the menacing, giant bird chased them. His legs ached and he wanted to rest, but he could not leave his mother. He kept running, struggling to keep up. Fear gripped the Calico colt.

Then he saw a horse in front of his father and it too began to run. Safety must be ahead. His family followed the stranger and suddenly they were trapped inside walls of steel. His father tried to jump over the wall but it was too high. There were two legged animals running at them with long sticks and something white that fluttered madly. Suddenly, he was separated from his mother when a two-legged moved between them, striking out at him with the frightening stick and the fluttering bag. He was driven into another corral. When he whinnied for his mother, she answered. He raced around the corral calling for her, but found his feet were too sore to run anymore and he stopped. He could hear his father calling and he knew the proud stallion had been separated too. The colt answered him. He could see his mother through the bars of his cage and this gave him strength and hope.

Days passed. It was cold and there was no place to get out of the wind. In his home, his mother would have led the band below a rocky outcrop that blocked the wind. The colt began to fear he would never again smell the sweet sage of her breath or taste the warm milk she offered to him. His feet, so sore, became worse. Shooting pains darted through his whole body when he tried to walk so he moved as little as possible, hobbling a few steps to eat the plants the two-leggeds had thrown on the ground for them. One frigid morning, the two leggeds came and drove him into a truck with others that were his age. The pain was constant now and when the truck moved out, he stayed on his feet but the pain riveted him with every jolt and bump. He called for his mother, but there was no answer. Would he ever see his parents again?

Hours passed and the truck moved onto smoother ground and it turned into a place where he could hear the calls of his kind. He whinnied as loud as he could, but the answering voices were unfamiliar. The two-leggeds drove the colt from the truck into a bigger cage and he struggled to keep up with the other foals. Some of them were limping too. His eyes scanned the horizon, looking for something familiar but the flat horizon looked nothing like the land of his birth. Days went by and he spent hours laying in the dirt, the pain growing. He could feel something happening to his feet. His once strong, dark hooves were beginning to separate from the bone designed to hold them fast. He laid flat and closed his eyes, imagining the home and family he feared he would never see again. The two leggeds walked toward him. He wanted to jump up and dash away but he could not. Over the next few days he grew too tired to move at all. The wind howled and as it began to snow, he closed his eyes for the last time and dreamed of his family. Then two leggeds came again and killed the Calico Colt.

In death, the lively spirit of the Calico Colt was released to roam free once more. He has returned home to his family and the land of his dreams. He is not just a statistic. Neither he nor what he symbolizes will ever be forgotten.

(Ginger Kathrens is a filmmaker, author, and founder of The Cloud Foundation, dedicated to preserving our mustangs on public lands. The Foundation is calling for a stop to the roundups that are robbing public lands of our legendary, native wild equids—the very embodiment of freedom for many Americans. The Calico colt is only one of many who have died as a result of the ongoing roundups this year alone. Find out what you can do at www.thecloudfoundation.org)

GORGEOUS EQUINE ART

Beautiful Jim Key 

Rich With Spellbinding Historical Detail, Here Is The Remarkable True Story Of An Extraordinary Horse And His Pioneering Trainer Who Captured The Hearts Of Americans At The Dawn Of The 20th Century:

Beautiful Jim Key — the one-time ugly duckling of a scrub colt who became one of the most beloved heroes of the turn of the century — was adored not for his beauty and speed but rather for his remarkable abilities to read, write, spell, do mathematics, even debate politics. Trained with patience and kindness by one of the most renowned horse whisperers of his day — former slave, Civil War veteran, and self-taught veterinarian Dr. William Key — Jim performed in expositions across the country to wildly receptive crowds for nine glorious years, smashing box office records, clearing towering hurdles of skepticism and prejudice, and earning the respect and admiration of some of the most influential figures of the era, from Booker T. Washington to President William McKinley.

At long last, masterful storyteller and best-selling author Mim Eichler Rivas returns two cultural icons their due, unraveling not only the mystery of their disappearance, but examining how, thanks to this rare and intimate relationship between horse and man, championed by promoter and humane activist Albert R. Rogers, a shift took place in the public mind that made kindness to animals a cornerstone of modern civilization. Unveiled against the backdrop of American history, this is their incredible tale.

To learn more, visit http://www.beautifuljimkey.com/

EQUINISITY – The Movie

Re-discovering the spiritual journey, experience a healing just by watching.

Equinisity is a first, you not see programs like this anywhere else in the world

A LIFE CHANGING MESSAGE OF ONENESS AND LOVE FOUND WHEN WE RE-CONNECT WITH THE INNOCENCE AND WONDER OF OUR INNER CHILD.

Whether you spend your life with horses or have always wanted to know one, experience an incomparable spiritual journey with real footage of participants from all over the world in the E.A.R.T.H. (Equine Assisted Re-connective Therapy and Healing) program at Gateway 2 Ranch .

Please visit http://www.horseconscious.com/shop/equinisity-dvd to view the trailer for EQUINISITY and to purchase the movie, a 3 hour and 55 minute 3 DVD set for just $39.95.

"We need the balance between meditation and being active for our own well being."
– Carolyn Resnick

You are warmly invited to participate in …

The Inspiring Horsemanship Event announces a Call for Entries to its inaugural program at the 2010 Holistic Horse Fair (HHF), which will be held September 25-26 at the beautiful Horse First Farm in Brooklyn , WI . Through a non-competitive performance, the Inspiring Horsemanship Event (IHE) brings together the most skilled and harmonious horse and human pairs to beautifully demonstrate just how much gentle and respectful horsemanship can accomplish. Just a handful of the most inspiring entries will be selected to perform and be eligible for prizes.

Have you or one of your students reached an inspiring level of partnership with your horse? Can you demonstrate that harmony, skill and willingness in a 5 to 10 minute performance? If you feel your relationship with your horse can inspire others than you are enthusiastically invited to bring your talents to this event!

The IHE is currently accepting video entries for the 2010 performance at the fourth annual Holistic Horse Fair. Entries may demonstrate ground skills or mounted work or a combination of both. For complete details go to www.holistichorsefair.com and click on the Inspiring Horsemanship logo.

About the Holistic Horse Fair (HHF): The HHF informs horse lovers of the many natural and holistic horse care and training methods that exist through a fun and exciting weekend fair. Fair goers have the unique opportunity to watch demonstrations, speak with professionals, and shop vendors whom offer information specifically about natural, alternative and complementary methods of caring for and training horses.

An abundance of information will be presented on such topics as acupuncture, massage and body work, animal communication, herbs, natural hoof care, natural nutrition, horse-friendly forms of horsemanship and training, and much, much more. The public can use the event’s website to find out who’ll be appearing at the HHF and plan their trip to The Horse First Farm to attend it.

Potential vendors, sponsors and speakers are invited to contact the HHF about participating in the 2010 Fair or sponsoring the Inspired Horsemanship Event. Interested persons are encouraged to visit the event’s website: www.holistichorsefair.com, and contact Heather Kitching at (608)687-9534 or eaglevalleyequestrian@yahoo.com to learn more.

About Heather Kitching: Kitching owns and operates Eagle Valley Equestrian LLC, outside Fountain City, WI . Through E.V.E., Kitching teaches Enlightened Horsemanship and Perfect Balance Natural Hoof Care via lessons, camps, clinics, workshops and consultations. She created the Holistic Horse Fair in 2007 to promote and educate horse owners on the many, effective, alternative forms of horse health care and training that exist. She can be reached at (608)687-9534 or eaglevalleyequestrian@yahoo.com.

NEW ARTICLES ON HORSECONSCIOUS

Biting Uncovered – Anna Twinney

Biting is one of those problems that all horse lovers come across at one time or another. It can be a very frustrating challenge to tackle, not to mention a dangerous one. A biting horse can be a real concern for not only the owner but the barn staff, grooms, other boarders, pretty much anyone who comes in contact with him. Hermano was one of those horses. He was majestic, powerful, determined, masculine… and a biter.

I met him on a trip to the East Coast where I went to help with a number of my client’s equine problems. “Hermano” was known to attack people and kick innocent individuals not paying attention to him while on his aisle. He certainly didn’t disappoint during our first meeting. His calm demeanor suddenly turned ferocious with his ears pinned back, and my swift, instinctive move away saved me from losing a chunk of my shoulder. It was very clear that for the safety of everyone in the barn, this was not acceptable behavior.

To read the compete article and more of Anna’s articles, visit Anna Twinney on HorseConscious

Nature Helps In Bonding With Horses – Carolyn Resnick

You are very lucky to have this opportunity. Horses prefer being with horses in the wild. The carrot of freedom and self-direction and community of the herd is stronger than anything you have to offer her at this time. I would not feel hurt but rather be overjoyed that I could give my horse this lifestyle. I would suggest that you join her instead of her joining you so you can understand her life and what it will take to redirect her focus. Let these conditions take over your focus and be with your horse on her terms. You are lucky to have such an environment even for yourself.

Take this opportunity to fall in love with nature, discover how to be in the moment and at peace with what is, become aware of the system in nature and the community of the herd. Become a wildlife lover and enjoy her experience. Take pictures and groom her when she itches. Bring her food like alfalfa and wait for her to finish it. When she finishes it, follow her if you can. Go with her if she will let you. Pay attention to the distance she would like you to keep.

To read the compete article, visit Carolyn Resnick on HorseConscious

Tractate On A School Mount: A Man On The Back, Part 1 – Alexander Nevzorov

Understanding a horse is an exact science. 100% of a horse’s feelings have absolutely precise physiological, biomechanical, myological, psychological and other characteristics that can be understood by man. Thank god, everything is known. Everything is more or less clear.

"The School mount of a rider, which is the topic of our conversation, is developed from an exact knowledge of a horse’s feelings about a man being on its back, and from a desire to minimize the harm and discomfort that a rider always brings to the horse."

To read the compete article, visit Alexander Nevzorov on HorseConscious

The Unseen Realms – How Horses and the Arts Make the Intangible, Tangible – With Kim McElroy and Sandra Wallin

Horses are like unicorns – their gifts lie in the world of in-betweens. In perceiving their magic, horses teach us to “see” with our entire mind, body and spirit. This body-centered awareness connects us with our intuition, allowing access to unseen and magical realms.

The Arts allow us to engage with these realms through image and color, thus making our visions tangible. As we translate this whole body seeing into artistic expressions, we’ll create talismans that anchor and expand these experiences. Art gives us a tool to be able to access these realms wherever and whenever we desire.

This workshop is scheduled during the Summer Solstice, a powerful time known by the druids as the marriage between heaven and earth. This timing will allow us to engage with the energies and spirits of Nature, which can amplify our intentions and our experiences.

When we gaze into these realms, we illuminate the threads of our lives and our dreams. Once we perceive these threads, we can choose the colors and patterns we want to weave together. We learn to be weavers of wisdom, and to tap into the unseen realms within ourselves.

In this workshop we will:

• Connect with horses and receive intuitive messages

• Express the invisible through artistic expression

• Create a talisman drawing of our inner horse self

• Benefit from the tutelage of a world-renowned artist

• Access the wisdom and beauty of the unseen realms

Dates: June 18-20, 2010

Time: On the 18th we’ll gather from 5:00-8:00 pm to meet and greet
along with the Solstice Premiere of Kim McElroy’s new DVD, "Secrets of Drawing Horses"

On the 19th and 20th we’ll gather from 10:00am – 5:00pm for journeys into unseen realms

Location: Maple Ridge, BC (45 km east of Vancouver)

Investment: $600 Register Early by March 1, and receive a 5% discount, bring a friend and you’ll each receive a 10% discount!

Materials Fee: $50 – Includes your own personal art kit containing pastels, paper, a sketch book, and Kim’s Way of the Horse Journal *Inquire about a supply list if you have your own materials.

Please contact Kim or Sandra to register at:

Facilitators

Kim McElroy is renowned for her artistic gifts and is a natural born teacher. As a child she wanted to be a horse, then turned to drawing them as the next best thing. In her quest to understand horse and human nature, Kim has pursued many avenues of her own personal growth and healing, which she has added to her repertoire of gifts which she enjoys sharing with others. Kim is co-creator and illustrator of the Way of the Horse Book and Card set with author Linda Kohanov, author and illustrator of the Way of the Horse Journal, and producer of the Secrets of Drawing Horses DVD series.
www.spiritofhorse.com

Sandra Wallin is a registered clinical counselor, an educator, author and presenter, who divides her professional time between a private practice, working in a local school district, and teaching Equine Guided Development and PSYCH-K, locally and internationally. As an expressive arts therapist, Sandra often combines the arts with equine guided activities. The results have been transformative, taking people to places that are deeper than words. Sandra currently sits on a Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA) committee helping to develop guidelines for the ethical practice of Equine Facilitated Wellness in Canada.
www.chironsway.com

Urge the 111th Congress to Protect Horses

2010 is the year to end the gruesome practice of horse slaughter once and for all. Celebrities Kelly Carlson (FX’s "Nip/Tuck") and Wendie Malick (award-winning actress and activist) are joining The HSUS at a January 26 press conference on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727). You can join them in our fight to protect America’s horses. This crucial legislation prohibits the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. This bill will also finally stop the transport of American horses to Mexico and Canada where they are barbarically slaughtered for foreign dinner plates.

TAKE ACTION Check to see if your U.S. representative is already a co-sponsor of H.R. 503/S. 727. If not, please make brief, polite phone call and ask your U.S. representative to co-sponsor H.R. 503/S.727. You can reach your federal legislators by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or click here to find their Capitol office phone numbers.

For more information, 2010: The Year to end Horse Slaughter

COMING SOON! The Horse Seeks Me – Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling

Announcing the new book by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling. In the spring of 2010 Klaus’ new practical book will be available – first in English, Danish, Dutch and German. It is a compact book entirely born out of his pratical work. Almost 500 pages with lots of drawings and hundreds of photos. An internet editon should also be available before the printed edition.

Watch out for more news on this in the newsletter and at HorseConscious

SPECIAL OFFERS!

 Click images for more info & to purchase

DIARY DATES:

February 1

February 4-5

February 4-7

February 13-14

February 19-21

February 20-21

February 20-21

February 20-26

February 22

Various dates – Please quote HorseConscious when booking

For details of all of all Anna Twinney‘s events and workshops click here

Various dates – Please quote HorseConscious when booking

Kathy Pike‘s calendar and clinics can be found here

Various dates – Please quote HorseConscious when booking

Details of Epona workshops by Linda Kohanov can be found by clicking here

Remember:
HorseConscious Members can promote their own events here too!

February 15-19

Learning to Listen, Partnership & Introductory Courses in Horsemanship, info@learningtolisten.co.uk

February 22-26

Learning to Listen, Coporate Training and Team Building, info@learningtolisten.co.uk

March 13

Debra Olson Daniels, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Level I & II, info@learningtolisten.co.uk

April 3-4

Learning to Listen, Equine Clicker Training Seminar, www.equineclickermagic.com