Change in Plans

As a facilitator of Equine Guided Learning programs for children and adults, the biggest job that I have is to let go of my mighty ego. It requires daily attention. The ego is deadly with self-interest as its primary concern.

This last weekend, with some grace and messiness, I let my ego have a time-out and go sit in the corner, while I was working with six young children and the herd.

I set up a simple obstacle course for children to learn the principles of non-forceful communication with horses. While this concept is fundamental, it is often overlooked in traditional equestrian training. Typically, training focuses on achieving human goals that the horse is expected to follow. When a horse doesn’t respond as desired, young riders may be encouraged to increase pressure or use various aids, such as kicking harder, utilizing a whip, applying better spurs, or raising their voices. I’m not here to judge or criticize these methods; rather, I aim to present an alternative approach. It’s important to recognize that there is no singular way to work with horses!

Fluff, Pixie, and Romeo are three exceptional miniature horses that play a key role in the Equine Guided Learning program. During this session, I pair two children with each horse, with one child holding the lead line and the other providing support from the opposite side. To demonstrate the course, I work with Hunter, a 16-hand thoroughbred gelding. I guide Hunter through the course using a lead line around his neck, without a halter. He walks with me as if there is no lead line. Hunter is the sentinel and leader, offering a broader perspective for understanding the entire experience.

He has told me that he prefers no halter. Did he speak to me like Mr. Ed? No, he gave me many signals with his body language. All I did was listen to him. Again, this is one of the principles that I offer to students: to listen.

I asked each team to walk through the obstacle course, but from the very beginning, something seemed off. I encouraged them to give it another try. The children were having difficulty navigating the course, and the horses were expressing their frustration. Pixie was tossing her head, Fluff stood his ground, and Romeo was focused on his own activities while keeping an eye on Hunter. I paused the teams and prompted them to ask, 'What does your horse need?'

The children provided insightful responses. Horses often resonate with children, as many kids still readily access their intuition. In contrast, adults—whom I refer to as 'big children'—often learn to suppress that intuitive sense.

As the children explored ways to support their horses, I noticed Hunter standing calmly beside one of the mothers. Hunter not only assists with the Equine Guided Learning program but is also the centerpiece of a sound meditation I offer for groups. I call it 'Listening with the Herd' because it combines sound, movement, meditation, and the experience of being present with the herd without any physical attachment.

This was the moment I realized that Hunter was offering the group an alternative approach. The obstacle course was not working as intended, and he stood motionless in the middle of the arena alongside the mother. When I approached, she shared that she was 'praying' with Hunter!

I invited all the teams of humans and horses to join Hunter and the mother, who were standing together in a state of peace. Naturally, Romeo was the first horse to approach. When Hunter enters his deep state of meditation, Romeo positions himself just off Hunter’s hindquarters. With his remarkable intelligence, Romeo understands that he benefits from being within Hunter’s electromagnetic field.

All life is vibrating. Therefore, all life has an energy field around it. Every human, every animal, each blade of grass emits its own characteristic electromagnetic field. The Heart Math Institute conducted a study on heart rate variability (HRV) in both horses and humans to explore the physiological and emotional connections that may exist between these two species. The research focused on measuring HRV as an indicator of autonomic nervous system function and overall well-being, and an indicator of the electromagnetic relationship between horses and humans.

Summary of the study

1. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) can help determine levels of stress or well-being in the human and the horse when interacting.

2. The HRV is a more important indicator than relationship than whether or not the horse is familiar with the person.

3. The HRV of the horse influences the human’s HRV cycle but not not the other way around.

4. Research does not confirm that horses “mirror” the emotional state of the human. However, there is a dynamic that occurs.

5. The calmness of the horses has a greater influence on the human response rather than the other way around. This could be why it is so important to select the horse that is a good match for the human.

As the children and the horses stood calmly and silently within Hunter’s electromagnetic field, which extends approximately 50 feet in radius, one of the girls immediately remarked, 'I can feel it!'

When we open ourselves to the possibilities that horses can offer, our abilities expand significantly. As we gathered there—Hunter, the three miniature horses, the six children, the mother, and myself—we collectively expanded the electromagnetic field of the whole.

An ancient proverb encapsulates this experience well: 'If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.’

If you would like to know more about Equine Guided Learning, or my bi-monthly ‘Listening with the Herd,’ contact me at cam@camronadibi.com

All my posts are free. If you become a paid subscriber or a founding member, you will help the care of the horses with their feed, vet care and new equipment for the equine learning program.

Camron Adibi is an Equine Human Connection Therapist and a PATH Therapeutic Riding Instructor who holds graduate degrees in education and architecture. He offers Equine Guided Learning for children and adults of all backgrounds and ages, who are facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or emotional/social difficulties. He also offers ‘Listening with the Herd,’ as an invitation to explore sound, movement and breathing with horses. He has a mission to improve horse and human interactions through education and storytelling. Oh yeah, and Cam is a sailor with a captain's license. www.camronadibi.com