I love the comment about relaxing intense jaw. We always talk about horses licking and chewing because it relaxes their jaw or yawning because it helps relax their whole body, but it's easy to forget that humans work the same way!
I do a lot of these things unconsciously, so I find I need to keep checking in with my body. And there's another element, which is how the mind then body is reacting to what the horse is doing. Are they a little over energized ? I will often stiffen my shoulders, neck and abdomen without realizing it. Are they not doing what I'm asking? My jaw/neck might stiffen with frustration. This reactivity seems to feed into what the horse is doing/not doing, but when I do a body self check, the outcome is often much improved. A few years ago I was riding in a trek in an area with a steep mountainside with a very dusty trail, and the horses were running DOWN in, rocks were flying, and I couldn't see for the dust. I immediately knew the worst thing I could do would be to stiffen up and try to "control" the situation. I put all my trust in the horse and my body, relaxed and sat as deep as I could, and held the reins out of the way with no contact on its mouth. I was stunned at how well we collaborated to get to the bottom of the mountain. I'll never forget that lesson.
I love the comment about relaxing intense jaw. We always talk about horses licking and chewing because it relaxes their jaw or yawning because it helps relax their whole body, but it's easy to forget that humans work the same way!
Every time I watch one of your videos, it enllights something new & valuable in my mind. A concept or a feeling that take me a step forward .
Thanks for your analytical overview of the problem of not connecting properly with our horse.
I do a lot of these things unconsciously, so I find I need to keep checking in with my body. And there's another element, which is how the mind then body is reacting to what the horse is doing. Are they a little over energized ? I will often stiffen my shoulders, neck and abdomen without realizing it. Are they not doing what I'm asking? My jaw/neck might stiffen with frustration. This reactivity seems to feed into what the horse is doing/not doing, but when I do a body self check, the outcome is often much improved.
A few years ago I was riding in a trek in an area with a steep mountainside with a very dusty trail, and the horses were running DOWN in, rocks were flying, and I couldn't see for the dust. I immediately knew the worst thing I could do would be to stiffen up and try to "control" the situation. I put all my trust in the horse and my body, relaxed and sat as deep as I could, and held the reins out of the way with no contact on its mouth. I was stunned at how well we collaborated to get to the bottom of the mountain. I'll never forget that lesson.
Wow, scary and amazing story!
Those tense body locations can tense up the horse, too, or give misdirected cues, right? Can you discuss this, please?