I'll ask the question....

Most of us at some point in life have something we long to hear from a loved one, family member or even a boss. Here are my favourite words...

"I'll ask the question and see what they want to do"

Words spoken every day this week, by the yard manager of the new yard we have moved to.

When the yard manager says "they" she is referring to my horses.  The "question" she is asking them (several times a day) is simply  "do they want to come in or stay out?'   She listens to their behavioural response - do they come running over, approach her or revert back to grazing?

It's funny how something so simple can have such a dramatic effect. 

To have someone working with you in the daily care of your horses who 'gets horses' and their need to be outdoors, roaming, stretching, resting, sunbathing, snoozing and eating -  is priceless.   So too, are the results....

To have someone on the team, on the ground, who is happy to follow the lead of the horses and be totally flexible about the hours they keep indoors or outdoors  - is refreshing.  It's one of those things 'money can't buy' - it's either there or it isn't.

By sharing this blog, maybe it will help more people like me, look for it, and keep looking till we find it.

I appreciate that it's often no fault of large yards, despite their many staff, that they bring horses in at lunch time in order to get them all groomed and fed etc before home time.  The problem is that horse care shouldn't solely be focused on 'the ideal human home time'.  Not in my view at least.  Horses first, human's second!

Grace August 2014

Essy looking younger than ever - August 2014

I believe, that knowledgeable horse men and women want to focus on the principle of giving the horse a lifestyle that is best for them, versus 'handy' for the human.  It's a principle that I believe brings great rewards for horses, humans and ultimately the yard as a whole.

Its still great to hear it every day and I wont get bored of hearing it.  I'm pretty confident these guys wont either....

Solar and Essy August 2014

"Thanks West View Farm"

F for Freedom

The more I journey into greater awareness of our Horse's needs the more I realise how asleep I've been, until now!

A horse has 3 vital needs:

1. freedom to roam, 
2. free access to forage (i.e. unlimited not inexpensive)!
3. friends (horses) to connect and contact with

So how similar our the needs of us humans to that of the horse?  In my opinion the answer seems to be VERY....

Looking first at "freedom", history offers many inspirational people and events to show us its importance...

 Emancipation of the Serfs

 Martin Luther King

 Emily Pankhurst

 Nelson Mandella

 Gay rights activists

Human history is peppered with bold and creative stories of individuals or groups striving to achieve freedom for self, or others. Our liberty extends beyond being a principle or need, it is a basic human right that appauls us if absent.

" Exemption from external control"

Freedom in the dictionary is defined as 'exemption from external control'.  In our daily lives this shows up in many ways - we have the freedom to roam and set up home where we chose, and with whom we chose; we are free to chose if we work, have freedom in how we dress, what we eat, how we exercise (if at all), what medical help we seek or accept; freedom of expression, and the freedom to  'find oneself'. 

How would you feel if you lost your freedom? Facing the potential loss of a driving license for many of us throws us into despair at the sense of imposed confinement and loss of choice. We hear on the TV of young girls forced into unhappy even abusive marriages, and we read of hostage taking or incarcerations in the name of Anti Terrorism.

In such circumstances how long would you want to keep 'giving your best'?  Would life seem rich in quality? Would you trust those around you? Would you fulfill your potential or have the resilience to carry on trying? 

The consequence to our human soul and spirit if we lose our freedom can be devastating.  Some of us wouldn't survive; giving up; our spirit broken. Perhaps this sounds familiar when horses spirits were deliberately broken in order that we could ride them.  In remembering the Horse's 3 needs we realise that they often don't have their first need: freedom. Sometimes they don't have it for the duration of their life!  So, why wouldn't the loss of such a fundamental need have an equally destructive effect on them, as it has upon us?

Consider the lifestyle of many horses today...

•  They are moved about the country, or world, with no say on where or when
• They are bought and sold with no say in by whom
• They have no control over a lifestyle spent indoors or outdoors 
• Are often kept isolated from contact with other horses
• Told when they can or can't run!
• Have a limited chance to self medicate and select natural remedies
• Exist without permission to self express; kick, leap, buck, rear, twist and turn whenever they want
•  Have no choice of 'mate' 
• No say in their quantity of offspring
• No enforced 'retirement' age
• Don't know that their schooling and education will one day be over

Are horses exempt from external control? Are they free to be happy?  Can they freely express who they are and be themselves? If not, how reasonable are we being species to species to expect them to trust us, reward us, partner with us, perform for us, obey us and succeed for us?

If the above list sounds exaggerated - that would be a good thing for our horses.  It's only when we take a moment to look at the life of our cherished friends using a self made list like the one above, that we can step back and address our horses' first need: that of freedom! Taking stock has got to be a good thing in the long run, its when we fail to stop and observe - that things can go from bad to worse in our own lives and perhaps for our horses too.

Ironically, many humans are drawn to horses because they represent freedom - images of the wind running through their manes and our hair.  Their freedom is an especially enticing one; being full of power, elegance, kindness and nobility.  Surely its time we returned back to them some of those characteristics and let them find more freedom in their daily lives with us.  Helping our horses experience their heritage might allow us to seek more ways to feel free in our lives.  Free from pressure, opression, duty, obligation, and the need to fulfill the expectations of others.

Essy expressed his desire to be free from ridden work and the saddle.  I've honoured that.  Instead we are forming a new partnership in hand and with walks around the Estate.  The benefits for me have been a sense of slowing down, relaxation and more time spent in nature with nature.

So far so good!