This horse was new to me (and new to this home), holding a lot of tension and feeling nervous about the bodywork session. For the first half of the session, he really wanted to keep his feet moving, so that is what we did. As you can see in the photo, this didn't stop him from experiencing some nice hind end releases! He yawned many times and had a nice soft eye and muzzle. It's important to be open minded during bodywork sessions and to try new approaches as you receive feedback from the horse. There are three main things that I want the horse to realize during a bodywork session:
1. The bodywork session is an interactive experience between horse and therapist.
2. The horse is allowed to express how he is feeling.
3. There are no expectations on the horse to behave in any particular way.
It takes time and patience for some horses to realize these things, especially when they are new to their therapist, new to bodywork, have trauma, or are experiencing pain or discomfort. It's imperative that we allow them the time and space that they need to get there. I've been spending a lot of my spare time recently reading the newest research on equine behaviour, and I find myself already applying some of that new knowledge to read horses during our sessions together and make sure that they feel seen and heard.
And now, fast forward two weeks to his second session - and we have a soft, relaxed boy during his session who didn’t even mind standing loosely tied for the duration.
Thank you to his owner Vanessa of Mane Success Horsemanship for the awesome photos!
