Horse speak The equine-human translation guide : conversations with horses in their language
Book - 2016
Horses communicate, with each other and with those outside their species, with every flick of a tail, every twist of an ear, with movements both subtle and grand. Their desires and dislikes are constantly expressed. While working with and observing the horses in her life, Sharon Wilsie found her artist's eye unconsciously freeze-framed equine gestures, no matter how slight or fleeting. She soon realised how herd members reacted to the same posture or movement in a consistent way every time, and that if she could mimic that posture or movement, horses would respond to her in the same way they responded to each other. For Wilsie, this was the entryway to the world of horse language; what she calls Horse Speak. This book is Wilsie's ...translation guide to the kinesthetic language of the horse. In it, she systematically teaches us how to have conversations with horses, not in our language of words and ropes, but in their language of the body. Sharing a mutual language forever changes the way we view and understand horses, creating safety and unity in our relationships with them and opening a portal into their innately sensitive and peaceful way of being.
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Published
-
North Pomfret, Vermont :
Trafalgar Square
2016.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Other Authors
- ,
- Item Description
- Includes index.
- Physical Description
- 214 pages : color illustrations ; 27 cm
- ISBN
- 9781570767548
- Introduction: Everything Means Something
- What Is Leadership, Really?
- The Ideal Connection
- True Dialogue
- Species Relationships
- 12 Easy Steps
- Step 1. Building Your Foundation
- Finding Your "Inner Zero"
- Managing "Outer Zero" and Adjusting Volume
- Observation
- Mapping the Language
- Signs of Emotion
- Mirroring
- The Art of Conversation
- A Sense of Humor
- Ask Good Questions
- Pausing
- No Wrong Answers
- Breath Messages
- Greeting Breath
- Beckoning Breath
- Interested Breath
- Nurturing Breath
- Relaxing Breath
- Yawns, Big Sigh, and Shuddering Breath
- Sentry Breath
- Trumpeting
- Deliberate Breathing
- The Bubble of Personal Space: Circles and Arcs
- Contact versus Space
- Approach and Retreat
- Go Away and Come Back
- The 13 Horse Speak Buttons
- Step 2. Observing Facial Expressions
- Head Height
- Muzzle
- Lick and Chew
- Biting
- Tight Lips
- Curling the Lip
- Chin
- Nostrils
- Jaw
- Eyes
- Blinking
- Ears
- Learning to Read
- Step 3. The Four Gs of Horse Speak and the Greeting Ritual
- Greeting
- First Touch: Formal Greeting, "Hello," and Copycat
- Second Touch: Getting to Know You and Copycat
- Third Touch: What's Next?
- Conversation: Greeting Ritual
- Rocking Together
- Conversation: Rock the Baby
- Step 4. Going Somewhere
- Going Somewhere Part One
- Go Away Face Button and Play Button
- Scanning the Horizon and Sentry
- Conversation: Scanning the Horizon and Sentry
- Going Somewhere Part Two
- The Forehand
- Conversation: Please Don't Pick Up/Do Pick Up Your Feet
- Conversation: Move Your Feet Over
- Beckoning and "O" Posture
- Conversation: Greet, Send Away, and Beckon Back with "O" Posture
- Core Energy
- Conversation: Back Up
- Conversation: Blocking Forward Movement
- Joe: The Conversation Begins
- Step 5. Horse Speak In-Hand
- Calming Halter Conversations
- Conversation: Rock the Baby with Halter
- Conversation: Rope Slide
- Furthering Our Claims to Space in Front of the Horse
- Conversation: Therapy Back-Up
- Going Somewhere Part Three
- Moving Forward Together
- Conversation: Matching Steps
- Target Hand and Understanding the Horse's Circles and Arcs
- Variations for Fun
- Conversation: Fun with Feet
- Conversation: Obstacle Course
- Step 6. Grooming Ritual: Finding Unity
- Sharing Space and Revisiting Pausing
- Conversation: Sharing Space
- Making Contact
- Don't Forget Your "Xs" and "Os"
- Conversation: Managing Your Belly Button
- Step 7. The Five Levels of Intensity
- Learning the Levels
- Outer Zero and "O" Posture
- Conversation: Practicing Posture
- Exercise: "Assertive" Practice
- Fine-Tuning Your "X" and "O" Postures
- Fine-Tuning Core Energy
- Conversation: Managing Your Core Energy
- Conversation: "Are You Ready?" "Yes, I'm Ready."
- Conversation: The Waltz
- Phasing Down
- Fine-Tuning Approach and Retreat
- Fine-Tuning Go Away and Come Back
- Conversation: This Hay Is for You
- Conversation: Go Back, Come Forward
- Conversation: Beckoning for Bonding
- Conversation: Horse Hug
- Step 8. Negotiating Areas of vulnerability and Defensiveness
- Getting to Know the Horse's Vulnerable Bits
- The Girth Button
- Conversation: Breathe Up the Girth
- The Jump-Up Button
- Making Friends with the Defensive End
- Conversation: "Making Friends" Behind
- Punctuation
- Gone
- Conversation: Tail Swish
- Hindquarter Sending Messages
- The Hip-Drive Button
- Conversation: Send
- Conversation: Turning the Canoe
- The Yield-Over Button
- Conversation: Step Over and Rebalance
- Joe: In Hand
- Step 9. Moving with Grace
- Becoming More Horizontal
- Conversation: Dancer's Arms
- Pivoting Energy
- Conversation: Pivoting with Dancer's Arms
- Lateral Movement
- Conversation: Lateral Yield
- Step 10. Who's Driving Anyway?
- Conversations on the Longe Line
- Understanding Your Whip or Crop
- Conversation: Greeting Your Horse with the Whip
- Conversation: Practice with the Whip
- Conversation: Forward on the Longe
- Conversation: Trace My Bubble
- Conversation: Drop It to Stop It
- Conversation: Completing the Circle
- Conversation: Changing Direction
- Adding Obstacles
- Stepping Up the Pace
- Conversation: Trotting on the Longe Circle
- The New Longeing You
- Step 11. Let Them Be Free
- Horse Speak at Liberty
- Observe and Mirror
- Conversation: Over the Fence
- A Delicate Balance
- Conversation: Liberty Trotwork
- Releasing Old News
- Conversations on the Inside
- Conversation Beckoning and Sending from the Inside
- Predictable Directions
- Conversation: Parallel Tracks
- Target Practice
- Conversation: Moving on Target
- Picking Up Speed
- Conversation: Trotting on the Inside
- Conversation: Go Ahead, Canter!
- An Open Forum
- Joe: At Liberty
- Step 12. Now You're Up There... What Should You Do?
- Mounted Conversations
- Around the Mounting Block
- Conversation: Mounting with Breath
- Letting Go
- Conversation: Gumby Pose
- Conversation: "Hello" Rein
- Conversation: Copycat Reins
- Conversation: Up-and-Over Rein
- Building Body Awareness
- Exercise: Palms Down vs. Fingernails Up
- Conversation: Fingernails-Up Rein
- Claiming Space in Front
- Conversation: Mounted Therapy Back-Up
- Joe: Under Saddle
- The White Mare: A Poem
- Acknowledgments
- Index
