Brindabella Farms

(Workshop details at end)

Engaging the horse in non-riding workshops for personal clarity

FAR MORE PEOPLE are comfortable interacting with horses from the ground than seeing the world from the back of these wonderful animals. In fact, many people, adults and children, feel irresistibly drawn to the friendly furry equine face leaning over a pasture fence, or stretching out the half-door of a barn stall to say ''hello''. For whatever reason this is the ultimate satisfaction.

Every person interacts uniquely with the horse, pony, mule or donkey. At the sight of the lovely equine face, some adults are flooded with nostalgia for equus adventures in days gone by. Others are pained by recall; sometimes the horse reminds them of a person or event they had long forgotten, or wished they had. For children of all ages, equus may represent security, comfort, amusement, understanding, and warmth: the comfort of soft fur, the snuffle-snort of the inquisitive muzzle, the acknowledgment of those large eyes, and the attentiveness of equus to the youngster’s gestures and chatter, even a youngster’s silence.

Ten year old, Evan, had been so traumatized by family members that in time he lapsed into an unreachable place, mute and listless. The court had removed him from his family and placed him in a residential therapeutic center for neglected and abused boys where interacting with horses was central to their recovery.

One day the stable manager, June, asked Evan to accompany her to the barn to see the year-old filly that had just arrived. The little sorrel horse was standing quietly in a box stall. June opened the stall door and told Evan he could go in and pet the filly. Evan reached out tentatively, gently scratching her furry neck. The filly quietly craned her neck around to sniff her visitor. June stood silently outside the stall watching. Minutes passed. Then a miracle! Evan began talking to the filly. Quietly, rubbing on her, walking around, talking and talking. June couldn’t hear what he was saying; it didn’t matter. The filly was obviously completely engaged; she and Evan were eye-to-eye. When there was a pause, as though Evan had talked away all he had to say for the time being, June queried gently, ''Can you think of a name for her?'' Evan quickly replied, ''Sunshine. She is like light.''

Sylla had a different experience with a horse. Now in her mid-forties, she attended a two day workshop, ''Manifesting healing through personal clarity''. The purpose of the workshop was to help people who want to inspire and heal others learn of ways to do this. At one point during the workshop, each participant was assigned a horse to lead the full length (170 feet) of the arena and back. An assistant skilled with horses walked along.

When Sylla returned with her horse, she was sobbing uncontrollably. When she regained her composure, she explained that the horse reminded her of someone who had badly abused her years before. ''I thought I was over it,'' she cried. Did the horse step on her foot, or push her around, she was asked. ''No, the horse was fine. That’s what I don’t understand.'' The mind plays tricks on all of us from time to time.

Sylla’s next assignment was to walk over to the horse, a large, stately mare, Silver, wrap her arms around her neck, breathe slowly and deeply in and out while telling Silver everything she had just told the humans around her. Sylla then led Silver once again the full length of the arena and back. Upon her return with the mare, Sylla was smiling and radiant. ''What happened to those bad feelings?'' she wanted to know. Someone volunteered, ''Silver took them in on your breath and grounded them away.'' Sylla, a counselor who worked with troubled people as a career, was perplexed. By the end of the workshop, however, as she watched others confront challenging issues in partnership with a horse they had never previously met, she was convinced that relating with a horse can be helpful in resolving human issues.

Why? The well mannered horse provides honest feedback. The horse takes our masks off. As an acutely sensitive animal that has through the ages relied on its senses for survival, the horse is aware not just of smells, sounds and sights, but of very subtle energies like emotions, human emotions and other horses’ emotions. To other human beings, we may appear calm and self-confident. The horse may sense that in fact we are actually angry, frightened, anxious, sad, or we truly are self-confident and happy. When we have old, unhappy, unresolved memories lurking around, the seasoned horse’s unconditional acceptance of who we truly are can cause us to loosen our unconscious ''guard''. The memories then bubble up to the surface as they did for Sylla. In fact, sometimes they are not even memories, only long-forgotten and uncomfortable emotions.

The satisfying news is that the horse is often quite willing to hear us out, absorb the negative feelings and discharge them for us through their ample bodies.... as long as we do this from the ground, not while sitting on the horse’s back. The horse has so much to teach us especially about who we really are: meet your REAL self! When we are comfortable with ourselves, we are then typically an inspiration to others. Inspiring others can be very healing to others as well.

Each horse, a unique individual and personality, has much to teach us about effective leadership as well. Each person has a leadership style that reflects their individuality. Some people lead best with humor, others by collaboration, others with a more authoritarian flavor. Each horse allows us to try out, refine and gain confidence with our leadership styles.

In one workshop, an aspiring leader, Marci, complained that no one listened to her. In an exercise with leading a horse, Marci learned to her surprise that her desires were confusingly presented. She had a plan in mind, but she was not clear in presenting the plan to the horse. The horse consequently created its own plan and led the ''leader'' all over the arena, completely out of control. Marci was utterly frustrated, and said this was exactly the problem she had in working with people.

Marci’s next assignment was to lead the horse again, being certain with each step that her plan was clearly presented to the horse, not through talking incessantly, but through the tools of visualizing, breathing and clarity of intent. To the astonishment of the onlookers, Marci and the horse executed her plan flawlessly. Marci was the most astonished of all. Yet, for her this was an important turning point in her career as she discovered the next week when she returned to work.

Two 2-day non-riding workshops at the Equestrian Education Center.

Tuition for each workshop: $ 250.00 (non-refundable but transferable) includes instructional materials, use of facilities and horses, lunch one day and a certificate of completion

LEADERSHIP: Discovering one’s personal resources for aspiring others to meet shared goals
MANIFESTING HEALING THROUGH PERSONAL CLARITY
Discovering one’s personal resources for inspiring others

Mary-Charlotte (Chardy) Shealy, R.N., Ph.D. is the facilitator for these workshops. Bring your co-workers, friends, spouses or a mix. One of your group works with Chardy (PH: 888-242-6105) to set up the dates, workshop content and other details. A minimum of four attendees is required; to give everyone ample time and attention, 8 attendees are the maximum.

Depending on your group’s needs, the workshops can start on Thursday evening, continue with an all-day session on Friday and conclude at noon on Saturday. On-site housing for three adults may be available; other lodgings are nearby. This area is a major Midwest vacation destination so there are plenty of options to make your time here extra-special.

Call Chardy for planning help (888-242-6105 or 417-267-2900).