I often say that Chant can be resistant, and she can. She very much believes in her own opinion and being considered as a part of many decisions. Most times I am good with this. Because we ride a lot on single track trails, occasionally she will balk at something and want to turn around, clearly this is dangerous to ourselves and anyone riding with us, so I sometimes need to control the decision and not let her turn around.
When this happens, I often think that she views me as being uncooperative with how she views the situation. Is it? Or is my assertiveness seen as nurturance in that moment? Just because a Horse does not acquiesce gracefully or completely does not mean they are not cooperating. It means there is a struggle between instinct and authority, or agenda and rational or fear and power.
Who is cooperating when these situations arise? What is cooperation in these situations?
Chant is also very cooperative. She does most things I ask of her so when she needs to behave with her innate Horse instincts, I try to cooperate with her. As Human I see the many risks that accompany riding or even just spending time with Horses and my vulnerability dictates a lot of our interactions.
This means that cooperation comes in many forms and from us both. I am in constant awe and amazement that Horses allow us to halter them, to lead them, to direct them. Because they don’t have to. Aside from the situations where brutality would be applied if they refused to cooperate with us, they cooperate because they want to.
This blatant behavior is witness to their desire to cooperate. It grieves me when I hear people berate their Horse for not behaving or performing as expected, and then blaming on and on about how the Horse deliberately foiled the task. When this happens, I can’t help but believe that the Human has offered no cooperation to the Horse.
Were there ways that the ride/performance could have been negotiated, and received the same outcome?
Because I am not a trainer, I do not know/understand the methods that are applied to train. Because I am not a trainer it is necessary that I incorporate cooperation when interacting with my Horse. From both of our perspectives. I do not pursue any one discipline, so my Horse and I are free to co-create a interaction style that works for both of us.
Sometimes I do not notice ways that I am not cooperating with her, because as Human it is my first reaction to see her resistance, i.e. lack of cooperation. But when I catch myself reacting to her resistance, I try to pause and look within myself as I ask, ‘What signs did I miss that caused her to feel like she had to speak louder?’ Resistance seems to be a louder language than cooperation.
As I learn to ‘hear better’, I find that she shows less resistance and displays more ‘neutral’ energy. This space of neutral energy is the canvas for us both to co-create an intercommunication that serves us both.
The Invitation
Become more aware of the times you ‘react’ to your Horse, and notice what took place just before this situation. Did they show you resistance? Fear? Aggression? Evasion? And then notice the signs that appeared before the Horse spoke louder. Look for the times that you share neutral energy. Notice how you arrived at that place, from here look for the messages that assist in creating that energy more consistently.