A mindful approach to helping animals with life’s challenges.
I offer in person coaching within travelling distance of Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK, or video coaching worldwide.
Ease – no effort, no worries, no problems
Grace – forgiveness, kindness, honesty; smooth and elegant movement
Partnership – listening to one another and working together with mutual respect and shared power
It is OK to have lofty ideals, it doesn’t mean you have to achieve them with absolute perfection; taking some small steps in the right direction may be all that is required to make a potentially significant change for the better.
Mindfulness is simply awareness, of our own thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions and how these can impact our animals’ responses to us, others and their environment. Awareness creates a space for change and an opportunity to learn new skills and habits.
If you are feeling stuck, going through a difficult time or would just like to experience a change for the better with your horse, dog or other animal and the idea of ease, grace and partnership feels appealing but challenging, then perhaps now is the time for a shift in perspective.
The “unwanted” behaviours that our animals display are an expression of their emotional state – fear, anxiety, frustration, stress etc. This can be rooted in a general feeling of anxiety or insecurity about their current situation, deeply held trauma from past experiences or triggers in their every day environment.
When an animal is in a high emotional state, they are unable to respond to us appropriately and learning cannot take place. This is why training solutions are often ineffective until we can first support them in finding emotional balance.
It is not unusual for us to find that we then have an emotional response to their emotional response, leading to our own feelings of anxiety, frustration, embarrassment or something similar. Once we bring some awareness to our own thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions we can begin to change our perspective and the way we feel and behave, enabling us to create a safe environment for our animals and model a more balanced response to challenging situations.
We know how difficult it can be to change habits that we have been practicing for many years and yet we somehow expect our animal companions to change just because we want them to. We cannot train away fear or worry, we can only demonstrate that there is nothing to fear and that we can be trusted to take care of them and make good choices (in their opinion).
Being fully present with our animals brings awareness to the feelings we share with them and by understanding them on an emotional level we can form closer relationships and create the space for change in behaviour, without the need for dominance, escalating pressure or force. I work with all animals including horses and domestic pets.
Presence – Focus your mind on the here and now and create a mindset that is supportive to yourself and your animal
Self-Awareness – Notice how your own reactions and judgments feed unwanted behaviour
Listening Skills – Become a better listener by observing behaviour closely
Communication – Pay Attention to your animals’ responses and let them guide your choices
Intuition – Trust what you already know
Authenticity – Know and Believe in who you are
Advocacy – Stand in your own power and don’t allow others opinions to hold you back
There is a huge shift which is taking place right now in the world of horses, animal training and the way we interact with others generally, as we move away from the dominance hierarchy which has been prevalent in recent years towards a desire to build connections with ease and grace.
If you are ready to take the first steps towards developing an easier relationship with your horse, dog or other animal then please email sally@gracefulhorsemanship.co.uk . I offer a free introductory call to help you make up your mind whether I am the right person for you.
Qualified Trust Technique Practitioner and BHS Accredited Senior Coach