May
2009 ~ Rider Horsemanship Newsletter
This
Month’s Topic of Interest:
Hope . . . From
the Heart of Horses: How
Horses Teach Us About Presence, Strength,
and Awareness
I am dedicating
my May e-zine’s “Topic of Interest”
solely to Kathy
Pike’s book “Hope….from the Heart of
Horses.” I have specifically
taken areas from her book that most
represent: horse-human relationships
that revolve around being centered and
aware, power of intention, integrity
and honesty, understanding and recognizing
your authentic power within and leadership
skills needed for communication and
harmony between horses and humans.
If you are interested in learning more
about Kathy, I have her information
listed within this e-zine, under “Book
of the Month.”
Hope…from
the Heart of Horses…quotes
from the book:
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“Communication between herd members
are straightforward, direct, and easy
to understand. Conflicts are resolved
quickly so that the herd can conserve
energy. When dangerous or challenging
times arise, the herd has the energy
to handle the situation. The underlying
component to ensuring a herd functions
well is the ability of its members
to relate to each other and to respect
the leader. Harmony is necessary for
surviving and thriving.”
-
“Domestic
horse, just like wild horses, find
comfort in knowing their place. Put
a new horse into an existing herd,
and the pecking order shifts and adjusts
as the new horse establishes its position.
Some will challenge the pecking order
in their attempts to become higher
rank.”
-
“Horses
need stability in their environment
and relationships to feel secure
and thrive.”
-
“Humans
are social animals too, who need
to know where they belong in a social
or work-related environment, what
their function is within the group,
and the boundaries for behaviors
that create a cohesive community.
Without this structure, people struggle
in their effort to excel, participate,
collaborate, and feel a sense of
belonging or safety with the other
members.”
-
“When humans engage with a horse,
a new herd is formed…Leadership
skills are explored as a participant
becomes more active with a horse,
asking for forward motion, etc…As
the person increases mental focus
and intention and develops a core
presence – awareness and management
of the energy they hold in their
physical body – the active work
with the horse comes easily. Without
it, the client drops back, failing
to communicate correctly, sensing
their leadership has slipped,
because it has.”
-
“When Melissa began to work with
Gypsy by asking for movement around
the arena, Gypsy complied without
resistance. Melissa began to build
a relationship with Gypsy, not
through force, dominance, control,
or manipulation, but through being
heart-centered and vulnerable
and getting honest with herself
about her fears. Once Melissa
had removed her own resistance
to her internal feeling by acknowledging
the emotion and the message, she
was able to regain her ground
and power.”
-
“Both Phil and Melissa experienced
first-hand that their emotional
states affected their abilities
to be a leader. Creating internal
integrity by listening to and
honoring emotion as information
enables the flow of leadership,
as Melissa experienced. Controlling
one’s emotional reactions and
responses while simultaneously
understanding their purpose and
how to respond to them dramatically
increases one’s ability to be
an authentic leader.”
-
“People are very much like horses
in that they have the ability
to sense the intuitive form of
communication that is invisible
to the eye. People can naturally
sense when something is just not
right or slightly off with another
individual.”
-
“People (and horses) can tune
into any incongruence within a
leader and the intentions they
hold behind their words and actions.
Who you are as a leader is just
as important as what you do.”
-
“Horses read emotions as energy and
communication. For them, the feeling
each member has in the herd travels
through the herd like sound waves.
Think of a time when you listened
to musicians perform at a virtuoso
level. Often the notes bring an emotional
response to the body such as sadness,
aliveness, tension, or a complete
joyful moment.”
-
“The difference between horses and
humans is that humans become hung
up about feeling their emotions or
allowing others to observe any sort
of emotion. The human’s ego, the fear
of being vulnerable, shuts down one
of the most powerful assets a person
has: the ability to feel one’s emotions
rising, to understand why they are
rising, and to be fully present and
centered in the experience.”
-
"To
have emotional awareness and agility
means to allow the rising of emotions
and the sensations that accompany
them. It means to be centered in the
body and containing the rising energy.
It means to stay within one’s own
core hub and gather the information
that is being expressed through the
rising emotion and to take action,
from a fully conscious, body-centered,
emotionally integrated, rational mind-oriented
state of being.”
Author, Kathy Pike
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Book
of the Month:
Hope . . . From the
Heart of Horses: How Horses Teach Us About Presence,
Strength, and Awareness
Author, Kathy Pike
Reach
your potential through experiencing Equine Facilitated
Learning and Coaching programs!
Kathy Pike's cutting edge coaching facilitates
individuals to higher levels of awareness, potential
and success through integrative approaches that
transcend ones limitations. Kathy offers nine
years experience as a professional and life
coach. Life Coaching sessions are held over
the phone.
www.coachingwithhorses.com
This
is an AMAZING book and MUST read for anyone
traveling down the path to creating and sustaining
authenticity within themselves.
I dedicate my entire May newsletter to Kathy,
in honor of promoting her books and teachings.
You can access incerpts from her book “Hope
. . . From the Heart of Horses” from within
my “This Month’s Topic of Interest” above.
June
6 & 7, 2009
If you’re interested
in learning more about you, and the horse
as a transformative facilitator, check
out our horse-human workshop being held
in June by Anne Clemson; EPONA Approved
Instructor, and Caroline Rider; Tao of
Horsemanship Practitioner.
"The Tao of Equus
Meets The Tao Of Horsemanship" Workshop
Where: Graham
Equestrian Center, Glen Arm, MD
When: June
6 & 7
Cost: $350*/Participant
*Horse experience not necessary. Schooled
horses will be provided for your use.
For registration and clinic
details, please Click
Here or contact Caroline directly:
caroline@riderhorsemanship.com
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What's
New?
Caroline is going to be an author!
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Check out: www.horseasteacher.com
book series! The Horse as Teacher website
and Book Series is dedicated to providing
thought-provoking books for individuals
who love horses and want to experience
the special relationship possible between
species.
Horse
as Teacher: The Path to Authenticity Through
Horses is due out in May
2009.
Caroline has been invited to co-author
their second book Horse
as Teacher: The Path to Relationship.
She will be a contributing author, specifically
writing about leadership and what it means
to the relationship between horses and
humans. This book is due around September
2009.
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