What's the Horse Telling Us?
People often ask me: What does it mean when you talk about a horse "telling" you?
There is no clear way of explaining this. You have to be able to "read" your horse and decode his reactions quickly enough to adjust your own actions. I notice that a lot of people do not even understand if a horse is saying "Yes" or "No." Part of your aim must be to arrive at the point where the horse can tell you things, and you can tell him things in reply. Once he has this confidence he will not find it difficult to tell you that he has back pain or that he's tired.
I keep all my senses alert when I am trying to understand what the horse is saying. When I get a feeling I go with it. I find that increasingly I can follow my instincts or my instinctive interpretation of images and thoughts. In order to train this ability I sometimes stay close to a horse and observe him while emptying my mind of all other thoughts. I let myself be guided by my instincts. Usually they turn out to be correct.
People throughout history were able to ask the most detailed questions of horses and understand their replies, but this is a very special gift that few people have. My own ability and Magali's is one we have developed over time by the methods outlined in this book. I am convinced that it is a skill available to anyone prepared to devote enough time and patience to its pursuit.
This excerpt appeared in the November 2009 issue of EQUUS magazine. Adapted by permission from Gallop to Freedom: Training Horses with the Founding Stars of Cavalia, published in October 2009 by Trafalgar Square Books. Available from HorseBooksEtc.com; 800-952-5813.
