Jet!

Jet - Becoming more ‘Horse’

There is something transformative about stripping away the "extra" and letting a horse be... a horse and giving them a break from the routine that we set for them.

It’s easy to forget that underneath the tack and the training, there is an animal designed for movement, social connection, and a deep sense of self.

Recently, we decided to strip it all back for Jet, a 12-year-old black Hackney gelding who joined us at Forest Edge in October. The result so far is a horse that is more grounded, confident, and "himself" than ever before. This is an ongoing process of building his confidence and letting him figure ‘stuff’ out for himself. It's great to watch him learning from the other herd members and becoming more curious about life.

However, be aware that this can take time; the horse needs to adjust to the new environment, new horse friends, and the introduction to the herd must be done safely, patiently, and monitored.

The whole horse will find things very different, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

We need to be aware of this for them and ourselves, no pressure and taking away the intentions that overwhelm the horse. Allowing them to settle and learn how to regulate themselves in a new environment.

This is what we have done so far:

•        The Herd Life: Moving him from an isolated stable and small paddock with no real interaction with other horses to a natural herd environment changed everything. He’s learning the language of his own kind, finding his place in the pecking order, and moving his body 24/7. Helping him find his body awareness, his mental awareness and his emotional regulation. This is an ongoing process.

•      Going Barefoot behind: His owner decided to pull his back shoes off (farrier did this) to let his hooves function exactly as nature intended and obviously, in a herd, this is also for less risk for the other horses. The result – Improved proprioception, body & mind awareness. This has had a big impact on how he moves his body and how he feels his body, becoming less clumsy. He’s feeling the ground and becoming more sure-footed.

•    Dietary Reset: We simplified his fuel. By focusing on high-quality forage and removing unnecessary fillers, his gut is happy, and his coat is glowing from the inside out. His guardian has said, ‘He looks the best he has ever looked’

Ditching the processed feeds and fillers for a high fibre and forage first diet.  Using feeds that do not contain molasses, binders, cereals/grains, soya, GMO products, and no chaff (also recommended by the Equine Dentist) can help the digestive system function more effectively, free from Dysbiosis.

         No restrictions on hay, a good source of forage (fibre is the key for good Gut health), soaked if necessary.

Also looking for help from companies that provide a good source of nutrients and minerals, without all the fillers. Some are listed below:

•       www.equinatural.co.uk

•       www.trinityconsultants.co.uk

•    www.horsestraightsdirect.co.uk

•       www.simplesystems.co.uk  (Haycare and Sainfoin products)

•       www.thunderbrooks.co.uk (Meadow nuts and Hay cobs)

•       www.coppermead.co.uk (Lorraine Dearnley- consult)

•       Working with Self Selection! using essential oils to regulate mood and emotion, this is ongoing.

·         Bodywork: Helping his body connect to itself, working with Neurofascial conditioning, opening up the body to enhance breathing, aligning the back and core, stabilising the rib cage, helping to lengthen and expand the core, creating better Postural Balance. Mental and Emotional Stress can become physical pain through holding patterns, compensation and contraction of the fascial system within the body.

·         This is why I work on a Whole Horse approach to Physical and Mental Wellbeing.

·         Fascia holds emotion and trauma, so working with this can help release tension and restrictions in the Body and the Brain.

For example, Jet was castrated at the age of 3 & a half and has a very lumpy, cold gelding scar, which I work on with a very gentle fascia release. I have shown his guardian how to do this. His demeanour when working in this area is one of pure emotional release, letting go of stored trauma. The stuck fascia can also have an effect on the range of movement, as scar tissue adhesions and restrictions can impact the entire hind end.

·         We can see positive behavioural changes from working on the body and fascia, working in a Calm, Relaxed way, we help the horse into a Rest and Digest or Parasympathetic state, which will be more beneficial for the bodywork session, no bracing and no fear, more of a brain-body connection.

·         This can also help with any training sessions as the calm bodywork will open the door to better learning in a calm, stress-free environment.

·          We need to start thinking about change in Our Behaviour to understand our horses and their behaviour.

The biggest change isn’t just physical, it's also psychological and emotional, helping to build his confidence. He is learning to stop looking to humans to solve every "scary" problem; he’s trusting his own instincts and learning from the other horses. He’s calmer, stronger, and more present than ever before.

In short, to move forward, we sometimes need to go back to basics.

The results so far from Jet’s guardian:

mutual grooming

‘For me, it’s also about having the freedom as his guardian to be able to find out and provide Jet with what he needs, along with time to adjust.  It’s so lovely to see him not only thriving in the herd but also taking an active role. We have already seen him showing kindness, keeping the others safe and alerting us to concerns.  A sort of protective role! He is learning to trust that it isn’t all going to disappear just because I take him away from the field.  This is a slow process, but I am fortunate to be able to support him by allowing the rest of the herd to be close by when he needs it.’ Sue x

‘Oh, his winter coat is the best it's looked since I’ve had him.’