Some of my favourite moments in Equine Therapy and Learning are the ones when I realise, after a moment of stillness, how much I am personally learning from The Herd, and how much I have grown and expanded.

It is one thing to teach and hold space for another but to experience the gentle power of the horses daily, from moment to moment, is my nectar.

The arrival of two and a half year old Brumby gelding Tommy and his introduction to The Herd has been an invitation to observe horse rituals and dynamics, both physical and energetic. Several times I felt the urge to protect Tommy. Protect a horse from horse rituals! What was I thinking?! So I simply observed and trusted, either from the other side of the fence or from within The Herd.

On one occasion I had a distinct sense that they saw me as a full herd member. I was one of the mares, moving with and among them and it felt like we were moving as One. Some greater force was breathing us. Another precious moment – I could feel rather than just understand the concept of Belonging.

Horses and – and canine companion Honey – enjoying a run. Photo: Beate Sommer

Through spending a lot of my time in nature and with the horses, my senses are so much more awake and alert nowadays and my heart leads with the courage to open, love and be loved. Mostly though I think it’s the gratitude that does it. My breath slows and deepens. I soften.

The horses make contact. One of the mares, Tammie, comes over and quietly stands by my side for a while until she walks off again and resumes her grazing. I think ‘love’, focus my mind on ‘love’, which helps me to focus on my breathing. Now I feel love. An opportunity arises to give and receive love, exchanging breath with Tommy. His feels warm, a bit moist and smells, to my anyway, like heaven. I feel immense gratitude.

‘Buffalo is the lead ‘stallion’ (he is really a gelding) and he leads with invisible threads running between him and his herd members. To the novice it might be difficult to determine who is boss, because leadership has a very different meaning among horses. Only Buffalo’s energetic presence speaks of leadership.’

Then I experience the deep peace of lingering forehead to forehead with my gelding Buffalo for what seems like an eternity. Rose licks my hands and arms. Shetland Pony Butters gently nudges me and buries his muzzle under my arm. Echo, well, at least she doesn’t run away. She observes with her unique mixture of reserve and curiosity. I look into her big, beautiful and otherworldy eyes. There’s our connection. Thank you. Each of these six horses is unique – just like people.

Tommy the Brumby making friends with Butters the Shetland pony, while Honey looks on. Photo: Beate Sommer

Buffalo is the lead ‘stallion’ (he is really a gelding) and he leads with invisible threads running between him and his herd members. To the novice it might be difficult to determine who is boss, because leadership has a very different meaning among horses. Only Buffalo’s energetic presence speaks of leadership. He is happy in his own space and doesn’t nag or harass. He leads his herd members but he doesn’t control them. Leading up to action, he stands back and observes for a long time. He moves in mindfully, acts directly and swiftly and then returns to relaxation. He is patient, kind and loyal. Buffalo has true presence.

Tammie is twenty-four and the lead mare, not the most dominant mare in The Herd but the steady and reliable one. I call her wife number one to Buffalo because she has also been here the longest. Her behaviour around Tommy is fascinating. At times she will discipline the youngster and give him chase, only to come over to me afterwards as if to ask: “Was that okay?” Maybe I am the lead mare in those moments. I stroke her neck and acknowledge her for her wisdom.

Not interfering in herd behaviour allows the horses to show Tommy the ropes and this helps me in training him. ‘Showing the ropes’! What an interesting expression. I will be showing him the ropes too, literally, lead rope, lunging rope…

There is something raw and real about a Brumby, like a special energy. My Palomino Buffalo, who is now twelve, is also a Brumby and he comes from the same area as Tommy, the Guy Fawkes National Park. Brumbies are very quick to learn and have an uncanny ability to read you. They challenge you to be patient and a good leader more than even domestic horses. They also have a special ability to bond with their human. I have found this to be true with Buffalo and already Tommy is looking for me and I sense the beginning of a similarly strong bond. I love all my horses but the Brumbies hold a special fascination for me.

Buffalo, the herd leader and Tommy. Photo: Beate Sommer

The media often portrays Brumbies as pests, inbred, diseased and a threat to the environment. The truth is, they are none of those things. The percentage of inbreeding is much lower than in domestically bred horses, Brumbies are usually not diseased or even wormy and their genetics are healthy and strong. Furthermore, humans certainly cause a lot more environmental damage than Brumbies ever could. It is also possible that in the not so far future Brumby genes might become sought after to refresh a weakened gene pool of the domestic horse.

I feel honoured to live, play and work with my two Brumbies, honoured and humbled at the trust and affection they offer me. I am also reminded of how much these animals have given to us humans. They went to war. They pulled heavy loads, worked the fields, mustered stock and served as transport. These days Brumbies are making appearances as safe mounts for children in Pony Club or reliable trail riding horses and they are winning their owners ribbons at shows. Let us honour our Brumbies for the integral part they play in Australian history and culture.

They also make wonderful therapy horses as Buffalo has proven for many years now. Tommy is already showing signs of becoming a trustworthy therapy horse as well. They are helping me to reconnect with that still centerpoint within, the timeless place of uniquely me. From here I feel the connection with Nature and Spirit. All is well. Horses are helping humans, and humans are helping horses.

For further information about the Brumbies please go to: savethebrumbies

You can contact Beate via her website: taketime2smellthehorses

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Mutual affection at Aurora Valley Take Time to Smell the Horses.

Psychotherapist, equine facilitated healer and Verandah Magazine columnist Beate Sommer suggests how we could learn some lessons from our equine friends.

What do visitors, retreat guests, working students and clients learn at Aurora Valley Take Time to Smell the Horses?

• Healthy breathing
• Awareness of how they function in life and in certain situations, reactive or responsive, defensive or receptive
• Rediscovery and use of the Three Centers of Intelligence:

1. Head – thinking, analytical, logical
2. Heart – feeling, emotions
3. Gut – sensing, intuition

• Emotional wellbeing and recognizing emotions as valuable messages instead of judging and dividing them into good and bad
• Safety and belonging through connection with

1. self
2. other
3. environment and nature
4. Higher Force, God

• Being, presence in the moment, being felt and letting in attention
• Peripheral vision and lateral thinking
• How to be a sovereign being, how to know yourself and know that Good for one is only good when it is for the Greater Good

Leadership skills build trust.

How do the horses help?

• Energy healing comparable to Reiki, the client may be sitting, standing, moving or lying down on a special healing table, the horses work through physical contact and also from a distance (see photo below)
• Life coaching while interacting with the herd or a particular horse, the horses are like mirrors reflecting energetic disturbances and blockages which show up in the behavior of the person
• Deep relaxation of the nervous system through meditation and conscious breathing, through this contact with the person’s own innate wisdom and healing ability
• Reawakening of the senses through interacting with horses and nature
• Unconditional acceptance, as horses do not pass judgment
• Playing and fun

Horses healing: The horses work through physical contact and also from a distance.

What have I learned?

I learned (and continue to learn) all of which I now share with my clients and what I have mentioned above, such as:

Emotional fitness and balance, recognizing and accepting emotions as messengers, head-heart-gut intelligence, patience, trust in the natural unfolding of things, insight into when it is time to step forward and act and when to sit back, wait and let others…

Also, I do not put myself above the animals. I go amongst them with a genuine enquiry as to ‘What wants to happen?’ and ‘What can we learn from each other today?’. Through this a doorway into a new world has opened for me, a world full of awe and wonder, gratitude, joy, connection, love, deep healing and unlimited potential.

Reawaken your senses in nature and with The Herd at AURORA VALLEY. Notice, align and integrate your own innate wisdom. Take time to smell the horses.

Visit Beate Sommer’s website at www.taketime2smellthehorses.com or ring on 0408 247 965.

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Beate Sommer, from Awakening Aurora, runs Equine Facilitated Learning sessions  from her Bangalow property. This month she writes about the importance of emotional connection.

Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, educator and innovator acclaimed for her educational method building on the way children naturally learn, says of learning: “Have the patience to understand my ways,” and “Help me to do it myself.”

Attempting to interact, ride and train with emotional awareness and with an inner and an outer attitude that is not rigid but fluid and alive from moment to moment through attentiveness to yourself and the horse is incredibly rewarding.

Sometimes, exercises might seem “boring”, as one student said, however those very exercises are also attentive, patient, stress-free and sensitive; not through Action but through Being (feeling and being felt in the moments of stillness) and through aware and calm Doing. Sustainable and satisfying success never comes through dominance or by being the Alpha horse. It comes through “Please come with me,” and “Thank you.”

Both horse and rider benefit as a team, plus the person benefits generally in life. Your whole life can change through this way of being and doing with horses.

During an Equine Facilitated Learning Session and during Training your Horse with Emotional Awareness you will learn to:

Feel you.

Feel the horse.

Let the horse feel you.

Feeling leads to Discovering.

Discovering leads to Meeting.

Meeting leads to Connecting.

Take time.

Allow yourself to take time.

Allow the horse to take time.

Recognize yourself in difficult situations. Do you give up? Do you force a solution? Do you cry or do you get angry? What do you do habitually?  Recognize your habitual behavior and choose a new one, a kinder and more creative one.

Be patient with yourself.

Be patient with the horse.

Connect with the horse and help it find the right answer.

Do the same for yourself.

Feel the other person.

Let the other person feel you.

Please visit Beate Maria Sommer’s website at taketime2smellthehorses.com   email her on [email protected] or call her on 0408247965 to book your session.

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