Did any of you watch the free online "Listening to the Horse" docu-series? It's nothing short of a miracle that I watched ALL seven episodes!! I really enjoyed hearing many of the stories, especially from those in area's I am not familiar with. Featured trainers were from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and the US. Accents fascinate me. I enjoyed the different wording/pronunciations, but at times with thicker accents I had difficulty understanding what was being said.
The video footage itself was stunning during key moments. They showed wide views from very high above, in a minimalistic style, of a horse & rider with their dancing shadows. As a visual person, it was captivating! At least one of the riders was Steve Halfpenny, whom I would like to learn more from. He is known for Light Hands Equitation, and has a soft approach & calming way.
Below are a few snippets of my take away's from the episodes and trainers that resonated with me:
Episode 1 (Horsemanship)
• Allow the horse the right to search, to find release.
• Many horse problems are rooted in anxiety.
• Warrick Schiller (Performance Horse) shared a trail story about horses spooking at rabbits, it spoke volumes.
• horses are "lightly started" way too young
Episode 2 (Groundwork)
• Stop pushing horses away, so they can chose to do the right thing.
• Kim Walnes (heart & science of riding) trail story about her young Arabian brought tears to my eyes. I found her very interesting to listen to.
Episode 3 (Riding)
• The best video of the series IMO, had substance and was more then nice stories/peoples opinions. I value visual explanations of what is being done, and why. Pat Parelli was the trainer (for those anti-Parelli, I am well-aware of the excessive hype) he did an excellent job explaining & showing the importance of foot fall.
• Riders use head-knowledge, instead of heart-felt choice.
• "It's about building relationship, it's about a dance with the horse"
Episode 4 (Health) • The obvious was covered
Episode 5 (Bodywork)
• Jim Masterson showed how to find the bladder meridian, and touched on the amount of pressure to apply. However, I was left wondering "then what should I do..." maybe that was the point lol.
• The featured animal communicator (aka educated observer) was interesting. I get it now.
• Jeff Sanders (Spanish Horsemanship) gave a thorough basic explanation of how bits apply pressure to horses tongues, using a towel. It was an eye opener. Another favorite episode, that I found educational. This guy knows his stuff.
Episode 6 (The Rider)
• Ride the horse you have that day vs riding the saddle (every trainer on the planet needs to heed this message)
• The impact of incorrectly sitting on your horse
Episode 7 (Home & Environment)
• The obvious was covered
• A reminder that some horses live in horrific situations.
I do not recall seeing many of the larger number of trainers listed. Here are a few more that shared and resonated with me: Lester Buckley (multi-disciplinary/gifted teacher), Karen Rohlf (Dressage Naturally) and Katharine Chrisley (Natural Equine Specialist).
I loved the overall message of the Listening to the Horse series, everything featured was clearly in the best interest of the horse. There is incredible information being touched on. Key word, touched on. The world would be a much better place for horses if all owners did what was previewed. However, I am not sure how effective the messages are via sooo many snippets of people talking at you. Those featured messages shared in-depth, stuck with me. Sometimes less is more.
Those of you that watched it, what did you think about the documentary??
Winter is here
1 day ago
11 comments:
I haven't watched it, I think Episode 5 would interest me the most. I have done the bladder meridian on my horses and it is very cool to observe how such a light touch can give them so much release. I also really like Warwick Schiller.
It was well worth the time IMO. All of the episodes were just re-released for 48 hours, and this time you can pick the episode (vs getting an email each day with a separate link) Sign up if interested in viewing at https://www.listeningtothehorse.com/
Disclaimer to all who already read my post: I did a blog edit under Episode 1, it was Warwick not Lester that told the rabbit trail story. I also added a bullet.
I had planned on watching it but forgot about it. The episodes sound interesting. There's always something to learn and think about. Sorry I missed it though. I will try and look it up when I have the time. Unfortunately, right now I'm so busy I don't know whether I'm coming or going.
I followed your link last time you posted about this, but the signup didn’t work for me. I tried several times. 😭 I’m going to try again. I really want to watch them all!!
Oh no, darn it! Sorry the link on my previous post didn't work for you Linda :( I just went back to my post clicked on the link, and it still takes me right to the signup page where you enter your email so they can send you a link to the videos. You do have to check a box that says you give them permission to email you. It's painless, and they haven't been spammy. You could also just go to their website, it pulls up the signup page. The only thing I can think of is their email went into your email spam/junk folder. I noticed the deadline dates have been removed from their website. I wouldn't be surprised if they give new people a chance to preview the video's. Hope you get a chance to take them in. I thought of you multiple times while watching, you would really enjoy the heartfelt parts.
I didn't elaborate on details, because I don't want to ruin the videos for anyone. Elaine Heney is an award winning producer, she has produced other equine videos. I haven't had a chance to look into them, but I look forward to seeing more from her.
Well, that time it worked! I think it must have been down the day I tried because I did all those things, but it kept taking me to another page. I've already watched the first two. I love the part about never pushing our horses to fear. I was a little surprised by the five year old training age. Right now I'm finishing up on the groundwork episode. Thanks for sharing it!
Awesome, so glad you were able to get access. Yes, the part about pushing horses & anxiety being inter-related is good. The bullet I added was in reference to the recommended age of 5 (6 is preferred) to start training under saddle. They really honed in on it. It makes sense when you hear why.
Linda, I hope you get a chance to see the rest! Let me know what you think of them.
Oh, just finished the relationship part in 2. Awww, spoke to my ❤️ Bareback riding. Forever homes. Trusting my horse to think us through. ❤️❤️❤️
Linda, you must be referencing Kim's trail story. I found it very touching, and telling of how special the horse-human connection can be. Hope you got access to watch all the video's! This series has really made me think. About our horses, our interactions - all of it. It may not have a lot of "how to" but instead teaches on another level. From the heart.
Yeah, that was quite a story about the trail ending and how the horse turned them right by standing up against the mountainside and getting turned back. Scary. It was Thanksgiving, so I was only able to watch 3. I barely made it through the one about riding, and apparently, my link expired.
I saw the online series is going to be offered again for free viewing in 2019. I will let everyone know if I see the release dates.
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