Equine Connection: Breath & Grounding Tips

I am always looking to evolve and improve how I connect, not only with my horse Azuro, but also with all of the horses that I meet in my equine physio practice and teaching work! And what I know is that more subtle ways of communicating and connecting with horses suits them better. Loud voices, loud yards, loud radios on, shouting etc, can all encourage the horse to either shut down (I can see this in action when horses go internalised to shut the noise out) or go into flight mode (also seen this many times). Horses are SO SENSITIVE, they can feel a fly land on their coat, and they are super tuned in to their surroundings and on the lookout for potential danger at all times (survival instinct). So when we can work with them at a much softer, quieter, calmer level (their natural state), we can actually get better 'results', whether that's a calmer horse, more relaxed interactions, more productive exercise/rehab sessions, etc. 

Creating a calm, relaxed, grounded space for the horse, allows them to put their trust in us as their rider/carer, and step into a partnership that they actually want to be in. So if you're experiencing something along the lines of 'I don't think my horse likes being with me', 'I can't catch my horse', 'my horse goes to the back of the stable when I come in', 'my horse keeps biting me', 'my horse doesn't respect me or my space', 'my horse walks all over me', these are all examples of the horse being disconnected from you. So in these cases, looking at how you can take responsibility for your 50% of the relationship, and making improvements to your own energy, so that your horse feels safe and relaxed around you, is one of the most important things you can do...be the rider/carer your horse would choose! 

***If this all feels complicated and difficult between you and your horse, please contact me directly to discuss how I can help you, with any judgement whatsoever***

Being grounded: it's important for horses that we as their rider/carer are grounded, so that our energy is calm and relaxed and steady. If we are in high anxiety state all of the time, we are not grounded. If we are in thinking mode all of the time, we are distracted when with our horses, and again not grounded. 

Your energy: your energy directly affects your horse, whether you know it or not, and both ways, so to speak. So if your energy is high anxiety based, you will create that in your horse, and if your energy is calm, relaxed and grounded, you will also create that in your horse. Direct responses to your energy. 

Your horse is your mirror: consider this statement in relation to your connection with your horse...what are the patterns of your horses behaviour in relation to you? 

So coming on to breath and grounding and how all of this joins up! 

Why your breath pattern is important: the majority of people breathe in quite a shallow way, into the chest only, without being aware of it. This actually keeps us in anxiety state, and it's only when we start to deepen and lengthen the breath that we can get grounded, and create a calmer state in our body. And while you're in shallow breathing, remaining in anxiety state, your horse experiences this as potential danger as they are so tuned in on that level and 'reading' us all of the time too. So super important to get control of our breath processes when we are around our horses, it makes a huge difference. 

Below are some of my top tips, places to start when you're experiencing difficulty in your connection with your horse, and wanting to make improvements. 

TIPS: how you can work on yourself to help your horse...

Breath: being more consciously aware of your breath when with your horse, slowing your breath down and deepening your breath into your body, are some of the foundational ways to start creating calmer circumstances in your own body, that your horse will sense and respond to. 

Grounding: bringing your awareness to the present moment, and stepping into a slower, steady, more considered and intentional energy state, are how I experience 'groundedness'. It's a bit more like being at one with nature, and being at one with your horse in the moment, that type of feeling. 

Mindset: the thoughts rushing through your head at 100mph are generally unhelpful when with your horse. Being able to clear your mind is important, as is working actively on your mindset, specifically the negative thoughts, knowing that they are just repeats of old stories and not always even true. Working on your mindset is one of the most freeing and empowering things that you can do for yourself! And your horse will appreciate it as you step into a more positive version of yourself! (***Again, please contact me if you need help on this level, I'm a trained Mindset Coach as well as everything else!***) 

And just to finish this article, I have an example for you from last week, where I used my breath and grounding techniques to help settle Azuro! It was Bonfire Night and he was stabled and got quite upset when he heard fireworks, it was quite unusual for him to be so heightened in his energy and worried. The only thing I could do was to bring some calm to him. So I stood at his stable door, grounded myself, and switched into deep breathing mode, and just stayed really focussed on bringing my calm energy and focus to him. It only took a few minutes for him to gradually calm down and go back to eating his haynet. What a wonderful way to be able to influence my lovely boy in that moment. 

BREATH & GROUNDING TECHNIQUES: if you would like to learn my tools and techniques to work on your breath, develop a daily breath practice for yourself, learn how to regulate your nervous system so that you can switch into a calm, relaxed state to be with your horse, learn how to ground yourself instantly, clear your mind, and step out of fear and anxiety, prior to spending time with your horse AND learn how to apply the techniques when with your horse, CLICK HERE for my brand new online course where I'll explain the most valuable and effective breath & grounding exercises to use! 

And as always, if you need any other help, whether it's mindset help, or other exercises for your horse, do get in touch!