Transfer of Emotions
Be aware of your power to influence your animals’ behavior – for better or worse. I used to tell my students: Every time you handle your horse, you are training.... where he stands when you open the gate, how he passes through the gate, grooming, tacking up, and riding. A related important suggestion is: If you are not feeling 100%, not at your personal best; then don’t handle your horse. Why? They pick up on everything. Everything. Sure, we might feel better after being with them. But ask yourself, how are they at the end of our time together? Confused? Tired? Ready to be left alone for awhile?
If you are not at your best, then sit down and hang out. Figure out what your problem is and take care of it. Are you worried about bills? Do your flower essences. Mimulus is excellent for known fears. Are you fighting with someone? Figure out your part in it by taking some Clematis essence to expose your part in the mis-understanding. Do not daydream through a difficulty.
What I am really saying here is: Don’t worry about your animals until you fix yourself. Do not put this on them. If there is existing emotional or mental damage in the animal from previous experiences or events beyond our control, then use essences to address the damage. It does not matter how long ago the experience happened.
An Australian Shepherd named Daisy witnessed – from her apartment window – the Twin Towers coming down on 9-11 in New York City. She was alone. Her guardian had to walk home 2 miles amid debris and chaos arriving late in the afternoon unbelievably traumatized to a traumatized dog. Ever since that day, Daisy reacted to loud noises, thunderstorms, and traffic by going to the window, staring outside and trembling. They fed off each other, trauma bonding for months before the guardian decided to help Daisy overcome this noise phobia.
Her guardian gave her Sweetgrass essence for welcoming change, Gorse for re-newed hope, Yarrow for positive environment and homeopathic Aconitum 30x for emotional shock. Daisy stopped her fear-based shaking, got down from the windowsill, and switched her focus to her guardian. Took less than 3 days to un-do the damage. Because Daisy felt better – her person did too! Not everyone recovers so fast. The only guideline in flower essence therapy is: Use less (a little bit) more often (as often as you like) throughout the day until composure returns or your desired behaviors are made manifest.
Mirrors and Escalators
Did you ever notice that when you are having a bad day, eventually so is your horse, dog, cat, or pet rat? It’s not a coincidence. It is a mirror. They reflect our frustrations and impatience. Well, in my world they do. A veteran horsewoman once advised: “If your horse is not understanding what you are asking of him, stop, and put him up for the night.” This went against everything I knew about “never give in or they will be spoiled.” But she has been proven right dozens of times. I once was schooling a 3-year-old Paint mare who was not understanding my request for a sidepass. **Sidepass is when an Equine moves sideways crossing both front and rear hooves over the other and moves laterally / sideways - not forward. It is difficult plus requires them to think counter-intuitively greatly trusting their person.**
I got off her, pushed her, got on, used heel, rein, and scratched her shoulder so she would move away from the pressure. NOTHING. Actually the more I tried, the worse the whole thing became. I remembered what the older trainer told me and stopped. Reluctantly, I dismounted, gave the mare a treat and ended the lesson for the day. In that cookie was drops of Impatiens essence for patience, Mimulus if any fear arose during the session, and most important, Chestnut Bud.
Chestnut Bud essence, according to Dr. Edward Bach in The Twelve Healers is: “For those who do not take full advantage of observation and experience, and who take a longer time than others to learn the lessons of daily life.” (The Twelve Healers published in 1931 by CW Daniels Co. Ltd., London. Re-printed in 1977 by Keats Pub., Inc New Canaan, CT under the name “The Bach Flower Remedies” quote from page 97.)
The next day, she was excited to work. I thought it was because I had quit the previous lesson early but after her warm-up, she took one awkward step without being asked throwing me sideways; so I corrected her. But she did it again. Lo and behold, I gave her a loose rein and she started sidepassing. She stepped to the side with ease, grace and balance. I asked her to sidepass in the opposite direction and she performed with the same grace and balance, nothing I could have achieved in weeks of pushing my agenda on her.
The day before, she was confused, which created frustration for us both, escalating negative emotions and behavior - thus heading us straight for anger and negative reactivity. Chestnut Bud is my favorite for these situations. Best for all involved if I do a drop or 2 myself! Shhh, don't tell the authorities.
