When your horse exhibits a reluctance to move, the immediate human reaction is often to label it as laziness. This was certainly the case when the author first noticed Peregrine’s mother dragging her hind toes, a behavior dismissed by others as simple sloth. However, a closer look, and a subsequent veterinary examination, revealed a more complex neurological issue. This experience underscores a crucial lesson in horsemanship: understanding that a horse’s behavior is a form of communication, and often, what appears as defiance is actually a sign of underlying discomfort or inability.
The journey with Peregrine’s mother was not one of typical training for shows, but rather a delicate process of raising a horse with significant physical challenges. The initial warning signs, like the dragging hind feet, were ignored by many, who advised the author to “get after her more and make her move.” Fortunately, the author’s intuition suggested otherwise, leading to a more thorough neurological examination that confirmed a problem. This highlights the importance of “telling stories about our horses that work in their best interest,” rather than resorting to assumptions that can lead to ineffective and potentially harmful training methods.
A true teacher, as defined by the author, is someone who “started before you.” In the context of horsemanship, this means approaching training with a detective’s mindset, constantly seeking to understand the horse’s physical and emotional state. This involves meticulous attention to the horse’s well-being, from ensuring proper hoof balance and comfortable tack to addressing nutritional needs, lameness, ulcers, and other health issues. Training should be broken down into small, manageable steps, with clear communication to guide the horse. Even if, after all these considerations, a horse still appears unwilling, the process of due diligence ensures the horse is healthier, better trained, and the bond between horse and human is strengthened, fostering appreciation rather than frustration.
Understanding Neurological Challenges
The author’s filly was not being lazy; she was dragging her hind feet because she lacked the proprioception to feel them properly. This neurological damage meant she couldn’t sense where her hind feet landed, a condition that, at the time, had a grim prognosis. Vets offered little hope, suggesting the deterioration would continue until the horse could no longer stand, eventually necessitating euthanasia. This devastating news presented a difficult choice: a beloved companion unable to fulfill the owner’s dream of riding, or a pasture ornament that stretched financial limits. The author’s decision to provide compassionate care, focusing on managing the daily challenges rather than immediate euthanasia, speaks volumes about the ethical considerations in horse ownership.
The Power of TTEAM and External Innovation
Coping with such a profound challenge required exploring unconventional approaches. While friends were advancing in show jumping, the author was literally teaching the filly how to walk without falling. This period was marked by a “kitchen sink” approach to finding solutions, a stark contrast to the controlled studies of scientific research. The horse’s condition eventually stabilized, not because the neurological deficit disappeared, but because she learned to compensate.
The filly’s mood, however, remained challenging. Her grumpiness and defensive behavior indicated underlying pain that she couldn’t articulate. It was during this time that the author discovered TTEAM (The Tellington-Jones Equine Awareness Method) through an article. The gentle, circular touch of TTEAM allowed the author to identify a specific spot of pain on the filly’s shoulder that she had been guarding. This breakthrough emphasized how external innovations, like TTEAM, which combined principles from human bodywork (Moshe Feldenkrais’ work) with horsemanship, could revolutionize how horses are understood and handled.
Embracing Discovery and Sharing Knowledge
The author’s journey into TTEAM led to becoming a practitioner and a teacher, driven by curiosity from others observing the progress with Peregrine’s mother. This experience highlights a key principle: innovation often comes from outside established norms. Just as Sally Swift introduced the Alexander Technique to transform riding instruction with Centered Riding, Linda Tellington-Jones brought Feldenkrais’ work to horses, creating TTEAM.
The author embraced this philosophy of “following antennae,” leading to extensive travel and learning. This approach contrasts with the traditional horse professional’s background of riding numerous horses. Instead, the author’s path was one of piecing together the “balance puzzle,” focusing on the process of discovery. This passion for exploration and sharing, rather than providing rigid training recipes, became the foundation for helping clients and fostering a love for learning in others.
Redefining Expertise and Inspiring Change
The definition of a teacher as “someone who started before you” resonated deeply, empowering individuals to share their experiences even without being the ultimate expert. The author’s journey with TTEAM served as a “stepping stone,” a crucial phase that opened doors to understanding horses’ capacity for pain and suffering. Witnessing Linda Tellington-Jones’ work with a horse named Perfect, who reacted intensely to “tiger touches” on his back, revealed how deeply horses could be in pain, a reality often masked by their prey animal instincts.
This understanding challenged the prevailing belief that horses were unintelligent and insensitive to pain. The author recounts how, in 1984, a veterinarian published an article stating horses did not experience back pain, a notion now widely refuted. Similarly, outdated practices like using breast collars to keep saddles in place on high-withered horses, a practice that hindered shoulder movement, have been replaced by a more nuanced understanding of saddle fit, thanks to insights from farriers like Tony Gonzales.
The emergence of various therapeutic modalities for horses – physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists – is a testament to the shift in our understanding, largely influenced by pioneers like Linda Tellington-Jones. These advancements underscore the power of changing our beliefs and embracing new information to improve the lives of our equine partners.
The Detective Work of Horse Ownership
As prey animals, horses have evolved to hide pain and infirmity to avoid attracting predators. This innate survival mechanism means they often mask symptoms of injury or discomfort. While significant issues like abscesses or torn tendons are hard to conceal, subtler problems can be easily overlooked. A persistent “nagging feeling” that something is not right, even when vets and trainers find nothing, should be heeded. By becoming a diligent detective and framing a “story that works in the best interest of your horse,” owners can uncover the root causes of their horse’s reluctance and provide the necessary care, ensuring a healthier and more fulfilling life for their companion.
