If our training is done in a logical, consistent progression with a kindness in our heart, the bond between horse and human can become quite unshakable. First, we teach the horse where to be. Once they are trained, we remind them where not to be. Through this process, some horses get to the point where they know precisely where to be for the right balance and economy of motion. There are three horses that come to mind that I have shown at a high level where everything worked like that; our rides flowed effortlessly, we moved as if we were one mind instead of two individuals. Lord knows it doesn’t always work that way. One reason I show horses is to see what level of coherence and harmony is possible between us in the moment. Maybe you have experienced a similar moment of coherence in life. The moment is palpable, but trying to put the feeling into words risks reducing it due to our limited and skewed subjectivity.
Fortunately, there is new science emerging to back us up. Dr. Joe Dispenza is a leader in the field, studying neuroscience, epigenetics, electromagnetism and quantum physics to show how human transformation and change takes place and what it can mean for our lives. On the phenomenon of emergence, he says:
“Envision the synchronicity of a school of fish or a flock of birds flying in unison, where all creatures appear to be operating from one mind, connected by an invisible field of energy in a nonlocal way. What is unique about this phenomenon is that it is not a top-down phenomenon, meaning there is no leader. Instead, it is a bottom-up phenomenon, meaning everyone is leading because they are acting as one mind.”
Although training a horse is definitely a top-down phenomenon at the start, my goal on a finished horse is to make it more of a bottom-up experience. If the horse is happy to dance with me, then it feels like we are making synchronous decisions together. The definition of mastery in that moment is to put out maximum effort together in flow, in harmony. It requires the trainer to learn to be a fair and consistent leader, one that teaches with love in their heart. If the trainer’s own thoughts and emotions are coherent, the electromagnetic signal that their body gives off will have a positive effect on the horse’s. On the contrary, if the trainer is working with angry or scared emotions, those frequencies will be felt by the horse and have a negative effect on the outcome.
“In 1996, researchers at the HeartMath Institute discovered that when an individual's heart is in a state of coherence or harmonious rhythm, it radiates a more coherent electromagnetic signal into the environment - and that this signal can be detected by the nervous systems of other people, as well as animals. The heart generates the strongest magnetic field in the body and it can be measured several feet away. This provides a credible explanation for the fact that when someone walks into a room, you can feel or sense that individual's mood or emotional state, independent of their body language.” (Becoming Supernatural, by Dr Joe Dispenza)
The research that Dr. Joe and HeartMath are doing explains the emergence phenomenon and so many other invisible laws. The unspoken communication between humans and animals is more than just a feeling, now there is science behind it, which makes it easier for us to understand. And what’s exciting to me is the more we understand, the more potential we have to transform ourselves. This should be evidence enough that working to master our own mind and emotions is really important for us as leaders. We are, in a sense, inviting our horses to rise to the occasion and dance with us. Two species, one synchronous effort, working together to master the moment.
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