Ask A New Question

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When asking the horse the same question, and they respond with undesired results, ask a different question.

I have experienced myself applying the same action with a horse repeatedly expecting a different outcome.  “Asking the horse the same question again and again,  and expecting a different result, is the true meaning of insanity”

When I taken in the expression and response of the horses and apply a teaching Tom Dorrance contributed to me, which is “observe compare and remember”  I soon find myself knowing when to ask new questions.

Do you find yourself responding to the same situations in the same way over and over, never satisfied with the results? Are you doing the same thing over and over, waiting for something outside of yourself to change instead of doing something differently for yourself and your horse?

Create clear inner questions 

Embrace new paths of wisdom

 

By Donnette Hicks

Past or present?

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Do you live in the past or the present with your horse? Does your horse live in the past or the present with you? This is a topic I think about quite often. When I am working with young horses that have not had much handling, it is like working with a blank canvas. This is one reason why I love working with mustangs.

Mustangs will usually have limited or no handling experience with humans. They may recognize humans as something unfamiliar but should not have any “past” handling knowledge. Working with domesticated horses is a different story. Some from birth are handled daily which starts their relationship with humans.

When colts or grown horses come to me in training I often hear statements like ” be careful he doesn’t like to be bridled, or he doesn’t like to be brushed a certain way” and so on. Are these owners living in the past? I believe they are. As a trainer, I want to approach and treat all my horses in the same way. I may need to make adjustments for their individual personalities but for the most part it’s the same. If I handle them with the knowledge that they don’t like something in particular then I am living in the past. My experience is that horses live in the “now”. Certain situations can bring back past emotion ( I use the word emotion carefully) but it is my job as trainer, to not dwell on the past, but help them be completely confident in the now.

I challenge any of you as you work with your horse in the next few days, to try and not live in the past , but treat each day as a “new ” day and live in the now.

Freely Giving

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The bed and breakfast was full of excitement as everyone gathered for dinner. I enjoyed sitting with my friend Milly Hunt Porter outside on the upper deck.  The sun raised a hand in creating spectacular views. The distant river looked inviting in its filter of soft colors. The air was still and lent a calm feeling to the environment.

I noticed her small stature as she contributed her pearls of wisdom. I pondered if she knew how inspired I became as her words resonated in my heart. Time became non existent as descriptions of her experiences came alive in my listening.  When the evening came to an end I found myself wanting to acknowledge her for the time she spent with me. Yet there was underlying message that kept formulating in every story she recalled and shared.

I gleaned a precious unique pearl in hearing Milly ask a question. ” whatever happened to freely sharing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ” I sat back in my chair and threw my hands in air and replied ” I don’t have the foggiest clue ” I began to chuckle.  Milly continued with her feelings about the blessings of giving ourselvs freely, with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

On the return trip from Bruneau Idaho I found myself in deep thought. My husband Jim broke the silence and asked me what I was pondering. I looked over at him and shared, ” it just occurred to me, that horses are always freely giving of themselves. They are unrestrained by human expectations. They do not hesitate to share their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches”  We both smiled as the sounds of the road took back over our drive back home.

Receive the blessings of freely giving of yourself 

By Donnette Hicks

In gratitude of Milly Hunt Porter

Being Kind With Ourselves

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I felt his breath begin to labor as the climb up the mountain became challenging. I asked myself if the heat along with the steep grade was to stressful for this large bodied black horse. A flat area came into focus ahead of me. I surveyed his needs to make a decision, rest or continue. We progressed forward towards a flat area.  I began to measure and weigh my options.  My emotions started to shift. I began to feel upset that I chose to have this large Friesian stallion out in the heat.  My self talk continued into deeper critical thinking.

I chose to stop. I waited for the horse to arrange his body how he needed. His sides were heaving from labored breathing.  He suddenly lifted his head alert in attention. His breath instantly quieted as his eyes began to survey the open valley floor. I joined him in the magnificence of the sight, searching for what he was sensing. He then drew in a puff of air as if he was searching for a certain smell.  The aroma of sage mixed with grass filled my nose as I fallowed his lead.  I then felt a breeze tussle my hair bringing pleasure and relief from the rising temperature. I reached down and pulled his massive heaping mane off to the side exposing his hot neck to the same enjoyable experience.

Turning around, we dropped down off the mountain. I enjoyed the sounds of his hooves as he picked his way through a maze of thick sage. I found I was being kind to myself as I surveyed my feelings of relief. The joy of receiving the nature of my horse left me in a state of pure gratitude.

Release critical thinking. Receive natures gifts by being kind to yourself

By Donnette Hicks 

Inspired by Kelcy Sweat

 

 

Releasing Limiting Beliefs

 

What we believe determines not only our health, but the physical stance and posture we assume, and that physicality becomes the way we communicate to others and our horse.
Many of our beliefs empower us. Limiting or fear driven core beliefs are the ones that create chaos. They show themselves in how both human and horse respond to us. When it comes to these beliefs translating in the equine, it’s important to understand beliefs simply do not exist in their world.  They access Mother Nature for their survival.
Our body is a transmitter of the energy we often create through the thoughts we believe. Thoughts that are born out of our core beliefs are generally originated from childhood. Often they come from a thought lineage that has been passed down from previous generations.

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I ‘wear’ these patterns in my body. They become visible through my physical habits and posture. These patterns form a stance that, though I may attempt to compensate for it, or hide it, it nonetheless is transmitted to the people and the horses in my life.

Some examples of my unidentified core beliefs have been.  ” I am not good enough” and a bugger that has gripped me throughout my life has been the belief  “My personality needs to change so others will be comfortable around me”

We invariably attract to us the horses and people  that will mirror to us what our beliefs are.  It’s an unconscious verification of what we have adopted and are carrying both emotionally and physically. It was no coincidence in the past that I struggled with acknowledging and rewarding the slightest shift in the horse. I was to busy trying to be “good enough”.  It also is not a surprise I have greatly struggled with human relationships as I was choosing people I was uncomfortable to be in relationship with. I feel gratitude for the lessons I received from the mirroring in these relationships.

By investigating the painful beliefs we have in our body and distinguishing there existence, we then have access to doing the work of finding their source and letting them go. In doing so we bring ourselves back into healthy alinement.

Before I enter the environment of a horse. Pre opening a gait, I observe how the horse is receiving my energy and intension. I constantly identify or bring into focus the expression of the horse. I observe the subtle honesty transmitting and formulating through the horses wordless physical body. Expression in natures language.

Release your limiting beliefs by bringing your emotional and physical body into alignment

By Donnette Hicks 

 

Empowered Listening

 

It takes courage to listen in a transformative way. Humans often are unknowing in how they intrench themselves in unyielding listening, especially when it relates to their horses.  Letting go of our identity, fear and judgment, will remove our desire to always listen to respond.

Many of our needs will be cared for in our ability to really listen. Removing our constant urgency to reply creates an environment for receiving the gift of another’s experience.  If we find ourselves settling for less, we disempower ourselves and the horse, in an uncertain future.

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Every Saturday for many years I would drive 45 minutes to another rural town to teach horsemanship. On several occasions my friend Stephanie would join me. We constantly would talk about our individual philosophies. These conversations would often develop into an  enflamed heated exchange.  The result of this would be a stressful environment inside myself as I arrived to the horse facility of the day.

I would quickly tell myself to overcome the chaotic feeling I was having inside.  I was in full denial of how my emotional state would energetically emote into the environment. I no longer can deny, the students and their horses felt the inner enflamed energy I entered the arena with.

I desired to find a way to shift the experience I was having with my friend Stephanie. I certainly understood that this was not an isolated reoccurring incident with just her. It was rearing itself in all my relationships.

Out of my desire to acquire more tools, I went to a seminar. I found myself having a major breakthrough as I listened to the seminar leader explain that the most powerful skill in communication is in our “listening”. He continued to share the distinction between hearing and listening.

Hearing, is the minds recognition of sound through the function of the ear drum by formulating it’s source and meaning. Listening,  is an interactive engagement of being fully present to the importance of the message that is being conveyed. It is not engaging thought to formulate a response. When  we listen, we leave the one who is communicating that we value and have received the importance of their message.

This new achievement resulted in my ability to develop my self as a student of every interaction.  I began to learn volumes of meaningful details about the people in my life.  I found my friend Stephanie was a woman I clearly needed to understand and was loaded with wisdom.

As for the horse, imagine the potential the human has if we would engage the equine and empower them with our ability to just listen.

 

Receive life’s gifts through empowering all living beings with your listening 

By Donnette Hicks 

 

Curiosity Opens Exploration

I often find pleasure and relief in my daily desire to explore new discoveries. Every horse throughout my day has a message to convey. Mornings are full of conscious clearings of tension and residue from my prior days experiences. When I practice this I am able to receive what feels like little pearls from each horse. For me this is a type of giving up self to open my ability to receive.

 

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One particular horse who has been in my life for over 20 years is a stunning Quarter horse Arabian cross with the name of Henry. He brought a gem of a message to me years ago that went deep.

Every time it was Henry’s turn to be worked with, I approached him with a feeling of excitement because he is very alive and full of expression.

As Henry developed and strengthen over time, he became very athletic in his ability. I found he also would have a stiff and rigid feel in areas. Daily I would ask myself what is this resistance which I am feeling? After ruling out important to consider possibilities like teeth, saddle fit and hoof care,  I became open to explore other answers to this accumulating reoccurrence.

One day I decided to take Henry to a clinic and ride In front of  a knowledgable horseman. Within minutes of my private lesson I heard the clinician contribute some valued words of wisdom. He said ” Donnette how about ridding a different horse today ” I was confused and perplexed what he meant and asked him to clarify. The Clinition continued to say give Henry another name and approach him as if you have never met him. I became curious and willing to explore this new idea. I renamed Henry  with a name that was completely different from the identity I felt I knew him as. I named him “Mr Clarity ” instantly I felt a shift in myself and how I was relating to him. I completely felt a new birth in our relationship. There was a new freedom in both of us and I no longer felt the concerns I previously had as I began to let go of their existence.

My relationship with Henry was transformed as I completed the session that day. He was Mr. Clarity as he showed me that I was not allowing him freedom to be who he needed to be and move his body how he needed his body to move. He showed me how I was restricting him. He was clear with me and I missed it.

By removing my (SELF) from the situation and becoming curious I clearly received  a pearl from this beautiful horse Henry.
“The Zen master Dogen said, “To know the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.”  The only way to forget the self—to realize the fixed intrinsic self does not exist, is to know the self. By exploring and knowing ourselves fully and completely, we becoming curious about this thing called my life and about this person called me.

 

Curiosity opens you to explore and receive 

In your discoveries, become complete in your clear inner knowledge of knowing your full self 

 

By Donnette Hicks

A Letter To Self

I am taking a workshop called ” Life Course ” in this corse I was asked to write a letter to my self.  It resulted in becoming this poem. If you wrote a letter to yourself what would it say?

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Dear Donnette

How can I convey

How I believe in you

Your heart expands

In rays of light

You inspire

Wings of flight

I am your inner you

I hold your hand

Together

We explore what’s new

I hold your tears of rain

Keep you safe

Through human strain

I acknowledge your

Melting pain

I am here

Always here

In this heroic space

Resonating within

I am your soul

Your sacred waters

Twirling swirling

Eternally

My truest friend

How can I convey

I am illuminating

In your hearts breath

Loving you into

Infinity

 

 

 

I Now Stand

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My body aches
From a world
That takes
I unraveled and wanted
Believed what was flaunted
But was
Cut down
Yet my roots grew
And found a way
To sprout and sway
Into the light
My insides illuminated
Thriving wings
Opened and culminated
I now stand
Observing the land
Spinning in sand
As I leap
Into the sea
Called
Me

 

Poetry & Photography by Donnette Hicks

Equine I Rise To Your Voice

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I feel your four legs walk
Articulating both me and the
Ground we move upon
I wonder if you know how humble I am
Reaching for the soul of your earth
Listening to the beat of your heart
Seeking to find a way Into your world
Ashamed I ask you to fit mine
A touch upon your satin coat
Releases the aroma of grass
Reminders of your ancestral path
Forgive the void of time between
Humanity and your noble nations
How can I ease your bondage
You did not choose
You were born into this world of
Fenced-in limitations
Equine is it enough I hear your plight
I see your sacred innocence
Stepping into the creek to drink water
I feel your reach into its coolness
Quenching our concerns
Gratitude lingers
Your delicate simplicity
Bridging with my respectful admiration
I am committed to rise to your voice

Poetry & Photography by Donnette Hicks 

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