University For Life » 2010

Remember those moments of epiphany (we’ve all had them) when your life takes a dramatic turn following a deep insight or discovery of a love that you have not experienced previously?

One of these life transforming experiences occurred for me about five years ago when I realised that there is a growing number of people around the world that have made a major shift in consciousness by promoting their horses to the role of educators rather than captive vehicles for transport or creatures for entertainment. In loosening the bonds of captivity and allowing their horses to experience the natural freedom and power that is so readily associated with them, horse owners around the world are stimulating a paradigm shift that could have an inspirational impact on innovation in the world of education.

Being an educator myself, I am fascinated by the work of these modern day horse owners that are no longer just training their horses but also allowing themselves to be trained by the horses. They are learning to listen to their horses rather than merely telling them what to do. This role reversal requires a very sophisticated sensitivity and understanding of the interaction between horses and their communication with human beings.

Gerhard & Karin Krebs, founders of HorseDream, are two of the pioneers using their sensitive insights into the educational relationship between horses and human beings. They have developed concepts whereby their gorgeous herd of Friesian horses behave as facilitators in educational programmes for developing practical skills such as leadership. Last autumn, I was fortunate to attend one of their training programmes and became a member of the European Association for Horse Assisted Education (EAHAE) which attracts members to its yearly conferences from around the world. Imagine that! Perceptions about the role of horses in education are changing around the world and there is a growing global awareness that the equine world can enrich our lives with much more than mere entertainment or transport facilities.

How do you see horses? What do they symbolise to you, metaphorically and literally? If you already own horses, what needs and desires do they fulfil? Are they your toys? Are they your tools? Are they your teachers?

If your horse is your teacher, what have you learnt? For example, when I was doing the HorseDream training in Germany I realised that the Friesians were very sensitive to subtle, imperceptible changes in my body language. These are changes that would go undetected by the casual observer but being aware of my own inner thoughts, I knew when these changes in my body language occurred. When I thought I was doing well with the horses and felt confident, my body language exuded this positive vibe. In contrast, when I thought I was making a mistake and felt embarrassed, the horses seemed to sense this and lost interest in my endeavours to connect with them. I was amazed that I could think a thought and as if by telepathy get a relevant response from the horse. My assumption is that the thoughts were conveyed through the physical, emotional and, dare I say, spiritual dimensions of the interaction.

I am still an Equestrian beginner although I have read at least twenty books by contemporary authors, pioneers in placing the horse on a new pedestal: Master of Wisdom; Messenger of Truth; Teacher of Natural Communication. What is your position in all this? What is your story?

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