The chestnut horse’s life changed so drastically, so wonderfully, that having the ability to pick up both leads easily is hardly worth mentioning.

Except that the story starts with a problem at the canter. And an upcoming horse show. A big one.

I was teaching a two-week Debono Moves equine workshop at a large, picturesque facility. Green lawns studded with shady pepper trees surrounded the large barns, and riders had access to trainers of various riding disciplines.

Horses enjoyed the ample turnout paddocks and many happily lived outside year-round. All in all, it seemed like a lovely place to be a horse.

Except if you happened to be a horse in Barn A, Section 2.

That part of the barn was leased by a trainer who kept his charges locked up in dark stalls, the windows clamped shut to keep out light and to prevent the horses from experiencing the outside world. The equines were always outfitted with blankets and tail sets, and sometimes wore...

Help me! Help me!

The man called out as he came lurching down the path, a rifle clutched against his chest.

Yikes!

I was hand walking my leopard Appaloosa, Spotzy, with a friend when we noticed the armed man coming towards us.

Quickly realizing that the man’s “rifle” was a realistic-looking pellet gun, we ran to help him.

The man had been bitten on his right hand by a large rattlesnake.

With the snake’s venom racing through his body, the man, who I’ll call John, told us that his lips had already turned numb.

And now he felt the numbness spreading. John was really scared.

And he started to freak out.

I knew that the quieter John was, the better his chances of recovering from the rattlesnake bite.

Since I seemed more adept at calming down the panicked man, my non-horsey friend ran back to the ranch to call 911.

(Yes, this happened years ago - before we all carried phones with us!)

Don’t forget, I had my horse...

Have you ever wondered if your horse is happy in his work?

Does responding to your cues make your horse feel good? Or is he simply conditioned to respond to your aids?

In other words, what’s your horse’s motivation for working with you?

Many equestrians never ask these questions. And that makes me wonder if they’ve ever questioned how they motivate themselves.

But you’re different.

You know that asking the right questions can transform your riding.

And your life.

And ensure that your horse has a happy life too.

So, let’s ask a few helpful questions.

Imagine that your garage is a mess. It’s completely disorganized. There are piles of dusty stuff EVERYWHERE.

 There are things in there that you haven’t look at in YEARS.

 You know you’d feel better if you swept and organized it, but it seems like So. Much. Work. 

How do you convince yourself to clean out your garage?

...

Go grab two polo wraps, standing bandages or even a couple of hand towels out of your linen closet.

Then lie down on the floor and join Mary in a short, super effective exercise to activate your deep core muscles.

You'll learn how to both relax your back AND get stronger and more coordinated all at the same time! 

As always, do only what's easy, comfortable and safe for you to do. Less is more!

If you'd like to improve even further, go grab Mary's FREE rider masterclass. You'll learn how to have a more balanced, independent seat - effortlessly. Don't delay. Your horse is waiting for you!           

Some years ago, I walked into a sunlit, colorful living room in the coastal town of Laguna Nigel, California. The homeowner, a woman named Carol, was in her early 40’s and had shoulder-length, sandy-colored hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.  

I first met Carol a couple of weeks earlier when she watched me give a hands-on session to her neighbor’s paralyzed cat. The unexpected result of that session—frankly, even I was surprised at what happened—motivated Carol to ask for a session for her own cat.

So here we were.

Carol introduced me to PJ, her sweet tabby who had been diagnosed with asthma about nine months before. Despite veterinary treatment, PJ’s breathing was still shallow and labored.

Not surprisingly, the cat’s behavior had also changed.

No longer friendly and out-going, PJ had been spending a lot more time lying under the furniture. He had stopped playing too. It was easy to see why Carol was concerned about her cat.

Part 1 – The Rider’s Habits

There’s one tool that I’ve seen help equestrians more than any other. It can help riders successfully navigate challenging situations with their horses. It can also help equestrians achieve long-term goals such as: improving riding skill, enhancing equine athleticism and strengthening the horse-human connection.

In short, it’s the best thing I’ve found for achieving physical and emotional harmony with your horse.

Are you curious about the tool I’m referring to? Good! The tool we all need is just that. Curiosity.

Since you’re reading this post, I’m guessing that you’re already a curious equestrian. You’re interested in helping your horse feel better in mind and body. But like all skills, we can become more adept at using curiosity.

In this post and the next, I’ll share how you can use curiosity to help yourself and your horses move and feel better than ever.

Let me start...

This Simple Mindset Shift Can Transform A Stiff, Resistant Horse

Part 2:  The Horse's Habits 

In Part 1, I introduced you to Gina and her bay Arabian gelding, Piper. Gina was frustrated that Piper resisted bending, especially to the right.

Gina’s trainer had demanded that she use stronger, more insistent aids, but that just created more conflict and unpleasantness between horse and rider.

When Gina consulted me, I noticed that she sat heavier on her left seat bone, which made it difficult for her horse to bend. This unbalanced sitting can cause back pain, stiffness and tension in both horse and rider.

I led Gina through a Feldenkrais® exercise that improved her body awareness and helped her to sit balanced on her seat bones. Happily, it also got rid of her back pain and sciatica!

But the next time Gina rode, she was disappointed to discover that Piper still didn’t bend easily. She was sitting in balance, so why wasn’t her horse bending...

Let’s say you see a dog who’s hurting. Maybe he’s an older dog with a stiff, arthritic spine. Or perhaps she’s a younger dog with hip dysplasia or a torn knee ligament.

Don’t you wish you could instantly help such a dog feel better?  

I’d like to share a simple, hands-on technique that has helped hundreds of aging and injured dogs feel immediate relief.

It can provide soothing support to overworked, sore muscles and help set the stage for healing. Because it’s so effective, I use this hands-on technique frequently. I call it the Lumbar Lift, for reasons that will become obvious. But first, let me tell you how it helped Clyde.

Clyde, a large black Lab mix, hobbled into my office, aided by his person Suzanne. The dog was holding up his right hind leg. And although he could bear weight on it, his left hind leg didn’t look that stable either. The poor boy!

This 70-pound dog was under the care of both integrative and allopathic...

***Important note about the video: Please be gentle! Your pressure should be VERY LIGHT and the movements should be subtle "suggestions." Never use force. Keep your hands and shoulders soft and relaxed.***   

Don’t you love when something good comes out of something bad?   

 A number of years ago, my client Suzanne had a bay Morgan gelding with a suspensory injury.  

Despite several months of veterinary care, farrier attention and TLC, the 12-year-old gelding was still off.

What ended up helping the horse was surprising.     

Here’s what happened.

Suzanne asked me to give her horse, whose name is Bravo, a hands-on session.

I knew that helping the Morgan move more easily through his rib cage could alleviate stress on his front legs.

Less strain on his fore legs meant that he’d have a better chance of recovering from his suspensory injury.  

But we had a small problem. Bravo wouldn’t...