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coherence – the state of being united ~ horsemanship – the act of caring for and participating in activities with horses ~ quantum touch and intention – the delicate act of purposeful assistance and support using energy centers and systems ~ classical training – the art of working in harmony with the horse from the ground or from the saddle

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‘COHERENT HORSEMANSHIP: Combining the Quantum and the Classical’ wins Award for Excellence in Equine Media

September 20, 2021

Coherent Horsemanship: Combining the Quantum and the Classical won American Horse Publication’s ‘Equine-related Nonfiction Book’ category for books published in 2020. AHP presents their awards for excellence in equine media once a year. Winners of all categories were announced at the AHP Conference in Irving, Texas, September 17-19, 2021.

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humans

There are a growing number of people who naturally connect with their horses without boundaries, without commonplace rules or mimicry. They connect Body, Mind, Heart and Soul. They connect with integrity under any circumstance, and are the most valuable and incredible leaders in their homes, barns, communities and in the horse industry as a whole.

Their priority isn’t to market their brand, it is to be authentic and lead by everyday example. There are no pretenses, there are no hidden agendas. They embody the spirit of the horse in human form. Is this you? Are you tired of commercial expectations or pressures? Are you saddened by horses being used and exploited?

A desire to do something different, even if you still compete and participate in sponsored events, represents a Journey into the mysteries Life; of being ‘One’ with our ‘selves’ with others, with Earth…and experiencing the deepness and richness of everlasting connections.

The human body is a constant flux of thousands of chemical/biological interactions and processes connecting molecules, cells, organs, and fluids, throughout the brain, body, and nervous system. Up until recently it was thought that all these interactions operated in a linear sequence, passing on information much like a runner passing the baton to the next runner. However, the latest findings in quantum biology and biophysics have discovered that there is in fact a tremendous degree of coherence within all living systems.

Kingslay L. Dennis, Struggle for Your Mind: Conscious Evolution and the Battle to Control How We Think

Think about what it would be like to be in a sustained, dynamic communication with not only ourselves, but our horses…and to be aware of that incredible partnership. Leadership would be cooperative between two beings; united by four eyes, four ears, two noses, eight limbs…and yet, two minds would emerge as one.

“…every part of our body is “in communication with every other part through a dynamic, tuneable, responsive, liquid crystalline medium that pervades the whole body, from organs and tissues to the interior of every cell.”

Ho, The Rainbow and the Worm, 210

Relax. Breathe. Become aware of your Body. You would hear these instructions from a Yoga Master. The horse transmits this same kind Wisdom. The horse IS a master of connections and relationships. He is a mirror, and a friend; one who is moral, ethical and filled with empathy that can bring us back from the abyss of disconnection, disharmony and fragmentation.

“Just as the cells in an organism take on different tasks for the whole, different populations enfold information not only for themselves, but for all other organisms, expanding the consciousness of the whole, while at the same time becoming more and more aware of this collective consciousness.”

Ho and Popp, “Gaia and the Evolution of Coherence.”

This is an exciting time to realize the world is so much more than we know. The willingness to expand your sense of adventure and openness; to allow these wondrous mechanisms to get you closer to a much larger understanding and experience, can not only change your personal paradigm, but of those around you – including and especially your horses.

horses

The horse is always Truthful.

They are ‘exceptional perceivers’ and keen discriminators. Always. There’s no reason to think they are less than experts in their own world. We need to be careful in our depictions of the horse’s ‘umwelt’ – in other words, assuming or attributing human attributes and limitations to their sensory and cognitive understandings. Horses experience the world with different connective abilities and with much more sensitive sensory systems than our own.

We need to study their nuances while they are in their element. We need to consider more alternatives to explain their behavior (‘joining up’ for instance, is not submission or cooperation, it is more a need to know exactly what a predator is doing and where they are going [Researchers urge rethink of ‘Monty Roberts’ Horse Training Method].

We need to try with everything that we are (MUCH more than just the physical and intellectual people we project ourselves to be), to perceive constant, flowing subtle information, feeling for the horse (perceive on a different level and literally in a different light) and through the horse (empathy and sympathy). In other words, we need to become more aware of our own capacity to mirror the horse, tune into their way, and allow non-local, non-physical, and a non-analytical paradigm to unite our two species.

Being ‘One’ with a horse never diminishes, whether you are riding or watching a horse graze. What changes is our level of awareness. What changes is our willingness to take more responsibility for our thoughts, wishes and actions. What changes is our deepening integration to Life and the living choice of every Moment.

Then…Everything we do with a horse evolves into a meditation in motion; an intentional work of Art between two willing and loving individuals.

The Quantum

“Neuroscience, quantum biology, and quantum physics are all beginning to converge to reveal that our bodies are not only biochemical systems but also a sophisticated resonating quantum system.[…]Our bodies, then, as well as our brains appear to function like receivers/decoders within a constantly in-flux information energy field.”

~ Kingsley L. Dennis, Struggle for your Mind

We have the same ability as the horse to instantly perceive the environment. We just need some ‘re-educating’. We’ve strayed from our wholesome connections and veered carelessly into the compartmentalized world of attitude, belief, control, power-over and opinion.

All material things can be broken down into component parts. For example, the human body is made up of bones, tissues, systems, organs, etc. These can be further broken down and understood as a conglomeration of cells with tiny cellular structures…which can be further broken down into molecules and atoms.

The ancient Greeks thought the atom was the tiniest possible element of life on Earth, but modern physics has shown us otherwise.

There’s an even tinier ‘Universe’ composed of unseen elements – in other words, energy. Among this coterie for example, there are electro-magnetic fields, auras, electrons, torsion waves, biophotons and thoughts. While this is a brief and simplistic view, it serves to illustrate that physical, manifested life does not exist without these invisible ingredients.

…each living cell is giving off, or resonating, a biophoton field of coherent energy. If each cell is emitting this field, then the whole living system is, in effect, a resonating field-a ubiquitous nonlocal field. And since biophotons are the entities through which the living system communicates, there is near-instantaneous intercommunication throughout.

Ho and Popp, “Gaia and the Evolution of Coherence.

Living cells are not only components of human beings; they compose plants, birds, fish, dogs, cats, horses, worms, bacteria, organs, skin, bones, rocks, soil, trees and anything that exists.

“We are still on the threshold of fully understanding the complex relationship between light and life, but we can now say emphatically, that the function of our entire metabolism is dependent on light.”

Prof. Fritz-Albert Popp, https://www.biontologyarizona.com/dr-fritz-albert-popp/

It used to be that the electron…something that can exist as both wave and particle – energy and matter – was the leading edge of new concepts, but now we are learning that light, sound, energy and consciousness are not ‘locked’ in the brain or even in the body; that the boundaries we thought were defined by our skin and clothing, are perceptual/egotistical in nature. In fact, it essentially amounts to a prejudice!

‘Information’ is available through an incredibly interconnected ‘system’ that we are just beginning to comprehend. As individuals, we need to purposely diminish our mental banalities, so we can open our receptivity and advance our innate snf underutilized talents and abilities.

The Classical

Always, always put the horse first.

“…the capacity for evolution rests not on aggressive struggle and rivalry but on the capacity for communication and cooperation.”

~ Fritz-Albert Popp, Biophysicist

Classical riding position and philosophy have been based on this simple principle; to make the horse more beautiful, and to be in harmony with his Nature.

Classical principles always create a horse that is happy and eager to work, and will enjoy his purpose for his entire life. Gymnastics, honor and indelible respect will never cause pain or deleterious conditions due to ignorance, competitive pressures or human imposed demands.

It is difficult to see the word ‘Classical’ is used in so many modern Dressage barns, without the honest adherence to its principles. In that sense, the meaning of the word and the spirit and essence passed down through so many centuries becomes nebulous, and a horse person needs to go to the written source to correct their understanding and viewpoint.

Here are some quotes from Classical Masters:

One thing at a time is the fundamental principle of all methodical horse-training; to be able to explain one thing at the time to the horse, to give the horse time to understand it, and to be able to see that he has understood it is the very essence of the trainer’s art. ~ibid. pg. 36

…the able trainer works in sympathy with the horse’s instincts, never against them. ~ibid. pg. 39

…a double bridle is the most unsuitable outfit for any horse with an unmade mouth; its misuse is liable to ruin the mouth and, resultant thereon, the animal’s action and balance. ~ibid. pg.44

I have seen many horse execute many movements that must have been classic if the horse had stayed calm, without excessive movements of the tail and the eye with an unhappy expression Those movements you cannot class as Classical but only as ‘forced activity’. ~ ibid. pg 75

Rider’s forget the legs begin in the hip… ~ibid. pg. 75

Attach the reins to a wall and take the reins in both hands as is normal nowadays. Measure the pressure of each hand (rein) with a small scale for weighing and after remember and understand the difference in your hands. ~ibid. pg.83

After the beginning of the century [Note: 1900] the Federation Equestre Internationale established to hold the reins apart, i.e. in two hands, and established that as the classic position in dressage competitions.[…] After a certain degree of training of my horses, or a certain moment of the lesson, I take my reins in the left hand and I observe the collection and straightness of my horse. I ask him some half passes, and some counter-change of hand with good bend.[…]I repeat, in all equitation, to take the reins separate was originally for the training of young horses, and the ecuyer, was with the reins in the left hand and the whip ‘platonic’ (upright) in the right hand. ~ibid. pg. 83

*This will also make it easier for the rider to keep his mind ‘open and receptive’, since less time will be spent on the ‘mechanical’ activation of muscles and focusing too much on his own body. The brain is used differently in these to aspects. There must be some preservation of the receptive, in order for the rider to remain equipped to respond instantly to signals of the horse and the environment – to comprehend, process and to quickly and accurately deliver input to help, not ruffle the horse. The constant, drumming use of aids drown out the feelings and expressions of the horse, alter his ability to breath, think and be delighted with your notions. The rider can’t assess tiny nuances with a mind and body that is too active. There’s simply not enough time. Riders can miss too much with a closed, fixed mindset.

We cannot expect the horse to show better posture than we do. It can only ever be as well-balanced, as supple, and relaxed as the rider. If the rider is straight, he will be able to straighten his horse. ~ibid. pg. 25

It is the horse that determines the rate of progress, since every new step that is taken when learning must be secured and the horse must be relaxed when taking that new step, before we can attempt the next step. ~ibid. pg 24

…haste invariably comes back to haunt the rider sooner or later, and short cuts always cost triple time in the long run, since it is much more time-consuming to correct the inevitable mistakes and omissions than to proceed slowly, but thoroughly and systematically, at the horse’s natural pace. ~ibid. pg. 25

Dressage movements should always be regarded as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, not as ends in themselves. The movements have an important diagnostic function, as they give precise insights into which muscle groups are stiff, shich muscles are not strong enough, and which body parts are not connected well enough with each other or with the rider’s aids. ~ibid. pg. 28

[Systematic pursuit of classically practiced movements, both as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool] develops the natural gaits almost automatically. It develops the musculature in the right places, which is why the old masters used to say that the rider shapes his horse like a sculptor shapes a statue. ~ ibid. pg. 28

Personal Note: The consequences of the ‘must have it now – and treating a 4 year old like an 8 year old – attitude, can have dire consequences….that’s why the word ‘classical’ needs to be fully understood by the student who is paying for instruction. It may only be ‘lip service’. Classical schoolmasters are simple, easy, light, sound and truly give you the feeling of precision and power. You shouldn’t find yourself grabbing with your thighs just to counter the horrible constant and heavy pressure many horses take up with the bit (even in a double bridle). In fact, in order to seem like they are ‘classical’, some top level riders have taken to installing painful structures under the cavesson part of a tightly fitted flash or crank noseband. The horse continuously tries to get away from that pressure, and will be falsely light in the reins. There are other unethical compensations people use to keep themselves in the ribbons and riding top level horses, that are the anathema of coherence, respect and morally irreproachable education of such a sensitive and generous being.

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Disclaimer: The information on this site is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author(s) and publisher(s), Beech Tree Arts, Equana.org, and Coherent Horsemanship. The author(s) and publisher(s) disclaim any liability in connection with the interpretation and/or use of this information.

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