Waterfall Creek and Mount Bogong in the background

What a lovely idea and how truly an Aussie approach Glenn Wilson and Kelly Bick have decided to take to a Corroboree Equus.

Here is their email:

Are you a horse person who respects the dignity of the horse?  Who has the horse’s welfare – emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing – at the forefront of their thoughts? Who sees the horse as a companion and friend, not a piece of sporting equipment?

You are invited to Corroboree Equus: a place to gather with others of similar ‘horse philosophy’ for a week of sharing.

The week is about connecting and sharing space with like minded people – with or without your horse.

It is an informal week of SKITTEing – Sharing Knowledge, Ideas, Thoughts, Tips and Experiences.

The gathering will be held at the Tallangatta Showgrounds, a town in North East Victoria, 30 minutes drive from Albury-Wodonga.

The dates: Friday 27th September to Sunday 6th October 2013.  Join us for all or some of the time, whatever works for you.

Want to be part of this inaugural gathering?

If you are interested in knowing more, email Glenn and he will send you some more detailed information.

Even if you can’t make it this year but want to be kept informed for future events like this, let us know.

Hope to see you there!

Kelly and Glenn

Email Glenn Wilson [waterfallcreek@westnet.com.au]

Shelley Rosenberg, a Grand Prix rider and senior faculty member at Eponaquest who trains her horses for dressage competitions bitless.

I came home last night laughing at myself gently.

Yesterday I did a one day Way of the Horse workshop with 5 apprentice Eponaquest facilitators under the supervision of two senior faculty members from Eponaquest, Shelley Rosenberg and Dr Nancy Coyne.

And OMGoodness – what a day – wow!

I was laughing at myself gently because I had thought that what they were going to do was a beginners day, which it was and I was there to meet Shelley Rosenberg in person after corresponding with her.  And I thought that although there is always something to be learned, there would not be so much for me because I already use this kind of work in a really advanced way in my everyday working with horses and people.

What a joke on me!  I should have known that the combination of horses and beautifully facilitated work would always bring in something big for everyone.  I had three major breakthroughs/insights during the day, all of them life changing in their way and enjoyed the day hugely and was privileged to watch others get beautifully big breakthroughs and change too.

Dr Nancy Coyne, a psychiatrist on the senior faculty at Eponaquest, a beautiful energy and and a late starting rider herself.

And gosh if those five ladies are apprentices, I cannot imagine how good they will be when they are qualified.  Many thanks for a wonderful day, to Kristen Ableson, Karen Curnow, Kylie Peters, Louise Hillman and Judy Brightman – what beautiful energy you all had, how truly professionally skilled you are and what a wonderful day you facilitated.

If you get the chance to attend one of these days - no matter where you are at, I cannot recommend it too highly

Photo of a male horse's sheath from thehorse.com

Sheath cleaning is an essential health care item for geldings and stallions, so I thought I would share a great tip plus this good sheath cleaning video that I came across today.

Your male horse straining to urinate, standing as if they want to urinate but not doing it, swelling in the sheath (we should have cleaned it earlier folks!) or a bad smell (ditto) are all indications that sheath cleaning is an immediate necessity.

Someone gave me a great tip a long time ago for sheath cleaning – squirting oil up into the sheath and allowing the horse to do the cleaning as he drops his penis in and out of the sheath.  And this method has worked nicely for me with horses who need frequent sheath cleaning.

She recommended baby oil, but I am not a fan of that petroleum product so I use plain old rice bran oil out of my kitchen.  I bought a bottle of baby oil for its useful squirting container, emptied it out and re-filled it with the rice bran oil.  The baby oil container enables me to squirt oil up into the sheath.

Oh yeah – and I warm the oil up to body temperature by tucking it inside my coat under my armpit, because you sure don’t want the oil too hot or too cold – ugh!

Laughing – and when the oil is under your armpit, make sure the lid is on tight!

HOWEVER, the oil trick doesn’t always get the bean out (see the video for details) and doesn’t allow you to get an early “heads up” about any developing problems.

So I am going to use the sedation for the dentist next week to get right in there a lot deeper for that check.  (I will explain why I agree with my horses being sedated for the dentist another time.  Given my sometimes radical tendency to be anti drug and chemical, there IS a good reason!)

I don’t agree with everything on this website, but they have some good stuff and this is an excellent video – Click here for how to do sheath cleaning for male horses.

Register for the free lessons in this big yellow box.

And I wanted to create a platform for people to tell other people about those heart warming stories.

So here it is folks, let’s make a difference in the horse world by sharing those stories – and this link to the lessons around. 

Please share your stories about what the Six Keys to Happiness have done for you and your horse,  by commenting below and specially on Facebook.

Liking and sharing on Facebook with a few words about your own experience with the lessons will blast those lessons out into the Facebook world.

For an added incentive, (as if we needed an incentive more than making a difference in the horse world!)  every like and share on Facebook and comment here, will go in the draw for a free riding seat lesson with me.  And if you aren’t on one of my courses already and you don’t know how big a deal one of those seat lessons are, then you are in for a serious treat.

I help you find a magnetic riding seat that almost sucks you into the back of your horse and your horse loves it too – so this is a seriously nice prize incentive.  And I can teach it to you wherever you are in the world from where I am here in Australia.  Yes, really!

Remember – comment, like and share!

What has golf got to do with being a brilliant horse rider?

What’s the common thread between being a brilliant horse rider and being a brilliant golfer?

Last week I had an interesting session helping a golfer  phenomenally improve his golf swing – phenomenally.

And I know absolutely “zip” about golf – nada – nothing at all.

So what IS the common thread between being a brilliant horse rider and being a brilliant golfer that enabled me to help this guy improve his golf swing?

It was teaching him to listen deep inside and how to get the biofeedback from his own body, so that his own body could tell him what to change in his swing.

And wow… that did happen.  The power of his swing was phenomenal.  And when the change in position happens in inner awareness like this - then change itself is effortless.

I was prompted to have a go at helping this guy because he was talking about how his golf game went backwards after every lesson and that he had to work like crazy incorporating the new stuff into improving his game.  And that this is an accepted thing that happens in golfing lessons.

Hmmm… well it doesn’t have to be like that when you listen to your own body – whether it’s golf or horse riding.  In the place of inner awareness that I teach people, the change to being a brilliant rider is step by step – simple, easy – re-programming your body to be naturally in a position that is effective and useful to staying on the back of that horse in deep comfort.

And at the moment you get that brilliant riding position from the on line course From Your Horse’s Heart but watch this space for more…

And in the meantime, send me your golfing buddies who seriously want to improve their golf swing!

Read more about the From Your Horse's Heart program in the box over here!

Imagine that you could learn a simple process to help horses and riders find true self carriage, to get true collection and do all that with a magnificent riding seat and a world class feel.

Imagine that you could help both difficult and damaged horses and riders heal in ways that look miraculous but are in fact systematic and incredibly effective.

Well… that’s what we are teaching you how to do, in the two week advanced teacher training and horse rehabilitation clinic here at Rokeby in Victoria in June 2013 - details below.  And check out the list of what you’re going to get here…

There are very few places left in this clinic.  And there is still time to fast track and prepare someone who has not worked with me before.

This clinic is about you learning how to fast track YOUR students and learning how to fast track healing and rehabilitating horses without compromising their needs or your integrity.

This clinic is about fast tracking your career by increasing your confidence and clearing away whatever else is in the way of your dream.

This is an advanced clinic, requiring that you have already done a significant amount of work with me.  If this course is yours and you have not yet done clinics or courses with me, then you have some happy work in front of you.  There is still time to fast track you before the June clinic date.  Contact me to organise that.

• The clinic goes for 8 days in two four day blocks
• 4 days Tuesday June 4th to Friday June 7th
• Saturday and Sunday free days of relaxation
• 4 days Monday 10th June to Thursday 14th June

This clinic will be followed by case study discussions as a supported follow up to the clinic, including a discussion group to stay in touch with each other and to professionally support each other.

This is not a certification course.  And I cannot imagine there ever being such a thing.

For those who do this training with me, you will bring your life skills, your gifts and your talents to my approach and will have my blessing to go out in the world and spread your gifts and talents around. This training is designed to support you to bring all the talents that you already have and to develop some more – in reaching your dreams to help other people and horses to reach theirs.

There are only 6 riders / people with horses in this clinic.  Bring your own horse or there are horses in my herd who are just busting to work on this clinic for those who come from interstate or overseas.  The cost for a rider is $1600. Payments can be spread out and completed prior to the clinic.

There is only room for 4 auditors and the auditor cost is $1000.  As usual in my clinics, there will be EXTENSIVE participation for the people who don’t actually have a horse in the clinic.

We enjoy and make welcome, a house full of people at clinic times.  There are some beds available with us, first in first served.  There is plenty of local accommodation if you prefer that.

There is a conviviality about the way we do meals here.  You provide breakfast for yourself.  Everyone pitches in and contributes something to lunch.  For those who stay at my house, we take it in turns to provide a meal for the other people in the house.  Over a clinic this long, we will no doubt eat out occasionally.

For the 6 people with horses, your place is reserved when I receive a non refundable $500 deposit, for the 4 auditors the deposit is $300.

Send your deposit by Paypal to the email address jenny@bookswithspirit.com or contact me to arrange for an invoice that you can pay by credit card or direct bank deposit.

I am very proud to be offering this one of a kind clinic and will be very proud at sending 10 people out into the world to support the opportunity for change in the horse world that horses and people have been dreaming.

Pan has machismo and a wild heart

Pan has machismo and a wild heart and is a nine year old 15.2 hand, stunning black Morgan gelding for sale at Rokeby in Victoria.  $6,000

He has had some phenomenal training from the best in the world – Philip Nye, Carolyn Resnick, Peggy Cummings, Robyn Hood, Trisha Wren, me – and has never had that wild heart squashed.

He will be a complete joy for a bolder rider.

He has always been barefoot, has great feet, is bitless bridled, unrugged, soft as butter, herd savvy, properly float trained and a whole host more of positive things that escape my mind in the moment.

He still has some gaps in his education and these are closing all the time.

Pan’s approval is required for this sale – with a prospective owner needing to be the kind of person who does Caroline Resnick’s Waterhole Rituals or my From Your Horse’s Heart course – so exceptional owners only need apply…

Click here to go to Sue’s website  for more photos. or ring Sue on 03 56268226

Pan & Sue

On our discussion group recently, Ella’s mum Narel posted about how she made a very good start at solving the problem –  in one day.  

…  In one day! …

Narel:  Just updating re Caramel and Ella.

On the weekend we set up Ella on our version of Magic and I taught her the position which amazed her.

Me: Magic is our vaulting horse – a 44 gallon drum on 4 legs that we use to help people find the perfect riding seat for them BEFORE they get on their horse.   And the position that Narel is talking about is the strong, safe and incredibly magnetised into the saddle, riding seat that I teach on the From Your Horse’s Heart on line lesson program. So Narel had Ella sitting on a saddle stand working on getting her riding position strong and safe BEFORE she went back out to her pony.

Ella & Caramel

I also got her to sit in the “traditional” riding pose we are all taught, to compare – and nearly pushed her right off the other side!

We worked out her stirrups needing adjusting and that helped her become even stronger in her seat which she got really well.

She then went out to Caramel and saddled her up and we went in the round yard to start.

I explained first how when she was getting on (or doing anything at all) if she felt her or Caramel’s tension or heart rate up or anything different to stop and wait for The Chew etc so Ella spent ages just getting on, as she said there was a lot of stress about that.

Me:  All this is explained in detail in those free lessons…

Caramel yawned unbelievably – so much in fact I wondered if it would ever stop!   Me:  That’s the sign of a horse releasing a lot of old tensions.

Eventually Ella was on Caramel’s back and did a lot of just sitting and getting off and on and various things but Caramel was still not going forward.

I had to leave her to it for a while as I had loads of washing to deal with plus a number of other things but was able to keep an eye out. Then I looked up from under the clothes line and here she was going forward around the round yard freely!

I was stoked and so proud of her.

Ella said that she just kept stopping and starting, waiting for The Chew with everything – then suddenly Caramel just went.

Caramel was still stopping at times and refusing but at least we got some movement – all without any big kicking, using force etc so that is a great start to a problem we have had for a LONG time.

I explained to Ella about Caramel’s caretaker nature and how we don’t want to damage her ability to look after Ella.  So now Ella will only ask things if she is feeling safe enough too.

So it’s a good start and obviously there will be many sessions and layers I think they need to work on together before the true forward is there but this is really great for them.

I think a lot of the key to success was once giving her the instructions, then me backing off so they could just work through it at their own pace without me standing there waiting/ watching/questioning.

The pony who refused to go forwards, goes forward easily now.

Me:  Ponies like Caramel who will not go forward when they are afraid or confused – OR WHEN THEIR CHILD IS AFRAID OR CONFUSED – are worth their weight in gold.  When we work with them differently, when we work with them without sticks or whips or kicking – then they are able to help their child have the most marvellous confidence and the most wonderful bond with their pony.

And most importantly - Caramel can now look after Ella like she so desperately wants to…

Congratulations to Ella And Caramel for making such a great start in one day – we look forwards to hearing the rest of the story.

Narel is doing our two week advanced teacher training and horse rehabilitation clinic in June,.  I think she is going to make a marvellous riding teacher!

My new tiny companion

A while back, I read the very lovely book Kinship with All Life, where J. Allen Boone talked about how he learned to experience animals differently and how he actually trained a house fly.

Well the idea intrigued me, so for a while now I had been more conscious of my actions around flies – because, of course first there has to be little or no fear, before good communication can happen.

I don’t like flies on my food or my skin and for some time I had been asking them to be on my clothes rather than my skin and that appeared to have been working, with other people harassed by flies and me not, with flies all over my shirt instead.

This week, laid up with sciatica and unable to move around easily, I started exploring a relationship with a tiny house fly who was sitting on my Kindle.  When he landed on my skin I would ask him to leave and then twitch my skin to send him away.  I then pictured him landing on my fingernail again.

With lots of communication and thinking and happy feelings, he eventually started landing only on the fingernail that I held out for him. And blow me down with a feather, he was doin”  a little dance there with lots of happy feelings!

Sue McKibbin took this photo this afternoon, after I showed her how I called my new tiny friend to come and sit on my fingernail.

The completely free lesson set The Six Keys to Happiness with Your Horse, is written especially for horse people and  explains how to make a connection with a horse.

However, the first four lessons would be useful to any animal owner to understand more about communicating with an animal – and maybe you could train a fly too!

You can register for those free lessons on the big yellow box to the right of the page here.  Enjoy them!

High intensity, short workouts like this set you up to burn fat, build muscle and get fitter – faster!

I had this excellent Youtube on Tabata Training come across my desk this morning and I loved it both for its fat burning properties and for the fact that it has a better increase in fitness than slogging away for a whole hour of hard workout five times a week.  Fitness and fat burning in 4 minutes x four times a week - even on MY schedule, I can spare that much time!

Wow!

Our horses love us more when we’re fit – at least they do once we know all the other ways in which we can get our horses to love us better - that you can find out all about in the free lesson set The Six Keys to Happiness with Your Horse.  Register for those complete freebies at the big yellow box to the right here.

So click here for Brian Killian’s 4 minute fat burning and fitness workout that you only have to do 4 times per week to make a big difference!  I know Brian as an excellent Gabriel Method weight-loss coach.

Here’s a P.S.  For those on my courses, use your effortlessly strong riding position that I teach you, to do the workout – that way you’ll get the full benefit of the exercise without straining anything at all.  I did these exercises the first time with a full blown sciatic condition.  I am glad that you couldn’t see me simulating the running on the spot segment of the exercise in my chair!