It’s kind of routine for us to have serious conditions change dramatically when we layer in peace of mind and well being for ourselves and our horse into all our work together – and weaving is no exception.
Weaving is an obsessive way of either a distressed or incredibly bored horse self soothing. The constant rhythmic movement elevates their endorphins but it’s damaging to their bodies at the same time. The emotional stress that is BEHIND the weaving causes tension that eventually causes even more physical damage too. So it’s a VERY good idea to support a horse with whatever it takes to clean this behavior up.
I make a kind of hmpf! sound when I hear weaving described as a vice. A vice makes it sounds like the horse chooses to behave badly – when it’s actually distress – and it’s in the human’s control to solve it.
The Youtube below shows you what weaving looks like. The story of Solnar below the Youtube is about a horse who solved his weaving during the second day of a clinic here.
Suze and her horse Solnar
Suze’s new horse Solnar arrived at a clinic back in 2015 a windsucking, pacing, weaving from side to side, nervous wreck. He made an enormous relaxation breakthrough, I think it was the afternoon of Day 2. He stopped weaving just minutes before this photo and that was the last we saw of it.
So how did she do it?
Apart from some lovely work on herself (which she alludes to in her email below) we watched Suze slowly and patiently lay every step of preparing to ride and then riding, into Solnar’s relaxation – Releasing, Re-learning and Re-Programming as she went along. He even found a naturally elevated back in self carriage by the end of the 8 day clinic. OMGoodness that horse can move beautifully. What a star!
Here’s some feedback from Susie a couple of weeks later…
Sol is a different horse. Agistees at the paddock have noticed the shift. He’s more relaxed, yet more energetic! (more of the “right” energy!!) I’ve only had one ride so far, a stroll in search of grass – felt more aware and more connected (at all levels)! The effect of the whole week is rippling out into all layers of my life…hard to explain but will have to keep you posted over the next….several years?!!!!! haha xx
And a further email a few weeks later…
” I just couldn’t wait to tell you, I’m on such a HIGH!!!!! (Her capitals) Best arena work today with Sol. Oh my, he’s a different horse and the only thing I can put it down to is the healing from your retreat. (Many smiling faces and hearts on the text.)
So soft, so forward, so bouncy!!!! NO stiffness, soreness, resistance gone. Yippeeeee!
Me: Now THAT’s a big deal because this horse had some serious and very uncomfortable muscle and side bone issues going on. When you help a horse to release old trauma and deal with emotional stress, the most extraordinary healing can start to happen and that’s what’s happened here. Susie has built on the lovely breakthroughs that she made in the clinic and it’s showing in Solnar’s continued healing of his body.
Back to Susie: His canter – which I usually avoid as he struggled so much- well he nearly sprung me out of the saddle I could hardly sit to it. More smiley faces and a woohooo!!!! Will have to try and get some footage.
The clinic Suze is talking about was back in 2015 and like lots of other advanced riders, you’ll still meet Suze on our monthly Live Seminars from time to time.
Suze was already an advanced dressage rider and weaving is usually considered an unfixable vice.
So how can YOU get what she’s got?
The keys to Suze’s success with solving Solnar’s weaving and healing his other muscle and bone problems, were the phenomenal Feel that she’s developed and the deep trust that Solnar developed in her because of that – and then she used that Feel step by step to systematically release old stress and tension from his life. Healing and horsemanship go hand in hand. Fast Track to Brilliant Riding with all the support that comes with it, will bring you those same keys to success. Fast Track is like doing a nice long slow, one bite at a time clinic at your own speed if you want, at home with your own horse.
I’m warning you though – Fast Track IS NOT a make the horse wrong, fix ’em up and move on kind of program. It’s LIFE changing. It’s PRACTICAL results with a spiritual approach that has a deep reverence for the horse and we make a lot of changes in ourselves along the journey.
So if you’re up for that, have a look at what you get in Fast Track here…
Just reading back on this post Jen and have to say I will never forget those last few rides I had on Solnar before life got in the way and he basically had an unplanned retirement. He certainly was a different horse under saddle after returning from your clinic. He is now 27 and is doing really well physically. I rarely see him windsuck or weave anymore which really is a miracle! Xx
Gosh I had to read that post again, what a pleasure. I’m so pleased the old guy’s doing well. You wouldn’t have thought it hey with all that sidebone he had? It still awes me, the healing that’s possible, prompted by the horse/human relationship. It shouldn’t surprise me though – when you think about it, such a deep sense of inner peace and the ability to let go old trauma and distress is always going to produce extraordinary results. Love it. Thanks for coming in and commenting.