This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >, and yet another who loves to put both front feet on my Rubbermaud step/box >(its VERY sturdy & holds all my clippers).She looks like a circus horse.
Karen, you could build a "circus drum"! There is a great article in the July 1995 EQUUS, issue 213: "Smart Horse Tricks" by Dr. Deb Bennett and Harry Whitney. Check out some of the benefits of drum work on Dr. Deb Bennet's Equine studies Institute website: http://www.equinestudies.org/_disc/0000014b.htm http://www.equinestudies.org/_disc/0000014f.htm [Quote from this discussion:] "Hi! I've recently taught my horse to stand on a drum, and she loves it- she'll often go and stand on it herself for several minutes when turned out loose in the school... Interestingly, three other horses at the yard also have taken to standing on the drum too, having not been trained to do so (when given free access at liberty). I was explaining this to a group of horsey people (body work/behavioural specialists) at the weekend, who looked at me a little incredulously and asked me to explain in more detail what the physiological and psychological benefits were of this work. " " Ok.. so what is my horse telling me? I guess perhaps the most important thing is that she likes doing it!. If I am around and invite her to stand on the drum, she will step on it very willingly and often wave a leg around.. almost as if she is incredibly pleased with herself (I know.. this is a bit anthropomorphic!). It took her less than two minutes to learn this- and originally we did it at liberty (by accident- I put the drum into the school so she could look at it, and was about to go for a halter when I noticed that her full attention was laready on it and shewas exploring it- so I just encouraged her and praised her when she pawed it, stepped on it with one foot,stepped on it with two feet- voila!). What perhaps I find more interesting is when she, and other horses, get on the drum when no (human)body is with them and they are just loose. This isnt a "i'm doing it because you asked me", its something else.. They get what I can only describe as "the look of the eagle"- sort of focussed into the distance and very still - it strongly reminds me of the bit in "kinship with all life" where Strongheart sits on the mountain and gazes into the sky. (My dog does this in high places as well- sitting on a rock near the sea or on a mountain, sort of still and centered and looking). It seems a place of some sort of calm centeredness and connection.... [end quote] And instructions for building a drum, (also given in the Equus article) http://www.equinestudies.org/_disc/0000018c.htm Jean in still mild Fairbanks, Alaska, +15F with more warm weather due tomorrow. But no snow! ************************************************************ Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
