I guess you saw on the news about oscar the cat, the nursing home cat that has predicted death within 4 hours of 25 patients even when the doctor says they have a longer or shorter time... that just amazed me. but i was reminded of that and it was strongly on my mind after yesterday, our farrier came, had done two horses with no incident, was doing Tivar who was relaxed and practically napping.
All of a sudden Tivar jumped sideways and was skittering as far to the end of the lead as possible and dancing this way and that trying to bolt. the farrier was just standing calm with the oddest look on his face. I didn't pay attention, i was trying to control Tivar and calm him and figure out why the heck he'd gotten upset. When I finally settled him he would look at the farrier and "whoof" and I could see his eye whites under his fly mask. Then quietly the farrier said "My back hasnt bothered me in a long time now, but just then when I was doing his back foot I turned just a little the wrong way and my back hurt me so bad I saw stars, I almost went to my knees... and that horse knew it." I said, maybe it was you dropping his foot scared him, and the farrier said "or maybe a smell of adrenalin or maybe he could hear my heart almost stop beating, or maybe he could sense I was outa my mind with something..." and thats when I said well maybe he's like that cat on the news and we all sorta laughed. The farrier had to stand there a while waiting for the spasm or whatever to go away, he said he couldnt sit down. he was only a few feet from Tivar and by that time Tivar was totally calm again. In a minute or two the farrier said he could go on and did without incident. I watched tivar for signs of fear and he absolutely had none. he "read" the farriers sudden "mood change", smelled his body chemicals change, or heart rate, whatever. It was very interesting. makes you realize when we are in the saddle and things go wrong they freak from more than just out body language. My friend has inoperable brain aneurysyms and sometimes she says her horse can tell when she is having trouble with balance and it aggravates him. Mark Rashid says in one of his books that he got thrown from several horses during a period when he had an inner ear infection and would have sudden dizzyness and nausea. its very interesting! the only way Tivar could have known something wasv wrong was by the farriers suddenly dropping his foot, his posture, his smell, his "mood". He was only touching his back foot and that general area. Janice -- yipie tie yie yo
