Equine Occupational Therapist

This horse is lame ...... in my "perception". Probably not (quite) enough "pathology" to get the vet evolved. Yet. In my experience this is where it starts. The horse carries a rider in bad posture. You can see the heavy underneck, the braced withers, and the loose, sloppy stifles. At this time the urgent care must be for the stifles. The underneck is the most obvious (for the owner/rider) fix for the rider.

keeping caught up (first)

........ and he keeps caught up. He never sends the horse away. The distance is maintained by him - not created by him. In fact in this video he "joins" the horse's movement. In that way he "becomes" the one asking for the movement. Knowledge becomes authority. :) He keeps the engagement by staying engaged himself.

razor blades in monkey paws

Razor blades in monkey paws. My concern for the "self taught".
I come to the KFH way because of my (extensive?) past experience with horses.  Not because I was attracted to the beauty of the videos and books. His videos show the 'right' way - the way I was taught. I can not imagine STARTING with just the videos, books and essays. Only those. Someone must teach you the basics. Teach you to notice all the little details of being a horse. Sometimes that someone IS a horse.
For example - do you know what the  "significant" difference is in how he stops the horse. This is HUGE! Take as much time as you like - research youtube videos, google pictures, and the www of horse trainers. They all stop the horse by 'getting  in front', stepping in front, closing the front door, turning them into the fence, even the sutle turn of the shoulder, etc.  This little (!) misunderstanding teaches the horse that YOU(!) will stop them! (with the help of the arena wall - lol) (or a bit - aka pain) (disengage the hindquarters- by taking the head) (you are not enough - unless the horse is "dead")  Klaus is the only one out there that is actually telling the horse to stop THEMSELVES! He goes on (training?) to help them figure out how to do that, and physically develop the skill to do it ...... better. From behind.  One simple thing. He asks them to turn in. (the first step of shoulder-in) (the first step of collection) (the first step of self-carriage) (empower the horse) ( the horse remains the horse!!!!)
:)
This is the shift I speak of.

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Two part Question

"..... question is to what extent is it possible to successfully train your horse and more importantly, train yourself with access only to the videos, books and essays?" Klaus and his team have said over and over - "this is no technique". As long as you mimic what he is doing with his horse and expect the same results from  your horse ........  there will be a problem. What the horses actually "do" with/for Klaus is in itself not new. Not unique to Klaus. He doesn't own it and he didn't invent it. Yet, everything that happens in the videos is unique to that horse, in that situation, in that 'meeting'. That part is owned by Klaus and is unique to him. What he "does" with the horses is PROFOUNDLY  different and (IMHO) can only be learned in person.  Because his entire approach, perspective, vision is different. If you are coming from the place to "...  successfully train your horse and more importantly, train yourself....".  then the videos,  books and essays can only show you what is possible.   The videos, books and essays demonstrate the authentic conversation, communion, consensus, between two sentient beings - meeting at a place the *we* have never been.  That place is outside our society teaching,  a place of recognition inside ourselves. (he talks so much of mythology) Just mimicking the conversation is not the conversation. It would simply be learning to "act" .... like an actor. To 'do' the KFH way you must authentically, honestly, in real time see and RESPOND to the horse in front of you. Not just 'talk to' or 'train' them. Even in person he has had difficulty teaching "his way". Notice how his teaching has changed over the (20+) years.  Now it is almost all "Body awareness". We cannot get to where he is without it. We have to change our perspective. We have to learn to listen. Listen to the horse and concentrate on being accountable for our own actions before we can 'direct' the actions of the horse. IMHO The "nuts and bolts"about horses should be learned first from another teacher. Preferable, from a teacher that does not teach in the traditional format - with 'competition' goals. 

" ...... is anybody doing it right now and would they be willing to share their experiences with us of how they started and have continued with this way of learning?"You will get dubious answers to that one. Even with his strong words - "Sentimentality, horse as substitute for rabbit or baby, is the death of the horse." .............  Even with his words - my way or no way - *we* tailor his teaching to 'meet our needs'. You will get stories about people teaching their horse to go bareback, bitless and doing signal weight riding. All shared from the perspective that they 'taught' or 'asked' this of their horse. "Play" -  where the horse doesn't get a turn. (Yes, they are given a choice - but the choices are from a 'box of choices') For example - the horses rearing. Because so many of the horses are shown rearing in his videos - people get their horses to rear and feel 'success'.

Kristiina

Kristiina wrote: "So, I wait eagerly: what do you suggest? That kind of horse has been contaminated/addicted? with the substance of human attention. Denying that: unhappy, dullness. And yet - they have developed a form of attention that is different, keener than the "normal" horse who lives in his horse world. For this kind of animal (and now I remember, there were some kittens too, who were different, right from the start - they wanted to communicate with humans). What if they have simply a different role? Their identity is different, that is true, but some of us know what it means to be an outsider in our own, supposed herd."

 You have combined 3. and 4. The horse advocate and the psychotherapy.  :)
Let's back up a little. It is an exercise. To give an "experience" ..... that gives information. Both to the human and to the horse. Sometimes, the information comes in the form of an emotion.   (After this I will share my "emotional" experience with this type of interaction)
       2. Reflective seeing - practice seeing the horse in "body language".
a) walk completely around your horse as if you are drawing their silhouette in the ground. Tracing OUTSIDE the lines.
What I failed to mention was - with some horses this is incredibly difficult to do. :) Not for the reasons you might think. :)
  The original reason for the exercise was to "experience"  - "Do Not Touch". That is all. Can you see without judgement and  needing to fix things? Can you see without projection? The exercise was to literally trace the horse's body in the dirt, with your feet. In that way it was meant to take the 'projection' OUT of our "reflective seeing". That is the 'language of the horse' - body language. It is your projection that sees "unhappy/dullness" or a "keener" attention. Anthropomorphism. ".... Leave all beings where they are". It is very, very, VERY important to leave the horse a horse.
Can you pull yourself so completely inside your own personal boundary that the horse - any horse - will let you walk completely around it? No projection? Only see in body language? Nothing more. On the flip side - (will be addressed in section 3.) - can you be seen ......... in this "Raw" way? No role playing.
 There are many other ways to use this simple exercise. The six reasons above I will expand on.
Many people spend a lot of time teaching their horses to be this focused on them.  I see it differently.

2. followers of "dis-engaged hindquarters" - for safety reasons

who is first?

whose first?
   1. former Dressage group - "forward riders"
   2. followers of "dis-engaged hindquarters" - for safety reasons
   3. empowerment work with horses (equine assisted psychotherapy)
   4. horse 'advocates' concerned about the 'rights' of the horse.
   5. 4H leaders (still!) teaching - "you have the head - you have the horse" (God forbid!)

   6. KFH  method 'followers'

reflective seeing

2. Reflective seeing - practice seeing the horse in "body language".
a) walk completely around your horse as if you are drawing their silhouette in the ground. Tracing OUTSIDE the lines. Perfect your sensitivity by being closer and closer without touching. Keeping it dynamic/kinetic by being aware of the swinging/sweeping head and neck.

Reminded this morning of how incredibly difficult this is! Especially with an "over-domesticated" horse. Like the geese in "Fly Away Home", this horse has been imprinted by humans. She thinks she is "stacked vertically" like a human. A head on a stick. She has no idea of the 'whole' of her. A horse out of body!

Seeing = Being Seen

3. Own your right to 1. and 2.
    Own your responsibility.
    Own your ability to respond.
    Do no harm but take no shit.
    See and be seen
    You are NOT invisible!

Now we have the elephant down to "bite size"! If you are not invisible - what exactly is "visible" ...... to the horse.  You must "know" this before you can 'scribe your line in the sand'. Set your own boundaries. "Know" who and what you are ....... made of. :)
Without all the metaphors - and without the horse taking us - into our darkest and lightest places - let us stick to the physical plane. :)

You are human. Physically you are stacked vertically. Parts stacked one on top of the other. Own that space.

more rules:
      1. RAISE your hand(s) - define your vertical space.
Show the horse you "know" that. When a horse approaches your 'space' (be more and more sensitive to the 'approach) you will physically show you know who you are by raising your hand UP - NOT out in front of you! Remember - "Do no harm" - do not violate, not see, not honor, THEIR space - while defining (defending) your own.
     2. You are not allowed in the space under the horses neck. for now.
The reverse is also true. The horse is not allowed to swing their head OVER yours. You may need to raise your hand really high! Even use an extension - i.e. whip, pole, lead rope, etc. You may even have to clap your hands above your head or stomp your feet! To claim your infinite self - down through the earth and up through the sky!
     3. Stay INSIDE your vertical space
Even if you bend over - your infinite self that you are 'defining', protecting - is STILL vertical! Down through the earth and up through the sky. Pull your strength up from the earth below and down from the heavens above. Literally. Energetically. OWN your right to BE. ......... but do no harm.

OWN their right to BE as well.

Horses are absolutely BRILLIANT in this 'work'! They wrote the book on how to 'empower' without 'putting anyone down'.