Animal Alignment - Cape Town

10/04/2025

01/11/2024

LE MESSAGE DES CHEVAUX
On dit souvent qu’on reproche aux autres ce qu’on a du mal à accepter chez nous-mêmes.

Je pense qu’avant même d’en arriver là, on demande au quotidien à nos chevaux de faire ce que nous ne faisons pas l’effort de faire nous-mêmes.
Nous attendons d’eux qu’ils soient calmes et posés alors que nous sommes nous-mêmes constamment stressés et agités.

Nous leur demandons d’être concentrés et connectés alors que nous sommes distraits par le moindre bruit, le moindre regard extérieur et que nous ne sommes même pas connectés à notre propre corps et conscients de nos propres gestes.

Nous attendons d’eux d’être parfaits parce que nous n’acceptons pas nos propres imperfections.

Nous attendons qu’ils nous donnent un amour inconditionnel, quand nous confondons l’amour avec le fait de donner des carottes et que nous passons la majorité de notre temps sur notre téléphone ou à papoter avec les autres cavaliers du club sans prêter attention à notre cheval, que nous lui donnons des surnoms dégradants et que nous ne lui montrons des marques d’amour que s’il nous a offert une séance que nous considérons bonne.

Nous attendons qu’ils nous donnent le meilleur d’eux-mêmes alors que nous sommes généralement trop fainéants pour sortir de notre zone de confort quand il s’agit de progresser, trop occupés à nous complaire dans la culpabilité, les raisons pour lesquelles nous n’y arriverons pas ou à craindre le regard des autres et les critiques qu’ils pourraient nous faire.

Je suis convaincu que les chevaux nous attendent.

Avec une patience infinie, ils attendent que nous soyons prêts à les écouter, et à les voir vraiment.

Ils sont porteurs d’un message d’une puissance inouïe et dont l’Humanité a terriblement besoin aujourd’hui.

Un message qui nous rappelle que nous avons un corps, un cœur et un potentiel immense auquel souvent nous ne croyons pas.

Qu’on les monte ou non, qu’on utilise une cordelette, des rênes, un mors ou un licol, si nous oublions de les voir, de les sentir et d’écouter ce qu’ils tentent de nous faire comprendre, nous aurons beau faire le plus beau des piaffés, ne jamais les perdre en liberté ou passer des heures à les regarder en prairie sous prétexte de ne pas vouloir les exploiter, nous passerons systématiquement à côté de l’essentiel et de ce qu’ils ont réellement à nous offrir.

Ce que chacun fait avec les chevaux, la discipline que nous choisissons ou ne choisissons pas, importe peu à mes yeux.

Ce qui compte, c’est le sens qu’on donne à cette relation, à ces exercices, à cette discipline, et ce qu’on est prêt à apprendre sur nous-mêmes en la pratiquant.

Pierre Beaupère.

Photo par Céline Bo****no - Photographe Équestre

04/09/2024

There's something I've been wanting to post about but am still unsure exactly how to approach/articulate/introduce this complex topic. So I'm just gonna say what's on my mind for now, and then maybe follow-up with some additional posts if this seems to be a topic others are interested in exploring too.

Here's the thing I'm seeing over and over again in many domestic herds, including my own herd as well as others I visit or work with: the horses (much like domestic humans) have varying abilities to recognize, or skills to effectively work with, dysfunctional inter-personal dynamics.

Many domestic horses (again, much like domestic humans) did not have the benefit of growing up in a healthy herd family/community. On top of that, most have been moved around a lot (much like kids of military families), and many have also been passed from one owner to another OR have had to learn to cope with a wide range of riders, handlers and trainers. In other words, most domestic horses have had very little consistency in their herd communities (horse or human) and few opportunities to learn experientially what it means to nurture, healthy, stable, long-term relationships or communities.

Yet we humans often expect horses to have no trouble being thrown into living situations with unfamiliar horses (because, well, they're all herd animals, right?!), and to magically be able to get along wonderfully. But the truth is, more often than not, NONE of the horses in these situations have had much (if any) experience living in a healthy herd community, or learning how to be a healthy, contributing community member. So, like us, they each simply bring whatever coping strategies they've developed that helped them feel safe, accepted and loved in previous situations into their new herd communities. Sometimes (like us) they get lucky and end up with others whose dysfunctions are similar to (or complementary to) our own. This can create dynamics that look and feel peaceful on the outside, but aren't actually healthy.

Regardless of how intact a horse's instincts and natural drives are, these instincts and natural drives can be over-ridden. Horses are one of Earth's most adaptable and emotionally intelligent species. This means they are very capable (maybe even as capable as we are!) of learning unhealthy coping strategies... especially if that's what helps them survive and thrive in sometimes very unnatural living conditions.

The bottom line is this: it's very challenging in the domestic world for horses to learn how to nurture healthy relationships, or how to cultivate healthy herd dynamics. The good news is, we can help them (at least theoretically), but only if we ourselves first do the work of getting healthy enough to recognize what's dysfunctional.. and only if we care enough to place a priority on nurturing healthier levels of interdependence for the horses in our lives.

22/07/2024

Send a message to learn more

11/03/2024

I recently wrote about not yet riding my young horse, and it seems I was not clear enough that this doesn't mean he's been left in the field.

These are some of the things we have been developing together while his body grows: In no particular order (although there was actually a very particular order)

- Going out and about on the roads and on the moor with and without other horses.
- Understanding how to relate to traffic, other horses, people and dogs.
- Learning to take direction from above, by being directed from the back of one of my riding horses.
- Getting really confident about having his feet and body handled, so that he happily welcomes the vet and body workers
- Truly understanding how to lead and tie up, which most older horses I meet do not.
- He can be lead solo, in a large group, in all weathers without worry or concern
- Learning to move his shoulders away, correct lateral flexion, go and stop in balance in all 3 gaits
- Understanding the meaning of the bit through in-hand training and beginning to develop his flexibility and mobility
- Travelling to other venues, both with other horses and by himself
- Gaining confidence about being left by himself
- Becoming a pro at loading in different situations and venues
- Getting sure whether energy is about him or not
- Gaining confidence with livestock
- Feeing good about the saddle and other tack without the need for restraint (being tied up)
- Understanding how to share his attention with a human and that be a source of reassurance
- Learning how to line up with the mounting block and have someone lean over him without losing his balance (or his cool)

And much, much more besides.

I am proud of this young chap. He has a wonderful attitude to life, AND, I have taken a lot of care to ensure his foundational education is rounded and in his favour. I hope this list might be useful for someone else who is considering what they would like their young horse to understand.

Not riding your horse until they're 5 or 6 doesn't mean you turn them out and look at them every few weeks. It is actually your opportunity to develop all of those foundational life skills that we wish most older horses had been provided with.

Photo shows him being ponied out on Dartmoor in a force 9 gale.

27/01/2022

We have to be so mindful with how we lead and ride our horses, and help them to safely navigate our man-made structures without harm. So often a seemingly "mild" incident can cause huge damage. This is why regular gentle bodywork helps to catch issues and restrictions before an injury/damage gets blocked into the body.

Donnerstags mit Julie von Bismarck: Vermeintliche Kleinigkeiten
(English version below)
Man sieht ja leider immer wieder, wie Pferde so in Ställe hinein oder heraus geführt werden, dass sie dabei mit dem Hüfthöcker hängenbleiben. Zunächst einmal: Es ist nicht die „Ungeschicklichkeit“ des Pferdes, die zu diesen Unfällen führt. Das Pferd kann den Türrahmen in dem Moment, in dem es hindurch geht, nicht sehen. Es ist also ausschließlich die Nachlässigkeit der führenden Person, die den Unfall verursacht.
Zweitens: Die Aussage „das sei nicht schlimm“ ist ein großer Irrtum. Abhängig von der Wucht und dem Winkel des Aufpralls, können Teile des Hüfthöckers frakturieren, kleinere oder größere Knochenteile absplittern und in das Gewebe gelangen. In manchen Fällen kommt es sogar zu Fissuren und Frakturen in den Beckenknochen. Solch schwere Verletzungen sind relativ selten, immer wird das Pferd aber mehr oder weniger massive Prellungen, Blockaden des Beckens und ein Trauma des Hüftgelenkes zurückbehalten.
Der Stoß schiebt den Hüfthöcker nach hinten, i.e. das Darmbein nach hinten-oben. Um größere Schäden an Muskeln/Bändern zu vermeiden, wird das Darmbein am Kreuzbein in dieser Position fixiert = Blockade im ISG, die sich binnen weniger Tage auch auf das Sakrum sowie den Übergang zwischen letztem LW und selbigem überträgt. Unbehandelt passt sich die Muskulatur der Fehlstellung an und wird asymmetrisch, woraus sich dann ein dauerhafter Beckenschiefstand entwickelt.
Durch das Verschieben des Beckenrings wird außerdem das Hüftgelenk quasi nach unten gedrückt und blockiert sich in der Folge fast immer, bewegt sich also nicht mehr adäquat. Häufig steht der Sitzbeinhöcker auf der betroffenen Seite dann tiefer und weiter innen als der auf der nicht betroffenen Seite. Durch die Fehlstellung im Hüftgelenk wird nun auch das Knie auf der betroffenen Seite überlastet. Häufig sind irreversible Meniskusschäden, Schäden an Fesselträgern oder Beugesehnen und Unreitbarkeit (ausführlich in „Zusammenhänge im Pferd“ oder "Reitsport" nachzulesen) das Endergebnis.
Ich finde, das ist alles andere als harmlos. ©Julie von Bismarck

Thursdays with Julie von Bismarck: Alleged trivialities...
Unfortunately, we often see horses being led into or out of stables in such a way that they bump their point of hip. First of all: It is not the horse's "clumsiness" that leads to these accidents. The horse cannot see the door frame at the moment it goes through. It is therefore exclusively the negligence of the person leading the horse that causes such incidents.
Secondly, the statement "it's just a trivial bump" is a big mistake. Depending on the force and angle of the impact, parts of the bone can fracture, smaller or larger pieces can splinter off and infiltrate the tissue. In some cases, there are even fissures and fractures in the pelvic bones. Such severe injuries are relatively rare, but the horse will always suffer from more or less massive bruises, blockages of the pelvis and trauma to the hip joint.
The impact pushes the point of hip backwards, i.e. the ilium backwards-upwards. To avoid major damage to the muscles/ligaments, the ilium will get fixed to the sacrum in this position = blockage in the ISG, which within a few days is also transferred to the sacrum and the transition between the last lumbar vertebrae and itself. If left untreated, the muscles adapt to the malposition and become asymmetrical, from which a permanent pelvic obliquity develops.
The shifting of the pelvic ring also pushes the hip joint downwards and as a result it is almost always blocked, i.e. it no longer moving adequately. Often the ischial tuberosity on the affected side is lower and further in than on the unaffected side. Due to the impairment of the hip joint, the stifle on the affected side is now also overloaded. Often irreversible meniscus damage, damage to the interosseus medius or flexor tendons and unrideability (to be read in detail in "Connections in the Horse") are the end result. I think this is anything but trivial. ©Julie von Bismarck

09/11/2021

I am no longer impressed ...

I am no longer impressed by how high someones horse can jump, I am not impressed by a horse’s dressage score or what their pedigrees are.

I am not even impressed by a horse going bitless, or liberty work or piaffes or Spanish walks or even if someone trains with food or a whip, heck I am not even impressed if someone doesn't even train with a whip or food. To be honest it doesn't tell me much and has absolute no value, to me atleast.

You know what I am impressed by ?
A horse doing something as basic as standing still and waiting, contently without frustration, fear or anger. I am impressed by training that will always allow the horse to "win", with a horse that is soo happy to be a part of the process. I am impressed by a horse that understand that they can say no and says no when they feel uncomfortable. I am impressed by people allowing their horses their most basic needs.

I am impressed by people who are open to learning about how to improve their horse's wellfare. People who want to educate themselves on their horse's hooves, ethology and wellbeing. I am impressed by people who have been willing to unlearn and to grow for the wellbeing of the horse.

I am impressed by willing, calm and positive training for both the horse and trainer. Everyone's goals are different it doesn't mean someone is a bad person if they do not share these values, that is 100% okay. But, there is much more to a "happy horse" then a shiny coat and the absence of physical abuse.

05/11/2021

Anatomical directions

30/05/2021

Beautiful, deep, heart talk...

A conversation with no agenda but to share space and ‘dance’ in the space of the known and unknown. Three wise horsewomen dedicated to the horse-human relati...