Reducing Bullycide Rate
One of the basic principles for YEEHAAA is using a Beginner’s Mind, the S.T.E.A.M. modules
and the inspiration of analogy. Students began to build a personal re-connection, trust, respecting
differences, and relationships. Interacting with these inspiring animals brought personal
empowerment, self-awareness and experiences that will reminisce throughout their life.
and the inspiration of analogy. Students began to build a personal re-connection, trust, respecting
differences, and relationships. Interacting with these inspiring animals brought personal
empowerment, self-awareness and experiences that will reminisce throughout their life.
Wisdom from the Horses
Since I was no longer engaged in the assigned task, I went to the facilitator and asked what to do. She just asked me
what my heart told me to do. What did the horse want me to do? What would I do if it were a friend in the hospital or very
sick? This new learning took me not only back to that horse, to attend and care for him, but to my knees the rest of the
day and into the next, as I finally faced my own demons and began the healing process.
Today, I get it. There is wisdom from working with the horses. These magnificent animals are teaching me how to listen
so I can understand. They are teaching me how to trust others and be myself and see myself through the eyes of
someone else. I am learning how to find connection in society, and more important, I am starting to heal the wounds that
have kept me captive in my own soul. It is reaching out to embrace the world with compassion and respecting who you
are as well as who I am. Boundaries are also part of life and living. As we worked with the horses and were given tasks,
there were boundaries to help with safety for all, including the horses. In using the tools we were given, I learned about
all of these aspects of relationship and how they relate to my past, the here and now, and what I can do to be better
equipped for my world and my future. I am indeed grateful to have this experience and the love of those who provided
a way of healing and learning what life has not offered in my past. Thank you.
Today, I finally began to see the bigger picture of what our time with the horses all meant. It was not about trying to
control an animal to do tasks set up by someone, and following directions to accomplish the deeds given. It was not
to get these magnificent creatures to follow our instructions. It wasn’t about subjecting others to do what we wanted
them to do. It was about learning trust, communication, respect, connection, and for me the most significant part was
healing. Healing from wounds that were carried around for years, from others and myself, that distorted my view of others.
control an animal to do tasks set up by someone, and following directions to accomplish the deeds given. It was not
to get these magnificent creatures to follow our instructions. It wasn’t about subjecting others to do what we wanted
them to do. It was about learning trust, communication, respect, connection, and for me the most significant part was
healing. Healing from wounds that were carried around for years, from others and myself, that distorted my view of others.
I learned that we all come with our own agenda. We have our own perceptions and interpretation of the world around us.
Each individual hears instructions differently, and sometimes the outcome is not what is expected. Through the tasks
given, I learned how I perceived and interpreted what instructions were given. My inkling was that I was to complete the
given task and follow the orders I was given. I learned how controlling I am as I would try to get my horse to obey my
demands. I soon got frustrated because the horse was not following my instructions and I couldn’t tell what the horse was
saying to me. I lacked the communication skills to identify what was happening. The facilitator gave the task and we were
to decide what was wanted. When I stumbled in trying to figure out how to control my horse, I was just given a question
to help me see what I should do. I also received some suggestions from the other participants. Some things worked,
but my mind just kept the negative things so I continued being frustrated.
Each individual hears instructions differently, and sometimes the outcome is not what is expected. Through the tasks
given, I learned how I perceived and interpreted what instructions were given. My inkling was that I was to complete the
given task and follow the orders I was given. I learned how controlling I am as I would try to get my horse to obey my
demands. I soon got frustrated because the horse was not following my instructions and I couldn’t tell what the horse was
saying to me. I lacked the communication skills to identify what was happening. The facilitator gave the task and we were
to decide what was wanted. When I stumbled in trying to figure out how to control my horse, I was just given a question
to help me see what I should do. I also received some suggestions from the other participants. Some things worked,
but my mind just kept the negative things so I continued being frustrated.
Each trip to “the Barn” gave me more hope in accomplishing my goals of connecting and being persistent in learning.
It took me awhile to learn that it wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about finishing the given tasks. It was about learning how to
trust and looking at how others view things and working together to meet a goal. The tasks were not to show I could be
obeyed or I could obey. They were designed to help me understand how to trust and learn to communicate and be
respectful. I was finding connection with the horse, along with the others I worked with.
It took me awhile to learn that it wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about finishing the given tasks. It was about learning how to
trust and looking at how others view things and working together to meet a goal. The tasks were not to show I could be
obeyed or I could obey. They were designed to help me understand how to trust and learn to communicate and be
respectful. I was finding connection with the horse, along with the others I worked with.
As I watched the other students, I began to observe the differences in our perception and interpretation of the tasks. I saw the difficulties in working together when we all had separate ideas on how to proceed. For myself, it was difficult for me to stay involved with the others and my agenda seemed to be that I wanted to do my own thing. I was trying to work with a particular horse and wanted to learn from that horse. It made me realize how I isolate and misunderstand cues that would help me relate to another being. I missed the point of the exercises until I was asked, by the facilitator, what the horse was trying to tell me. She gave suggestions of what to look for. It wasn’t about finishing a task. It was about knowing how to connect and bring trust by communication and respecting another being.
When I stopped trying to just complete a task, and actually tried to understand the horse, I felt more success and more compassion and connection. Our last assignment was to put all the horses into a “gratitude box” and have them go out the other end and into the barn, for grooming. We started out as a team, trying to get the horses into the box we had created. We were successful with the first horse, but after that, the other horses became more difficult and our pursuit turned to different tactics. While the other two people tried working with another horse, I went to the paint that I had been working with for the last few weeks. As I tried to get the paint to follow me, I recognized that his foot had been hurt and he wore duct tape to help it heal. I no longer wanted to pursue the task we were given, but I wanted to soothe the paint. As I put my hand on his nose I noticed he also had a wound above his eye and he kept closing the eye and fidgeting with his legs. I knew he was not feeling well, so I spent my time talking gently to him and rubbing his nose and forehead.
Since I was no longer engaged in the assigned task, I went to the facilitator and asked what to do. She just asked me
what my heart told me to do. What did the horse want me to do? What would I do if it were a friend in the hospital or very
sick? This new learning took me not only back to that horse, to attend and care for him, but to my knees the rest of the
day and into the next, as I finally faced my own demons and began the healing process.
Today, I get it. There is wisdom from working with the horses. These magnificent animals are teaching me how to listen
so I can understand. They are teaching me how to trust others and be myself and see myself through the eyes of
someone else. I am learning how to find connection in society, and more important, I am starting to heal the wounds that
have kept me captive in my own soul. It is reaching out to embrace the world with compassion and respecting who you
are as well as who I am. Boundaries are also part of life and living. As we worked with the horses and were given tasks,
there were boundaries to help with safety for all, including the horses. In using the tools we were given, I learned about
all of these aspects of relationship and how they relate to my past, the here and now, and what I can do to be better
equipped for my world and my future. I am indeed grateful to have this experience and the love of those who provided
a way of healing and learning what life has not offered in my past. Thank you.
Esther Merritt Manning, May 29, 2018
Poetry
Teaching of a Horse
I do not speak your language, yet, you teach me.
I am learning when you trust
By watching your ears bend forward
And head bow down as you walk beside me.
I am learning the boundaries you have
By watching how you react to the brush
As I try to smooth the coat of your nose,
And I learn to respect what and who you are and those boundaries.
Communication comes from language only the body tells.
By listening with my heart
We connect to form a bond of understanding.
Because of teachings of a horse
I can embrace my world and learn compassion.
Esther Merritt Manning, May 30, 2018
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