Spookiness and Tension in the Body: A Two-Way Street.

It's commonly accepted that tension in the mind creates tension in the body, but did you know that tension in the body can create tension in the mind?

Picture this scenario: you're riding your horse, on a quiet sunny day. You're on a familiar path the horse been down countless times with no problems, but today for some reason the head comes up, the ears go forward, the eyes begin to bulge, they give a big snort and then before you know it, the horse under you is twisting their body in athletic ways you didn't know they could, to get away from something.

The something? A suspicious looking bush they've ridden past half a dozen times.

It seems ridiculous to you because you know they haven't had a problem going past this bush before. So why is the bush horse-eating-shaped today?

The answer could lie in their body. If a horse is feeling high levels of tension, or unstable in their body it puts them on alert. They start looking for the reason for this feeling and suddenly that bush that has never caused an issue before is too terrifying to ride past.

I recently touched on this whilst doing a talk at a local pony club and one of the mothers shared her experience that after giving birth, she felt unstable in her body and that made her more stressed. I thought this was a fantastic example of how the body affects the mind.

This is where bodywork can help, during the session the horse's body is encouraged to release high levels of tension in the muscles and reset the base tone of soft tissue to a lower level. It will release blocks in the physical body, so that the energy can move through them, rather than getting stuck in the tissues which build until there's an explosion (eg spooking). Bodywork will also help an unstable body come back towards balance so they can feel secure again.

I have several horses on my books that since receiving regular treatments their owners have noticed a marked difference in their confidence levels.

So, if you're dealing with a spooky horse or your quiet trusted mount has suddenly turned into a fire breathing dragon it might be time to get the bodyworker out.

Images from istock.