It was fascinating to work with Camilles’ herd with the head collar and engage in the ceremony of that energetically, and the ‘whole herd’ engagement, acknowledgement, and release.
I had already carried out energetic sessions with Chocolate and Querida (the two pony’s in the photograph) around engaging with the head collar in a way that was therapeutic, slow, and at their pace, and these had some success, but so far I hadn’t carried out a herd connection with the head collar.
When I got back from Camille’s farm we took the head collars out to the herd to see what would happen, and were told in no uncertain terms that there was still work to do.
Firstly engaging with Neige and the head collar showed up a bit more of her inability to say ‘no’, but again showing her that she could, gave her another release in this area, and after processing that for a while she came back into a show of physical enjoyment of the head collar.
Then Risada showed me that I had some deep seated anger issues to deal with (she is my emotional mirror) before she would consider being nice about any equipment.
So, I left the head collar for a while, and went back to considering grooming and looking at the grooming equipment with the same ceremony and understanding as the head collar. But, the herd took me even further back. They ignored any intention I had with connecting with the grooming equipment, or the act of grooming, but asked me to consider engaging in touch.
This is interesting because this is about engaging in a physical activity without an agenda – without asking them to stand still, or move backwards, or be groomed, or have something done to them. Being physical in the present. Understanding how deep to touch with energy, where to touch the body, and where there is a little more sensitivity, feeling safe and secure in the physical environment, not only in energetic connection which can be at more of a distance. Risada loved a more physical connection, asking in a softer way for me to stay physically attached to her. Timmy enjoyed a level of attention physically but is very sensitive to the depth of energy that goes with the touch. Chocolate came in for a withers hug, and Neige for a scratch and hug.
Querida, though, put up a lot of boundaries. It felt like she is happy with touching and scratching and grooming as long as it is not around her food. She defends her food and I feel there is a barrier or boundary there to explore at a later date.
I think for me this was the first time I have really relaxed into and enjoyed understanding the physical interactions with the herd, feeling safe in their environment, feeling ‘seen’ by each of them, not needing to feel like I should be aware of their physical moving of each other. They moved around me, respected my safe place, and we were tethered to nothing but the present moment.