A Soft Focus

A Soft Focus

Recently I have been riding without wearing my contacts to the barn.  Within a few days I realized that having such blurring vision can be an advantage. This may sound funny but it felt similar to a blind person that learns to fine tune their other senses to compensate for the loss of vision. Now I know I’m not blind and my vision is still a sense that I consider important while riding, but, what was different?   I always try to feel into my body and my horse while I’m riding, but it seemed easier and maybe even enhanced.  I became more aware of any areas of tension in my body.  Knowing full well that if my lower back was tense so was my horse’s.  In my canter depart I felt  a subtle shifts forward in my upper body which inhibited my horse from using her hind end to engage first.  Being connected to my own body then allowed me easy access into my horses body and my surroundings at the same time.  The ride became more fluid, relaxed and we were perceiving more as one.  It was a deeper level of connection in the saddle.

This soft focus is an exercise that I teach in my animal communication class. Soft focus will help you to think and feel  “with” the animal instead of looking “at” the animal.  Looking at an animal or person with direct focus can be stressful for both predator and prey.  Horses being prey animals have eyes that tend to be more towards the side of their heads.  This best enhances their survival giving them a greater range of vision.  Similar to the larger field of vision and greater awareness of my surroundings that I experience without my contacts.  Looking with the horse can be used as a building block in developing oneness with your horse on the ground and also in the saddle.  When we are riding them, they give control and trust up to us. In order to create safety and security for the horse we must see through their eyes, not our eyes.  Look and feel from the horse’s  perspective.  They are offering us a gift into their world. It will help you develop an increased awareness of your surroundings , your body and your horses.