So based on the conversation do you feel that you got your money’s worth with this AC/she seems legit?
I’ll admit to being on the more skeptical but try to keep an open mind side of the spectrum. It does seem like a lot of what she related coincided with things that happened. But on the other hand, doesn’t seem like she was really able to give you an answer to your ultimate burning question.
Did you happen to ask her to “ask” Ella to relate what was going on at the specific moments when she stopped? Or was your question more generally worded?
Well, she has never had any issues with footing - hard or soft. She has competed pretty extensively at the lower levels; a number of different venues, different conditions, different footing (and I ride in and out of the ring at home - though I am very judicious about working her when the ground is hard and do a LOT of walking!)
She has very good, hard feet (her dam has exceptional feet; I competed her up to Prelim barefoot, and she has been barefoot for 25 of her 27 years) - Ella’s feet aren’t as good, but she has great horn and good sole depth.
No issues with landing off jumps; ears pricked, always. No silliness (well, let me amend that to silliness only during the first 2 or 3 schoolings after her 2 month winter vacation , but after a few “shakedown cruises” she chills out and is her usual workmanlike self.) She knows her job and is pretty much the same horse wherever she goes (and jumps.)
An example: the venue where she stopped at fences 1 and 2 on the x-country course (after calming popping over the x-country warmup jumps) had nice soft footing at the HT. I took her back 2 or 3 weeks later and the footing was hard and dry in comparison - she easily and willingly jumped the fences she had stopped at with no hesitation, no issues.
I do pack Magic Cushion in her hooves after a competition or schooling on hard ground. She has had her feet x-rayed: good sole depth, no NPA, etc.
I’m planning to do another x-country schooling this upcoming weekend at a different venue and will again “take her temperature” - the previous venue (where I retired then went back to do a schooling) offers lessons/clinics with Stephen Bradley 2 or 3 times a month (I’ve done several of these in the past) so I’ll sign up again for one of those so I can pick his brain a bit
I definitely got more from this AC - and a good bit seemed spot on.
Yes - there was more I wanted to ask her but my dang dog seemed to take up a lot of time at the beginning of the call!
Question was yes, more generally worded; the AC seemed to think it was “mental/emotional” - and knowing my mare as I do I would agree with that.
Example: when doing SJ warmup at HTs, her reaction to the whole situation is completely dependent on the “energy and atmosphere” of the warmup ring. She walks to the warmup ring on a long rein, floppy ears, relaxed - then when she gets there and “surveys the scene” - she has one of two reactions.
IF the warmup area is full of pros or experienced ammies who are relaxed, business as usual, schooling appropriately (meaning NOT doing 20 jumps and YeeHa-ing around) she goes in, warms up like a good little Doo-bee and into the ring for her round, a little machine.
OTOH, if there are a bunch of tense, anxious riders chasing their horses around and galloping, galloping, jumping, jumping, leaving from long spots, crashing through the jumps, etc. - she becomes overwrought - head flipping, stopping in her tracks, tense and emotional - has even stopped at the tiny X in warmup! , and when I do try to calmly get her over some fences she overjumps (a rarity for her because she is an “energy saving WB”) and only chills out when she is finally!! by herself in the competition ring. (In those cases I take her into a corner, do a lot of soothing and wither scratching, lots of walking and bending and little transitions, then wait for an “opening” so I can do 4 or 5 fences; she rarely needs more than that.)
Her dam was terrible in warmup - for all phases. I think it stemmed from her being a total Alpha - and she felt as though she “couldn’t control” the other horses in warmup as she was able to in turnout. She would spook and do mini-bolts when horses got near her - so I had to do the absolute minimum to get her ready to go into the competition ring. I would often warm up in the grass parking lot if I could - and just go into jump warmup to do 3 or 4 jumps, then into the main ring (where she was fine.)
I remember one memorable time at the AECs when they were in NC - the x-country warmup area was full of tense riders and galloping horses (which she reacted to immediately) so I warmed her up in this HUGE field. Amusingly, there was one other horse doing this as well - a stallion who was in my division.
(I was able to get enough done and pop into warmup when it was less crowded - do a few jumps, then into the start box where of course she was fine! ALL of my event horses have stood flat-footed and relaxed in the start box as we are counted down; my DH always gets a picture of this “for posterity.”)
We wound up tied for 7th place with the aforementioned stallion! Because I was on a mare, they had him go first to collect the ribbon after the victory gallop.
So yeah - they are both emotional critters, but as long as they are alone they are/were great, consistent competitors.
I am certainly willing to consult another AC. The one mentioned (Nancy) is reasonable - but I do have one concern: might she be reading this thread? If so, she has a lot of information on Ms Mare and so it would likely influence her responses…
It’s interesting to me that all of these animal communicators are women. The only animal communicator I have used was 30 years ago and was called “Indian Fred”. Anyone remember him?
I have used one a few times. I was super skeptical but was at the end of my rope and prepared to set money on fire if it came back helpful. My horse had been at my vets for the summer being treated for laminitis. I told the AC none of this. The FIRST thing she said he told her was “his foot feels better”. I had said NOTHING about any of this. Was nothing on my FB page. There was no explanation for what she told me. I am a believer. Reluctantly. And I don’t tell many people I do it now and then…
I talked to Penelope Smith years ago, and it was a pretty amazing experience. Several in my barn had called her, and they had fun stories, so I called her, too. This was in the dark ages, no Google searches or endless info online, and it was all over the phone. No photos sent, no descriptions. I purposely just told her my horse’s barn name, but no other information. Deep breathing on her end for a few seconds and the first thing she said was “Oh, he’s got a blue eye”. He was a Paint gelding with one blue eye. I got chills and sat up a little straighter!
Everything she said was dead on. I had changed his barn name when we bought him for our son. I asked if they care at all. More deep breathing, then she said “He knows you call him Rocky, and he’s good with it. But he really did prefer to be called ‘Big Boy’”, which was the name he came with. I called him Big Boy when handling him after that, although everyone else called him Rocky. After a couple of years our son switched from horses to football and I took over riding Rocky. I asked what Rocky thought about that. “He’s okay with it. He likes you fine. But he really feels like he was put on the earth to take care of kids, so if kids can ride him every now and then it would be good.” And he “really liked the little girl with the long brown hair who would jump up and down in front of his stall”.
My daughter was 3, had waist length brown hair, and she would jump up and down whenever she saw him.
There are more examples, but I came away feeling like some communicators are definitely legit.
We have a Reiki practitioner that has a knack for AC. She was just out today and one of the main questions I wanted to ask was how does Charlie seem to be feeling in his body? (3 weeks into a 3 month treatment for chronic Lyme that has been an issue for 4 years). His answer was that “I worry too much about how he feels, it’s nothing he can’t handle, and he will tell me if he isn’t feeling up to something.” He did that the last time he had a flare. We were at a creek crossing, that was a down-step into the creek, and normally he wouldn’t think too much of it. I negotiated with him for a bit and ultimately decided we were done and wasn’t going to fight him. Next morning, big flare. I was SO glad I didn’t get after him how I might have that day.
She also said he wants to try blueberries, and that I need to make sure I’m getting enough electrolytes. And he asked her if we were going to do mounted archery or shooting! I said I wasn’t thinking about it, but we have been working on riding much more from my seat and legs while using the neckrope. So maybe that’s something we try. I think a super soaker might be fun to play around with
I may give some thought to one the AC’s recommended here too. There’s absolutely been a few times where she’s gotten something from him that she couldn’t have known about but it would be cool to see the feedback from someone different too.
I had appointments with 2 of the communicators recommended on this thread and had positive experiences with both.
They both picked up on similar things which I found interesting. Particularly, they both commented on a very specific area of tightness in his body and that he’s had some back discomfort from poor saddle fit (which on first glance - duh, of course!). But both had the same details about the previous saddle(s) that they would have had no way of knowing.
I was hoping they could shed more light on some hind end soreness issues; he didn’t say anything was hurting him other than his back had been sore but he didn’t comment on the parts of the body that had been recently tended to. I wonder if the back soreness was the root cause of the hind end discomfort and now that we’ve resolved that and done some maintenance, we’re good?
They both shared funny things he thinks and knowing him, I’m sure he believes what he told them. And also some very sweet things about how much he loves his momma (my daughter) but I feel like they would all say that. Kinda like saying every baby is beautiful
I had a great experience with Nancy today. I have been curious about trying animal communication for a while, but I am also extremely skeptical, especially about the idea of a “remote connection” where they don’t ever see the animal in person. I always tell myself it must be a scam, they just Google you and mine your social media, etc. But I was curious and Nancy’s fees are more than reasonable, so I thought, why not? She asked for the horse’s name, age, and breed, and a photo. I sent her a very generic photo where he wasn’t being super expressive. I also never post any photos or videos of myself riding online, and the only thing I have ever posted online about him (on this forum) was one specific issue that we have been working on for a long time now. Nancy mentioned another totally different, very specific issue that we just identified last week and are working on - I have never posted anything about this anywhere online, and only even mentioned it to my trainer in passing. Nancy described it to a T - not like, oh sort of close, but down to the location, side, and cause that was just identified. That to me was really amazing. The main thing I wanted to know was what his life before I got him was like, and she shared some things that totally track with his personality and small quirks. It also gave me some ideas of some bodywork type things to try for him that he seemed to enjoy today. So if you are on the fence, I would say to give it a try!
She’s really on the money. I’m very scientifically minded and not very “woo woo,” but she sold me. She knew some things that she just couldn’t have known.
, but after a few “shakedown cruises” she chills out and is her usual workmanlike self.) She knows her job and is pretty much the same horse wherever she goes (and jumps.)
, and when I do try to calmly get her over some fences she overjumps (a rarity for her because she is an “energy saving WB”) and only chills out when she is finally!! by herself in the competition ring. (In those cases I take her into a corner, do a lot of soothing and wither scratching, lots of walking and bending and little transitions, then wait for an “opening” so I can do 4 or 5 fences; she rarely needs more than that.)
