The following comments were written by attendees of The Sentient Herd workshop held in November, 2007.
As a horse owner, rider, and Therapeutic Riding Instructor, The Sentient Herd provided the next level of awareness to understanding horses and myself in a more intimate way. Learning about biomechanics of movement in the horse, herd behavior, stallion behavior, and reflective riding to create a more harmonious riding partnership were just some of the material experienced. Much individual attention was received from Shelley Rosenberg and Cathy Huddleston, Head Trainers and Advanced Epona Approved Instructors and of course, Linda Kohanov, author and creator of Epona Equestrian Services. This week of learning continues to provide me with the knowledge and understanding of the horse/human connection. The experiences hold strong as my own journey into this amazing work progresses.
Lori Cohen
Wadsworth, IL
The Sentient Herd Workshop is THE workshop for horse lovers!!! I have participated in many riding clinics and attended one- and two-week horsemanship courses from well-known clinicians, but this is by far the most all-encompassing course I have taken. Linda, Shelley, and Cathy have combined their talents and skills to make this learning experience exciting and fun for all levels of horsemen. Quality riding instruction and development of ground skills, availability of horses with various levels of training/backgrounds, training demonstrations, and individual attention from the instructors allowed me to progress in ALL areas of my horsemanship. I was amazed at how much I learned in such a short period of time at such a relaxed pace!!! Accommodations on-site allowed for our education to continue in casual conversations over dinner, viewing DVDs in the evenings, or while hiking around the property amongst the horses. Yoga classes each day allowed time for stretching and reflection and enhanced the experience even more! If you can travel to Sonoita only once next year, I would highly recommend coming for this workshop!!!
Lori Ulloa
Tyler, TX
The Sentient Herd workshop was a wonderful experience! Linda, Shelley, and Cathy have created an incredible collaborative, learning and healing environment at the Epona Ranch. All of us (participants) had a wide variety of experience and backgrounds with horses and they were able to address all our needs and learning objectives. We all left the workshop with new skills to take home and start using with our horses and/or our clients. I would highly recommend this workshop for anyone interested in expanding their horse riding abilities and/or integrating Epona techniques into working with horses and people.
Wendy DeCamp
Rockford, MN
It is often said one must walk a mile in another’s shoes to appreciate and/or understand life from someone else’s perspective. This is also true with horses (albeit metal shoes).
The horse’s place in the world has mostly been viewed as one of service to the human. The majority of the time, the horse may seemingly comply but be sad, disconnected, bored or in some cases, rude or aggressive. Then we hear stories of horses and people who seem to have a special bond, where the horse and human are so close and the trust is obvious. BOTH beings are willing to be there for the other and a sense of harmony is established. This is not necessarily horse “whispering”. Rather it is horse “listening”.
And while many of the humans in the world love their horses, there is often a miscommunication or misinterpretation of what a horse really needs or is saying. People project their wishes onto the horse or do what someone else has told them they should do – instead of listening to their own bodies and their horse.
In the Sentient Herd workshop we learned ways to actually understand a horse’s needs from the horses’ point of view. We learn that they, like humans, need their own personal space. Some need a lot of personal space, others need just a little. Horses like to have a say in the work that is being done beyond just running around in a circle or carrying a passenger. And like people, each horse may learn differently. By finding out the best way a child learns, the teacher can accommodate the needs to facilitate better comprehension. Same with horses – whether it’s the human or the horse as the teacher, a common language must be established so both can understand. By looking at the world through the horses’ eyes, we gain a better understanding of their needs. This results in happier horses and ultimately, a happier human – with safety being enhanced three fold.
By the same token, we must be aware of what we are saying, what signals our bodies might be putting out there for a horse to pick up, or even what kind of energy we feel that day (excited, sad, tired, etc). We must be focused and aware of what we are saying both verbally, non-verbally and energetically. We don’t necessarily have to change it – but be aware of it and understand that it can add to the understanding of what the horse may “hear” from us.
The Sentient Herd workshop is unique in that it allows for exploration of different learning styles of both the human and the horse and encourages a relationship to develop between the two species. The horse is allowed to have input and ideas and is a partner where he/she sometimes takes the lead, sometimes follows and sometimes mutual ideas arise together. By respecting a horse’s boundaries, energetic, intuitive and emotional input, it becomes a better experience for all. This is the fascinating world of inter-species communication and what the Sentient Herd workshop taps into.
My favorite example from the workshop was when I was in a round pen with a horse named Max. We were learning new ways to free lunge where the human is an active participant in the exercise instead of standing in the middle giving orders. At the end of the session, Max nickered to me in a way that I am certain was genuine appreciation for working WITH him. It is clear that he enjoyed the experience as much as I did and we became great partners throughout the workshop whenever we were together for other exercises.
There is so much more to learn. A five-day workshop only scratched the surface of the potential of learning from these magnificent four-legged teachers – and Epona staff are certainly wonderful interpreters and encouragers of exploring this language from a genuine and authentic place for both human and horse.
Heather Taylor
Columbia, MD
Click here to go back to The Sentient Herd workshop description screen.