STILL DOWN UNDER
Aloha - Let me start off with apologies for the last Newsletter - After proof reading it- it went out - unfortunately, for some unknown technical reason that is way beyond this grumpy old man - the editing did not take so there were several typos - more than usual - hopefully this time around I will make up for it. Some of you perhaps did not even receive it as in the middle of transmission they said there was some fault occurring! Perhaps I should double the price of classes and have a Ghost do the newsletter - but then I would be just like all the other perfect people I am always bitching about. So I'll just keep on hammering it out with two fingers whenever I can and hope for the best - and trust that all of you - other than Ivana - will forgive me for all the typos. If you did not receive the last Newsletter please let me know and I will try to incorporate any of the news I did not re-cover in this newsletter later on down the road.
AUSTRALIA - Just arrived back in New Zealand after a 6am flight from Sydney this morning. We slept on a park bench outside Sydney Airport overnight. We had arrived at the airport at midnight returned our rental, and as checking in time was 3am we decided that we would just relax in the airport lounge. Alas they actually close the entire airport at 12 am and we were thrown out, and forced to sleep on a wooden bench surrounded by cigarette butts! Is that barbaric or what? So we are looking forward to our own bed tonight, and hopefully with no jet lag - that aside both Ivana and I had a marvelous time teaching at the Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga - an excellent facility, good lecture room and covered outdoor arena and plenty of horses with problems to work on. Thankfully no flies around on this course (although it poured down rain for three days straight) which made it so much more enjoyable. Janis Hobbs and Bruce Hindson did a first class job in coordinating the clinic and even although people traveled the width of the big brown island it was smooth running all the way. Sue Wyatt who has recovered from her badly broken leg dropped in and took the class, as did our new Tutor and Trainee Instructor Julie Woodward, so the Level 3 students got the best support possible at the practical level. One thing I would like to mention, and that is how very proud I am of the current ET Instructor Team in Australia - the standard of their students was excellent and for both Ivana and myself it was extremely satisfying to see the way their proteges were turning out, and the way the Australian team is now working in full harmony with each other, showing to everyone that there is no room for "I' in Team. "Team mates complete one another, not compete with each other!" Quote: John C. Maxwell "21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leaders Day"
DISSECTION CLINIC - As mentioned in the last newsletter - as a result of inquiries we will be holding another full horse dissection clinic at Lincoln University in Christchurch on the 30th April and the 1st and 2nd of May. The cost for the clinic will be NZ$800 per head and for those who wish to repeat this class it will be half price $400. This time we will be once again trying to complete a DVD of the clinic. The filming done by Janice at the last class was excellent, however, and I am certain all of you amateur Cecil B De Mile's who suffer from migraines will understand, the compatibility of each program with another is sometimes like the War of the Roses and so we are still trying to work out exactly how to edit 16 hours of filming down to a playable DVD. janice.clyma@xtra.co.nz
OK, the dates which went out in the last N/L for Tauranga were wrong. I will be holding a Level 1 and Level 2 symposium at Denyse's on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 23rd, 24th, 25th April. If the last clinic held there was anything to go by this next one should be a great one also. JOCK'S WORKING SURGERY As I will be living in the Whangarei (apart from teaching trips) area through until mid May so I will be available to work on horses. If anyone has a horse or horses that they would like me to work with then please contact me by e mail: equinetouchinc@aol.com or phone 09 4360911. HUMAN BODYWORK SURGERY I have also built a Human Bodywork and Hypnotherapy clinic at our new house and both Ivana and myself are available to work on humans and dogs at our place. Once again just call or drop us an Email. equinetouchinc@aol.com or phone 09 4360911. |
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April 10 and 11- 'Connected Riding' with Trisha Wren Cost for the 2 days with horse $200 Auditors are welcome: fee $35 per day. |
ET are proud to endorse and present this Connected Riding Clinic with Trisha Wren at the Whangarei City Riding Center. This is a clinic that all caring horse riders, amateur or professional should not miss. The numbers are strictly limited to allow for individual attention, so early confirmation is essential. To book your spot contact Jock be e mail at equinetouchinc@aol.com or phone 09 4360911. or 09 4360911 - the places are going fast so book now. |
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April 23, 24, 25 - Level 1 and Level 2 Tauranga at Denyse Cambie's - with Jock |
Once again the inimitable Denyse is hosting another clinic on our behalf on top of the mountain. The quality of hospitality and hosting is excellent and is a real family and team building exercise as well as an ET learning experience. Contact Denyse at: denyse.cambie@trustpower.co.nz for full details. |
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April 30, May 1 and 2 - DissectionWhole Horse Functional Clinic with Ivana |
Yes it is on! - A Whole Horses Dissection Clinic at Lincoln University, Christchurch. Fee $800. To confirm your place contact Janice Clyma at- janice.clyma@xtra.co.nz - Get in early with your bookings as numbers, to allow for maximum learning and participation, are strictly limited. Repeating students half price $400. |
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May 7, 8, 9, Level 1 - Whangarei at the Whangarei City Riding Centre - with Jock |
This is a new venue for us and will give the Northlanders a chance to attend an Equine Touch Clinic without having to travel down the island. For information and bookings contact Jock: Email: equinetouchinc@aol.com or phone 09 4360911 This will be our last clinic in New Zealand until we return in November for Equitana. |
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WE LEAVE NEW ZEALAND FOR THE NORTH ON THE 13TH MAY |
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New Tutor and Trainee Instructor Ivana and I are proud to officially welcome Julie Woodward to our all new ET Tutor/Instructor training program down under. Julie has been with us now for the past four years and has attended just about every clinic we have held in Australia as well as assisting us at Equitana two years ago. Her technique and approach to ET and indeed VHT is excellent and she is a welcome new addition to our Australian team. Contact Julie on: julieb.woodward@optusnet.com.au
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March 9, 10, 11, 12 VIC VHT Foundation Clinic - with Jock
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On this clinic students will be taught Modules 1, 2, 3, 4 which is recognized as the Foundation VHT course. the coordinator is Susan Wyatt please contact her for all final details relating to venue, cost, local accommodation etc. naturalsavvy@iprimus.com.au |
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March 11, 12 VIC - VHT Advanced Clinic - with Jock |
On this clinic students will be taught Modules 5,6 which is recognized as the Advanced VHT course. the coordinator is Susan Wyatt please contact her for all final details relating to venue, etc. naturalsavvy@iprimus.com.au |
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March 13th - VIC - VHT Family and Friends - One Day - with Jock |
This is the first time that VHT for Family and Friends has been taught in Australia. Normally a two day clinic it is taught to VHT and ET students over one day and is the ideal wholistic address to apply to the human body taking only 6 - 7 minutes to complete once attaining timing and proficiency. please contact Sue for all final details relating to venue, etc. naturalsavvy@iprimus.com.au |
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March 14th VIC - ET - Prescription and Layering One Day only with Jock |
This one day master class will now be held in the Melbourne area due to several requests from students and practitioners. This one day clinic is open to Level 3 and Level 4 students and is not be missed as it is the first one held on the East Coast and the last one to be held in in Oz this year.equinetouch@hotkey.net.au. |
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April 9, 10, 11 WA Boddington -ET Foundation Clinic and Intermediate, L1 and L2 with Jock |
A new venue in WA, which I am looking forward to visiting. Please let all your friends in this area know that the clinic is scheduled and will of course be the last one that I will be holding on the West Coast until we return to Australia in November for Equitana. the coordinator is Linda Dix: mitchelldrafting@hotmail.com |
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Full Body Shake: It was very early in my Equine Bodyworker career, in fact it was on the very first ET clinic where I was teaching vets from all over Europe, that I learned this technique. On the clinic was DVM Gernot Gaggle from Austria who's clients include the White Stallions of the Spanish Riding School. Gernot is not only a qualified vet but is also qualified in Equine Acupuncture, homeopathy, and chiropractic. He had examined the demonstration horse before I worked on it. I noticed him playing around with the horses mane, just above the withers. After I had completed the demonstration he started playing with the hairs again, all of a sudden the horse started to twitch, flinch, and then all of a sudden did a complete body shake from top to tail. So I learned at that time that a horse which has no back problems is capable of completing a full body shake. Think, how many horses do you see rolling and on standing are able to shake their head and neck only? If the shake stops at the withers then a compromise is usually associated at that area. The shake appears to stop at the point of concern. So the shake will have two purposes, one to apply a complete kinetic skeletal vibration which allows the entire horses skeleton to realign (no chiropractic adjustment can compete with a full body shake), and two, to reveal where a spinal compromise may exist, so that further work may be contemplated or subsequent sessions prescribed to help the horse address this problem. There are several methods which I use to to effect the shake. In this newsletter we will discuss the simple one - The hair tug - place your hand on the crest just in front of the withers and look for a small notch - at this pont select one hair - start to tug it gently - watch for a twitch and awareness in the horse - locate another single hair in the same area and repeat - continue to repeat until the horse starts to shake - and then allow the full shake if one will happen. It is often doubtful that this technique will work on cold bloods who will just look at you with disdain. On the other hands many thoroughbreds or arabs will explode quite quickly - they are sometimes so sensitive that just wiggling your fingers immediately above that spot will induce a shake - as will some types of magnets. There is another method, but we teach that only on level 3 as it requires a degree of expertise and unless trained to apply it, should not be contemplated. |
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The Equine Touch Foundation is proud to announce that following constructive debate at the FEI round-table conference at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne on the 9th of February, the consensus of the group was that any head and neck position achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable. The group redefined hyperflexion/Rollkur as flexion of the horse’s neck achieved through aggressive force, which is therefore unacceptable. The technique known as Low, Deep and Round (LDR), which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable. The group unanimously agreed that any form of aggressive riding must be sanctioned. The FEI will establish a working group, headed by Dressage Committee Chair Frank Kemperman, to expand the current guidelines for stewards to facilitate the implementation of this policy. The group agreed that no changes are required to the current FEI Rules. Lets keep the world a nicer place for horses by using our voices in unison so that they resonate throughout the entire horse world. Now all we have to work on all the rest -starting horses too young would be a good one to start with! |
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Q: Jock, what exactly do you mean by Equine Bodywork Horsemanship©? |
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A: This is is going to sound fudgy, but while I know exactly what I mean by the term, it is at present still extremely hard to put down in words in a definitive manner. The premise of my research and foundation of the work is based upon this statement which came into my mind last week "Use the words of the masters to unlock the wisdom of your own mind". So in trying to find the correct interpretation and protocol of EBH© which I may pass on to others, I am studying the words of the masters so that I can build or create an simple dogma that Equine Bodyworkers can understand. The true secret of EBH© lies within the practitioner, internally, not externally. |
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Morehei Ueshiba the creator of Aikido said " Learning this or that technique, what use can that be, just cut right to the heart of things and learn about yourself'. EBH© is not about about physically following someone's training methods, it is about you working in with a horse to help it find harmony, homeostasis and health and so the physical psychology is nowhere nearly as important at the psychological psychology. The answers are in the words of the masters, not the followers, for they too are only applying their own interpretations of the masters words. We have only got to look at the quotes used within the horse world and attributed to the Dorrance Brothers Ray Hunt and Xenephon and apply them to helping the horse rather than training it and we will find the answers. Hopefully over the next few weeks I will be able to complete a treasure chest of these words of wisdom, not just from the horse world, which will allow me to help you understand just what I mean by Equine Bodywork Horsemanship©.
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AUSTRALIA WRAP UP: Let me wrap up this newsletter by thanking all of the practitioners, and students throughout the big island for the support that they have given to Equine Touch, by supplying their information after the misappropriation of our data base. Thanks to Bruce Hindson in Victoria who has taken over the role of ETF Data Base Custodian we are back on track and ET family and team work are now the order of the day. The Australian Newsletter under janis Hobbs has gone through a first class transformation. The ANZET Newsletter (Australia and New Zealand Equine Touch Newsletter) will now go out regularly to all students and practitioners down under. If you are not receiving this publication contact Janis Hobbs at equinetouch@hotkey.net.au. Also please contact Janis with any stories that you would like to have published to let your peers know interesting cases. This local newsletter is extremely important to keep everyone down under informed and up to date when Ivana and i leave and put our spotlights on different countries and continents. We now have a few weeks at home before I head once again back to Australia for a week of teaching VHT, so if you have any questions or stories you would like to feature in the upcoming newsletters, just drop me a line. Till next time - Keep Touching Aloha - Jock
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