A lot has happened since our last post here. For starters, Emma bought another horse in the early Spring. Her name is Emmy.  

Great Big Teddy Bear!

She is a great BIG lovable sweetheart. Emmy and Freedom have become best of friends. I’ll let Emma tell you all about Emmy and her personality in one of her posts.

Emma moved Emmy, Freedom, and herself to a new home late this Spring in Southern Anne Arundel County. The horses have more room to play and Emma is living there on the farm with them so she can be with them all the time. They are all loving this beautiful new location. 

After a very wet Spring, a very hot Summer, and numerous distractions, we are back to doing some actual filming for “Freedom’s Choice”. A couple of weeks ago we taped a “formal” interview with Emma that will serve in the storyline of “Freedom’s Choice”. Here are a few pictures taken while we were setting up.

Camera, Lights, Sound!!

 

Makeup!

 

 

 

Beautiful Emmma

A Natural!

 

 

 

In addition to working regularly with Freedom, Emma also teaches non-traditional horsemanship and the techniques she employs in Freedom’s training to interested students.  Young equine lover Benah sought out Emma as a horsemanship teacher after learning of her techniques from a friend and following her own disappointment with traditional horse riding lessons.

Even at her young age, Benah realized the horsemanship techniques she was being taught in her riding lessons just didn’t feel right to her.  She did not want to inflict any pain on these beautiful animals, yet was instructed to use force applied with the bit, the reins, her feet and legs, and the whip to control the horse.  She couldn’t bring herself to use these pain-driven techniques to get the horse to follow her lead, so quit the lessons and gave up the idea of learning to ride.

When Benah first started her lessons with Emma last Fall, Emma was using training techniques with Freedom that she had learned in her own natural horsemanship training.  In this first video clip, Emma is teaching Benah how to establish her leadership role with Freedom and maintain control of the grooming using some natural horsemanship techniques. 

Emma instructs Benah in the use of the rope halter attached with a lead.  While not painful like a bit, the rope halter has knots on either side that, when exercised, put pressure on Freedom’s cheek.  Freedom follows Benah’s direction to “back up” due to this pressure.  Benah also lets Freedom know it’s not okay to push her around and she must have Freedom’s complete attention before leading her from the barn.

The second video clip is a continuation outside of the training session started in the barn using natural horsemanship techniques.  Emma is teaching Benah how to get Freedom’s attention and follow her direction even when Freedom really would prefer to graze and just do her own thing.

Using the lead as an extension of her arm, Emma shows Benah how to encourage Freedom to keep her attention on Benah with the driving of the lead at Freedom’s hind quarters.  Benah is a quick learner and is obviously pleased when Freedom responds appropriately without Benah having to cause her any pain.

This third video clip was captured this winter after Freedom had moved to her new, more open stable, and Emma had begun to follow horsemanship techniques involving no force, not even with the use of the rope halter or lead driving.  The entire relationship between human and horse had now become voluntary with Freedom choosing to interact with Emma and Benah.  Emma is teaching Benah companion walking with Freedom without using any force.

At the start of the clip, Emma is using a cordeo with Freedom – a very loose rope that is draped around Freedom’s chest as a guide for Freedom to “hear” what Emma wants her to do.  There is no force, no pressure.  When Benah tries to put the cordeo on Freedom, Freedom refuses. As a result, and based on Emma’s new, no-force approach to horse training, the cordeo is not used.  Freedom gets to decide to companion walk with Benah because she wants to, not because she is asked with the cordeo. 

It was wonderful to watch Emma, Benah, and Freedom as I was capturing this footage.  Emma works with Benah in the same way she works with Freedom – with loving patience.  Benah establishes a relationship with Freedom that is based on love not fear.  Freedom enjoys the companionship and loving attention from her human friends.  Most importantly, seeing these very young people working with Freedom made me realize how readily our children can recognize force and pain with these intelligent, spirited animals – and choose not to participate in it.

Keeping her Healthy

Whenever I have those moments of “What the Heck am I doing out here with this horse!?” I remember the horse that presented herself to me in the first few months of Freedom and Mines acquaintance.  

Freedom was the typical “herd bound” (meaning completely focused and dependent on other horses) mare who didn’t trust humans and would become extremely agitated when taken away from her equine companions.  She was a “screamer”, making the most high pitched wailing noises when taken outside of her comfort zone.  When in these states of mind she was barely manageable.  

The distress she was feeling was obvious and the agitation was contagious.  Part of her daily routine was to be left in a paddock by herself, screaming and pacing as she watched the other horses play together in the big pasture.  She wasn’t to be let out until she could stand quietly. Learning that safety and comfort could be found on her own.  

Daily Grooming

There were many different things I did with Freedom in order to clam her mind and “get her attention on me.”  Things began to change quickly.  Yet now I question my insistence on her conforming to the standards of behavior I expected of her.  

Her behavior now is completely different than it was when we first met one another, but I do not know if I attribute this to the efforts I went to in the first months of her training, or because I no longer find her behavior objectionable, but natural and right for her species.  I also no longer see it as my job to “fix” her and confront all of her fears so she will be a better trail horse.  Instead I listen, and respect what she’s trying to tell me. I try to make the environment she lives in as peaceful and comfortable as possible and carry that into our time together.  

Freedom and One of her Equine Friends

I haven’t seen that insecure mare since we moved to our current stable here in Annapolis. This is not to say Freedom is not expressive, sometimes “up”, and wanting to be with her equine friends.  Yet, it seems to me there is less of an urgency about her attitudes, and I now look at theses things as aspects of her personality, which over time will shift and change as she comes into her own and realizes there is nothing to stand in her way, least of all myself.

By Emma Cruse

October 2007

My interest and love for horses reaches back as far as I can remember into my childhood.  Though I had been a “once-a-week” riding student when I was younger, it had been several years since I’d even been on a horse.  In September of 2007, finding myself at the end of two semesters of traveling abroad and faced with the decision of what to do next, I decided the time was right to pursue my life-long fascination with horses.

A few years before, I’d had the opportunity to attend a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “horse circus” Cavalia.  The riders and horses in Cavalia epitomize the heights to which the human-equine bond can reach, with the horses responding freely and with joy to their human partners.  I was inspired to learn more about the training methods that could achieve such heights and knew when I did return to being with horses, it would have to be through a more “untraditional” or “natural” path, like that which I’d seen on stage during the Cavalia show.

Like most people looking for information on something they know little about, I started with the Internet, eventually finding my way to Franklin Levinson’s web site.  Right away, I could tell that they way things on his web page were phrased made me feel good about it.  I read his articles and interviews and was impressed by the testimonials of his students.  I called him up and was even more impressed by his kindness and forthright personality over the phone.  In a matter of days, I decided to drive out to Snowmass, Colorado, from m home in Maryland and spend a few weeks with this “horse whisperer.”

Emma in Snowmass, CO, 2007

Immediately upon reaching Snowmass, I knew I’d made the right decision.  The beauty of Colorado in the fall is beyond description.  And after spending a few days with Franklin Levinson and experiencing the way he interacted with horses, I knew I’d made a choice that would change my life forever.

The work Franklin does with horses and the way he lives his day-to-day life are both based on a philosophy rooted in compassion, understanding, determination, and patience.  Though Franklin chooses not to identify himself as a “horse whisperer,” his understanding of horse psychology and herd behavior makes his training techniques appear magical.

Emma and Franklin Levinson

Franklin taught me that horses are “genuine.”  He showed me that with horses, what you see is what you get unlike with humans, who can have ulterior motives and are adept at concealing emotions.  Franklin demonstrated to me on a daily basis that successfully working with horses requires skill, perception, and a true heart.  Because Franklin possesses these qualities in abundance, I began to see how much his success in communicating with horses was grounded in the kind of person he is.

I remember being immediately struck by Franklin’s openness and honesty.  Here was someone who wasn’t concealing anything.  Like a horse, Franklin had everything out in the open.  Through being with Franklin, it was immediately apparent that what he taught about working with horses, that they can “make you a better person,” was true.  The kindness, grace, and skill that Franklin possesses when working with horses, he also manifests in his life.

I worked with Franklin almost every day for three weeks.  I feel I went from being someone who knew virtually nothing about horses to someone who now has a passion for working with horses.  My work with Franklin gave me the foundation to understand what an appropriate interaction with a horse looks like–and the heights you can reach when creating a healthy relationship with your horse.  I saw what it meant to be skillful and compassionate with your horse, to read what the horse is telling you and how to be aware of the messages you’re sending to the horse with body language and energy.

Emma, Snowmass, CO, 2007

Franklin gave me the gifts of knowledge and understanding, as well as experience and guidance.  Not only was Franklin a wonderful teach, but also he became a mentor to me in both my journey with horses and my journey through life.

To anyone who seeks a more satisfying experience with horses, who wishes to have the highest kind of human-horse interaction, I would recommend working with Franklin Levinson.  Whether you’re an experienced horse person, or a beginner like me, the lessons are the same.  For me, it was working towards a new kind of harmony with horses and through that work, with myself.

Like since before she was born!

That’s Emma’s mom (Annie – yes, the star of my first documentary “My Friend Joan: A Conversation”) and her dad (Bryant).  My feline soul mate, Scooter, is in the infant pouch.  Emma is still in Annie’s tummy!!

Here are a few pictures of Emma snoozing on my shoulder when she was maybe a month old.

At the time, we were joking about all the kitties wanting to be close to her.  It turns out in addition to being a horse lover, Emma has always been quite a kitty fan and owns several today. 

Emma will probably faint when she sees the photos of her in our wash tub!!

When she was about six months old, we took her with us on a week-long houseboat trip on Lake Powell in Utah.  She was quite the little trooper!!

I remember going to visit at her home when Emma was young, and she would be absorbed with her extensive Breyer Horse collection.

Guess we arent’ too surprised at her current passion!!

Emma and I know it’s not an accident that we are together right now as we both explore new worlds – her, non-traditional horsemanship when her peers are experiencing campus college life, and me, film making when all my peers are looking toward retirement.

We are both engaged in not only new experiences, but ones that very few people we know have pursued.  We are blessed with family and friends who are supportive, but they don’t have the expertise to guide us technically.  We would love to have ready access to people who have been down these paths before and could help us know what to do, answer our daily questions, mentor us up close.

We are fortunate enough to have people at a distance whom we can call upon when we need encouragement.  My Johns Hopkins film instructor has been available whenever I’ve needed him, and Emma relies upon her Nevzorov seminar leaders in Canada for support.

So, Emma and I embrace our new paths day-by-day and provide encouragement to each other, knowing that the Universe will provide what we need to grow into the people we are meant to be!

When we first began capturing footage for “Freedom’s Choice,” I would show up at the barn with my cameras 4 or 5 days a week to shoot Emma as she led Freedom through the paces required to take her from a “green” horse to a “trained” horse.   Typically, these training sessions could include grooming or batheing Freedom in the barn, working at Liberty with Freedom in the nearby pasture and in the round pen, or perhaps training Freedom to allow Emma to ride her.  I was so impressed with Emma’s patient control of Freedom and the loving connection that was beginning to develop between the two of them as the training progressed.

Here’s some rough footage I took of them on November 5th, 2008.

A month later, some dramatic changes have occurred.  Foremost, Emma has decided to experiment with a new horsemanship approach for Freedom based on the Nevzorov Haute Ecole philosophy.  (See Emma’s post on Nevzorov Haute Ecole for more information.)  Freedom has been moved to a more natural environment supporting the approach, and she now gets to choose whether or not she will join with Emma in this new adventure. 

The following footage taken on December 6, 2008, just one month later, demonstrates Freedom’s ability to  now make her own choices about engaging with humans.

As you can see, Freedom engages and disengages, eats, visits with neighbors, and takes a siesta – WHEN SHE CHOOSES.  So Emma and I show up and wait for Freedom’s choice.  The humans are not in charge!

(That’s Barbara Johnson Freedom is loving on, our wonderful photographer and friend.)

From spending too much time in her stall at our previous facility, and not having enough pasture time in fields without mud, Saoirse has developed a nasty case of thrush.  My farrier, who is an extremely intelligent, gentle, and knowledgeable man has instructed me to pick her feet out every other day, pour vinegar into her frogs, and apply this clay-like substance “Uptie” into the crevices of the frog. Last but not least, I am to apply a hoof shaped piece of paper to allow the clay time to dry before getting dirt into it. Though this process on its own is a little daunting, the added difficulty of Saoirse’s strong aversion to having her feet worked with has proven to be a challenge.

My method as been to bring her into her stall, letting her be at Liberty, as I gently and reassuringly take my time with conducting the above process.  My farrier, who has been working with Saoirse since she was a baby, has told me some difficult stories about bad experiences Saoirse has had with having her feet ferried, so I am not tempted to become irritated with her, but am taking my time and being as compassionate to her needs as I can be.

I am proud to report in only a week her anxieties about her feet have greatly diminished!  When I did her feet on Saturday she stood relatively quietly, only moving about the stall a few times to avoid me picking her feet.  I am heading over to the barn now to do another treatment and have hopes she will be even more relaxed this time.

I had a very interesting experience the other day when I put the halter on Saoirse for the first time since moving her to her new home.  She immediately became submissive, head down, calm and easy steps by my side as I led her to her stall to try and pick her hooves.  Instead of being impressed at the well-mannered nature of my horse as I would have been previous to my training in Canada, I was appalled and slightly sickened by the lack of expression on her face.  Since the move to her new facility, Saoirse has become vibrant, alive, and more “horse like”.  I like her spirit, and do not ever want to engage in techniques that will take that away from her in order to make her more “useful” to me.  When I say “spirit” I do not mean she is wild or unsafe, but myself and others who have know her before and after I’ve been applying these new principles to our interactions, have noted a difference in her demeanor which actually makes her more approachable. It’s the difference between “teaching” her to want to be with me, and allowing her to choose to be with me.  It sets the stage for an entirely different attitude from the horse.

The first few weeks in the new facility have been rewarding.  Saoirse has settled in beautifully and has become fast friends with her new stable mate.  I have been taking my time, engaging Saoirse in play. This often consists of me trying to keep up as she gallops with joy through her new open fields.  Turning to look at me when she stops with a quizzical look of, “why didn’t you keep up?”  Sometimes she’ll take off and if i don’t follow, she’ll do an entire lap around the field and come right back to where I’m standing pleased with herself and ready for praise from Mom. 

I have also become aware of how much she loves to be brushed with one particular Oster main and tail brush I have.  I think with her winter coat (which is remarkably bushy) the long hard bristles of the main and tail brush must scratch in just the right places.  For this grooming ritual she’ll stand quietly without eating.  Another reason I have been using this brush is because my other two Oster brushes have mysteriously disappeared.  I left them in the field and my friend whose gelding lives at the barn with Saoirse told me she brought them back and set them on the trashcan (which I might mention is in reach of Saoirse from over the side of her stall).  I haven’t seen the brushes since.

Our website for “Freedom’s Choice” has just been released!!

Please take a minute to visit us there and learn more about the story of this special film.

http://www.freedomschoicethemovie.com/