How Do They Do That? The Focal Sense...

From Jim: Whether it's a flock, school, or herd, the animals that group together in a collective gain an advantage for survival. There is an organic nature to this mass which requires something beyond the usual sensory inputs. The members must discern, instantly, the will and direction of the group. Watch a flock of birds wheel as one in the sky, or a school of fish turn and turn again in perfect unison, or a herd of horses turn and bolt simultaneously and you realize nothing has reflexes that fast. There's an ability which we'll call the "focal sense" which holds the group together, which let's them know what the will of the group is and act as one. Sometimes, we can have a taste of this, when our horse simply does what we want without any conscious cue from us. They sense our presence, our intent, and they respond. Wow, is it neat when that happens. I believe we can develop our abilities to connect focally with our equines, it we work at it. It takes discipline, time, and effort, but the payoff is wonderful. I think the real trick to this is to work towards more and more subtle conventional cues, while sharing our intent more and more deliberately. I know, it sounds "new age" and phony horse whispery, but It's really no different than acknowledging the other sensory differences between our kind and theirs. It's another example of how willing these great creatures are to let us know them. Knowing them, not knowing about them, is the best part of working with equines. I've found some of the best moments of my life have been in the company of the herd. If they're willing to extend an honorary membership, I'll take it. There's no reason that you and equine can't be a herd of two and enjoy getting to know each other.