Making horse sense

A unique programme that brings horses and humans in harmony is making news in Dubai. Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary speaks to Eileen Verderick, the woman behind the concept.

"Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilisation, we will find the hoof print of the horse beside it"
- Equine specialist and musician, John Moore.

Humans and horses have shared a beautiful bond for more than 6,000 years. A bond where a horse, when tamed in settlements, naturally looked for leadership qualities in his master and followed him unquestioningly through times of war and peace.

In modern times, legendary horse whisperers such as Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts and Mark Rashid have celebrated this relationship by rediscovering these ties and in the process shown us how, through beautiful communication between words and body language, horses and humans can be in perfect harmony.

The allure of horse whisperers is unarguable; what is debatable is this art's place of birth. From time immemorial man has whispered endearments and encouragement to strengthen his bond with his 'best friend' and express gratitude for its unstinting loyalty. All over the world, man and horse have been together through the best and worst of circumstances. Legends, myths and lore have gained in shelf life immeasurably thanks to this relationship and the communication it calls for. So it is not easy to pinpoint where exactly horse whispering became an official pursuit. But in our collective memories, the West holds a strategic importance for bringing this skill to the fore. But today, this art is no longer reined in by geographical boundaries.

In Dubai, I meet up with celebrated Arabian horse specialist, Eileen Verderick. She has relocated from the US and has taken it upon herself to make horse handling and riding, available to all members of the public, including little children.

Verderick, who has handled horses since she was a little girl in Colorado, US, went on to work at prestigious equine training institutes in the US. She graduated and later instructed at the renowned Meredith Manor School of horsemanship in West Virginia where she studied dressage, cutting and western riding among other things. She also worked at the prestigious Imperial Egyptian Stud at Maryland.

Through the years, she has built an enviable reputation as the world's leading Arabian horse breeder. A chance to spend time at the Royal stables in Morocco prompted her to relocate to the Middle East.

Says Verderick: "I was involved in breeding horses in the US and must have sold more than 10,000 horses to this region. Around six years ago, I decided to split my time between the US and Dubai. Then I met Anwar (my husband) and decided to move here permanently. Both of us look at life in very much the same way. I always wanted to do something with people and horses and I saw the same devotion and love for horses in my husband."

When she moved to Dubai, the issue of retired horses caught her attention. She believes that horses which are no longer race-worthy deserve a second chance albeit on a different track. "The people of the UAE have a tremendous love for horses. When tourists come to this country, they admire the gleaming buildings and malls but miss out on the role of the Arabian horse, its history and the part it played in traditional Bedouin life. The idea and desire to have a show dedicated to the Arabian horse is one way to bring this animal back in the spotlight."

Even as this idea began to grow, it took on another dimension - she decided to also incorporate aspects of horse whispering and the thereupeutic benefits of human-equine interaction. Verderick and her husband Anwar Sher set up Equine Management Solutions in Dubai in 2007. "My passion for the Arabian horse was born long ago," says Verderick. It's a magnificent animal that in my opinion remains the most beautiful, noble and intelligent of all creatures." Verderick has taken a multi-pronged approach to demystify the bonds between humans and horses.

Among the important aspects of EMS is HoofbeatZ, which Verderick created with Swiss trainer Ingela Larsson. It's an innovative training programme that is entertaining, educative and therapeutic, designed for children and corporate heads. Says Verdrick: "The ideas and vision behind HoofBeatZ are a compilation of what I have observed about horses in my life and the solutions I have been slowly gathering from years in this business."

Hoofbeatz uses many training principles made popular in the US by legendary horse trainers like Parelli and Rashid.

I got the opportunity to witness an interesting HoofBeatZ session. It involved students and teachers. The students Tiffany Mobayed (13) from Universal American School, Rebecca Beere (15) from Jumeirah English Speaking school (JESS), Rory Kolkman (13) from Jumeirah College and Ali Shaan Kadri (13) from Dubai English Speaking College (DESC). The teachers? The horses of course. The former group spent a day learning to communicate with the latter.

Beere and Mobayed have been around horses for as long as they can remember. In fact, Mobayed's own horse, Joey, a troubled creature, was handed over to the HoofbeatZ stable for a short period of therapy. The stable houses about 56 horses of different breeds. "Joey was being difficult and now after two weeks, I cannot believe he is same horse. He is so gentle and obedient and seems so much happier," she says, as the children are lead into the stables for a round of grooming.

Horse groomers teach them their first lesson. They are given strong bristle brushes and asked to brush down the coats of two horses in turns. "Never go behind a horse, always let him know you are around," counsels Bridget Hampton, a groomer. The children are nervous but after a few minutes begin to relax and enjoy the experience as the horses harrumph with pleasure. They are then taught to gently tap on their knee to signal to the horse to lift its foreleg. Then they are taught how to gently cup the animal's ankle and clean out the hay stuck between its horse shoe grooves. As they get emboldened by the minute, they hold the wet rag and wipe the eyes and nostrils of the horses.

A glow of satisfaction at a job well done radiates from their faces. This is one part of the seven patterns of behaviour through which a horse and its handler build a relationship based on trust, empathy and communicate.

The children are then taken to the big top where horses practice and play with their groomers. This is where HoofBeatZ holds a spectacular horsemanship show every weekend.

Two of the children are then blindfolded while the other two have to lead them through obstacles. The blindfolded children are totally dependent on their guides. This exercise builds trust between the two participants and helps the children understand how a horse feels when he is lead by his master. Once that is established, the horses are brought in. Each child takes turns in leading one horse through the same obstacle course after which he/she has to sprint with the horse. Through touch and gentle taps, the child establishes communication with the animal.

It was heartening to see the children's initial anxiety and awkwardness disappear and enjoyment and enthusiasm take its place. The horses also begin to get more obedient with every new touch as they follow the instructions of their little masters.

This is just a small glimpse into how the programme, designed by Verderick and Sher, works. It improves the quality and length of a horse's life while increasing skills and knowledge base of equine caregivers and expanding the horse's reach to include the general public and children.

"Traditonally, people just mount a horse, get on to the saddle and ride away," says Verderick. "People do not bother to understand the horse. We encourage people to create a relationship with the animal. This also helps a person to learn important leadership skills, better their self-esteem, pride and team spirit. Learning to communicate with horses and ride them after forming a bond turns into an important life skill - applicable to many other situations.

"We help people learn how to speak and listen to the horses. I have been doing this work for 35 years and am constantly shocked and surprised by the response we receive from the horses.

"We adopt a non-forceful and non-intimidating way to connect with the animals. The horse is a traditional prey animal, it has all the features of it. Prey animals are super sensitive and are always in the fright-or-flight mode as they are worried the predator is going to kill them. Inside every domesticated horse lives a wild one who responds with this instinct. We humans are traditional predators. Everything about us is done in a predatorial mentality. So how do you align yourself with them? Through love.

"Horses think with their left brain and listen and respond with instinct. Once you gain a horse's trust, you are in a position to be its leader. Horses are constantly looking for a leader."

Just like people, horses too have distinct 'horsanalities', says Verderick. "There are extroverts and introverts. For instance, a right-brained extrovert horse would be terrifed by the slightest noise or movement and take off. A left-brained introvert horse wouldn't respond to a bomb exploding! A left brained extrovert is playful and ahead of the game...

"You have to understand where the behavioural traits are coming from and to be able to do that, you have to be tuned in to the creature."

In the HoofbeatZ programme designed for children and corporate leaders, the participants are lead through a basic communication process with the horse. They spend a week doing various activities to gain the trust and form a bond with the horse. "Learning how to ride takes place at different levels. We teach children these life-skills, because the horse mirrors your behaviour. If you are angry or defensive or aggressive, no matter how much you might try to conceal that, it instinctly picks up that vibe when you go near it. How we position our body, how we direct our energy, the movements we make, all these mean a lot to the horse. So by learning to control our own bodies, we can communicate the proper way."

This communication, she says, teaches you patience, consistency, self-esteem and confidence. An important aspect in this learning is 'rewarding' the horse. It is an important feedback to reinforce certain behaviours. "Once the horse does what you wish, you stop asking more from it for that period of time and reward it; if it is not doing what you ask, then you need to keep asking," says Verderick. "Horses learn by repetition and habit and simultaneously this exercise teaches humans patience, precision and clarity in communication," Tauseef Qadri, one of the groomers at HoofBeatZ says, "Horses are looking for good leaders. In a herd, the lead horse will dictate their survival, so sound decision making is crucial. The implications of good and bad decisions are recognised instantly. A herd consists of horses with varying "horsenalities"; some are more extroverted and others more introverted in their disposition. A good trainer (leader) of a horse needs to recognise the nature of each horse and use appropriate strategies to motivate the creature to feel, act and behave as required. Horses will relinquish leadership to another, if the leader can express that they will ensure their safety, comfort, encourage their play drive, and offer incentives (such as food, rub or scratch, etc).

Learning by interacting with horses encourages children and adults alike, to practice unique emotional intelligence skill-sets in leadership, communication, team work and confidence in a non-judgmental environment. The horses are a mirror to your proclivities."

The other module of the package is Al Saheel, a spectacular three-hour horse show that showcases the delicate bond between the handler and the horse while tracing the history of world-renowned breeds through the centuries.

The show is open for public at the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club (DPEC) on all weekends until August this year. It will be closed briefly in summer to reopen in September.

Next week: In the second and final part, read about how horses can act as therapists and HoofbeatZ's seven-patterned behavioural system.

For more information: info@hoofbeatz.com isa