Horse project

Horses and humans are connected by a long common history. Horses carried human beings along big distances and helped to spread their radius over the complet earth. But their connection rarely resulted in a benefit for the horse. For thousands of years it was hunted, slaughtered, used as a war horse, caged into tight boxes or stands, ridden with spurs, whips and sharp bits. Wild horses were exterminated; almost all contemporary horses were bred according to the wishes of the human beings.

But who or what is the being horse?

In which exists their attraction and pride? What is their task in creation? How can we connect ourselves with their originallity - and in that way also with our own tamed, suppressed original power? The horse personifies a dream. The dream of power, sensuality and freedom. It arouses longing - for our own power, our sensuality, our freedom. How can we learn from each other? Are there possibilities where human being and horse can become aware of each other and get a trustful contact? How does a being together look like, where it serves both in their healing process?

Horse Work in Tamera

Our 11 horses live all year long freely on large paddocks. They have a big open stable where they can go whenever they need to. Our vision for the future, however, is that the horses can live as appropriate to the species as possible and at the same time in contact with the human being. In this context we started to make fenced pieces of forest available for the horses additional to their living space .If we end the normally possible access to the animals at any given time and still want to continue the joy of being with them, this requires a deepening of our contact and communication abilities.

Riding

It is our principal to ride the horses without bid and mostly also without saddle. After all, we work on riding without bridle, too. This supposes a precise body language, and an understanding between the horse and the human being that one can rely on.

- Riding without bit: Riding with a bit is part of the power relation
by which we control another being by painful means.
The lips and the mouth are soft and gentle organs -
who of us would not become obedient with this pain?

- Riding bareback: Riding bareback means an immediate physical contact
and supposes a balance that comes from within.

In this the horses are an alive and always present mirror to us, thus supporting our necessary changes.

Excerpt from a Diary

The following kinds of questions naturally arise:

How do we develop a positive authority?
How do we bring ourselves into a state of fearlessness, relaxation and contact?
What do we do with our anger when something doesn't work out?
How do we liberate ourselves from false sentimentality and learn true and free friendship?
How do we learn a different type of behaviour with our bodies?
What do we do with the sensuality and the development of power which are awakened in us through the horse?
What do we still have to learn for us to be able to create trust?

The research work with the horses is a model case for the future co-habitation of the human being with nature in the sense of the general work of the peace research centre Tamera.

Several times per year we offer courses where one can learn the non-violent and cooperative dealing with the horses (see schedule).

The Horse Project was built up in 1996 by Elke Krauss and has been managed by Almut Schmitz (48) since the beginning of 2004.
Before she dedicated herself to the horse work, she worked for some years on a dolphin research ship.
Her vision is the development of an Animal Sanctuary. This is where the species which have been exploited as production/working animals by the human being so far shall experience a space of healing in the sense of the friendship between human being and animal.

Horse Courses 2010

Beginners' Courses: March 30 - April 02; Sept. 07 - Sept. 10

How to approach a horse? How to lead a horse? What is free contact? What does it mean to be an orientation for the horse?
What signals do I give with my voice, my body language? To understand this we will use blind-folding exercises, walks with the
horses, partner exercises and a riding meditation.

Riding without bit and saddle: April 20 - April 23; Oct. 19 - Oct. 22

What are my signals to the horse? How fine must these signals be? How to find the inner balance which gives me security, also on the back of a horse? How do I give the horse the security it needs? Who is this horse and what does it need? Partner exercises, , working on the riding place (groundwork and riding) and small rides into nature are elements of these courses.

This course is only for people who already have experiences with horses.

Woman and Horse: May 25 - May 28

Horses are free, wild creatures. Powerful but very sensitive. Lets rediscover this power in ourselves! We have a lot in common. Together with the horses we can discover our femininity in a new way. In this course we will do some smaller ceremonies, go for a bath with the horses, learn the basics of leading a horse and spend a lot of time in nature.

Parents - child(ren): Sept. 28 - Oct. 01

A beautiful possibility to do something together and to get to know each other in a new way. Parents learn from their children a free and natural contact to other beings. Children learn from their parents responsibility and carefulness. We need all of these elements in our contact with horses. Sometimes the children will guide the adults, sometimes the other way round. We can enjoy to learn together with the horses.

Children should at least be 12 years old.

We will be working with our dreams in all of the courses. Being together with horses opens our heart and we touch aspects of our lives that do want to be opened at this point in time. Our soul is part of the work with horses. This way we also recognise the soul in our four-legged partner. Short meditations and exercises to improve our perception are a useful support. Only if we become a team with the horses both sides can mutually support and promote each other. Horses are helpers in our personal development, they mirror us through their reaction. We can use this mirror in a positive way.
Beside the course "riding without bit and saddle" the focus of the courses is not on riding. For all the courses it is essential, however, to improve first and foremost our contact with the horse and our ability of perception.

Offer:
The Monday before the start of each course can be used as a day to get to know Tamera. This includes a guided tour of our site and an introduction into the basic ideas of the Healing Biotope Tamera. All participants are warmly welcome to join this opportunity.

Course language will be English.

Max. 8 participants
Costs: 300 € plus 30 €/night for F&A; the "Tamera-information day" costs add. 20 €
Foculiser: Almut Schmitz and Team

Friendship with Animals

Horse Work in Tamera

Horse Courses 2010