Alissa Mayer
The human-horse relationship has existed for approximately 6,000 years. Archaeological sites in the Ukraine show evidence of early horse domestication. Highly prized throughout human history, horses have been used for many purposes. The human-horse relationship is by nature somatic: It is the integration of two minds and two bodies, the mind and body of the […]
You stretch to get more flexible, right? But did you know the Stretch Reflex is probably getting in your way? In this post, learn about the myotatic reflexes and how and why to avoid them by doing Somatic Movement. Ready to have your mind blown? In Hanna Somatics we have one very specific goal: to […]
Having an ‘Independent Seat’ means that you can easily follow the movement of a horse and maintain great riding posture while also using your legs, weight, hands or energy to communicate via the Aids… all without losing your balance! Sounds great, right? But, also a little daunting, I know. That’s why harnessing the power of […]
Want to get hands-on and help your horse? Equine Hanna Somatics® (EHS) is a science-based, reliable and safe approach to rapidly help horses gain the performance and well-being benefits all ‘bodywork’ methods promise, but can’t always deliver… Equine Hanna Somatics is an adaptation of Hanna Somatic Education®, the proven, natural and safe method of pain […]
Hoof trimmers, farriers and riders alike all experience tension, soreness and fatigue in our hands, wrists and forearms… and this significantly limits our ability to work with as many horses as we would like on a daily basis. In this article, I’m going to teach you how to begin unwinding the tension that is responsible […]
Supple your horses back and relax his whole rib cage before you ever get on to ride with this simple exercise. Kinetic Mirroring is one of the three techniques we use in Equine Hanna Somatics® (EHS). Kinetic Mirroring is easy to do, works with natural reflexes, and is gentle enough for all ages and fitness […]
Free Fecal Water Sydrome – Finally it has a name! My heart-horse Doc has had periodic wet poops and occasional stomach issues for years. Not diarrhea, exactly, but extra water that comes out with each poo… and sometimes before, after, or instead of the usual fecal balls. Since learning that this condition has officially been […]
You don’t have to “keep your horses attention” or “be more interesting” or “get your horse to focus on you instead of the grass” to have a horse who won’t dive or pull on the rope or reins to snatch for grass. You don’t even need to train them not to eat grass while wearing […]
You know it’s important to keep your heels down when you ride a horse. Did you know that rather than ‘pushing’ your heels down, you can allow your heels to get lower by learning relaxing your calf muscles? Rather than stretching your calves, you can learn to passively lengthen them! Below, I’ll teach you how […]
Does your horse ever get anxious or ‘disconnected’ when you take him or her away from the herd, or barn sour at leaving their comfort zone? It can be frightening, dangerous, or just irritating or embarrassing – but it’s only natural for horses to feel separation anxiety. The trick is to understand what causes them […]