Valentina is an experienced horse trainer. She is the one leading the brown pony Chasky, whom the 11-year-old boy visiting Barbilla Rainforest Lodge with his family is riding.
He and his sister wanted to ride along the gravel roads and hills to visit a neighboring family, where we will spend time with their children, see the many pets, cook together over the fireplace at the family’s home and bathe in a nearby stream with a small lagoon.
The pony Chasky walks calmly, but increases his pace when Valentina clicks as a signal. Behind him is the chestnut mare Sol, whose steps are particularly lively today. Our pony Sol likes children, and she is noticeably happy to have the 9-year-old girl on her back.
When Sol arrived at the farm 7 years ago, she was just a foal, but we don’t know Chasky’s age at all. Sol and Chasky came with another pony, Luna.
All three horses were emaciated and thin from insufficient access to grass or other food and nutrients. We guess they had several owners and thus multiple traumas from neglect. They were three suspicious horses that were difficult to lure in. They preferred to keep their distance from people, often kicking, rearing, and being very difficult to mount. The previous owners instructed us to use spurs and a whip, so to speak, to dominate with physical strength. That was supposed to work.
Valentina at Barbilla Rainforest Lodge trains horses in so-called Liberty horsemanship, where one works with the horse without violence and coercion to establish contact and trust, which should lead to respect.
For an extended period, she worked on rehabilitating the two adult horses, including exercises where Chasky slowly learned to manage his fears. His tolerance for things that previously made him react violently increased.
It is hard to believe that this is the same horse who now walks contentedly with a rider and responds to every signal from Valentina. His ears are forward, his steps are light, his muscles are relaxed, and he looks around attentively. Chasky seems satisfied and well-disposed towards the people around him. Sometimes he seems to glance at Sol to see if she is keeping pace.
Valentina has developed EQUUSSTEPS, where the importance of listening to the horse’s signals plays a central role in trauma rehabilitation and problem-solving. Through exercises, the horse’s trust is regained. Valentina explains that a horse that is comfortable with its trainer is often easy to work with.
At EQUUSSTEPS, they also start young horses, hoping that, like Sol, they will enjoy having someone on their back. Sol went straight up to greet the 9-year-old girl after she put on her helmet to ride her. But then, Sol is also very curious by nature.
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