Effect and Affect of The Mane Event

http://www.maneeventexpo.com/Chilliwack/Chilliwack-Trainers-Challenge.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/JonathanFieldHorsemanship

From Jonathan Field's Horsemanship Blog:   This is my kind of Classroom!
http://jonathanfieldblog.wordpress.com/
"...The Nanaimo Ladysmith School District has received approval from the B.C  Ministry of Education to start  a new High School course entitled “Introduction to Horsemanship” It’s a class where students learn the basics of horsemanship and earn 4 high school credits in the process..."  Posted Oct 6, 2011

I was looking forward to experiencing "The Mane Event" and curious to see how the relational pedagogy would reveal itself.  My biggest surprise was how MOVING it was.  At least 4 times, my eyes brimmed with tears (like right now...) as I witnessed this beautiful animal, so sleek and strong, desire to be 'with' the trainer.  This connection-in-action was a privilege to witness.  Consistent across the three events we watched, was the evident respect, trust and consent.   Each displayed the foundation of the connection and then, once the connection was open, the leader became the trusted leader, and did not deviate from that position.  The horse wasn't trying to avoid pain, but trying to do as the trainer wished, so that the horse could remain in connection with the trainer.  It was this willingness, this humble willingness, to connect that allowed the equation to play out.  Strength under control, both the horse's and the trainer's, grants unlimited possibilities to occur.  This partnership is a beautiful adventure.  

The allegory of horse and trainer apply quite directly to instruction.  Especially instruction done well.  The lack of verbal understanding between horse and trainer is also similar in my work in the Early Years.  The Family Support piece wraps around the parent as they are doing the best they can in raising their newborn or preschooler.  The parent mirrors the trainer and the child the horse.  The horse cannot lie and neither can the child.  The child will give many signs, as does the horse, for the parent to interpret.  We encourage the parent to 'attune' to their child, so that their child will 'attach' to them.  The child is born wired for this relationship to unfold this way. 

The parallels between the horse and trainer apply in any instruction situation.  It is not an equal-power relationship, but both parties can be powerful.  It is the willingness and trust of the learner that permits the instructor to be the leader.   After that, the leader needs to remain true to the degree of respect they initially gave to the one being taught.  To waffle from that place, will damage the relationship and any learning that may follow.

What I experienced at the Mane Event will stay with me a very long time.  I found a horse calendar at one of the vendors and will see it all of 2012, a great reminder of the power of developing a connection and gaining leadership.  This event has also stirred in me the unbridled need for connection in my personal relationships and the rawness experienced when difficult breaks occur.

Dr. Dennis Raphael talks about his Social Determinants of Health text.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMw_7AWEg4A

Family is the Foundation...Why Family Support and Early Childhood Education Must Be a Collaborative Effort

With Education in mind, I read this document and cheered!  If we can support families well, before they are school age, we can effect the greatest impact in our Education system and in our society.

http://www.frp.ca/document/docWindow.cfm?fuseaction=document.viewDocument&documentid=995&documentFormatId=1731

FRP (Family Resource Programs) Canada has submitted a policy paper for the Federal Government to consider in the 2012 Budget.

"...the next round of intervention efforts should take an ecological approach seriously, investigating how to change the child-rearing context for the families rather than focussing primarily on changing the child." Dale Farran, Another decade of intervention in Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention, 2nd edition, J.P. Shonkoff and .J. Meisels, eds. 2000.  Cambridge University Press.

This document has three policy recommendations
1)  Acknowledge the primary infulence of the family
2)  Build an integrated system through partnerships
3)  Retain and expand family support programs in the community

Pg 5 - Research from the field of neurobiology, genetics, health sciences, sociology, psychology and linguistics and epidemiology have reached complementary conclusions. 

• an infant’s brain is malleable and highly sensitive to its environment, even before birth
• warm, responsive, authoritative parenting and low stress environments are associated with positive child development
• harsh or unresponsive parenting and high stress environments are associated with impaired child development
• each stage of a child’s development depends upon the foundation set in place during the previous stage
• positive social and emotional development sets the stage for successful cognitive development; qualities such as curiosity, confidence, persistence, self-control and willingness to risk making mistakes contribute to learning and reduce the likelihood of aggressive behaviour and bullying
• factors that impact early child development have long-lasting effects across many domains including physical and emotional health
• impaired development, once reflected in the structures of the brain, is difficult to repair
• parenting and the early family environment have the most significant impact on children’s long-term outcomes

Pg 8 - Effectiveness of early educational programs coupled with family support.  Offering only the educational component does not have the same outcomes.

Pg 24 - Principles of Family Support

http://www.animalreikisource.com/animal-reiki-information/animal-reiki-articles/174-reiki-and-animals-creating-a-world-of-wellness

In light of our upcoming field trip to the Mane Event, this picture of the horse caught my eye.  New to me were Reiki with animals and Distance Reiki.

Has anyone had practice with this?  It seems fascinating.  I wish I knew about it when two of our dogs were dying.