Straight From the Horse's Mouth E-Book

Cheryl Green

• Herausgeber: Kenilworth Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 251

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Renowned equine communicator Cheryl Green has spent her life with horses and has been communicating with them professionally, for the benefit of both horses and owners, for more than a decade. In this book she shares her knowledge for enriching equine physical and mental health. She also offers guidance to riders and owners, so that they can improve their communication and relationships with their horses. The wide range of topics covered range from accommodation to hoof health; the best things to feed horses; the use of essential oils; beneficial hedgerow plants; and how to deal with behavioural issues. Cheryl believes that adopting a holistic approach towards horses will enable them to be their best. Case studies are included, featuring some of the people and horses Cheryl has worked with, which demonstrate the outcomes of her techniques. Many horses have been saved thanks to Cheryl's extensive knowledge and skill. Informative and insightful, Straight From the Horse's Mouth shows what can happen if we really listen to our horses – and to ourselves.

Leseprobe

 

 

First published 2025

Kenilworth PressAn imprint of Quiller Publishing The Hill, Stroud Gloucestershire, GL5 4EP

www.quillerpublishing.com

Copyright © Cheryl Green & Faith Hancock, 2025

The right of Cheryl Green & Faith Hancock to be identified as the Authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 9781910016671 (HARDBACK) ISBN 9781910016688 (eBOOK)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

Disclaimer of Liability The information contained in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the publisher and authors, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details. The opinions expressed by the authors in this book are their own views and may or may not be the views of others.

Kenilworth Press encourages the use of approved safety helmets in all equestrian sports and activities.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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CONTENTS

1About Me

2Learning to Listen

3Ranger

4Bodyworkers

5Gut Feelings

6Feet

7On the Tracks

8Behavioural Issues

9What to Wear

10Oils

11Case Studies

12People Hearing Without Listening

13Frequently Asked Questions

Acknowledgements

1

ABOUT ME

If you’re like a lot of people, you are probably thinking that anyone who says they can communicate with animals is a little bit bonkers. You might snigger behind your hand and imagine someone who is like a cross between Mystic Meg and Steve Irwin. I know what you’re thinking – surely anyone who claims to be able to hear what an animal is saying is definitely weird. Perhaps they waft about in flowing robes, trail incense behind them like a smokescreen and talk in hushed tones about their ‘gift’. Then they’ll charge you extortionate amounts to hear what your horse is saying and sweep off into the sunset, leaving you none the wiser and a great deal more cynical! This could not be further from the truth for me.

I am just about as down to earth a person as you could ever wish to meet. There’s no ceremony, no wafting incense, no chanting – I just listen to your horse, then tell you what they are saying to me. It’s the most incredibly rewarding job in the world, because of how much of a difference I can make to the horse and the owner.

I don’t know how I do what I do – I am just able to do it. Of course, I get a fair amount of scepticism, from my friends and family – and even from myself. I often tell new clients, ‘I only have to convince you once that I’m the real deal; I have to convince myself every damn day!’

The eyes are the window to the soul. (Tayah Birkett)

Put quite simply, I am an equine communicator – I can hear what horses are trying to communicate and I use this to help their owners to understand them better, and to improve the lives of both the horses and the people who love them. There is so much more that we can do with our horses once we understand what it is that they need, or how they are feeling – just like people, really.

I didn’t set out to be an equine communicator, it came to me, as so many things do in life that are right. I firmly believe that I was called to do this; it is and always has been my purpose in life – despite a few false starts and time spent in jobs that I hated or were not fulfilling. I wonder how many of us are now doing a job that we never thought we would be doing when we were younger?

When I started out, it was a sideline and a hobby; I was working in the financial industry, which was, as you can imagine, a far cry from talking to horses! I have always been interested in the alternative side of life and I was practising Tarot and doing readings for my friends. It then just snowballed over time. I told a few friends what their horses were saying, they told their friends, who then told their friends, and pretty soon I had to quit my bank job as I was taking on many more horse clients.

When I began, I would drive all around the countryside visiting yards and stables, but as my client base has increased so dramatically, I now mostly tend to work from a photograph of the horse’s eye. The eyes are the window to the soul and I can get all the initial information I need from tapping into the horse through this photograph. I bet this makes you even more disbelieving, right? How can I talk to horses at all, let alone without even meeting them in person? Again, there’s no way of explaining this. It is what it is, and I know because of my testimonials that I am accurate in what I see and hear, despite not always meeting the horses and owners I work with in person.

There are no weird rituals, chanting, or anything remotely ‘way-out’ about what I do – I just listen, and the horses talk. I cannot explain the scientific process of this probably because science, although it is wonderful in so many ways, has no explanation for it. We’ll have a chat a bit later about how you can do this with your horse, too, and no, you don’t need fancy robes or a crystal ball to do so. Yes, you might feel a bit silly the first time you do it, but I promise you it’s just the same as saying ‘good morning’ to your partner, chatting to the kids, or catching up with a friend.

I was prodded in the direction of communicating with horses by my own heart horse Ranger, who was – and is – my inspiration, guide and teacher. I miss him every single day, but he is always with me in spirit. More about him later, too, because he demanded and deserves his very own chapter.

Possibly because of my relationship with Ranger, I specialise in those horses that have been considered ‘nasty’, ‘dangerous’, ‘untrainable’, or ‘should be shot’ – and I have managed to save many of these horses from being destroyed, simply by listening and learning what their problems are, then helping their owners work through them. Often people come to me after having exhausted every other lead to see what is ‘wrong’ with their horse, and I have had many encounters with people who were incredibly sceptical, but then they have come around to a more open-minded point of view, having heard what their horses, through me, are saying.

It’s really hard, isn’t it, when you’ve had the vet out countless times; fixed the tack; had the feet done; checked the teeth are fine; ensured the diet is perfect; played matchmaker with the herd and seen that best friends are together; the accommodation is ideal – and yet your horse still has problems. Well, it’s not too far out of this world to suggest that there might be something deeper going on and that being able to find out what your horse actually thinks and feels might be an answer to the problem.

This is where I come in. I often work with various horse bodyworkers – mainly Bowen therapists, but also others, too, which is a very interesting experience, especially if we are able to simultaneously communicate with and treat the horse. Many of my favourite bodyworkers have started out very sceptical (and some tell me they still are, and are always trying to catch me out!) until they start the horse on their treatments and realise that the problems the horse has told me about are right there in their bodies, despite not having been obvious from the outside.

I am not someone who pretends to understand how I do what I do – all I know is that I do it. I can ‘hear’ horses speaking to me, as if they were having a conversation like you and me. Why do I do it? Well, there is no other path I would rather be on. I count my blessings every day that I am lucky enough to do a job that I love so much and one that has made such a difference to so many horses and their people.

I live a quiet and happy life with my beloved family – my husband, who was my childhood sweetheart, and our beautiful twins. We have a Devon Rex cat and a pointer dog, both rescued from Cyprus. I did own an ex-racehorse after Ranger, then a cheeky Welsh Section D, but because of circumstances I have not had any other horses. I just don’t have enough time these days. I often come across horses that I feel would be the perfect fit – but having had the incredible relationships with all my horses, I don’t feel the urge to get another one of my own at this time. Besides, doing this job, I get my horsey fix all day, every day!

I love what I do. It’s so interesting and no two days are ever the same. Some horses are incredibly funny; some are in pain; some are crying out for help; some are simply happy and content. If I can help a single horse and owner in a day, I can go to bed happy. I am determined to improve life for horses and their people, and I am dedicated to changing the world, one horse at a time.

2

LEARNING TO LISTEN

I was born into a military family and animals have been a big feature of my life for as long as I can remember. We had rescue animals all through my growing-up years – many of whom had been badly treated and came from awful surroundings, so I guess you could say I have always had sympathy for the abused, the sad and those in pain. Many of our creatures were understandably nervous and I would do whatever I could to make them feel safe, secure and at home.

I was already ‘talking’ to animals from a young age and not questioning it, because why would I? Surely everyone can hear what their cat is saying to them? And hearing that the tortoise has a sore leg is normal, no? It wasn’t until I got older that I realised this wasn’t necessarily the case and I started to consciously listen.

Children definitely question less than adults, don’t they? When we are young we see fairies, chat to trees, and completely accept the existence of different worlds that we consider to be fantasy when we are adults. It’s a shame that we lose this when we get to an age where we’re supposed to be grown-up and ‘normal’. Who wants to be normal, anyway?

My horse career started young, as it does for so many of us. How can you not fall in love with such a strong, powerful, noble creature? Yes, even Shetlands are strong, powerful and noble in their minds, even though they only reach halfway up the stable door!

A ‘heard’ horse is a happy horse. (Anna Curtis)

I started riding enormous horses from a very young age, at a military base in Poole, Dorset. These horses were huge, being used for the military – and I was never an enormous person! Riding these big, strong horses has prepared me for facing some huge challenges in my life. My mum used to come home from a hack to find me wandering around the school, mounted on a ‘mountain’, in tears because I was being shouted at by military trainers who were used to big, burly men instead of a tiny seven-year-old girl. Although it was hard work, they taught me a lot about horses and I had a fantastic and thorough introduction to riding, for which I will always be grateful.

There were some amazing characters at the yard and I would have happily carried on riding them forever, however, because of my age, I wasn’t allowed to hack out and was restricted to just schooling, but I had caught the horse bug and I couldn’t imagine a life without horses and riding. This leads us neatly on to Ranger in the following chapter.

When I was around thirteen, I came across a series of books by Anne McCaffrey called Dragonriders of Perne. If you haven’t read these fantastic stories, they’re about humans who ride dragons and communicate with them telepathically. Anne McCaffrey was a horsey person and there have been comparisons drawn between the dragons and the equine species, which is not too surprising when you look at it. Communicating with horses is just about the only way to truly know them, experience them and connect with them – and it makes the rest of the working relationship, including the riding, so much more rewarding.

I’m not sure whether reading these books encouraged me to be more open to communicating with creatures in a language other than the spoken word, or if the books came to me because they were a clue to the direction that my life was going to take, but there is no doubt that they had a huge impact on me.

Having a good job that pays well is fine, but if it doesn’t stir your soul and make you feel happy at least 50 per cent of the time, then it’s not really worth it. Yes, I know we all have bills to pay and working at your dream job may not be practical or possible – but if a chance comes your way, you should grab it with both hands and not let go!

I had what most people would consider a good job; I was working in a bank, which paid well and kept me busy for the week. However, working in a bank is never going to be one of those things that stirs your soul though, is it? I enjoyed my non-work life considerably more, I had got into Tarot card readings and, through a chance encounter with a neighbour, I was training to be a reiki master.

Having done several readings for friends and family, my reputation as a ‘psychic seer’ was becoming established. I used to meet up with friends at their yards and would pass on what the horses were telling me. These friends mentioned me to other people and word of mouth was spreading. I soon had to hand in my notice at the bank, because I simply didn’t have time to fit in the day job around the growing equine communicator work I was doing. Needless to say, life got better from then on! There is a lot to be said for a job that you love, which gives you fulfilment and satisfaction every single day. I genuinely love talking to your horses.

So, let’s talk a little about the communicating itself. There is no special preparation, no gimmicks or rituals that I undertake to hear what the horse is saying – I can just hear them. Sometimes I still travel to meet the horses, but I find a photograph of the eye is just as effective. I’m sorry if you are reading this book wanting to be told, step by step, how I communicate with horses, and you are imagining a big reveal of the secret techniques and tricks I use, but I honestly cannot explain how I do it. I think a lot of it is to do with being open-minded, listening to that tiny inner voice and trusting your instincts – something we don’t tend to do very much these days.

If you think about it, the majority of horse communication between herd members is silent. They use body language, facial expressions, and almost certainly their thoughts and feelings can be ‘heard’ by other members of the herd. This is why most of them are not surprised to be communicated with in the same way as they do with each other, although they often feel relief at finally being heard.

We know about horses’ body language, right? We can watch how the herd interacts; we can tell if our horse is grumpy; we know when they are pleased to see us. Being open to this form of communication and allowing our horses the space and freedom to express themselves is a big part of what I do. I can fully imagine that you are also in tune with the moods of your horses; you know when there are days that they feel a little moody, or those days when they are filled with the joys of spring. Horses have different moods and feelings, just like we do.

I find often that a horse is very keen to talk to me. They are talking to us all the time; we just struggle to believe that there is any way of communicating beyond the spoken word. The truth is anyone can do this, you just have to remember what it was like that time you thought your horse was a little ‘off’, to then discover that they were coming down with something or hiding a cheeky hoof abscess. This is your – and their – inner voice trying to talk to you.

Can you do it? Yes, of course you can. I’ll tell you a little more in subsequent chapters about the ways that you can make yourself more open to communicating with your horse, and what you can do to encourage open communication between the two of you. Remember there is absolutely nothing wrong with realising that you need outside help, whether that be from a vet, a bodyworker or an equine communicator – doing the best for the horses is what we all want, ultimately.

As horsey people, we know our horses inside out. Often, we have a stronger bond with them than we do with most people; they are our relaxation partners, joy bringers, therapists, challengers, teachers. Being open enough to know how they are feeling is not a big step on from this. I have always noticed, with every single client I’ve had, that people are actually very open to hearing what their horse is trying to say; there is usually a huge sense of relief from the owner as well as the horse that there is some sort of issue that can be worked on – something that can be fixed, as it were.

A horse who is in pain and is being asked, or forced, to continue to work through their pain, will react in the only way they can to express their discomfort – they will refuse to do what is being asked, or they will explode in a raging ball of bucking, kicking, rearing and biting. Being able to pinpoint what the problem is and help the horse and the owner work through it is just about the most satisfying part of my job.

Imagine being asked to do something that hurts you, while being surrounded by people who do not speak your language. You would probably first become upset, by the pain and the lack of understanding, then you might become angry. You are telling these people, in the best way you possibly can, that you are unhappy – yet they are not listening and are still forcing you to do whatever it is that is causing you pain. If they could sort out that niggling ache, or at least try to help you through what is scaring you so much, instead of blindly ignoring you, you would be much happier. But because they don’t listen, or they don’t seem to care, and they just keep telling you that you are bad, you decide the only way to make them stop hurting you is to hurt them back. You don’t want to do this, it’s not in your nature, but there really isn’t any other option.

If I can get through to a horse that is considered difficult or dangerous, 100 per cent of the time there is a reason for their behaviour – whether it be past traumas, physical body issues, or even something as simple as disliking their nicknames! Horses are sentient beings, too, and if you don’t like being called Fatty or Big Ears, why do you think a horse would feel any different?

Speaking of names, here’s a tiny bugbear for you – it really rubs me up the wrong way when people refer to their horses as ‘it’. They are not inanimate objects; they are living, breathing, sentient beings. I always say that if you want an ‘it’ to take you around the place, get yourself a bike. ‘It’ in an affectionate way is one thing; ‘it’ in the way that completely removes and disregards a horse’s sentience by a derogatory name is another.

Thankfully, we are seeing a slow change in the attitudes of the majority of the equine world; people are genuinely trying to understand their horses and do the very best for them that they possibly can. We have come a long way from the days of breaking horses, quite literally, and flogging them till they have no spirit left to fight back in any way.

I know that you care about your horses, you wouldn’t be reading this book if you didn’t want to understand them better and do your best for them. By paying attention to their needs, making sure that they are as happy and comfortable as possible – and by opening your mind to see beyond the basics that we all do on a daily basis, and realising that your horses are communicating with you all the time – you, too, can make your journey smoother and your horses happier.

3

RANGER

Everyone has a catalyst in their lives that points them on the path to doing what they are meant to be doing, right? In my case, unsurprisingly, it was a horse. He was my heart horse, my soulmate, the love of my life. He taught me so much and looking back I can see that he was my doorway into doing what I do now. I would not be a full-time equine communicator had it not been for Ranger and I wouldn’t have written this book. This is why he needs his own chapter, to immortalise him forever. I’ll always be grateful for the times we spent together, and the things that have happened in my life as a consequence of knowing and loving him.

Ranger loved his work! (George ‘Dusty’ Miller, BEM, MSM)

Ranger arrived in my life about the same time as the Anne McCaffrey books did when I was around thirteen. By then I was learning at a little riding school near Corfe Mullen, in Dorset, after having been first taught at the military school. As I was not allowed to take the military horses out due to my age, I had to find somewhere else to go hacking, so off I went to the riding school. In a field next to that school was a young horse called Ranger.

Ranger was a wild, unbroken, chestnut thoroughbred who was between eighteen months and two years old at the time. It was love at first sight. He wasn’t enormous, but he had a heart the size of the universe. I knew that he was the one for me: his wild heart matched his personality!

My parents had always been very supportive of me, and when I started to ask for my own horse it was agreed that I could indeed have one, but I would be entirely responsible for buying said horse and doing absolutely everything to look after them. Well, we all know which horse I wanted! An unhandled thoroughbred, when I was barely out of childhood myself was possibly not the most logical choice. But he was my dream and I had to have him. We’re all horse people; we have all experienced this type of madness, haven’t we?

So, I lied about my age to secure a job working in McDonald’s, and I scrimped and saved every penny I had. I worked weekends as a waitress and all the times outside school to save up the money to buy Ranger. I paid him off a little bit at a time. He was my sole focus; I just knew I had to have him with me. After months of saving and with the help of a small inheritance from my grandma, he was mine and I could finally bring him home. But the hard work didn’t stop there.

The first time I put my own headcollar on him and got him into the field, I was then unable to catch him for the next three months. This horse made me work for it! I had to think up creative new ways to catch him just about every day. One of the main things he taught me was patience. Patience, as we all know, is something you have to have in bucketfuls when you are working with horses, especially youngsters – and it’s not something I naturally possess! But we work the hardest and try our most for the things that we want above everything else, and Ranger was all I wanted.

I would be out of the house and up at the yard by 5 a.m. to muck out and care for Ranger, and in the later years when he was started under saddle I would also ride him. I was always back home by 7 a.m., to be ready for school and work. I was not too demanding of my parents; those early morning rides were after I could ride my moped or drive my car. Ranger kept me on the straight and narrow as I got older – yes, I would still have nights out with my friends, but the first thing I would do in the morning was sort out my horse – only then would I come home and nurse my hangover! I don’t think I would have gone completely off the rails without Ranger – it’s not entirely in my nature – but I do know I may have skated a little too close to the edge without my beloved four-legged anchor.

Ranger was a force of nature. He always knew exactly what he wanted and he would make me work for every little victory, but my God, it was so rewarding. Once I had figured out that I had to be creative with catching him, he would let me catch him easily 99 per cent of the time, but no one else was allowed to do so.

It was clear from the start that ‘traditional’ methods wouldn’t work with this horse. He was too intelligent and too stubborn. I had to find my way into his brain somehow. I bought books on horse psychology and devoured them from cover to cover. I found new ways to connect with him, and we found our way together. Once we’d established our groove, I set about starting him – if I had known then what I know now, I would have left him to mature for longer – but we started our riding career together when Ranger was rising four. I worked him entirely by myself, using my experience with horses and my instincts.

Interestingly, despite the fact that he was such a difficult horse later in life, Ranger was very easy to break. We took it pretty slowly, introducing him to new things then leaving him in the field to process them for a while, then some more new information, then back to resting. He just took everything in his stride, from getting used to traffic to putting up with me leaning over his back, getting him used to tack and the feel of having someone on board.

I remember finally getting on his back and asking him to walk forward, and he never batted an eyelid! He was the most forgiving and understanding horse. My parents used to walk out with me on our first rides, just to keep an eye and make sure everything was safe – even in the 1980s there were idiots on the road.

We took it very gradually, of course. I still had to fit in school, work and a social life, after all, and Ranger would not be rushed. By the time he was fully trained up, he could have quietly ridden down the middle of the M27 during rush hour, but he still had his quirks. He would plant his feet and refuse to budge an inch if he spotted something in the distance he didn’t like. He would turn inside out at the sight of a crisp packet flapping six miles away. In familiar surroundings I could do absolutely anything with him, but if I took him too far from home he would completely lose his marbles.

He developed a reputation in our local area, people called him ‘dangerous’ and more than once I was told that he should be shot. I knew better though. This horse and I communicated with each other right from the start – I even taught him to tap his hoof to say ‘please!’ I was still learning about my own gifts, and it seemed like a good cross-over to get him to ‘say’ something that people could instantly understand.

Ranger was already communicating with me, although I wasn’t as open to it then as I am now. As an example, I was out for the day with my then boyfriend, when I stopped in the middle of the road and blurted out, ‘I’ve got to get to the field, something’s horribly wrong!’