Recommendations for horse communicator please ?

Tash88

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So, a little update for those who were interested :)

Robert is firstly a lovely guy and clearly a great horseman. I was on the phone to him for over an hour; he started by telling me what my horse was saying to him, then I asked a few questions. Most of my questions were answered in what my horse was saying though.

I took a lot of notes, but to cut a long story short:
  • The physical problems my horse had were picked up, and as his feet are more balanced his whole back end is more comfortable - my horse came to me with unbalanced feet, particularly the back, and my farrier has been working to correct them alongside foot X rays. Lots more about his feet too but essentially he is more comfortable now than before
  • He isn't too happy with his saddle - I knew this and the saddler is coming out next week
  • He likes his bridle, especially behind his ears and it's more comfortable than the last one - made sense as I bought him a nice comfort bridle with cut away ears
  • He's had gastric ulcers - yes I treated them last year and I'm pretty sure he came to me with them
  • Some slightly more emotional things - he thinks I'm funny but doesn't like it when I'm upset and wants me to tell him it isn't him who's upset me; he doesn't want to jump so I don't fall off (in fact doesn't want me to fall off ever, and I haven't fallen off him), he doesn't like helicopters, and he mentioned a light blue fleece rug that he doesn't like because it pulls on his skin; he has one that he has grown out of so I don't use it much but I imagine it isn't very comfortable.
Ultimately I think it was worth doing and it was very interesting, there are definitely some things that are unique to my horse and I do think there is truth in it, but at the same time I wouldn't believe it over what my vet and other professionals who actually see my horse think. I think it was worth doing for interest and a bit of peace of mind that I am doing the right thing, as I do worry a lot and I know my horse picks up on that.
 

milliepops

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as I said earlier in this thread I think Robert is a good horseman and that's really why i had him look at mine (in person as we're reasonably local ) when I was absolutely at the last chance saloon and about to pts :oops:

he had plenty of non-woo things to say which were accurate and useful. and then told me my mare wanted a foal, which tbf, she probably would absolutely LOVE but I can imagine weaning from a mare that develops such strong attachments to her companions would be a complete hellish nightmare, so let's not go there :p
 

JanetGeorge

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Without wanting to offend anyone I would save your money. I just don't believe in it. If someone could genuinely communicate with horses surely they would be training olympic team horses and be paid a fortune for it!

Exactly! ANY ex[erienced and competent horse-person, communicates well with horses they see - because they know what to look for. Supposed horse communicators who claim to be able to determine problems from a photo are con-artists! They are just guessing - and hope they guess correctly with customers who will tell others how good they are!!
 

Tash88

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Exactly! ANY ex[erienced and competent horse-person, communicates well with horses they see - because they know what to look for. Supposed horse communicators who claim to be able to determine problems from a photo are con-artists! They are just guessing - and hope they guess correctly with customers who will tell others how good they are!!

It might not be your thing but this isn't a place for making disparaging comments. Like I said (and I'm not justifying myself) - I don't prioritise this over the opinions of those professionals that have actually seen my horse. It isn't doing any harm and I do believe some people have a gift for it and are going to be 'better' than others.
 

Trouper

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I think we are in the same stable - vets/farriers come first but communicators are confirmation of it all and tune in to the emotional side. I am glad you found it of some use. For me it opens up a channel of communication with my animal and our interaction is the better for it in the future.
I'm with Shakespeare on the "science" of this - "There are more things in heaven and earth (Horatio) than are dreamt of in your philosophy".
:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

JanetGeorge

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It might not be your thing but this isn't a place for making disparaging comments. Like I said (and I'm not justifying myself) - I don't prioritise this over the opinions of those professionals that have actually seen my horse. It isn't doing any harm and I do believe some people have a gift for it and are going to be 'better' than others.

I disagree. I have known too many horse owners being pressured into using a 'communicator' - and it has caused a LOT more 'trouble' than was fixed. Communicators too busy 'communicating' with the horse - while pocketing the proceeds - when it is the owner who needs help and encouragement and some cause for increased confidence. And, of course, people for whom communicators have just been an expensive 'mistake' don't like to admit they were fooled! A good teacher/trainer is FAR more effective in sorting out problems!
 

Tash88

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I disagree. I have known too many horse owners being pressured into using a 'communicator' - and it has caused a LOT more 'trouble' than was fixed. Communicators too busy 'communicating' with the horse - while pocketing the proceeds - when it is the owner who needs help and encouragement and some cause for increased confidence. And, of course, people for whom communicators have just been an expensive 'mistake' don't like to admit they were fooled! A good teacher/trainer is FAR more effective in sorting out problems!

Communication and training doesn't have to be mutually exclusive though - I find it best to try different approaches, learn about lots of different things and pick things out that work for my horse and I, alongside guidance from 'proper professionals' like vets and farriers, which will always be the priority. Communication doesn't mean that one shouldn't listen to anyone else!

I wasn't pressured into having the communication done and neither would I pressure anyone into it.
 

jojo5

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What a shame that people feel that this forum offers an opportunity to be unpleasant, dismissive, or just plain rude. One wonders if these people are this rude in real life face to face encounters? Perhaps they are not brave enough, although of course they will say they ‘say what they think and they don’t care about others’ In any situation. Somewhat sad. In this case, the OP has made it plain that she puts the expertise of professionals above all else, but that she has found interesting content in the information she received from Robert Pring. I too have had some involvement with Robert and my old horse, now sadly passed and very much missed. I approached the communication with an open mind ( something very useful but sadly lacking in some people). I was taken aback to hear a comment from my horse through Robert about a piece of treatment, suddenly needed by my horse just before Robert was involved with us - something that had unusual outcomes not recorded anywhere but directly ‘mentioned’ as painful and hopefully avoidable ithe future by my horse. I do not use social media, and at the time lived a great distance from Roberts base. I had given Robert only the most basic info about my horse - very little in fact, not even age - and only two photos. There is no practical explanation for Roberts knowledge of what happened - it was an emergency treatment with an unpleasant initial outcome. All the ‘nay-sayers’ will be no doubt be hooting with laughter and shouting ‘coincidence!’ It is tradition on this forum to denigrate anything that suggests any sort of connection with a horse ( never, ever mention the word ‘bond’). I find this sad - all four of my horses over the years have had different personalities and we have ‘got along‘ in different ways but I have valued their company and I would hope they have enjoyed mine. What is more off putting than anything, however, is the kind of reaction of some of the comments in this thread, which is reflected all too often by posters who know nothing whatsoever about the people and situations on which they are passing such high- handed judgement. I hope that I can continue to visit the forum but these feelings have been building in my reaction to posts over recent months and this is the result. I must add that I have also had very good info and responses from a small number of regular posters for which I have been very grateful.
 

Trouper

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I hope that I can continue to visit the forum but these feelings have been building in my reaction to posts over recent months and this is the result. I must add that I have also had very good info and responses from a small number of regular posters for which I have been very grateful.
I hope you do, too. There is room for a diverse range of opinions here and that is the beauty of seeking advice from others.
It would just be nice sometimes if some people could moderate their opinions with a more considerate tone - or not take umbrage when others' views differ from their own.
 

Frumpoon

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Janet George has a phenomenal amount of experience and I think her posts come from a place of wanting to ensure good outcomes for animals and At the same time hoping that their humans Don’t waste hard earned money unnecessarily

That is just my personal view but I really do think her advice is invaluable and come from a good place
 

thefarsideofthefield

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So, a little update for those who were interested :)

Robert is firstly a lovely guy and clearly a great horseman. I was on the phone to him for over an hour; he started by telling me what my horse was saying to him, then I asked a few questions. Most of my questions were answered in what my horse was saying though.

I took a lot of notes, but to cut a long story short:
  • The physical problems my horse had were picked up, and as his feet are more balanced his whole back end is more comfortable - my horse came to me with unbalanced feet, particularly the back, and my farrier has been working to correct them alongside foot X rays. Lots more about his feet too but essentially he is more comfortable now than before
  • He isn't too happy with his saddle - I knew this and the saddler is coming out next week
  • He likes his bridle, especially behind his ears and it's more comfortable than the last one - made sense as I bought him a nice comfort bridle with cut away ears
  • He's had gastric ulcers - yes I treated them last year and I'm pretty sure he came to me with them
  • Some slightly more emotional things - he thinks I'm funny but doesn't like it when I'm upset and wants me to tell him it isn't him who's upset me; he doesn't want to jump so I don't fall off (in fact doesn't want me to fall off ever, and I haven't fallen off him), he doesn't like helicopters, and he mentioned a light blue fleece rug that he doesn't like because it pulls on his skin; he has one that he has grown out of so I don't use it much but I imagine it isn't very comfortable.
Ultimately I think it was worth doing and it was very interesting, there are definitely some things that are unique to my horse and I do think there is truth in it, but at the same time I wouldn't believe it over what my vet and other professionals who actually see my horse think. I think it was worth doing for interest and a bit of peace of mind that I am doing the right thing, as I do worry a lot and I know my horse picks up on that.

Not meaning to be flippant - this is a genuine question . You seem to be a knowledgeable owner who knows her horse and responds to his needs , so I am interested to know what you were told that made you feel that it was worth doing . You say that he told you some things that are unique to your horse but in what respect would you say that this information is useful and/or has helped you and/or your horse now or in your future management of him ?
 

Winters100

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Speaking personally I am not against it for someone who is not desperate, can easily afford it, and goes into it with their eyes open. I am however in general concerned about services which promise unproven results to desperate people, some of whom may feel pressure to fork out for 'miracles'. I saw it in a friend with a terminal disease - she was easy pickings for those selling 'snake oil'. In the end I gave her the money for some of them, but only because I preferred that she lived in hope rather than died in despair. Of course they did not help her. To me this is the same sort of thing. I am really sorry if this offends anyone, and I fully expect that some of you will rightly say that you did this with no pressure and without suffering any financial hardship, which is just fine. I do believe however that we should be aware that scams exist in this sort of area and no one should ever feel pressure to part with money for such services.

As a side note this is an interesting video about a similar service
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Tash88

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Not meaning to be flippant - this is a genuine question . You seem to be a knowledgeable owner who knows her horse and responds to his needs , so I am interested to know what you were told that made you feel that it was worth doing . You say that he told you some things that are unique to your horse but in what respect would you say that this information is useful and/or has helped you and/or your horse now or in your future management of him ?

Hi sorry for the late reply and thank you. I've been around horses a long time and M is my third horse, my first was sadly PTS aged 11 and I also have a retired horse aged 15. I've been riding properly for 20 years and managed a small livery yard as well as working at numerous others - just to give context of experience. But I would never consider myself to be 'experienced' and I am not a very confident rider (accidents etc., I used to be braver), I always think that others are doing a better job than me and judging me, so I guess I wanted to do something for myself, over the phone with nobody else there. My horse also has some medical conditions that he's had all the treatment for, including surgery, over the last 18 months. I think in some ways I'm a bit traumatised by all that having never dealt with a long term lameness issue before, and he will always continue to be a worry for me as his conditions will need management for the rest of his life.

Nothing will change how I manage my horse and his conditions, that is for the vet, farrier etc. to advise me on. But I think I wanted some reassurance, and like I said, to do something interesting for myself and potentially my horse. I need to relieve my anxiety a bit and start enjoying my horse more, and I have moments of that, but it is difficult. Sounds a bit silly to say I have mild PTSD from my horse having medical issues but I think it could be a thing.
 
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