The Posture of Push(Send) and Draw(Receive)

Gesturing is one of the most interesting facets of living creatures. The cat who waits for her dinner, striking out with one paw is recognized by her owner as requesting food. The mouse who stands on his hind legs, front 'paws' on hips and 'sounds off'(yes! I've seen it!)to a playful cat is telling it to go bother somebody else! The horse that sniffs the blacksmith's hair and licks his ear tells him he is befriended. Gesturing is part of life and a huge part of horse life. We can see horses all the time moving their heads to signal to another to move away or move back. A gesture has a visual component to it that makes it superficially understood. But gestures can be extremely subtle and complex. You can stare at a group of horses for 10 min and see nothing happening and suddenly one horse makes one tiny neck motion and the drama begins. It is as though a secret energy were passing around, stirring, and building in the seeming silence until one small movement triggers an event!
I cannot overestimate the significance of this type of interaction that we cannot see on the surface. Is it magic? Another sense? A spirit world? It is a mystery, however we look at it. The main thing to take away from this is that it is REAL! And this REAL thing can be used to tremendous advantage in the horse and rider partnership.
Without getting too far into yet another subject, might I mention the special interaction that takes place between horses trotting together in a field. Very often they will pair up as though they are driving partners being directed around by an invisible driver! They might look like little fairies waltzing in time in their pastures. You might catch a glimpse of them standing side by side in an identical or reflective posture. An image comes to mind when we see this that they are simply enjoying life and are sharing some dance time together. Some of the trotting and cantering can be exquisite.....and don't we say to ourself, "Oh, how I would love it if my horse could go like that when I ride him." Well, he can! We just need to learn how to create the elements that enable that sort of motion.
Back to the unseen world of auras or chemistries or energies between horses.....
We can begin to work with the concept of energy flow simply by walking or leading our horses. We might begin with a whip in hand and use it....no, GESTURE with it....like a railroad crossing bar. Placing it horizontally in front of the horse shows him a barrier. Very soon, especially if you are thinking this in your mind and your posture is settling down firmly into the ground, he recognizes the gesture as meaning that he needs to bring his body to a stop or halt. He knows he has a space around himself that belongs to him. He learns you have one around yourself. He later learns that your SPACE can stop HIS SPACE from moving closer!
Now try asking him to step away from you, laterally sideways. Touching the halter with the left hand on his left side, and facing the triangle of 'air' under his neck, with right hand outstretched or with whip extending from it, touch him and step into this triangle. At first he may not understand you but soon he feels the touch of the whip and guesses when your right arm is approaching. You, being careful and sensitive, back down the 'energy' of your extended right arm and he senses the energy of your space approaching his space! You are sending him on! And in a lateral direction. And without even a touch! He is easy, quiet and willing.
Try now to draw his energy toward you, receiving it and taking it backward with you. Be careful he does not rush at you with intensity. Stand with him lined up beside a wall, his right side to the wall. Face him, holding the left side of his halter with a gentle hold from your left hand. Breath down low and quiet yourself. Reach out and touch his left hind quarter with your whip extending from your right arm. Touch him like you are patting him with your fingertips and take the whip sideways and toward yourself, opening your right shoulder and torso back and to the right. It may take several attempts but soon he will learn, if you are patient, that you want him to come toward you with one part of his body. Use your mind to draw him to yourself. Stepping backward, with feet rolling naturally toe to heel, bent knees, toes turned slightly inward as you step back, shifting weight back onto the heel as you draw the horse down the longside with his quarters in. Students are mesmorized by this! It seems like magic but it is real energy exchange that is happening. Your space is drawing his space toward you. It is a physical gesture that you are making which the horse can see and feel and this transforms into an invisible energy exchange.
We will learn about this later when I attempt to describe in greater detail how to use this concept in the ridden posture to achieve results similar and even more exciting and complex. The possibilities are endless with this. All that is required is for us to step out of ourselves, develop a greater mental control over the motions of the body and the intentions of the mind, and exercise patience and openess to the incredible sensitivities of your horse. When you start to realize what can actually happen between you and the horse that requires minimal physical effort you will never again want to do things in the way you used to!