Tag Archive for: Horses

Horse Hooray Henry Prancing Free in a Meadow

Today, I’d like to discuss the concept of animal reincarnation which has fascinated me since my twenties.

The Basis for Belief:

Jill Hughes Holding a Copy of Spirit of Prophecy Today, more people are coming to believe in reincarnation, which is a central premise of major Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, yet it is still another “leap of faith” to accept that animals can also be reincarnated. Notwithstanding that in some religions and cultures, animals and all sentient beings are placed on earth as divine entities and/or Gods. We can think of many of the Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism (cows and elephants, for example), or if we go back to early civilization, we can see the Egyptians worshipping and revering, not just animals, but often hybrid animal/human forms. The Incas also considered some animals, such as monkeys and dogs, to be holy. Other religions, however, tend to view animals as mere soulless beings placed on earth for the servitude and dominion of man. It is clear from most major religions, though, that there is an inextricable and deep connection between us human beings, animals, and the spiritual universe.

So, whatever your outlook on the place of animals in our society, the question remains – can animals, especially pets, reincarnate?

Personal Experience:  

If there’s one thing that convinces us our pets or other animals have reincarnated its personal experience. Many of us experience an incredibly close, loving relationship with our pets. They are “family members,” to us, and when one dies, the grieving and the sense of complete loss/desolation is like losing a close family member. Deeper than that, though, is the linkage through which we are connected with all the animals on this earth that we share, and the entire universe, in general.

My experience of animal reincarnation relates to my horses, whom I loved with a deep passion. My second pony Red a 14.2 HH, fire- cracker chestnut showjumper, returned around 7 years later as Hooray Henry, a 16.2 HH palomino. Whilst Red and Henry were very different physically, their behavior was so similar that I just knew, on a profound, intuitive level that in essence, they were the same being. The story of why Red reincarnated as Henry and the lessons to be learned, feature in my No.1 Best-Selling International Metaphysical Crime Novel: ‘Spirit of Prophecy’, available on Amazon here: http://getbook.at/SpiritofP

Horse "Red" in action Show-Jumping

Red

Red was an amazing competition pony, but he was really difficult to handle – he would kick and bite and he was very tricky to ride anywhere, except in the show ring. If I tried to take him out for a hack, I wouldn’t get far before he started reining-back – like a crab in reverse. Next, he’d rear up on his hind legs or go into bucking-bronco mode: objective being to get the rider off. With hindsight, of course, this was probably because he was ill. Often when horses misbehave, they aren’t simply being naughty, they’re in pain and trying to tell us something. Frequently, we tell them off or simply don’t listen closely enough, because we’re too busy, distracted, not living in the moment and aren’t paying attention.

One weekend, at University, UEA in Norwich, I had this really strong feeling (call), to return home immediately. I trusted the strong intuition and made the two-hundred odd mile trip back, although really, I had no idea why. I just knew that I needed to get back and trusted that it was something important. On the Sunday, my father let me have a lie-in in bed and he went to give the ponies their breakfast. However, before too long he rushed back home, banged on my bedroom door shouting: “Get up now. Red has gone down – he’s in a really bad way.”

The vet came out and I stayed with Red for hours out in the orchard, walking around in circles. Red was kicking, pawing, trying to lie down and roll. We had to try and keep him moving so he didn’t roll and twist the gut. It was heart-wrenching to see him like that, beside himself in agony. Eventually the vet came out again and advised, this time, that there was nothing more that he could do. He gave Red a sedative and told my father to call the knacker-man. I was too heartbroken to stay – something I really came to regret. I really shouldn’t have let the knacker-man [that’s what they were called in those days – now the humane slaughter consultant or something?] take him away; he should have been put to sleep, quietly, at home, in familiar surroundings, with people who loved him and cared about him. Decisions surrounding death are often highly emotionally charged, and I’d definitely made a mistake.

The similarities seven years later between Red and Hooray Henry, my next horse, became obvious to me in week one, on our very first hack, shortly after he arrived. Henry was bucking, rearing, and snorting and generally being highly unpredictable and downright dangerous. It is moments like these when a Velcro-bum comes in mighty handy! I was supposed to canter back along the bridle path where my dad had camera-on-tripod set up. No such luck, Henry exploded into a fit of extreme toddler-style tantrum. He became positively kamikaze. In the end I jumped off and did the unthinkable for an experienced rider – I let him loose and with that Henry galloped away in a cloud of dust.

‘What the heck, love?’ My Dad gasped, looking stunned.

My heart sank. ‘’It’s Red, he’s back and he’s back with a vengeance.”

He nodded. ‘’Righty, right then. We’d best go after them.’’

Hooray Henry Running Free in the Paddock

Hooray Henry

My dad was always pretty progressive I guess, he was totally organic-you-are-what you eat, talked to his plants and on his allotment, led the campaign to stop his friend Sweet Pea getting evicted for being a white witch.

I didn’t realize at the time what a long road would lie ahead, back to the original ending with Red – what happened with Henry was profoundly connected. By now I’d learned that such extreme behaviour could only point to some underlying physical problem and pain, so over the years I called out many vets and alternative practitioners trying to get to the bottom of Henry’s problems. Henry was finally diagnosed with kissing spine and arthritic degeneration in all feet, hocks, and knees. The vet said it would be kinder not to put him through another winter but to let-him-go, peacefully. At that moment Henry breathed a deep sigh of relief and rested his head on the vet’s shoulder, as if to say – at last, thank you.

What Does this all Mean for Us and our Animal Relationships:

Animals are here to assist humanity and they’ve undergone many silent sacrifices. Ultimately, any society must be judged on how it treats the most vulnerable – the old, the infirm and of course animals and all sentient beings – things are improving but there is still a way to go to express real compassion for other beings. I get that death is part of the endless regeneration cycle of life. If a person is suffering greatly it may be a blessed relief for them. That we should all live our lives asking ourselves this: “when the day comes and I’m on my death bed, did I share my gifts, did I share and be of service to others? Did I experience joy, purpose, passion, and self- love, whilst accomplishing my mission here? Can I move forward with few regrets?”

Horse Red Flying High Over the Shoew-Jumping Rails

Red

I learnt a lot from Red and Henry. With Red I felt guilty, just as Juliet, [one of the heroines in my novel] has haunting dreams about her horse’s fate. I regret I wasn’t there with Red at the end, so he came back as Henry to give me the opportunity to create a different [improved] ending. Red taught me patience and perseverance. Where many previous owners had given up on him, I remained loyal and this was rewarded. Our bond was strong, so strong that he came back as Henry to rewrite the ending for me. What is ironic, I guess, is that at this stage of my life I’m an author and ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ is based on the story of a reincarnating Apache horse called Espiritus. In this way too, Red and Henry carry on into eternity, as the main theme of the book is based on what happened with them, except as my understanding of reincarnation has evolved, it’s deeper and more nuanced.

If you enjoyed this Blog and would like to read more spiritual and metaphysical issues, plus lots more besides, please share it with your friends and family, or do join our website and you’ll receive a notice whenever a new blog is posted. We will never spam you though. You can join here:

If you liked what you read here, please do check out our previous blogs. The last four can be found here:

Prosperity Report Cover: Chinese Hanging Lanterns: Awakening AlchemyYou may also wish to avail yourself of our fantastic FREE report: 3 Proven Ways to Pull More Prosperity to You in 30 Days. You can grab your copy of this here:

Spirit of Prophecy EBook Cover with Readers' Favorite 5 Star Badge - Awakening AlchemyMaybe check out Jill Hughes: Author pages on my website which highlights my No.1 Best-selling, Visionary Fiction, “whodunit” crime mystery, Spirit of Prophecy, and download the First Chapter for FREE.

Spirit of Prophecy AudioBook Cover With Awards Displayed Finally, today, please do pop on over to the SHOP: where you can download the Award winning Audiobook at an amazing price. There a SoundCloud taster so you can try before you buy, and bag a big discount!

The novel incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blogs, into a fast-paced, fictional thriller with a spiritual under-current: prepare to be swept away.

 

Till Next Time I’m Sending: Love, Phire, and the Violet Flame of Peace

Hiorse Whispers Banner: closeup of Woman Talking to a Horse - Awakening Alchemy

Horses often communicate relying on their eyes and their very large and mobile ears, which they use to signal to other horses where to direct their attention, in order to locate food or to evade predators. Grey Horse With Head Leaning Over Fence - Awakening Alchemy Horses are social animals living in large groups and they are also prey animals – so, young foals learn how to stand up soon after birth and how to run with the herd by following mom’s lead. Horses feel emotion without too much rationalizing. They understand us and scientists say that they pick up on our moods from our facial expressions and tone of voice, similar to dogs. Experienced riders know how to pay attention to their horses’ ears in order to help determine what their horse is thinking/feeling. Equally important in the equine vocabulary is tail position – as you can see from the diagram.

Diagram of a Horse's 9 Tail Positions - Awakenong Alchemy As you can see the hunched / clamped tail position very clearly indicates a tense / anxious, individual and to other horses, this signals submission. A flicking tail may simply be practically swatting flies away or if the swishing is vigorous, accompanied by lifting a hind leg and at the other end the teeth are bared, this indicates anger, feeling threatened and is intended to ward invaders away! Aggression in horses involves biting, kicking, rearing, and striking out with a foreleg, however, this is more common under domestic conditions where there is competition over resources – food / water / shelter. Generally, in wild herds, apart from a new stallion approaching the herd or a mare defending her foal, horses do not go out of their way to exert dominance, instead they try to avoid conflict, so when threatened by a stronger opponent a horse will depart, holding its head low with its tail tucked in. Horses interact with one another mainly on bilateral levels that include all members of the group and not according to a rank order. An incorrect belief that the person handling and training a horse must be in a top position of a dominance hierarchy [ i.e. an alpha position, being a leader] may have a negative effect on the horse, compromising its welfare and can trigger fear, resulting in avoidance behavior – particularly when the desire to dominate encourages and involves the application of punishment.  To discover more about calm and consistent training principles which are infinitely preferable,  and to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse-rider relationship please check out the International Society for Equitation Science – Learning Theory in Equitation.

Horses Communicating Preferences

It was previously believed that only dolphins and apes could learn how to communicate their preferences e.g. by pointing at symbols but a study in 2016, by scientists from the Norwegian Vet Institute, shows that this applies to horses too.

How was this accomplished?

Three boards used to train horses ot recognise symbols - Awakenng Alchemy The horses [a total of 23] were trained, using carrots, to approach a board on a fence. Then how to tell the difference between three symbols:  ____ for [blanket on] and | for [blanket off] as well as a blank board for [no change]. The scientists also used hot and cold temperatures to help the horses differentiate.

The speed of learning varied from horse to horse but after 2 week’s training, all 23 were able to go to the board to indicate, rug on or off, and express their own preferences. They tended to request ON when it was wet, windy, or cold and OFF when mild, dry, or warm. The study was published in the Applied Animal Behavior Science Journal and Karen McComb, professor of animal behavior and cognition at the University of Sussex said;

‘This is a really interesting, innovative study that has conceived a very novel way of getting at what is going on in the mind of a horse.”

Horses and Humans

Wild West Mustangs Grazing Free - Awakening Alchemy The adoption of the horse was one of the single most important discoveries for early human societies. Horses and other animals were used to pull wheeled vehicles, chariots, carts, and wagons with horses increasingly being used for riding, in the Near East, from at least 2000BCE onwards. The relationship between man and horse, involving workers, farmers, kings, and enthusiasts has been evolving for centuries. However, horse meat is still eaten in around 22 countries and indeed beef eaters in the UK were horrified to learn that some of the beef in their food was, in fact, horse meat – Britain like the US generally has an aversion to this, indeed in the Wild-West, horses became a sort of mythological creature in American National consciousness. Horses, like cats and dogs, are considered as companions and pets but definitely not food. My novel Spirit of Prophecy features a painted American Apache horse called Espiritus, who reincarnates as Totem, a top event horse who was unwittingly exported for slaughter, whilst his owner Juliet Jermaine was away competing. In this extract Juliet is on a lunch date with the Irish hero, Tommy Rafferty. Juliet has just shared the guilt that she feels and describes how Totem’s tortured screams haunt her dreams:

She thought of Chateaubriand, red and bloody on some French Madame’s plate, and shivered with revulsion. “The French eat horses,” she moaned. And she pushed her food away untouched.

“They do, that be right. But, let’s not think of that now, can you think of a nation more sentimental about horses than the Irish? I mean, for us, horses are in the blood. Petting, betting, buying and selling. Oh, and art of course. Don’t you be worrying about the French.”

Spirit of Prophecy EBook Cover with Readers' Favorite 5 Star Badge - Awakening Alchemy Note, in the paragraph above the word “use,” is also contained in “abuse,” and it is well overdue for humanity to become fully aware that animals – all animals are sentient beings; they feel love, fear, pain, just like us and at a soul level they are certainly not “lower beings.”

In fact, like Leo Tolstoy, a staunch vegetarian and the author of War and Peace stated:

“As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.”

He wrote in one of his journals:

“You must treat animals as well as people, the way you’d like to be treated.”

So, he clearly values the lives of animals, and by implication there is nothing to justify harming animals, being apathetic about their abysmal welfare, or eating them for that matter – it is no longer a genuine necessity. Perhaps a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is necessary to free humanity from violence?

Beef Farmer saves his cows from the SlaughterhouseWatch Jay Wilde, former organic beef  farmer doing his bit. 

On an equally uplifting note, you can’t fail to be moved and inspired by the love between humans and beautiful equines when you watch: “The Horse – My Horse and Me – What’s your Horse Story?” Martin Clune, the British actor and chairman of The British Horse Society conveys the tender beauty, admiration, and respect that exists between him and his horse.

Chocolate Coloured Pony in amongst brish - Awakening Alchemy The story of my horses, [Red and Henry] and me, is one about how I came to believe in Reincarnation and Karma and as noted earlier here, that became the central theme in my novel Spirit of Prophecy.

My first pony was called Chocolate who transitioned over the rainbow-bridge some years ago. More recently, I had an Angel reading and asked, why had Chocolate returned as Jester [my daughters (formerly) first pony]? What message did he have for us, and what did he have to teach us?

Angel Raphael replied:

“In a previous lifetime he was a being who was silenced. His passion is inter-species communication.”

After the reading, I pondered a while and took this as a nudge from the universe that I should go see Jester and his new loan family, together with an Animal Communicator [the amazing Rebekah, who can be contacted at Paw Prints (Animal Communication and Healing)], so that he would have the opportunity to speak through her.

Connection via an animal communicator (a silent, telepathic communication that works via deepened intuition) which is covered in an earlier blog post, is both awesome, and exciting. The sessions were videoed and will form a series on my: Jill Hughes Author, YouTube channel, called: The Pony Escaping the Story.

Would you like to find out what Jester had to say? Drop us a line at support@moneymagnet.global and we’ll let you know when the video has been edited and posted to YouTube.

Have you ever heard of the Wilhelm Scream?

Odds are, if you are involved in the film industry, you absolutely know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, well, like me, it’s all-new, fascinating and perhaps even just a little bit weird. Let me enlighten you.

ThJohn Wayne on a Horse: Pointing a Colt 45 - Awakening Alchemy e “Wilhelm Scream” has become one of those almost mythical icons of Hollywood. It is a stock sound-effect that has been used in over 400 films and TV Series since it was first recorded in 1951, for the Western film, Distant Drums. It is frequently used when someone is shot, falls from a great height or is blown backward in an explosion. Examples of the Wilhelm Scream can be found in any numbers of blockbuster movies down through the ages, including the Indiana Jones franchise, many Disney movies and most notably, Star Wars. The name Wilhelm Scream comes from a character, Private Wilhelm, who uses it in a 1953 Western, The Charge at Feather River, when he is shot in the thigh by an arrow.

So, what exactly does this scream sound like? Check it out here on this YouTube video:

White Horse Neighing - Awakening Alchemy In the spirit of the Wilhelm Scream, De Wolfe Music, suppliers of sound-effects and music to Hollywood have decided to allow a previously unknown horse to achieve its own form of cinematic immortality. Partnering with Equilab (an app. and social network for equestrians) they ran a competition where users of the app. recorded a short snort, neigh, or snicker and submitted it for judging. This could all be done via the Equilab App. The closing date for entry of a horse’s wonderful “words” was September 1st, 2019, so it will be amazing to discover which horse’s vocabulary could be immortalized, forever, as part of Hollywood legend. Horses communicating indeed!

The initiative was supported by Redwings (the U.K.’s leading horse charity).

Redwings’ Nic de Brauwere stated they had loved this project and added; “horses use a variety of noises which, when combined with body language communicate a wide range of emotions. But when it comes to the big screen an image of a horse is usually only accompanied by a classic neighing sound and often in situations where the horse would be unlikely to make that noise anyway.”

He noted that at their horse sanctuary they observe the many ways horses communicate with each other and with humans on a daily basis. It will be good to highlight, especially to Hollywood and the movie audiences there is a much richer selection of horse communication to help portray a more realistic view of our beloved four-legged friends.

About Redwings UK:

Redwings Horse Sanctuary Corporate Logo (Black and Red Horse) - Awakening Alchemy Redwings Horse Sanctuary care for over 1,500 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules every day at sites across the UK. The charity, which is 100% funded by donations, rescues equines from neglect or abuse and gives them a safe, “forever home” at the Sanctuary. The charity’s own highly skilled veterinary and behaviour teams provide the expert rehabilitation and specialist care its rescued residents need. Horses capable of living outside of the Sanctuary’s paddock fences are given the training to help them find loving, new homes, as part of Redwings’ rehoming scheme.

American Wild Horse Campaign:

American Wild Mustangs Roaming a Sunset Plain - Awakening Alchemy For Americans and something closer to home, consider the plight of the wild Mustangs. Google: Unwanted Horses of the West. Rescuing and repatriating them is going to be the central theme of my next novel, the sequel to Spirit of Prophecy when Olympic event rider Juliet Jermaine is moved to buy a ranch……………….

It is also my intention that next week’s blog will highlight and champion the terrible fate that has befallen these magnificent animals – so do keep reading

If you enjoyed this Blog and would like to read more spiritual and metaphysical issues, plus lots more besides, please share it with your friends and family, or do join our website and you’ll receive a notice whenever a new blog is posted. We will never spam you though. You can join here:

If you’ve enjoyed what you read here, please do check out our previous blogs. The last four can be found here:

Prosperity Report Cover: Chinese Hanging Lanterns: Awakening Alchemy You may also wish to avail yourself of our fantastic FREE report: 3 Proven Ways to Pull More Prosperity to You in 30 Days. You can grab your copy of this here:

Spirit of Prophecy EBook Cover with Readers' Favorite 5 Star Badge - Awakening Alchemy Maybe check out Jill Hughes: Author pages on my website: which highlight my No.1 Best-selling, Visionary Fiction, “whodunit” crime mystery, Spirit of Prophecy, and download the First Chapter for FREE.

AudioBook Cover of Spirit of Prophecy - Awakening AlchemyFinally, today, please do pop on over to the SHOP: where you can download the Award winning Audiobook at an amazing price. There a Soundcloud taster so you can try before you buy, and bag a big discount!

The novel incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blogs, into a fast-paced, fictional thriller with a spiritual under-current: prepare to be swept away.

Spirit of Prophecy Recipe with Wicca Symbols - Awakening Alchemy

Till Next Time I’m Sending: Love, Phire, and the Violet Flame of Peace

 

As discussed in my earlier post about Karma, the law of Karma is grounded firmly in Newton’s law of cause and effect: for every action there is a reaction. However, whether you totally realise this or not, when you reincarnated and came here to Earth you enrolled in a sort of spiritual classroom. There are lessons to be learned, exams to be passed before you can advance up the grades, and if you fail, then guess what you get held back a year for a re-sit. Everything that shows up in your life here on Earth is part of that education and learning process, however, unlike certain Buddhist concepts we are not supposed to inescapably suffer. Yes, life is/can be tough, but the suffering is all relative. Karmic debts are intended to be paid gracefully, without bitterness or resentment. Take responsibility. Firstly accept, then forgive and finally atone.

Just to be clear, it is our personal responsibility to clear our karma, in so far as tempting as it may appear, there are no magic mantra’s which enable us to delegate this responsibility. Where some modern religious groups imply that if you ‘say the words: “I accept the Lord Jesus as my saviour and ask for forgiveness.’’ That somehow absolves you, it does not and it’s a sort of spiritual laziness and playing hooky with your homework. We are supposed to seek the truth, our own truth which comes from learning our own lessons and atoning our mistakes.

There are many people and indeed animals with whom we enter into karmic contracts. Some people disagree about animals having souls and re-incarnating, but I have had experience of two of my horses re-incarnating and indeed this is the central premise of my metaphysical crime novel Spirit of Prophecy. I hold back on judgement as to whether or not animals can reincarnate as humans and visa versa as I really can’t comment on that. What I can say though is that all animals feel pain, want love, compassion and dogs, for instance, epitomise a consistency of unconditional love that is difficult for us humans to achieve, even the devout and those of us on a spiritual path seeking awakening and enlightenment.  My daughters are both vegan and have recently converted me [Watch out for my VEGAN WITCH blog posts] but actually the guy who really convinced me was Earthling Ed, check out some of his talks on YOUTUBE or maybe check out his restaurant Unity Diner in North London, UK. Ed is so persuasively reasonable when he points out that all animals feel pain, and whilst dog lovers around the world are mortified by the dog slaughter and consumption in Seoul, that is their choice and custom. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs, they are killed for consumption out of sight and suddenly materialise on the diner’s plate. How is that okay then? I came lately to the logical conclusion that it is not.

With regards to how to balance your karma, energy work, [e.g. Akashic Record level] and clearing [ [e.g. Ancestral] can be awesome but as with the Jesus analogy above, we need to park it and then go along for the ride and fully participate. Negativity and blocks accumulate at a number of different levels:

  1. At the ancestral/family lineage level, [and that’s proven to pass down in our DNA by way of cellular memories.]
  2. At the past lives level.
  3. At the Inner Child level which also benefits from release and forgiveness work.
  4. At the current day EGO level – yes, we have to watch out so that instead of clearing the above, we don’t go accumulating new karma to keep us endlessly on the treadmill, right?

Remember everything is ENERGY, so go benefit from any energy work eg Reki, shamanic healing that you feel resonates with you. [If you’d like my personal recommendations for Akashic Record and Ancestral clearing work, feel free to drop me an email.]

Back to you more actively balancing your karma, which needs to be done in conjunction with positive and beneficial energy practices. When something severely negative happens to you, realise that you inflicted the same kind of pain/trauma on another [most likely the same person] in a previous existence, or you wouldn’t be on the receiving end now. You may protest your totally astonishment and innocence and try to blame/shame the other person. Work through your anger/grief/pain – release it, that’s usual, get it out of your system – whatever it takes but just don’t dwell on it. Instead without bitterness or resentment towards the other person – let it go – step up to a new level of sincere and genuine acceptance that you set this into motion yourself in a previous life. You probably won’t recall the circumstances, but often on reflection we see patterns, recurring themes which just keep repeating themselves. Admit your mistake, don’t try to hide – it will always catch up with you in the end and often with a big rebound effect. Better grasp the nettle rather than sweep things under the carpet to fester, I feel. After all that chip on your shoulder will simply weigh you down. We can’t stop all problems checking in, but we can stop them from over-staying their welcome.

 

You may wish to check out our previous blogs on this and similar topics. The last four blogs are listed below: 

Attitude Upgrade Part 2

Attitude Upgrade Part 1 

Karma It’s Gonna Get Ya! 

An Attitude of Gratitude

Many of the issues I discuss in these blogs are also covered in a fictional narrative in my exciting, murder/mystery, Spirit of Prophecy. Do be sure to pop over to another part of my website and take a look. If you love horses, I know you’ll adore Spirit of Prophecy. Come take a look: http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84

My debut novel, Spirit of Prophecy features a mixture of the paranormal, wicca, science fiction wrapped up in a good old-fashioned murder/mystery, Spirit of Prophecy is centred around the rarefied world of three-day-eventing. I want to take some time today to explain a little about how the Three-Day-Event works and why it is so popular within the equine community and with the general public, at large.

In the equestrian world, the three-day event is seen, by many, to be the pinnacle of equine supremacy. Why would be this be so? Simply put, the three-day event tests all of the innate skills of the horse and of horsemanship by combining three equine events into a challenging series of obstacles that tests not only speed, endurance and courage, but also accuracy and temperament. It perfectly encapsulates all that makes horses and horse competitions so enthralling to both the equine community and the general public.

Three-day eventing and the horses and riders that participate in it forms the central platform of my debut novel, Spirit of Prophecy, with one of the principal characters Juliet Jermaine being the current Olympic champion in the Three-Day Event and her horses the focus of much of the action that takes place in the story. For this reason, I’d just like to explain how the three-day event works and give readers some insight into why it is such an esteemed event within the equine community.

Although eventing is extremely popular all over the world these days, it is and always was a quintessentially British sport. Like so many other sports Britain has introduced to the world, the students have, to a large extent, become the masters. The sport still has plenty of British champions, but the powerhouses of three-day eventing are now to be found in the colonies; New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada, and parts of South America. It is truly a world-wide phenomenon and incredibly popular, as both a televised and live spectator sport.
As hinted in the title of this piece, the three-day event is comparable to the human pentathlon or decathlon, in that it tests all aspects of a horse and rider’s skills, ultimately looking for, if you like, “the best equine athlete in the world.” Although some events are held over one or two days, in general terms, the event is performed over a three day time frame. It consists of three very different and challenging disciplines; dressage, cross-country, and show-jumping.

The dressage could perhaps best be put in terms of human endeavour. In many ways it is similar to a ballet performance, but one that requires the horses to undertake a series of predetermined moves, within a specified, enclosed arena. This is the only subjective part of the three-day event and a judge or team of judges awards demerit points for horses and riders that do not perform exactly to the laid-out requirements. Judges will be looking for balance, rhythm, suppleness and most importantly perhaps, cooperation and affinity between horse and rider. The basic idea of dressage is to show that a horse is not only capable of strength, power and endurance, but also can perform in a graceful, relaxed and precise manner. Demerit points awarded in this discipline are then carried over to the cross-country and show-jumping phases of the three-day event. The key to winning, for horse and rider is to score the lowest number of points.

The cross-country is the most physical of the three events and truly tests horse’s and rider’s, speed, stamina, courage and endurance. Cross-country courses vary all over the world and are unique to the designers, but they all have one thing in common; they aim to offer the rider an opportunity to take risks or to play it safe. There is often more than one way of completing an obstacle in the various challenges set. Many cross-country courses are set in exceptionally beautiful countryside, which encourages spectators to flock to the event for a “family day out”. Two of the most prestigious and beautiful such sites in Britain are the annual events held at Badminton and Burleigh, both of which are considered “must wins” for a three-day eventer to say they are at the pinnacle of their sport. As with the dressage, cross-country is about trying to score zero points (that is, make no mistakes to incur demerits). The usual demerit points in the cross-country phase are, 20 points for a horse refusing a jump or running out of the obstacle area, without jumping the obstacle. In addition to this, the cross-country is a timed event and demerit points are added to the horse’s total if they fail to complete the course, in under the specified time, commonly, this is 0.4 of a penalty point per second over the optimum time.

The show-jumping phase of the event is usually held the following day from the cross-country and before any horse is allowed to compete in this phase, they must pass a thorough veterinary inspection to ensure they have not been damaged in any way by the gruelling cross-country phase. Like all show-jumping events, faults are awarded for fences knocked down (4 faults), 1st refusal/disobedience (4 faults), 2nd refusal/disobedience or fall of horse/rider (Elimination), and time performance (1 penalty for every second over the optimum time).
Finally, after completion of the three stamina-sucking events a horse and rider, with the least number of demerit points over the course of the event, can be declared the winner and proud owner of the title; “the best equine athlete of the event”. One reason why this event is so popular as a sporting contest is that it is still one of the few sports where women and men compete alongside each other as equals. Many of the top eventers in the world are female.

Do, please, take a look at my exciting novel, Spirit of Prophecy, set in the exciting world of three-day-eventing. You can find out much more about it, here, on my website. http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84

Please, also consider following me on my social networks, listed below. I absolutely love interacting with readers and fellow authors.

Facebook: 

Twitter:
Google+:
Instagram:
Pinterest:
Website:
Goodreads:
LinkedIn: