Welcome to the Listening Project
What happens between you and your horse?
Every relationship with a horse is different
Anyone who spends time with horses knows that communication happens through far more than words or reins.
A horse experiences us through our movement, touch, posture, breathing, attention and physical presence. At the same time, we are continually responding to the horse — to changes in movement, tension, behaviour, confidence and willingness.
Sometimes the connection feels effortless. At other times something changes. A rider becomes tense and the horse responds. A horse becomes unsettled and the rider feels it too. Small changes in posture, breathing, attention or awareness can sometimes seem to alter what happens between them.
I am interested in these moments.
the listening project
The Listening Project is an exploration of people’s experiences of the relationship between horses and humans — how we live with horses, work with them, care for them and understand them.
Through relaxed individual conversations, I am interested in what horse owners and riders have noticed, learned and experienced through their own lives with horses.
Perhaps:
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you have noticed ways in which your own movement, posture, breathing or attention affect your horse
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your horse has made you more aware of something happening within yourself
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your understanding of horses has changed through experience
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different approaches to training, handling, care or wellbeing have influenced the way you work with horses
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your experiences with horses have challenged or confirmed things you were once taught
Or you may simply have experiences, observations or questions about life with horses that you would like to share.
An evolving understanding of horses
The way horses are understood, cared for, trained and worked with continues to develop.
New knowledge sits alongside long-established experience, tradition and practical horsemanship. At the same time, owners and riders are exposed to a growing range of ideas about:
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behaviour and learning
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physical wellbeing
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emotional lives
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communication
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training and partnership
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the influence of the rider or handler
The Listening Project is interested in how these ideas are experienced in everyday life with horses.
It is not seeking a particular answer or point of view. The purpose is to listen to individual experiences and explore the themes that emerge across different people, horses and backgrounds.
A little about me
I am Caroline Frances Des-Rivieres, a BHSII with many years of experience teaching, coaching and working with horses and riders.
My earlier equestrian career included representing Britain as a member of the Junior Three-Day Event Team, preparing riders for their BHS examinations, producing young horses, and helping clients find and purchase suitable horses.
I later developed workshops exploring communication, awareness and the relationship between horse and rider, including Communicating from the Heart with Horses.
For a period, my professional work moved into coaching, rehabilitation and personal development with people. I am now bringing that experience together with my equestrian background as I return to working more directly with horse owners and riders.
This combination gives me a practical understanding of horses alongside many years of experience listening carefully to people’s experiences. The purpose of the Listening Project is to hear what matters to each participant and to understand their experience in their own words.
Your story with horses
The conversation begins with your own experience: how horses became part of your life, how long you have been riding or caring for them, and what you have noticed and learned along the way.
From there, we may explore:
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the relationship you have with your horse now
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moments when something seemed to change between you
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experiences that have influenced the way you ride, handle or work with your horse
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what helps you and your horse when something feels difficult or uncertain
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how your own confidence, thoughts, feelings or physical responses affect the experience
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anything your horse has helped you notice about yourself
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any practices or approaches that have influenced the way you experience your horse
The conversation is guided by your story and by the things you have noticed in your own relationship with horses.
What taking part involves
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one relaxed, individual conversation
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around one hour
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at your yard, by phone or online
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questions shaped around the parts of your experience that matter to you
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space to talk openly about your own experiences
No preparation is needed. Your experience with horses, your perspective and your way of working with them are all welcome.
How the conversations will be used
The conversations will contribute to a wider exploration of how our lives with horses are evolving.
Themes emerging across the conversations may also form the basis of future articles exploring the experiences, observations and perspectives of horse owners and riders.
Individual stories, comments or quotations will not be used in an identifiable way without your knowledge and agreement.
Start a conversation
If you would like to take part in the Listening Project, or would simply like to know more before deciding, please get in touch using the form below.