calming technique

Question
I have been training in Body Talk techniques which also has applications for animals, including horses.  There is a relaxation technique for humans which involves light pressure on one eye and then the other along with a point on the head... which one (horse owning) classmate said has also already been used with horses.  
My question: Are you aware of Bebault's technique or Babault's technique and/or its origin or author?

Thank you!
Susan


Answer
Hi Susan!

Yes.  Using light pressure and stroking your cupped hand softly over one eye and then the other has been used instinctively by horsemen for as long as I can remember.  If a horse is frightened and you stroke the eye, you will notice that the respiration rate lowers, the head will lower and the eye itself will soften and less white in the eye will show.  Continue this technique and watch the ears relax as the head continues to lower.  It feels pretty good to the horse and to the human as well.  There is definitely a relaxing component to the human in doing this and when the human can relax, the horse can also!

Another relaxation technique that I use, and this one comes from Ray Hunt by way of Tom Dorrence, is to use the fingertips and gently stroke the groove in the horses neck where the juggler vein runs.  Using a softly, firm pressure, while standing on the left side of the horse with one arm over the top of the neck stroking the right groove and the other arm stroking the left, in the direction of the hair, make full, long strokes down the groove.  Then bring the fingers up softly adding more comfortable pressure on the downward stroke.  Again the horses eyes will soften the head and neck will relax and lower, heart rate and respiration will again lower.  I have used this with  horses that chomp at the bit.   Within a few minutes with this technique, the nervous chopping will cease.  

I am not familiar with "Babault" per se, so I am not able to point you to an origin or author.  I think most of the techniques as they pertain to horses come from people like the Dorrence brothers, and Ray Hunt. They lived with horses and had such close connections with the horse that they felt what the horse needed and followed their instincts.  This occurs in much the same way that a "natural" mother knows what their child needs in the way of touch and clearly feels a way to offer that comfort to the child.  When individuals have those types of close, intimate relationships with other humans or our animal companions, comforting rituals that have real, tangible results are freely allowed to develop.  I think it is the feel that comes first and the science follows.  

Good for you for this examination.  Developing close bonds and following a feel helps in establishing a real connection between horse and human.