Friendships. New vs Old.
New Friends. Old Friends. Both offer us wonderful aspects. With a new friend, there is the excitement of exploring what you have in common and the fresh perspective of a new and different set of boundaries, opinions, and body language. With an old friend, there is the comfort of just fitting together. There is the forgiveness and support in our flaws and the companionship that goes along with being the real you and truly accepted. There is also an understanding without words (definitely body-language driven) where you just know another so well that boundaries are blurred either for the fun of goofing off or the pushing of each other’s buttons with an old well-known friend vs. the more guarded nuances of getting to know someone.
Below are two videos of each scenario with horses. Two of these horses are new friends just getting to know (and like) each other. Two of these horses are old friends who have lived, worked, and played together for many years. What can you tell about the two pairs of horses from their body language in the videos…? Are you aware of how your silent signals are different between meeting someone new that you are drawn to vs. someone you are very close to because you have known them for such a long time?
VIDEO: Junior Mif and Syriana, they are the female side of our EAP Herd/ Team. Both of these beautiful mares work to save lives of veteran & youth trauma survivors, as well as teach impeccable communication skills to medical professionals and executives…
What is their body language saying to you in this candid video?
VIDEO: Spring Thaw and Dane. They are boy BFF’s. In 2016 this candid video shows Spring who was 29yo at the time and beginning to improve from a winter of laminitic episodes caused from the onset Cushings Syndrome. He refused to sit on the bench proving his stoicism and heart for his work. He would bang his feet on walls to be let into the work arena, where a client would vow to keep him still, and safe.
Enjoy! Three of the four horses in these videos are available for hire during your virtual meetings and events. They are masters of body-language and communicating without spoken words. Check out Syriana, Junior Mif, and Dane in Meet the Herd.
VIDEO: Dane and Mif have been a pair (their choice) since September 1, 2015. They have an open relationship and are both so confident and secure in themselves that it makes an effortless bond between them. They spend time together because they want to, and when they don’t they use horse version of social distancing - taking as much or as little space is needed.
VIDEO: Spring and Syriana were a bonded pair from May 2010 to January 20, 2018. Inseparable and with deep love for one another. Syri is a big flirt and at the various locations we have been at it is her pattern to flirt with the “other boys” over the fence lines. She will make a big ruckus about it and noises out of her sound like a T-Rex more than a diva mare! She would always look back however to see if Spring was paying attention. He was of course, just did not make it obvious to her. Every now and again she would start to take the flirting a bit too far and that is when the Appaloosa would make his way to the flirt station and round her up. It was as if he realized she had had too much to drink and needed to be helped home, if you get the drift…