HORSE SHOW WIRE MAGAZINE
Summer 2012 Edition
"A World Championship Predicted!"
Learn How Susan's
Communication Abilities Assist
Both Horse & Rider
Just over a year ago, I met Animal Communicator / Behavioral Intuitive Susan Deren at the 2011 New England Regional Championships. I had heard about some accurate readings she did at another horse show, and decided to book an appointment. I was showing for my first time at New England in the Amateur Western Pleasure qualifier. If her insight into my horse could assist me, I wanted that competitive advantage!
Susan arrived at the stall and immediately began describing my horse's personality, his likes and dislikes. She also picked up on some prior issues with him. At this point, I had no doubt that she was somehow connecting with my horse. Then, Susan said that my horse knew why he was at the show, he understood his "job," and that he fully intended on winning. He also told her that he intended to win at Oklahoma in October as well. I couldn't believe my ears! Was this just my horse's wishful thinking, or was she truly seeing the outcome of my horse's determination and motivation?
Susan then assessed my connection to the horse, and correctly concluded that I had been having some confidence issues. She walked me through some visualization techniques, tailored to specific issues with my horse's performance, which she "just knew," to address the problem.
Knowing that my horse was so committed, I wanted to make every effort to be the rider he needed to win. I knew I only had one day until the qualifier, so I practiced the techniques and methods she suggested and hoped for the best.
Well, it turns out both Susan Deren and my horse were right. Not only did we win the qualifier, but we went on to win the New England Regional Western Pleasure Championship, and three months later we won the World Championship!
Q & A With Susan Deren
By sharing my experiences I hope that people will better understand how an Animal Communicator can assist. I believe that Susan's ability to connect horse and rider is truly a gift.
First and foremost, Susan stresses that she is not a veterinarian and her readings are not a substitute for consulting a vet. Animal owners, and vets, contact Susan when traditional medical tests fail to provide a reason or solution for the animal's symptoms.
She also will flat out tell you that she is not a horse trainer and she would never expect someone to utilize her readings to replace the role of a skilled trainer. Horse trainers that work with Susan view her as a complement to their function.
The information Susan provides in her readings is based upon a highly developed intuitive ability that she utilizes to assist not only animals, but humans as well. This ability, explained in more detail in the Q &A not only enables her to sense a behavior problem, but she can also see what solution would work best for the animal, thus her title "Animal Communicator / Behavioral Intuitive."
This technique naturally lends itself well as an additional resource in the world of horse training. As we know, like humans, every horse has a different personality and background. When all else fails, she has the ability to see what the underlying reason is for the horse refusing the command or its sudden behavior shift. Once she determines the cause, that same ability allows her to see what solutions would work best for the horse.
Susan's work with horses has been featured on WCVB-TV's CHRONICLE. Previously, Susan was an Insurance Broker, a field she decided to leave almost 20 years ago to pursue this occupation full-time. Her abilities extend to not only horses, but dogs, cats and other animals as well. Based upon the many testimonials on her website, it seems many owners, and their animals, are thankful she left the insurance world to assist them.
Q. Susan, tell us about when you first clearly realized you had this ability, how old you were and describe the event that led up to your realization?
A. Horses have been a part of my life since I was a small child. I began to experience an intuitive connection to them when I was 17. I remember looking at a horse I didn't know and feeling that the horse was depressed. I noticed I could also sense if they had physical pain. Sometimes, I would even hear what they needed to remedy their problem. Back then, I was hesitant to share this information. By the time I was 20, I had the confidence to share these messages with horse owners. Although owners were at first shocked by this, they eventually started listening and began to make the suggested changes. Many saw results. It was then, when I had the feedback, that I started to believe that the information I was receiving was real.
Q. Describe how the horses communicate to you...is it through words, sentences, pictures?
A. It's generally a combination of different methods. Sometimes it's a visual reference. For example, I may see the horse's movement is hindered somehow. It's like viewing a scene in a movie, but faster. Then, I may actually feel the area of the horse's body that is tight. Basically, I feel a physical sensation in my body that mirrors where the horse is experiencing such pain. Other times, I hear phrases. For example, I could hear "I'm a Princess!" from one of the horses and both rider and trainer told me they routinely make reference to her in this manner. Just more evidence that animals really are listening to us!
Q. Can horses sense our mood and emotions?
A. Horses are more like humans than most people can imagine. Keep in mind that when you are riding your horse, they can feel and sense your emotions. Ask any rider who was in an angry mood or felt insecure the day of the show how their horse did that day...the vast majority will tell you the horse didn't do well.
Sometimes a rider's anger will make the horse feel insecure as if they believe they are the reason for the anger. Other horses may react to anger with rebellion. Most seem to react to an insecure rider with the same insecurity, causing them to hesitate and make mistakes.
Q. If we want to communicate a message ourselves to our horses how do we best do that?
A. Horses are intelligent and sense our intentions, so you always need to be very clear with what you want from them. If you verbally say to your horse, "I need you to stay still when I mount you," but at the same time you're obsessing that the horse will move and you'll fall, the latter half may derail your message. Your intention and the spoken word both create pictures for your horse. This is how they understand what it is you want from them.