You’re My Mare Not My Mother
Riding high on the success of such books as You’re My Mare Not My Mother and Denial Ain’t What Keeps The Horseshoe On, Pamela Wilsby-Higgins is holding clinics across the country to promote her latest book and infomercials, From A Whisper To A Scream: When Your Horse Can’t Hear You.
The plucky blonde, so progressive in her methods of equine communication she’s called “The Woman Who E-Mails to Horses,” is the first woman to receive national attention in the growing field of touchy-feely horse training.
Although successful, Pamela has been criticized for her unorthodox techniques and is the first to admit she’s not a traditional horse trainer.
“Training is such a worn out concept, even the word ‘train’ is archaic, it comes from the Old French trahiner, to drag. And that’s just what training is, a big drag!
“What I’m interested in is communicating with problem horses, letting them know they’re not alone. Since I too have issues with trust and a history of abusive, dysfunctional relationships, I understand what they’re going through. I can also relate to frustrated riders. As I wrote in You’re My Mare Not My Mother, at one point a guilt-tripping gelding shamed me into believing if I were a prettier, thinner, smarter person I wouldn’t be having riding problems.”
A New Attitude
“My goal is to facilitate people away from the ‘Self-Centered’ riding made popular in the 1980s to a more ‘Co-Dependant’ riding where the horse and rider work closely to deepen their relationship and become enmeshed in the riding experience.”
In defense of reports that her clinics are among the most expensive in this new industry, Pamela is unapologetic. “You get what you pay for. Horses are individuals and it takes time to discover what form of communication works best for them. Whispering to horses is fine, but some respond better to murmuring or babbling, while still others prefer mime or slide shows. I have found when working with a herd, semaphore is the most effective.”
Pamela further points out that not all bad horse behavior is the result of a negative breaking experience. “Horses are very sensitive and can have a variety of problems, both emotional and paranormal. They can suffer from depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, even repressed memories.
“Most people are unaware of the large number of horses who are survivors of alien abduction. I have found that repressed memories of such abductions are the primary cause of trailering difficulties. There are also horses unfairly labeled ‘spooky,’ when their behavior is actually an appropriate response to poltergeist activity.”
Pamela’s symposiums cover a wide range of topics, such as: Reimprinting the Inner Foal, Obsessive/Compulsive Dressage, Andelusions of Grandeur, Bi-Polar Bending, A.D.D. in Arabians, Fear of Flying Lead Changes, and Feeling Suicidal? Consider Eventing.
When not on tour, Pamela offers weekend retreats at Passing Wind, her Malibu, California ranch, that focus on specific breeds and riding disciplines. She will also customize sessions to meet a client’s particular needs and budget.
“Once we even re-birthed a Tennessee Walker to help her face her ‘water issues.’ It was exhilarating and only three or four people were injured.” Pamela was unable to comment further on this event as the matter is still in litigation.
