In this session, Jim demonstrates the Levels of Touch you’ll use when working with your horse, and the Search, Response, Stay, Release (SRSR) technique. The following terms are used to describe the different levels of pressure you apply to the horse’s body during the bodywork exercises:

Air gap - Barely touching the surface. If you were to practice on yourself, you would be barely brushing across the hairs on your arm. 

Egg Yolk - this is the amount of pressure it would take to barely indent a raw egg yolk with your fingertip. You can practice it by breaking a raw egg into a bowl, then seeing how much pressure you can apply to it without the yolk breaking. 

Grape - the amount of pressure it would take to indent a grape

Lemon - the amount of pressure it would take to squeeze a soft, ripe lemon

Lime - the amount of pressure it would take to squeeze a hard, unripe lime. 

The correct level of touch will keep your horse under brace, in a relaxed state, enabling him to tell you through his responses that you’ve helped him release tension. If you’re applying too much pressure, your horse will brace.

You’ll also learn about the visual responses your horse will give to you when he’s released tension. 

Subtle visual responses include:

• Blinking or twitching the eye
• Twitching/quivering lips
• Change in breathing or sighing
• Dropping the head
• Softening the eye 

Larger visual responses indicate some release of tension has happened and include:

• Licking or chewing
• Snorting or sneezing
• Shaking the head or body
• Yawning
• Stretching and flexing

The most important takeaway from this introductory session is “less is more”. The more you soften your body and lighten your touch, the more your horse can relax and release. 

When you learn to follow the signs and responses your horse gives you, he lets you know where you’re being effective, where he is holding tension, and when his body has released this hidden tension. 

By using a level of pressure that the horse’s defense system doesn’t automatically brace against, you’ll enable their nervous system to let go of any accumulated stress. This creates a deeper bond of trust between you and your horse. 

Remember this is a process, and the more you practice on your horse, the more you’ll learn to to read their responses. 

Practice the Levels of Touch and SRSR technique with your horse and see if you can notice where on their body they show responses. When in doubt, soften!