Getting Started

At ThisNThat Herbals, our aim is to put the right product in the hands of the owners with horses who need that specific blend - and to help the owners of horses who don’t need our products to determine their next right step along their path. 


We do this through an ethos of inquiry, discovery, and collaboration with the horse, asking:  

Question 1: Is there something that can be fed to address the owner’s concerns?

Question 2: Is it something ThisNThat Herbals can provide?

Question 3: Which specific blend is best for the horse’s highest good?


Now, before we jump in and ask the horse those questions, we want to make sure 

  1. The horse knows we want them to participate in this process

  2. The horse knows HOW to participate

  3. The horse participates authentically, giving their answer rather than the answer they think YOU want them to give

  4. You are comfortable with the answers the horse is giving.


Depending on where you and your horse are at, getting through this guide could be done in one setting…or it might take weeks. The time is determined by your relationship with your horse.

 
 

Materials List

You’ll want to make sure you have a few things :

  • a feed pan

  • note cards, Post-its, or scraps of paper

  • a pen

  • a notebook or separate sheet of paper for recording answers

  • 4-5 different types of treats, 1 or 2 of each

Recommended: carrot, pear, banana, red apple, green apple

STEP 1 - This Or That (aka Yes/No)

Welcome

Today we're going to play this or that with Relevate and see what his preferences are. Let's see what he chooses.

Yes/No Ex: 1 - Red or Green Apple?

Today we're going to play this or that with Relevate and see what his preferences are. Let's see what he chooses. Will he pick the red apple or the green one?

Yes/No Ex: 2 - Apple or Carrot?

You pick the carrot or the apple? He can, oh.

Yes/No Ex: 3 - Banana or Banana Peel?

Off for the banana or the banana peel. He's a banana boy.

Yes/No Ex: 4 - Pear or Banana?

Yes/No Ex: 5 - Pear vs Carrot

A couple of quick tips for successful play

Some horses take some practice getting used to picking, acting on preference, and being asked questions. That’s OK! Play 1-2 rounds with them each time you see them until they are comfortable with picking. 

Keep sessions short - many horses experience “decision fatigue” if asked too many questions at once. However, for horses that require a lot of mental stimulation (like Relevate here), playing this game becomes a mental version of what physical exercise does for the body, and you may begin to notice your horse has increased mental focus and a greater sense of inner calm as a result. 

When you and your horse can confidently play this game using fruit or some other treat, you are ready to move to asking Yes / No questions. 

To set this up, you can use two (2) notecards or post-its or pieces of paper. Write YES on one and NO on the other. 

Ask your horse YES or NO questions like…

  • Is your halter [color]?

  • Do you want to wear [name piece of tack - something like polos, brushing boots, sheet make good choices] today?

When you and your horse are confident playing the game using YES / NO answers, you are ready to ask the first two questions. 

Question 1: Is there something that can be fed to address the owner’s concerns?

YES or NO → IF YES, proceed to Question 2


Question 2: Is it something ThisNThat Herbals can provide?

YES or NO

If Question 1 is a NO, 

However, to ask Question 3: Which specific blend is best for [your] the horse’s highest good?, we will need to use a different method of questioning the horse.

STEP 2 - Rank Choice
This method can take a lot of “computational power” from the horse, so play 1-2 rounds per session.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

Video 6

Video 7

When you and your horse are confident playing the game using RANK CHOICE answers, you are ready to ask the final question.

Question 3: Which specific blend is best for [your] horse’s highest good?

Our blends at ThisNThat Herbal are: (Click on each to purchase)

We also offer a sampler for those who prefer to offer their horse the physical product.

YOU CAN PURCHASE THAT HERE

Whether the blends from ThisNThat Herbals are what your horse needs at this stage or something else - thanks for coming along.

If the answer to Question 1: Is there something that can be fed to address the owner’s concerns? is NO, Meredith is available to work with you and your horse to uncover the root cause of your concern and guide you through resolving it. 

BOOK A 1-1 SESSION HERE