Who is Miranda Hoogenberg

Miranda Hoogenberg from HOPE for Horses helps people and horses come together in riding and in their general cooperation. "I teach horseback riding from dressage, jumping, and cross-country to coaching. I always try to look and feel what is suitable for both horse and rider. What is really important for the horse and for the human? That is really my passion," says Miranda.

"Working on strengthening the inner, emotional, and spiritual aspect of the interaction between human and horse, that is what I do," Miranda continues. "That may sound a bit airy-fairy to many people, but a horse is a big mirror and these aspects are very important in the cooperation. And also in riding."

Miranda's approach

"Initially, I come to someone and then I quickly feel and see where the horse and rider's bottlenecks are. For me, it is important first that the horse is okay at the base and that the rider sits well. Stress in the body can be seen, for example, by tense or locked muscles and by spots or streaks on the horse's body. But you can also see a lot in a human, by how someone stands or walks, for example. Then I look at how the saddle fits, how the rider sits on the horse, and whether the horse can move well under the saddle. My first lessons are mainly to teach the rider that the less they do, the better the horse can understand and interpret the aids. When you manage to make the rider exhale and release the muscles, then you see that the horse can also exhale. When that calmness is there, you can start building up. We often assume that a horse understands us, while that is not always the case. When you release the pressure, they can relax. Then both human and animal open up and you can continue. This way, you get very nice results."

First experiences with cannabinoids in horses

Miranda also has a number of horses and ponies at home, for herself and her daughter. "We have been through a lot of trouble with the horses in recent years. Last year, the leader of the group suddenly passed away due to colic. The other three horses were completely distraught. They were really lost, the grief and stress got stuck in their bodies. As a result, diseases developed. One of the horses was completely stiff in the muscles and I immediately used cannabinoids to reduce the stress, which fortunately helped fairly quickly. My mare just stopped moving, she had grown up with the deceased horse. I also gave her cannabinoids, which slowly made her back to herself. She really needed peace to process it. My other gelding started showing signs of colic and then we decided to try the cannabinoids on him as well. He reacted remarkably and quickly came to me to pick it up. He didn't even need a treat after I sprayed it in his mouth... The cannabinoids really helped all three horses a lot. Initially against the stress right after the death of the leader of their herd, but then also physically. It really works on the whole system."

What are cannabinoids?

Scientists have discovered not long ago that all mammalian organs and tissues contain special receptors that communicate with cannabinoids. The entire endocannabinoid system (ECS system) as it is called, is of great importance for natural immunity and the functioning and control of the nervous system. Normally, the body produces enough cannabinoids. If a horse (or a human) is in a stressful situation or has health problems, giving a sort of 'regulatory system' from the body. It regulates important body functions such as;

• Immune system
• Mood
• Metabolism
• Pain perception
• Inflammatory reactions
• Digestion
• Temperament

Inflammation and laminitis

Miranda continues: "Cannabinoids also have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. My daughter's 27-year-old pony receives them as standard. He once had 'einschuss' and his leg is still a bit swollen. Additionally, we suspect him of having a bit of arthritis, which is not surprising given his age. He is now happily on his maintenance dose of cannabinoids. One of my Shetlands also gets it, he has had laminitis once and has especially trouble when it is very cold and he has his summer coat. When he starts to walk a bit poorly, the cannabinoids help tremendously, and within two days, he gallops around again. It works well in flushing out the waste products involved in laminitis, so we simply give him a maintenance dosage now."

Hoof abscesses and cannabinoids

I also occasionally recommend cannabinoids to customers. For example, I have someone in class whose horse had recurring hoof abscesses. Everything else was fine, hay, grazing... But the hoof abscesses kept coming back. That is a sign that somewhere in the body something is not right. That horse received cannabinoids and silicon and improved significantly. He has not had any hoof abscesses since then. Another horse of a lesson client was a bit older and had a lot of stress and difficulty relaxing in the body. The cannabinoids also made a clear difference for that horse."

Magnificent

"I have the best job in the world," Miranda concludes. What I do is a combination of Natural Horsemanship, classical horsemanship, consciousness, and building an equal relationship between human and horse. When you are more aware of your own actions and thoughts, your body is better balanced, and as a result, you can also feel your horse better. If people are open to looking at themselves and at their horse, then it is magnificent what happens."

Miranda can be found at www.hopeforhorses.nl