14th September, 2010 The spirit of the horse

There's something about horses that makes us crave a spiritual connection with them - soul to soul - as we work with them or simply spend time with them. There are organisations which use horses to help people overcome mental illness and lack of confidence or cope with autism. Many believe that they have healing powers. Other people believe that they have the power to heal or communicate directly with horses and help them to overcome past trauma. I have no doubt that a kind healing hand and an earnest attempt to communicate with a horse, whether it connects directly to their brain or is simply reflected in our body language can help to soothe a horse and start to build their trust. That's why I will let anyone who does gentle equine body work be it Reiki, Equine Touch or sports massage, work with my own horses. Nevertheless, it is not enough on its own. Traumatised, confused or wild horses need to be shown the route to take with their bodies as well as their minds otherwise nothing changes. Practical, down to earth, consistent yet empathetic training is also needed. This takes time and effort on the part of the human and a reorganising and prioritising of time and sometimes money.