The Magic of the Horse

“Somewhere along the way, I forgot about magic: magic in a butterfly as it landed on my arm as a young child and gave me wonder and hope; magic in the sound of tree frogs who sang on as if telling me their story; and the magic of the horse, who seemed to know exactly how to make my heart burst from my chest while I fed him apples sliced by my grandmother. It wasn’t until I started working with Pam and the horses at Equus Rescue & Therapy that I remembered the magic and all of the infinite wisdom magic had to teach me to bring me back to myself, back to the girl I once was.

After facing what has been the most brutal and difficult year of my life, I turned to Pam and my sweet equine teachers Cowboy and Lilly Rose, to bring me back to center. As a mental health professional with almost 30 years of experience, I thought I knew it all: how wrong I turned out to be!

I have been lucky enough to spend countless hours in the round pen with Pam and the horses as I faced my darkest moments and my greatest fears all while finding my strength, courage and resiliency. These were qualities I thought I had lost, but they were right there with me all of the time and completely visible to these sage creatures. Not a session went by where the horse did not call me out on my distorted thoughts, my denial, my lifelong skill at hiding my fears and showing up inauthentically.

I also discovered I am terrible at setting boundaries and will allow myself to be pushed beyond what I am comfortable with all the while giving positive reinforcements and a smile!

Standing in my confidence and strength, recognizing when I am not being clear with what I need in relationship to the horse, (ie what I need in relationship with myself and others) asking for what I want and receiving it without hesitation, and just the pure, unconditional love and mutual admiration I have for these amazing animals. These are the gifts I never imagined I would find again and I found them in the magic of the horse.”

-A Client’s Experience-