Horse Transformation: From Wobbly Old Man to Vibrant Herd Member

I love to hear stories from other horse listeners about their horse’s healing, growth, or transformation. Johnny’s owner, Tina, first contacted me with questions about one of the supplements in our shop. She proceeded slowly, adding one supplement at a time and seeing how Johnny’s body responded. As a hard-used senior horse, he came to Tina with a lot of issues. But through listening to his body and her own gut guidance, Tina helped him to improve from being one step away from the grave, to asking to go for a ride!

Interesting to note, that Tina had no idea of riding and would not have asked that of him – this was entirely his idea, once his body felt good and strong enough. Perhaps he wanted to give back to her, or perhaps he missed going out on trails – Tina also realized that you can hand-walk a horse out on trails, you don’t have to ride him. Here’s her story…

“I was volunteering at a small horse rescue in a residential area of Santa Barbara, when he showed up at the gate. He had untied himself and walked down to us, rescued himself lol. He was a former lead trail horse at a stable, then had been given away to this woman who had become overwhelmed and was not taking care of him. A few months earlier I had been given a message from my guides that it was time to get a horse, and saw an image of this depressed, reddish horse alone in an enclosure. Sure enough that was him. My circumstances seemed to make it impossible, but I was the only one of all the volunteers who could take him. I got the first boarding place I could find and took him just before she gave him to someone on Craig’s list.

Of course, it has been such a learning experience. I had a horse when I was a teenager, racing all over the hills with her and exploring, but had little contact with horses after that until a few years ago, when I sort of woke up and was shocked that I had fallen so far away from horses. I spent a lot of time “rehabilitating” him, not riding, but doing somatic work, energy healing, acupressure, etc.

Then I started focusing more on nutrition and getting him integrated into the small herd. I started with High Point (vit, mineral, amino acid supplement). The Reitjoint supplement helped his legs a lot, and Respire cured his cough and mucous production (dust allergy?). The barn owner commented that Johnny seemed to have found the Fountain of Youth, and that maybe I should be caring for them all!

He gets rice bran just for weight, and I added Timothy hay pellets which seemed to help his tendency for diarrhea. He gets alfalfa and grass hay and we now have some grass pasture for awhile (rain!). I have finally run out of my flax seed and the feed store probiotics, so next will be shopping for your best gut supplement for his tendency to diarrhea. Maybe some of the fresh herbs too. He does have Cushings in terms of elevated ACTH, but not insulin resistance so he has limited grass grazing and no molasses fillers, to prevent developing insulin resistance.

I’ve learned so much from Listen to Your Horse and the herd. One thing is, I stopped telling his hard luck story and talking about his ailments. I have all along been experimenting with choice, consent, etc. It’s awkward, because where I board him they are sort of “normal” horse people, so I get some resistance when I don’t “discipline” him, but now he is looking so good I think they are coming around. I have learned from them and I think they are learning from me. I am certified in Equus Coaching, but I have not started a business. I am feeling more like just being around the animals right now, not so much the people yet lol, and I’m in a period of intense learning, not sure what is next, but following the breadcrumbs.

One thing I think summarizes my interactions with the normal horse people at the barn is that they keep saying “He needs to do what you want him to, no matter what” but I am always trying to figure out, “What he is trying to tell me?” By the way, he is now 26 and saying he wants to be ridden, which the vet 2 years ago said not to do, due to his arthritis, and I never thought I would (more adventures!). But, I can take him for trail walks. Have not done that for awhile as have had a long recovery from hip replacement but I can start again. He will probably like that. Especially a grazing walk.

He told an animal communicator he wasn’t ready to be a retired horse, and that riding would increase our bond. I think I may just sit on him. I also think he feels he has more to share or give in SOME way. I originally planned to partner with him in equine facilitated work, and I did a test session with him before I got him. Wasn’t sure he would like it, he was so detached and depressed, but he sort of came alive for the client and was amazing.

But where I board him is private and I can’t bring clients there. For quite awhile I felt him saying, “When are we going to do that thing again?” Then that sort of faded, so I think he is just looking for a way to connect, a job or purpose. I haven’t moved him because he has lots of space there and bonded with one of the mares, and is in a little herd, maybe for the first time.

The important thing is that he FEELS better. Legs feel better (he said he didn’t know they could), he is more sure footed, doesn’t cough anymore, just has stronger life force, better muscle tone, among the other horses he is standing up for himself and his mare partner, and looks like just one of the horses instead of like a wobbly old man.”

What I love about Tina’s story is the way she addressed ALL the levels of healing for Johnny: physical supplements, bodywork, then energetic work, and listening deeply to him to follow his requests. What a fortunate lad indeed! And no doubt, Tina has learned, grown and expanded her own abilities and capacity for healing and relationship. And we’re brought back once again to the healing circle.

Jini

Jini Patel Thompson is a natural health writer and Lazer Tapping instructor. She began riding at age 2 in Kenya, and got her first horse at age 8 in Alberta, and so continues a life-long journey and love affair with these amazing creatures.