Equine Therapy

[Gloria]

Over the past year, I have found that so many people who have PTSD have found great comfort in their horses. A quote by Will Rogers (who never met a man he didn't like) is "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man". I have rescued behaviorally challenged horses from being put down and donated them to equine therapy. I do a limited amount of equine therapy on my farm for cancer patients and people with PTSD.

Friends on the forum have requested that we start a thread to talk about our equine friends. So I am starting one. I am including the pictures of my three babies. Perhaps we can share our stories and our experiences. I know that it is such a wonderful diversion for me to talk horses. I hope this is okay. If not, I am sure that I will hear about it. I don't think that I'm breaking any rules here but sometimes there are so many rules that I just can't keep track of them all.

Rosie is a gray Arab mare (25 years old with enough spunk that no one but me will ride her)
Domino was a paint but has turned into a dappled gray. He was pulled off a truck heading for the feed lot where he was going to be fattened up for slaughter. He was just a tiny one year old and we never thought he would be a full sized horse but he is 14 hands.
Good Karma is the son of Wayne Newton's 96 international Arabian stallion champion. I got him for $500 because they were going to send him to slaughter because he was dangerous. He is now with me for 7 years and my best therapy horse.

I know what PTSD does to you. I am terrified but somehow when a 1,000 lb. animal becomes your playmate and best friend, the world doesn't seem so scarey after all. I didn't rescue these horses. These horses have saved and healed me.

 

[ronin47]

Thank you so much for sharing. My horses are a great source of comfort and joy for me also. I love the story about how you rescued Karma. It would seem to me like helping a horse like him work through his mistrust of people would indirectly help one work through their own trust issues.

 

[Gloria]

Working with the horses (who actually do have a form of PTSD) helped me understand myself. Those dumb animals with brains the size of plum have so much natural instinct that they immediately bond and so gentle and loving to the very, very abused or sick children. How do they know? Because Karma will still butt his head at cocky jerks. Karma still butts his head at me!:cautious: I turned my back on him when I was climbing the mounting block and that *^&*%$&% bumped me as hard as he could with his head causing me fly head first in some thorn bushes. He's such a brat. But he would never, never do that to an abused or sick child. He's an angel. I can children on my horses's backs and they will walk like they are carrying something fragile. They are afraid to move.

Thank you so much for sharing. My horses are a great source of comfort and joy for me also. I love the story about how you rescued Karma. It would seem to me like helping a horse like him work through his mistrust of people would indirectly help one work through their own trust issues.

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[Gloria]

Junebug,
You are one the reasons I started this thread. Even if you are not blessed to have contact with horses. They are sometimes thought to be the toys of the rich (which I certainly am not!). When I watched the movie The Black Stallion, I knew why the horse and the boy bonded and believed that if this is fiction, it happens.

I am going to share a touching story about Karma that many won't believe but it's true. Right after I got Karma, my best friend (and the person that I was kinder to me than anyone in my life) died. It was my ex-husband. I talked to him twice a day, every day for twenty years. He was my best friend and he did more to help me heal than anyone. I didn't know how I could live without him. It was the day after he died and I was completely distraught so I went to the stable. Karma was charging me and rearing up on his hind legs and striking out at me as usual. He was a very dangerous horse when I got him. I didn't even want to be on the other end of the lead rope with that monster only six feet away. I did something really stupid. I didn't think Karma was going to calm down. I didn't want to live so to kill two birds with one stone, (no pun intended), I got this brilliant idea. I put Karma in the arena and took him off the lead. Well, normally I would jump out of the arena right away because Karma would charge but not that day. That day, I took off my helmet and sat in the middle of the arena and let Karma charge and try to strike me with his front hooves and then turn around and kick out with his rear legs. I closed my eyes. I felt the rush of air when he struck close and just softly told him through my tears. "Karma aim better, get this over with". Well he did this for about 45 minutes then it became very quiet. I opened my eyes and saw Karma standing about 20 feet away from me just looking at me. I quietly told him. "That's right Karma, you got to come at me at the right direction and aim better". I kept talking to him softly between my sobs and he just looked at me. Then he started walking towards me and I closed my eyes. I was sure that he was planning on how he would kill me. But the next thing I remember is feeling silly Karma licking my face. At just in the Horse Wisperer movie, Karma was done with the rage. He never came at me or anyone else again. I don't know why.

When I saw him and decided to save him from the slaughter auction, I didn't want him. I think Karma chose me. I definitely don't think I chose him. I think something in his instincts knew that I would love and care for him (over 8 years now) and that I would never hurt him. Although I do try to hurt him sometimes when he steps on my toe or purposely knocks me down (but I end up hurting my hand and he doesn't even care because he is so rock solid).

So dumb Karma (who might not be so dumb) has been sent out to adoptive homes two or three times now. Every time he is returned because he misbehaves or gets hurt. When people who want to adopt him get introduced, he has actually tried to kick and bite them. He never does that! I swear to the people that he never does that but they certainly don't want to adopt him. Horse people tell me that Karma knows where he's got a good home and he knows when people are coming to consider adopting him. I am resolved to keep that darn horse!

 

[Tinyflame]

Oh Gloria, I am so glad that Karma and you both found a home together- don't you dare adopt him out. I am (very) sure he was sent to you as you were to him. You have the same hearts, and experiences.

I do understand totally what you described, to put yourself in that position was the end of the line, and I am so so so very very sorry for your pain. :(

You know what? I think that Karma saw that through that pain that you still gave him unconditional trust. And he obviously loved you from the start. I think the only thing bigger -or the same- than Karma's pain was yours, and he knew and saw that despite that you would never hurt him.
So you both opted for 'love' instead. :):inlove:

What a precious and beautiful story, :):inlove:, -Thank you- xoxoxox
(((((Gloria)))))

 

[anni]

Did you ever hear about Snowman, the jumper? I'm fuzzy this morning, so spelling is tedious but he was a slaughterhouse rescue decades ago. I big white gelding of dubious breeding- noone ever figured out where the heck he came from. I guess he cleared the fence in the enclosure where the horses waiting to be destroyed were being kept, and understandably caught someone's eye- it was over 5', from what I read. I can't remember the details but the big guy went from the glue factory to the top of the top of the winner's circle in the show ring. Astonishing, one of my all-time favorite stories. I realize it's not always this way, but it is indeed amazing how often the rescues become valuable assets to the owners, isn't it?

At the moment, since laws have changed, there are many, many throughbreds living in terrible circumstaces and in need of rescue. Fortunately, they can no longer be sent to the proverbial glue factory. The thing is, noone thought this through and the result is lovely, wonderful animals which can be bought for a couple hundred dollars. People buy them, I guess, thinking 'oh, how nice, let's get a horse, how fun', without the vaguest clue of the expense or time involved. Plus, the breed is singular as to temperment and difficulty training, much less how quickly they burn through food with that metabobilsm of theirs. It's generally the non-race-able ( no profit) 2 year olds which go up for sale, which of course require a ton of training. Everytime it rains I have several old breaks in the bones to remind me of that salient fact. :) These new owners realize they do not own a hamster, or puppy, become overwhelmed across the board and horses by the thousands are now suffering. I don't know what the answer is, of course not the glue factory. It must lie with the dam industry, of course, which produces so many hundreds in the hopes of finding that ONE. Meanwhile there's a huge need for adoptive homes, by professionals who could at least provide maintenance and some basic training for these fabulous beasties. I say basic training since geesh- ever try to do anything with a green 7 year old T-bred? Ouch.

Sorry about the soap box on your thread Gloria! This state of affairs makes me insane, and knowing you're a rescuer I at least knew you'd think it a box worth climbing up on.

Hugs, xxoo

Anni

 

[Tinyflame]

I think every one rescued is one less thrown away and abused.
What a wonderful thing you have done.

Anni- isn't that wonderful, re: Snowman? He had lots of motivation to get out, lol.

I once read that due to their size (weight) and abilities horses would actually be the most dangerous animal on Earth. But because they are flight animals, it's usually them who end up being mistreated.

Far as I'm concerned they're Beautiful and Perfect in Every Way. :)

 

[Gloria]

I know how dangerous a horse can be when they want to. My ex saddled up Karma for me about four years ago but he is so stupid that he didn't realized that he had to tighten the cinch on the saddle. At any rate, I started to canter and the saddle fell off with me on it and I broke several ribs. I was laying there and couldn't or breathe and the paramedics came. Well, Karma was still loose because everyone was paying attention to me. When the paramedic tried to move me and I screamed, that silly Karma picked him by his jacket and threw him the air about ten feet because he was protecting me. He didn't hurt the paramedic but scared the daylights out of him!

Oh, for other horse owners out there, I have got the fly and mosquito problem in the barn completely solved. I bought an industrial fan. It's like a wind tunnel in the barn but the flies and mosquitos won't go in there! Also, I quit using shaving and switched to the pellets so much less moisture and smell and cost effective.

Then I have the automatic fly and mosquito sprayers that they sell so it's so nice not to have the smells and the flies.

 

[Tinyflame]

Oh Gloria, that's not funny- your poor ribs- but it is: Karma was just doing his job. :):rolleyes:

You are sure right: my dad grew up around horses and was an accomplished rider but broke his back and leg at 14 when a horse spooked at a train and fell on him. To my dad's credit though he never discouraged me to ride (it's in the genes :)) - just to understand and have a healthy respect for the potential dangers of it.
I've never considered myself an accomplished rider because I've never had a serious fall.

 

[anni]

Hee- oh Junebug, I always disliked that thing teachers told students about how if they fell off, then they were REALLY a good rider! When I first began teaching as a teenager at the school I first worked in, I know I used that because everyone did and then stopped because it just seemed so silly. It's a nice thing to say to sort of jolly a child back onto a horse if they have taken a toss, and are shaken up-need some confidence to climb back on there but most of my shattering falls have been the result of sheer stupidity. The very worst one was something an accomplished rider would have fallen over laughing about, after they'd helped carry me to the ambulance. 2 others were just training things- I had zero nerves in those days so probably perfect for that job.

Oh, sure they're dangerous beasties, just too large for such a teeny little brain. If there's one thing which makes my blood run cold it's seeing children hold bits of apple in their mouths and encouraging a horse or pony to eat it from there. Arrgghh. Or just walking up behind any one of them, or approaching the off side. Small stuff- gives me the willies. They're just too dam big to disremember for a moment they're only animals-not our buddies. The kindest, best natured of them will haul off and have a wild-hair moment. Hee- we had a 16 year old Quaterhorse mare we used for lessons-she was SO kind, reliable, dependable, etc. She just had 'The Quarterthorse Commons', we called them- a wild hair up her backside sometimes. For no reason at all once in a blue moon she'd break into a canter-a slow one, and would NOTTTT stop.Some poor beginner would be up, screaming her head off, in no real danger if she'd just shush but of course they never did. If you chased the dam horse she'd go faster so you couldn't. Around and around the ring she'd go. You finally had to sort of rush at the mare so she'd shy and the student would fly off sideways-hee. Hard on the kid but it stopped the whole thing. The best of horses are animals, that's all, unpredictable somewhere. People do get hurt when this is not remembered or disregarded and the amazing people you see, say, on the Olympic circuit will be the first ones to tell anyone this. NOT that I'm at all anywhere within breathing distance of that type of professional-they just have more experience than than most of the planet with this stuff.

Funny too- I'm suddenly smelling a very horsey Junebug in our midst. NOT literally. :) I've just noticed that sometimes people who know an awful lot on some subjects tend to not say so, really. Horses can be that sort of subject, can't they? My antennae are now on the alert, Junebug. I deeply suspect you of many half-used tins of hoof black and saddle soap in your hall closet.

 

[Gloria]

Oh Gloria, that's not funny- your poor ribs- but it is: Karma was just doing his job. :):rolleyes:

Oh Junebug! If you ride 40 hours a week for 30 years if you don't have a serious fall, you are protected by some magical charm! I have been falling (and getting back on) since I was a teenager. The worst was Rosie! I lost control. You do know that no bit or equipment can stop a horse if they put all their energy into taking off and bolting? Nothing can stop them if they are terrified or headstrong. I know how to jigsaw the bit so they can't hold it in their teeth but I'm not stronger than the horses teeth and unless the horse is more afraid of the pain of the bit, nothing stops them. Rosie was fussing with her bit (that's before I got into Parelli with her) so I put a simple snaffle bit on her because some genius at the stable told me that the reason she was acting up was because the bit bothered her. Well, I'm walking along the trail on her back when a horse galloped by. She started to rear up and go nuts because she wanted to run so after the horse was a 1/2 mile ahead of us, I let her loose. Bad idea! She tore out and caught up within seconds but she was going so fast that I couldn't steer her so she ran into the woods. My shoulder hit a tree and I was knocked off. If it was my head, I would be dead. Patrick Swayze had the exact thing happen to him and the same result, dislocated shoulder, head injuries and almost died. Of course the first thing I worried about was Rosie so when I noticed that my arm was swinging in the breeze, I assumed it was broken and put my hand in my pocket to support it and went to comfort poor Rosie who didn't have a scratch.

Well, I had a little PTSD after that. When I remembered her white main and the pounding hooves, I couldn't get on her - because my arm was in a sling for six months and because one little prance and I jumped off. Then we did Parelli every night for months. I would get her next to the mounting block and just lean my weight on her until I got to the point of riding her in the arena bareback but NEVER on the trail. After a year, I got her to canter in the arena. Now, that 25 year old horse still bucks, stomps and shakes her head because she wants to run. I tried to break her of the habit by making her go around the a huge 35 acre farm 50 times. I thought if I do it 50 times and she still keeps going, then I can't take anymore. But on the 50th circle, she was winded and settled down to a walk. Well, right now I only weigh 120 lbs and I'm 5'7" and weak and out of shape. My goal is to work out more and train the horses this summer. They all want someone to ride them so bad but for goodness sake, I'm exhausted just saddling up the horses.

But all I can say is, at the stable there were forty horses and every single week someone got badly hurt. It's the nature of the beast. I think of horses as overgrown rabbits. If they get scared, nothing stops them. I know rabbits bite and get an adrenal rush when they are scared. Just think what a horse will do. Sorry for being so long winded but if you visit my farm, you will wear a helmet and my horses will be on their best behavior and you will stay in the paddock until both horse and rider are acting safe. I have seen three people die from horse accidents. One woman fell off and got her foot caught in the stirrup and crushed her skull. One idiot guy decided to ride his horse into a lake with chaps and boots on and drowned and one woman just had a freak accident and fell off her horse and hit a rock.

Yes, Karma touched my heart that day by protecting me because sometimes I don't think he really loves me.

Hugs!
Gloria

 

[Gloria]

Annie,
I have signs EVERYWHERE "Do not touch or feed the horses!". Why? Because one of my former friends brought his daughter to see the horses and of course she is acting afraid so she stuck out the little treat but got scared and pulled her hand back when the horse tried to take the treat. Well, it doesn't take long for the horse to figure out that if he wants the treat, he better be quick and grab it instead of being gentle.

Long story short, the horse grabbed a little piece of apple and just knicked the girls hand with his teeth (not biting or being mean). Well, my former friend took the girl to the hospital and filed a complaint with my insurance company. Now when ANYONE asks me if they can come on property or pet my horse, I say no. If I let "friends" ride my horse or be around my horses, I have a waiver three pages long stating all the bad things that happen when you are around horses.

As far as my horses, you always can walk behind them. I trained them for that. In fact, people get scared because when they stand behind Domino, he backs up into them and people think he's going to kick. No! Domino wants you to scratch his butt and he turns his rear end around on everyone to get them to scratch him. In all the years I have had my horses, they never kicked. Karma does bite occasionally when I don't open up his stall fast enough and he wants to get out in the morning but I broke him of that with a cattle prod. Now, he backs up and stands patiently when I open his stall.

Thanks for letting me talk horses. I'm so bummed today.

Hugs,
Gloria