Author Nancy Crowe

Straight from the retired race horse’s mouth

Nancy Crowe
Photo by Nancy Crowe

What do off-track thoroughbreds remember about their racing days? Belle, pictured above, once told me she used to run like mad without understanding why. One or two other OTTBs I’ve known have pictured a person that could have been a groom or jockey. One showed me a huddle of human decision makers.

What they tell me most often is how glad they are to have made it to a life beyond the track, because not all of their stablemates did. Horses are acutely aware of comings, goings and breakdowns.

Even with increased horse safety awareness, too many race horses suffer and die. Twelve horses died at Louisville’s Churchill Downs last year. That’s horrible anywhere, but having lived in Louisville and seen what the Kentucky Derby means to folks, it especially tears at my heart. Could horse racing survive if it put horses ahead of money?

I can’t answer that. But if you want to place a winning bet, make a donation to a horse rescue.

Horse sense for the eclipse

Nancy Crowe 2 Comments
A secure barn or paddock — maybe even with lunch — is the best place for horses during the April 8 solar eclipse.

My corner of the world will experience a “deep partial” solar eclipse April 8. Though we’re not in the path of totality, animals — especially horses — will likely notice. Noticing anything out of the ordinary is their strength.

A horse may simply go into nap mode as the sky darkens and be mildly confused when “nighttime” ends after a few minutes. Or he may become restless, even agitated, if he thinks something awful is happening.

Due to darkness and extra traffic, the Indiana Board of Animal Health advises horse owners not to be on the road during the eclipse. A secure barn or paddock is a much better place for our equine friends that afternoon.

I’ve been telling the horses I work with that in the middle of the afternoon in a few days, something different will be happening. The light may look a bit dimmer and the air cooler for a short time, and then it’ll be back to normal in a short time. It won’t yet be nighttime and it’s nothing bad – just something nature does once in a while.

I’m appealing to herd leaders to help everyone else stay calm and also let them know what humans will be around that day. I picture everyone taking note of the changes, remembering that it’s OK, and going on with their day.

So far, none of the horses are too concerned. One off-track thoroughbred told me he’d seen an eclipse before. Two senior mares, while appreciating the heads up, were of the opinion that life holds more perplexing occurrences. Duly noted, ladies.

In any case, I plan to be home during the eclipse and remotely send them all reminders and reassurance. Whatever the weather, we will all just absorb what’s happening from wherever we are.

To paraphrase Psalm 19, the heavens tell a greater story.

Reiki and religion don’t have to be at odds

Nancy Crowe

Some people may reject Reiki, a Japanese stress relief modality, as incompatible with the teachings of their faith tradition. Reiki is not a religion in itself; people of any spiritual stripe practice, teach and experience the benefits of Reiki. But how does that all work together?

I can only tell you how it works for me, a Presbyterian seminary graduate who found a path as an animal communicator and practitioner of Kathleen Prasad’s Let Animals Lead® meditation method. This method is a specialized form of animal Reiki.

In short: I say my prayers, show up, listen and get out of the way.

Any healing comes from God, whether that happens through me or in spite of me. My job is to create the conditions for healing by listening and holding a peaceful space for the animals and their people.

The Let Animals Lead® animal Reiki method I practice is meditation-based. It’s hands-off unless the animal wishes contact, and there is no manipulation of energy. I allow it to work however it needs to for the animal’s highest good. God knows that better than I do.

Watch me at work and all you’ll see is a middle-aged woman sitting quietly with a dog or cat, or standing in a barn or pasture. I might have Gregorian chant or other meditation music playing softly on my phone. I’m meditating but not in a trance — gotta move quick if a Percheron is about to step on my foot or goats need to be herded back from the neighbor’s field. (Those are two of many possible interruptions; the idea is to take them in stride and carry on.)

My theological grounding is Protestant Christian, but anything I believe or experience is only a tiny part of God’s big picture. Respecting your beliefs and experience is a core value in my life and practice.

I also know animals are deeply connected to a higher wisdom that sustains all of us. Whether their humans call that higher wisdom God, the universe or nothing in particular, the animals are OK with that. So am I.