Tag therapy horses

There is power in pulling together

Nancy Crowe Leave a comment
Kat, Cyndi, Lucky and Randy

Four Camp Red Cedar therapy horses were to be on hand for Boots & Bourbon, the camp’s major fundraiser. It would be a different environment from their barn and pasture, with lots of people and a live band. Theresa, the barn manager, was a bit concerned about how first-timer Lucky, the black and white Gypsy Drum Horse with Randy above) would handle it, but she was willing to give it a go. As it turned out, so was Lucky.

I communicated with each of the horses on the afternoon of the event, making sure they knew what to expect and that their human handlers had their backs. Lucky was on board but asked that if he started fidgeting and shifting side to side, he needed to be done for the evening. Kat, the Gypsy-Percheron cross with Cyndi above; and Jake, the black Tennessee Walker on the left below with Dava; agreed too. So did Tuff, on the right below with Emily; but he asked if he could then have a day off. I promised to pass all of that along. Then we shared a Let Animals Lead® meditation to help everyone handle their tasks and meet their supporters in a calm, grounded state.

During the evening, I had a chance to offer some in-person encouragement. Lucky had a few anxious moments, especially when he spotted his buddy Jake from a distance and wanted to go join him, but he got to go home when he’d had enough. All in all, everyone fared well, and they were good and ready for more meditation time when I arrived for my regular rounds the next day.

We are all occasionally called upon to step out of our ordinary spheres for the sake of something bigger. That can be uncomfortable. Knowing what is expected, being able to express our needs and being among allies all help us meet those challenges for everyone’s good.

(Photos by Theresa Prentice)

Jake, Dava, Tuff and Emily

Letting animals choose lets them be their best

Nancy Crowe
Draft horse after Let Animals Lead Reiki session
(Photo by Nancy Crowe)

The massive draft horse was one of the saddest, checked-out animals I have met. He’d spent years on at least one Amish farm, was isolated and probably abused, and had given up. His new owner, the director of a nonprofit equine therapy center, wanted to find out what he needed.

The first thing I did was ask if it was OK to communicate with him. Surprised but skeptical, he agreed. The notion that he could choose anything was foreign to him.

Within a week or so, he told me what he wished to be called: Duke.

When I offered to share Reiki with Duke, I made it clear that opting out was absolutely fine. As we worked together during those first months, sometimes it was a yes and sometimes a no. How long the session lasted was also up to him.

That is the core of the Let Animals Lead method I practice. It’s all meditation and no hands unless the animal initiates contact, or the practitioner knows the animal well enough to gauge whether that would be welcome.

One day Duke decided he’d had enough Reiki and walked back into the barn. I thanked him and moved on to a pig a few feet away.

A few minutes later, Duke stuck his big head out the barn door and looked straight at me. “Got any more of that?” I heard.

I assured him I did, but he’d have to wait until the pig and I were done. When I returned, he was waiting at the fence. I met his eyes and saw hope.

His owner, veterinarians, equine bodyworkers, clients, and I all worked to help Duke heal from the effects of his past, giving him choices whenever possible. He still struggles mightily with triggers. But he has friends in the herd. He connects with veterans who also live with PTSD. He even let kids dress him up for the Fourth of July. Being a therapy horse would have been unthinkable for Duke not so long ago.

While we can’t let our animals choose to play in traffic or opt out of a vet visit, there are many other options we can offer. We can give them a choice of toys, blankets, or litter boxes. We can hold out two different treats and see which gets gobbled up first. We can let cats come to us rather than chasing or picking them up. We can suggest a walk or ride and pay attention to the dog’s body language for a “let’s go” or a “not today.”

Choice frees us all to engage honestly, be our best selves, and create our “better than before.”