Broken-Hearted Horse Goes Rogue

Animal lovers know that some of their furry, scaled, and feathered friends are more sensitive than others. This true story illustrates how emotional release benefits sensitive, overwhelmed animals prone to misbehavior or self-destructive behavior. Use at your own risk. (Names changed for anonymity.)

Experienced horse trainer and riding instructor, Kelly, asked me to visit her barn to resolve her Thoroughbred-Appaloosa gelding's new bucking problem.

She'd adopted Outlaw, an abused and frightened horse nine years earlier. Through patience, love and proficient training, he'd become a wonderfully obedient trail and dressage horse. Sadly, Kelly became ill and had to let another family board him until she became well enough to care for him again.

When Outlaw returned to Kelly's barn, the bucking problems began and worsened until Kelly couldn't ride him. The caregivers told her that he'd acted out and refused to be ridden by them for the entire five months they'd kept him.

A veterinarian found no physical problems with the gelding. Kelly then consulted several experts. All gave her no hope for reversing Outlaw's bad attitude. She refused to give up on her beloved horse and contacted me via my website.

While working with animals or people, I often feel their emotions and sometimes see a mental picture of what is causing their distress. I use a form of dowsing called surrogate muscle-testing (SMT) as a diagnostic tool to identify emotions, verify the visions and feelings I receive.

A Good Gelding Gone Bad

After I arrived at Kelly's ranch, she cautioned me to stay a healthy distance from Outlaw's outdoor box stall. As I approached the handsome gelding, he began snorting, rolling his eyes, and anxiously trotting around his stall, his ears laid back. His body language let me know he was a very stressed horse and didn't want any strangers near him.

Kelly and I sat on two bales of hay, about 20 feet from Outlaw's stall, and I tuned into his distress. A picture flashed in my mind of Outlaw, filled with grief and disbelief, being led into a horse trailer and taken from Kelly's property, his big heart breaking.

Let the Healing Begin

I applied remote acupressure on the equine, releasing his trauma as I focused on him standing in his corral, including these emotions:

• Mommy abandoned me after I trusted her to love me forever.
• I feel hopeless, helpless and worthless because Mommy rejected me.
• My heart still feels like it's breaking and I feel betrayed and sad.
• I want to trust Mommy again, but I'm too hurt to trust any humans.
• I know I've been bad, I'm afraid Mommy will send me away again.

After releasing Outlaw's above distress, I saw a mental picture of a man tying Outlaw to a stake in the middle of a corral then beating him with a large piece of wood. Kelly confirmed that had happened to the horse before she rescued him.

Tears stained my cheeks as I felt Outlaw's terror and confusion about the beatings. I released his trauma from these experiences, including:

• I felt afraid and never safe because the bad man beat me but I didn't understand what he wanted me to do for him.

• I feared going back to the bad man and I haven't felt safe since Mommy sent me away.

• I'm terrified I'll never be safe again and I can't let Mommy or anyone saddle or ride me.

After those issues were cleared, I saw a mental flash of a dark-haired woman whipping the horse with the reins and angrily pushing him because he would not obey her. Kelly explained that she'd bought Outlaw from a woman who owned a local ranch. She suspected he'd been abused there, too. I cleared this next layer of fears from the gelding.

After an hour of remote work, Outlaw appeared relaxed, his eyes soft, head lowered as he stood silently in his stall. My dowsing indicated that all his fears were gone. But, would he allow his Mommy to ride him?

From a Ball of Nerves Back to a Beloved Friend

Kelly saddled Outlaw and led him to the arena to ride. Although he shied away for several minutes (as if from months of habit), he finally relaxed and allowed Kelly to mount and ride him for the first time in a year. He obediently responded to all her commands, at times prancing and side-stepping as if ecstatic to resume his friendship with Mommy.

Kelly commented how Outlaw had been "a ball of nerves" but now he was calm and confident, like his old self, even enjoying their dressage as I watched.

Outlaw even let me approach him then stroke his neck, face, back and chest. He was NOTHING like the wild-eyed, angry horse I'd met earlier.

Months later, Kelly reported that she and Outlaw continued to enjoy their trail rides and dressage. His healing from years of abuse was complete.

Pet parents and animal rescuers, all critters can benefit from emotional care, just like humans. Even animals with only one owner might be suffering from rejection from being weaned or bullying by other animals or humans. Simply think about the animal's history, what might be bothering them, then apply any emotional release modality. You and your animal friends are SO worth the time and effort!

Thanks for reading my story. Check out my Amazon Author Page if you'd like to learn more.