It’s important to have a great trainer to learn the fundamentals of good horsemanship and riding, and also a good support team (farrier, veterinarian, et cetera) for a horse’s physical wellness. But what about a horse’s emotional wellness or spiritual connection?

Horses are great feelers. As sentient beings, they have emotions like we do, and feel love, joy, gratitude, and connection with each other and with us. They can also feel anger, frustration, fear, and sadness based on current life circumstances or past traumatic events.

As prey animals, we know they easily move between sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) states.

Clearing Stuck Emotions

As a trained animal communicator, I find it’s very helpful to be a part of a horse parent’s support team when it comes to enhancing their horse’s emotional fitness. We often focus on just the physical nature of the horse, and yet there is a great mind-body connection that also needs to be addressed.

I’ve found in many sessions that behavioral issues are linked to emotions that need to be acknowledged and released. I’m grateful for my training in various emotional clearing techniques that greatly benefit horses (and humans, too!) when they are used in communication and healing sessions.

Horses can have stuck emotions such as “lack of control” or “frustration,” and can be more governed by fear and past traumas rather than feeling grounded and connected to current reality.

When I first adopted my horse, she was guarded and had stuck emotions around abandonment that I helped her to clear, and then our bond grew through trust.

All animals, like humans, can also have heart walls. This is something Bradley Nelson, D.C., discovered in his Emotion Code work. These can prevent horses from receiving and experiencing the good that is here for them now. Sometimes horses also need to release emotions they still have from old barns and owners where they used to live and weren’t happy, so I’ve helped them release the past and start with a clean slate.

In addition, horses are often seen as incredible spiritual beings because they spend a lot of time in a meditative state and can be very still and loving. Many people feel safe crying around them and feel that they evoke awe and wonder.

A Voice and a Choice

These spiritual components are another part of good animal communication, and we can delve into what our horses truly want to be doing in their lives and with their humans. Some want to be great athletes and enjoy physical exercise and competition with their humans; some want to be teachers and healers in equine-assisted therapy or coaching; and others would prefer to be companions without specific work.

We can learn their unique preferences and purposes when we learn to speak with them. It helps them to feel understood, honored, and content when they are allowed to have a voice and a choice.

Many times, horses want to know our expectations for them in our riding relationships. They want to know if and when they will be moved or transported, and if a herd member will be coming or leaving.

They want to express their thoughts about the other members of their support team, such as their vet, farrier, trainer and rider. They also want us to know what bothers them and how they are feeling. All of that information can help their emotional fitness once we are able to understand them better and meet their needs.

What many horses love to communicate is their heart’s desires for their life (their “purpose work”) and how they want to help their humans. They want their humans to know how much they are loved and often want to share how they see their humans. They can have great guidance for how their humans can heal and improve all their relationships.

When animals can get messages across, it makes both their lives and ours easier. They can ask for what they need and want for themselves and for us as well. We don’t need to guess or become frustrated; we can learn how to be helpful to them.

Time after time, I have witnessed a horse’s relationship with his human grow stronger immediately after a session because he finally feels like he was able to fully express himself.

Try It Yourself

In addition to hiring a great animal communicator to be a part of your support team for your horse, you can also learn how to become one yourself. Whether you want to become a professional or you just want to use the skills personally, there are many benefits to animal communication.

At the core, it comes down to a horse feeling seen, heard, valued, and appreciated. Here are some of my top tips and tools to begin horse communication.

1. Permission: Ask your horse if you have permission to chat. I’ve found they always want to talk, as long as it’s a good time and they are in a restful state and not in the middle of playing with friends or taking a lesson, et cetera.

2. Space: Create a specific time and place where it’s quiet and you can bring a journal and really focus on listening and practicing.

3. Intention: Set an intention to connect from your heart space to theirs. You can even put one hand on your heart and the other on your horse’s heart and breathe for a minute. Feel how much you love your horse, then set an intention to receive information from him. Start with simple questions, such as, “How are you feeling today?” and “What are you enjoying today?”

4. Surrender: Let go of attachment to an outcome by staying curious and having fun. Keep it light, simple, and flowing. Assume you already know this skill and can do it! Stay open to how you might receive information, as we are all a bit different with our intuitive skills.

For instance, I am more clairaudient, so I hear what the horses say. If you feel and sense a lot, you may be more clairsentient, and if you see pictures or images, then you may be more clairvoyant.

5. Receive: Keep your body posture open and stay in your heart space. Breathe. Don’t overthink. Smile if you find yourself in your head. Go back to how much you love your horse. And allow your imagination to lead. Just write down whatever comes forward.

6. Gratitude: Thank yourself for trying and being willing to experiment. Thank your horse and share why this practice matters to you. Set another time with your horse for consistency and to improve over time.

How to Clear and Ground

In addition to communication, healing work is also important to offer horses. Equines are often at their safest, for themselves and others, when they feel grounded to their space and land. They feel their best when they are in their own energy signature and not carrying stuck energy.

Clearing: One of my favorite ways to help a horse is to clear his energy field by gently clapping around his body. First test the clap to make sure he doesn’t startle, then move around his body with the intention that stuck energy will leave. Watch to see how your horse likes this and if he is receiving (for example yawning, blinking, nodding, getting sleepy). I have a video demonstrating this on my YouTube channel.

Grounding: You can also put your hands around a horse’s hoof by the coronary band and gently press and imagine your horse connecting more fully to the ground below. Ask for healthy Earth energy to come up into your horse as well. Do this on each of the four hooves. This is great to add to a hoof picking routine or to do before you ride.

Enjoy these new experiences with him and you’ll grow your human-horse-heart connection. Your horse will thank you!

This article about using animal communication for a deeper connection with your horse appeared in the October 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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What is Energy Intelligence?

You may have heard of emotional intelligence and the soft skills required to build great relationships, such as trust, connection and kindness. All of these are crucial in horsemanship, but the next level work is “energy intelligence.”

Simply put, energy intelligence is the awareness of your own energy resources and the ability to influence your energy output in life and work.

As Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” While emotional intelligence is mostly about relationships and communication, energy intelligence is often about how we each govern ourselves and show up for life.

When you have more energy, you are often clearer and have more motivation, which then creates better relationships and performance. Your energy doesn’t just impact communication, it’s a form of communication.

Applying to Horses

In the horse world, other people assume that you love your equines all the time. Most of us do until we don’t—and then we need a break from mucking, riding, showing, or working with clients as trainers or instructors.

This can be an unspoken issue. Many can suffer in silence because of these expectations that a “horse girl” always wants to live and breathe riding. Yet when you’re exhausted and depleted, your interest can become diminished and—more importantly—your safety as well.

You’ve probably heard stories of people who rode when they shouldn’t have and paid the price in some way. When you’re too tired, it’s a signpost that you need to respect your own energy resources so burnout can be prevented.

It’s the same for your horse. You probably know not to push him, but are still tempted to push yourself—and horses feel this as well.

They can sense and feel your physical state as well as your emotional, mental, and spiritual states. They know and read your energy, but do you? Ultimately, the goal is more connection with your horse, and that comes down to energy intelligence.

Happier and Healthier

Brene Brown says: “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”

This is true for horses as well, and when they are happier and healthier, they’re more productive and connected. One of the ways you can value them is to adjust your energy when you are with them to be authentic, congruent and joyful. However, it’s much easier to do this when you are rested, clear, and present, which is when you are managing your energy well.

You can also note when your horse exhibits enjoyment and engagement and has a healthy flow of energy in his work and with his herd. Often making adjustments to his basic needs, such as friends, food, water, shelter, and exercise can help him feel safer, more rested, and content. This will improve his energy and leads to him to being a better version of himself, which in turn helps your relationship with him. 

Becoming Aware

Energy intelligence begins with awareness. We all need to take conscious pauses to reflect.

Ideally, you do this each day at some point, whether in meditation or through journaling. It’s also especially important before you enter physical space with your horse.

Some questions you can ask during this reflection are below; you can ask these about both yourself and your horse.

◆ What does it feel like to have energy? When do I have the most or the least?

◆ How do I know when my energy is flowing well? How do I know when it’s stuck?

◆ What gives me energy?

◆ What depletes or drains my energy?

◆ How do I replenish when my energy is gone?

After this reflection, you can list specifics about your gains and drains for you and your horse. Here are some examples.

Gains:

◆ Healthy food

◆ Restful sleep

◆ Enough water throughout the day

◆ Time spent with loved ones

◆ Main love language is met (see the book The Five Love Languages for more)

Drains:

◆ Being interrupted

◆ Fights and disagreement

◆ Lifting too much and over-working

◆ Feeling ignored or not seen

◆ Not being asked permission

Key Takeaway

There is still much more to explore in this space, so I’ve created an energy intelligence assessment tool for horse lovers/equestrians. If you’d like the document, email me through my website and I’d be happy to provide it.

Until then, remember that increasing your fulfillment through energy intelligence will create sustainable success for you and your horse. You can prevent burnout and grow your deep love for these majestic creatures.

This article about energy intelligence appeared in the April 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“See past the physical and find the loving essence inside.”

—A senior horse on aging appearances

This is what any senior horse might say if humans sat quietly and took the time to listen to them. So many of us fear aging, in ourselves or with our animals. We are scared of getting sick and moving closer to death. We try to cover up gray hair or sagging body parts. Yet if we look closely at a senior horse, there is no judgment of their gray muzzle or swaying back.

There is so much value put in youth and being athletic, especially in the equestrian world. Yet that doesn’t immediately equate to happiness. In fact, if you ever watch retired senior horses who have friends, great forage, and space to move around, they are quite content.

They don’t seem to regard their aging bodies with as much distaste as humans. What if we could learn to love our own bodies just by watching how horses enjoy being in theirs?

Of course, care costs can go up with a senior horse for blankets in the winter or extra supplements or feed to keep weight on. It’s the same with all animals, humans included; we may need some extra support in our later years.

In fact, learning about what an aging horse needs nutritionally, fitness-wise, and even emotionally can also serve as a reminder to do that work for ourselves so we stay balanced and healthy as we age.

One of the best things about horses is their non-judgmental nature. They embrace the now moment and what is: full acceptance. We can learn from their way of being and their environment. We would never judge an older tree or want a branch to be skinnier. Why do we do it to ourselves?

Horses can be way-showers for us on how to accept the aging process and how our body changes and adjusts. They would remind us that physical looks are not what truly matters, but that our energy, lifeforce, and loving presence have a much bigger ripple effect.

The next time you go to judge your gray hairs, remember how you find it adorable on a senior horse and apply that compassion and kindness to yourself. Confidence will grow from there!

“We are more than what we do, we are here to be.”

—A senior horse on work and retirement

We attach so much meaning, identity, and purpose to being able to work. So often horses are abandoned because of their age, supposedly not “earning their keep”—a saying that drives me and my horse-loving community a bit bonkers. 

However, our purpose is not connected to just our work in the world. Our purpose is to love and be loved. A senior horse is the perfect teacher of this concept, one that will take us far when practiced.

We have to ask ourselves what our horses truly need and deserve after they have been a part of our lives for so long and provided entertainment, sport, work, and companionship. I personally believe they deserve to be treated like royalty and pampered after so much dedication. Yet many discard them, and they can end up in precarious situations.

Tucker’d Out Ranch Rescue, based in the front range of Colorado, takes in many of these horses. Another is Saffyre Sanctuary in Los Angeles, Calif. I’ve been blessed to work with horses from both facilities in my equine-partnered life coaching practice and helped them with fundraising or animal communication and healing services when needed.

Rescues that specialize in senior horses are incredible at providing a safe haven for their last chapter and making sure a horse that isn’t ready to pass gets to live and end his life on a great note. It can be harder to take these types of horses in if they have extensive medical needs, and because their time is limited, getting emotionally attached to them can create an added difficulty.

At both of the rescues mentioned above, the horses are cared for by the humans who love them, and while they are providing a service to the animals, the horses also provide a service back. They comfort the volunteers who come to clean, they participate in community and educational events, or they are rehabilitated and adopted out to forever homes to become new companions.

I’ve watched both of these rescues completely turn senior horses around even though they once seemed hopeless and helpless. With good food, friends, and care, they became young at heart again.

“All of life matters and is precious; be there for those in need and you will feel blessed.”

—A senior horse on service

One of the ways senior horses are partnering with humans is in the equine-assisted psychotherapy/equine-assisted learning (EAP/EAL) space. They do groundwork exercises to help all types of people with mental health, emotional intelligence, leadership, and more.

Hooves & Heroes, a non-profit based near Seattle, Wash., has predominantly senior horses in their program. They specialize in supporting veterans and first responders.

Led by Sonia Jorgensen, she finds great joy in how her older horses support those coming for stress reduction. Jorgensen spent her career working in healthcare and finally made the leap to leave corporate life and go full-time into her service-based business.

She has found that her horses enjoy having more time with her now and love to work alongside her. They find that the veterans who come need support and to see a model of collaboration that her herd demonstrates.

Her seniors show the participants how beneficial staying calm and grounded can be and the reminder that wellness begins within. Her horses are happy to be working, and seem fulfilled serving the local community.

“Breathe and be with us, dip into the silence and remember that time is an illusion and all that matters is now.”

—A senior horse on wisdom and grace

Older horses have seen and been through a lot. They have often witnessed multiple homes, humans and living conditions, as well as many other horses and training styles.

They have silently observed humans and have a lot to share. They exude a presence of confidence and clarity based on a life fully lived. If only humans were willing to slow down and breathe with them, they can receive from this field of wisdom, which in some ways is like talking to a grandparent who has lived much more of life.

This is the work I most enjoy doing through the human-horse-heart connection in the EAL space. I create mindfulness containers for healing, coaching, and intuitive guidance to surface just by meditating with horses, brushing, watching them or journaling.

I have been blessed to have been given two senior off-track Thoroughbreds that were once performance athletes, later passed around because they weren’t ridable anymore. I’ve watched them blossom with a new “career” as a partner in equine coaching and become so enamored with teaching and helping humans that they often leave their food just to be with clients. They are proof that a good forever home that sees them as sentient beings and doesn’t need them to be ridden can still help realize their potential.

There is simply an energy of grace to watching these seniors work, whether it’s how they nuzzle a human’s cheek when they need it or intentionally move around a chair as a person surrenders to receiving from them. It’s an incredibly moving experience for both myself as the facilitator and the clients as they sit in awe and wonder that wise, older horses want to make a meaningful contribution to their lives before they pass.

Their remarkable selfless service and lives are significant, and they deserve to be honored, remembered, and immortalized.

This article about lessons learned from senior horses appeared in the October 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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