Exploring Alternatives

I've made the decision to cut back on my showing or eliminate it altogether. I have one more show this season and no plans to enter any others. This decision left me with a void to fill. I'm still going to take regular dressage lessons in an effort to advance my horse and myself, but I want to explore other avenues of horseownership.

So with the being said, I signed up for a holistic clinic next weekend, titled "Emotional Healing Through Horses." I'm not totally sure what that means, but the price was right, and I've always been interested in alternative therapies for horses and with horses.

I loved reading "The Tao of Equus" by Linda Kohanov. It outlines the author's experiences with using horses in emotional therapy. It's a fascinating book, that goes deep into the horse/human connection, and what these animals try to tell us if we'd only listen. Ms. Kahonov talks about the damaged souls in her book, humans and equines, and how they came to heal each other in profound and magical ways.

That brings up an on-going interest of mine and the subject of a future book. A few years ago I read an article in a national magazine about a center that uses equine therapy to healed emotionally abused children. One story, in particular, struck a cord with me. It was about a little girl who had been sexually abused by her father then sold to his friends. She hadn't talked in a few years. They teamed her with a pony and within a short time, she was talking aloud to her new best friend.

I'm a former high school teacher with an interest in psychology, and I felt impelled to write a story in which the heroine works in such a center. If you know of such a place, where I can get information, or perhaps remember the article I'm referring to, I'd love to hear from you.