Two Cases of Acceptance and Refusal Horses are highly sensitive animals with very long memory retention, which is why we’re able to form such strong emotional bonds with them. Being prey animals, they’re very much in tune with themselves and their environment. They also tend to be very open and accepting unless they’ve been damaged in some way by human actions. These same qualities that make horses such wonderful companions for us also allow them to be very good subjects for Reiki healing. They seem to be able to innately understand the energy on many levels. Reiki is beneficial for so many issues that a horse may have. Emotional issues such as anxiety or nervousness, lack of confidence, stress, grief, fear or excitability can all be eased considerably if not disappear entirely after a series of Reiki treatments. The wonderful thing about using Reiki in this way is that the current owner of the horse doesn’t have to know exactly what the cause of the problem is. When purchasing a “used horse” it’s often impossible to find out any real information about the horse’s past life and how it was treated and cared for. The new owner then inherits all of the issues that the horse may have accumulated. Being able to treat and heal traumas and blockages without even knowing specifically what they are is of immense benefit to horses and their owners. This is also true of using Reiki to heal physical issues. An owner that is truly in tune with their horse can often be heard to say “I don’t really know what’s wrong with him. He just seems off somehow.” Something as simple as a different look in his eye, a slight lack of the usual enthusiasm for his meals, pinning an ear back … any of these are subtle signs that the horse may not be feeling well. Reiki energy will always go where it’s needed, even if neither the practitioner nor the owner knows exactly where that is. When I’m asked to provide Reiki for any animal, I always start by asking the animal for permission, and letting them know that they can take as much or as little energy as they want and can stop at any time. In my work with horses, I’ve discovered that my initial visit almost always goes in one of two ways – the horse will either immediately want my hands on it or it will stay at a distance for a time, maybe the entire session, and take the energy that way. Most times, when the horse realizes that it really is in charge of its own treatment and can move away at any time, it will then allow hands-on treatment. The Horse That Demanded Reiki Several years ago a friend had just purchased a horse after not having had one for a few years. She was boarding her lovely paint mare at a local stable nearby. This stable is a very good one, taking great care of all of their horses, whether they are their own animals or boarders. Joan was a meticulous pet owner and asked me to come out to the stable and give her new mare a session. She thought she had detected a bit of lameness on their last ride, but wasn’t sure where it was originating. When I arrived at the stable, there were several students having lessons … it was always a busy place. Joan led me into the large barn where Rio was in her stall munching on hay. I had already met Rio but had never offered her Reiki before, so I stood outside the stall first and silently asked permission to send her the energy. Reiki started flowing right away which indicated to me that she was accepting it, so I then opened the stall door and went in, standing just inside the stall door at first. As the Reiki energy flowed, Rio was content to keep munching her hay. She would occasionally stop and look at me and then continue eating. After a short time, I moved to her and placed my hands on her, starting with her head and moving down her body. She was totally relaxed and accepted the energy and the hands-on treatment. Soon she stopped munching and just dozed in her stall while I continued the treatment. I detected warmth in her right front hoof, indicating the lameness may have originated there. Rio continued to take Reiki for about 30 minutes. At that time she woke up, nuzzled my chest and then went back to her hay. I took that as a signal that the session was over. Immediately we became aware of the horse in the next stall. Hearing a lot of shuffling and kicking I stepped out of Rio’s stall so I could see what was going on. The horse was circling around and around and tossing his head. He then started to literally scream. Joan told me over the racket that the horse had just had a bad bout with strangles which is a nasty bacterial infection of the lymph nodes under a horse’s jaw. She also said that the horse’s owner paid for the horse’s care but did little else – no-one ever came to visit him or ride him. I sensed that the horse wanted Reiki and I desperately wanted to offer it but I had a dilemma. Ethical guidelines prevented me from giving Reiki to an animal without permission from its owner. Joan ran to find the stable owner who granted me permission to offer it, which I did immediately. Not knowing the horse, I decided to start by standing outside the stall. The Reiki started flowing very strongly. As it did, the horse stopped screaming and began to settle down, soon stopping his circling altogether. As he stood there and soaked up the energy he started making licking and chewing movements with his mouth and his head hung down lower and lower. I moved into the stall and placed my hands on him giving him a full Reiki treatment. I’m not truly sure how long I was in that stall but the horse eventually moved over to his water bucket and took a long drink. I knew he was telling me that he’d had enough Reiki. As I walked over to give him a final pat on the shoulder he turned his head and stood with his forehead pressed against my chest saying thank you. That may have been one of the most rewarding sessions I have ever done and I never even knew the horse’s name.
The Horse That Refused Reiki
