From Illness to Wellness:
A journey of healing with my beloved horse
(Published in The Barefoot Horse Magazine, Issue 40, Winter 2023)
From the moment I locked eyes with the smoky golden mare across the paddock I felt a deep knowing within my soul that Skye and I were destined to be together. It is believed that Morgan horses choose their human. When Skye purposefully closed the space between us with her long strides, and tapped her muzzle against my heart, I definitely felt chosen.
Horses are remarkable creatures that bring joy, companionship, and endless possibilities into our lives. However, the journey of rehabilitating a horse that has multiple health challenges can make even the most dedicated horse owner/guardian question if they are the right person for their equine partner.
In sharing our journey I hope to provide valuable insights and guidance to others who may be facing a similar situation. I invite you to join me as I recount our three-year journey from chronic pain to wellness, despair to triumph, and offer the lessons we learned along the way. Read more.
Finding Healing in Unexpected Places
(Published in Inspire Magazine, Fall 2o2o)
I was on my way to see a man about a horse.
In no way did it make sense why I was spending a morning driving to a ranch to volunteer with wild horses. While horses were a childhood passion, living with chronic pain, I had never dreamed I would work with horses again. Thoughts of being too old and too injured were playing on repeat in my mind. Yet, there I was driving up the mountain to the Second Chance Cheekeye Ranch, being pulled forward by some unseen force.
Living with chronic pain has psychological consequences including anxiety, poor sleep habits and a lower quality of life. (Bellampalli, S.S., & Khanna, R. 2019).
My pain, related to injuries resulting from a car accident have limited by participation in most of the activities I once enjoyed. I experimented with various pain medications but they mostly left my brain mushy, forcing me to find alternate coping strategies to keep my brain sharp enough to work but turning down the volume on the pain enough so I could push through the day.
Meditation, breath awareness, and emotional freedom tapping are the tools I reach for now to manage the pain. But after a summer volunteering at the ranch I learned some new lessons in managing pain and how to expand the happiness in my life. Read more.