LOVABLE ©
by Kathleen Siddall
I think I'm going to come home from the equine therapy barn every Saturday with an amazing story! The horses are truly my teachers.
I arrived this morning to find that one of my favorites, a big white draft horse — had been in a accident with the paddock gate on Thursday, and had a gaping wound on his leg. The wound had been tended to by the vet, and while ugly to look at, was not hideously serious. Needless to say, he does have some time off as a therapy horse.
But mostly the accident was scary for him. He ended up getting himself tangled up in the gate, and was trapped under it for a couple of hours. As big as he is, he is a sweet and sensitive horse, so I am sure he was terrified.
I had a free session in the middle of the morning, so I asked if I could spend the hour with Lovable — maybe give him a relaxing massage to help his healing.
We are great buddies, so he was very happy to see me come into his stall, and licked my forehead as he often does in greeting.
I never just pounce on an animal and starting rubbing, I always put my hands out first and ask permission.
Well — they heated right up and the horse started licking my palms. I didn't think too much of it — he's a very affectionate guy — but his licking seemed more focused than his usual smooching.
Every time I went to begin the massage, he made it clear that he didn't want it and he would insist on licking my palms, so I let him. As he licked, I could see images of his accident, and really feel how frightening it had been for him. He must have licked my palms for fifteen minutes. Then he turned sideways to me and offered his back, indicating that he was ready to be massaged.
He was very peaceful during the massage — even gave me the much coveted "tongue hanging out the side of his mouth" — a sign of complete horsey relaxation.
After, he snuggled his enormous head into my chest and fell asleep.
This is so amazing to me — I am so humbled by these things every time they happen. The trust of these marvelous animals is such an honor.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Kathleen was always the “wild child” of the family, with a close tie to the ocean, and a “way” with animals. She received her certificate as a Faery Shaman from the Society of Celtic Shamans in 2005, and has recently become certified as an equine massage therapist. She’s also an opera singer, and incorporates music into her healing work. She holds a degree in Business Management, and makes her living as a financial analyst. Anyone wishing to contact Kathleen may email her at siddsong@aol.com
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Earthsongs: International Journal of the Society of Celtic Shamans copyright © 2007 by Elder Grove Press and content providers. All rights reserved. International copyright laws prohibit reproduction of or distribution of this page by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permissions of the copyright holders. We retain legal counsel to protect our copyrights.