Reiki for Horses Practitioner Professional Training WWW . HEALINGHORSES . CO . UK HANDBOOK FOR PRACTITIONERS Tutor: Jan Barley Tel: 0800 634 3320 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.healinghorses.co.uk
Reiki for Horses Practitioner
Professional Training
W W W . H E A L I N G H O R S E S . C O . U K
HANDBOOK FOR PRACTITIONERS
Tutor: Jan Barley
Tel: 0800 634 3320
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.healinghorses.co.uk
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Index
� Page 4 Introduction
� Page 5 About Healing Horses
� Page 6 Meditation
� Page 10 Breathing
� Page 12 How energy works
� Page 14 Chakras & their meanings
� Page 18 Opening & Closing your chakras
� Page 19 Opening to the healing channel
� Page 19 Pre-session preparation
� Page 23 Asking for a higher connection
� Page 25 Soul connection
� Page 27 People study
� Page 29 Hand positions
� Page 31 Scanning
� Page 32 How long to give healing
� Page 33 Visual signs of healing
� Page 34 When to give healing
� Page 35 When not to give healing
� Page37 How many sessions
� Page 38 Ending the session
� Page 39 Clearing the horse
� Page 40 Clearing yourself
� Page 43 Things you may experience during the session
� Page 46 What to do if the horse is resisting
� Page 50 What to do if your own horse will not accept healing from you
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� Page 53 Listening to the horse
� Page 58 Psychic impressions
� Page 60 Aggressive horses
� Page 63 Working with rescue animals
� Page 65 Psychic Protection
� Page 69 Advanced Techniques for Increasing Energy
� Page 72 Developing Confidence
� Page 73 Positive Thinking
� Page 76 Spirit Guides & Spirit Animals
� Page 78 Distance Healing Communication
� Page 80 Looking after yourself
� Page 82 Temperament Theory
� Page 84 How this knowledge can help you
� Page 85 Effective Communication With Owners
� Page 88 Other complementary therapies
� Page 89 UK Veterinary Act
� Page 91 Insurance
� Page 91 Charges
� Page 93 Paperwork & Accounting
� Page 94 Marketing Your Practice
� Page 98 Conclusion
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Introduction
Welcome to Healing Horses Distance Learning Course. Thank you for having the
confidence in me as your trainer. I hope that you will find the course informative, and
that your confidence will grow as a horse healer as part of this process.
By now you may know a little about me. I have been a horse healer since 1995. Since
2000, I have spent many hours teaching students how to become successful Healing
Horses practitioners. I am qualified in Life Coaching, Stress Management, NLP and
Emotional Intelligence. I am also a Certified Temperament Professional, and, for a while,
worked as an Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator. These skills, and my experience of
them, combined with my life experiences, allow me to provide you with the best
grounding for this training.
In this first module we will focus on laying the foundations for your healing horses
practice. By the end of this module, you will have a clearer idea of where to start and
what work you need to do, practically and personally, to get started in your practice
This work is rewarding. But, building a successful healing practice takes time and effort.
If you are prepared for what is involved, it will help you considerably. By the end of this
course you will have acquired the skills, the knowledge and the tools to help you to
build a Healing Horses practice.
Enjoy the journey
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About Healing Horses
You have made a great choice. Healing horses is a fantastic way to make a part of your
living, or simply to give back to the horses.
When I first started as a horse healer, I didn’t like people much. It didn’t take long to
work out that, in order to succeed I needed to learn more effective communication
skills. Therein began my own personal journey. So although this course is very much
about healing horses, be aware that a huge percentage of your success will come from
developing good working relationships with the horse’s owner/carer. This is an aspect
we cover later in the course.
Your journey will probably be different from mine. There will however be times when
you may feel challenged, frustrated, annoyed, upset and demoralised. This is part of the
journey and, as such, is perfectly normal. People and horses together can be an odd
mix, culminating in some challenging relationships, often defying the boundaries of
logical understanding.
It is important to remind you not to stand in judgement if and when you feel a client is
treating their horse incorrectly or unfairly. Get into the habit of asking yourself ‘how can
I help this person and the horse for the best of all concerned?’ I don’t know about you,
but I cannot boast of a 100% perfect background with horses. I made mistakes, some of
them huge. I was judged by others times and it didn’t feel nice. I was lucky, quite early
on, to meet a great friend who showed me how to make the most of my relationship
with my horse. She never judged me. Nor did she judge the way that I handled my
horse, despite the fact that I was getting it badly wrong. Her unconditional guidance
transformed my relationships with all horses. It was a turning point. So, if you set out
from a good place in your head and your heart, people will listen and you will be able to
guide people to lasting change.
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Meditation
Meditation, in my opinion, is the key to many of life’s mysteries. It develops the state of
mind necessary to become a focused and powerful healer. It will help you to get closer
to the horses and deal more effectively with challenging situations and people.
Meditation practice is sometimes misunderstood. I was taught that it was a ‘bad’ thing if
the mind was busy during meditation. This is not actually so. The right hemisphere of
the brain is the creative side, and the left hemisphere is the logical side. Generally both
sides operate in conflict, neither agreeing with the other! This creates a battle in the
mind, and is the reason why we struggle to achieve what we believe we want i.e. weight
loss, financial security, great job, harmonious relationships and so on and so forth. It is
pretty much the sole reason for the negative inner voice, the critic that bars our way to
success and fills us full of fear when we consider making changes in our lives.
This process is called brain lateralization.
In principle, meditation seems a good idea. But you are busy, it takes too long, there
isn’t enough time or maybe you just can’t be bothered. It’s another thing to think about,
another thing demanding our attention. It gets overlooked, as other more ‘important’
things dominate your life.
I started off my meditation practice with a program called Holosync, developed by The
Centerpointe Institute in America. At that time, I physically couldn’t sit still for more
than a few minutes and my mind operated at a zillion miles an hour. I had to do
something that was practical for me, something that I actually knew I would do and not
put off time after time. So, I listened to a one-hour brain wave technology CD four or
five times a week for an hour. I did this when I went to bed, so I knew I would lie still
and not be hopping about all over the house!
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The program dramatically speeds up the process of brain synchronization – whereby
both sides of the brain begin to balance up and come into a state of harmony and ones
threshold for stress rises, so less and less bothers you.
Holosync, in my opinion, is one of the fastest and most effective ways to develop your
spiritual and psychic skills. In 12 years of development I have found nothing to rival it.
Go to www.healinghorses.co.uk/meditation.htm for details of a free demo CD
With normal meditation practice, you must focus the brain on your breath, a candle, a
mantra or anything that keeps your brain in check. At that time, that simply wouldn’t
work for me.
With Holosync you simply put the headphones on and relax. The technology does the
work, and you can think about anything you like!
As mentioned, the process of meditation gradually raises our threshold for stress. Most
of us operate at a fairly low threshold, so that even minor events can throw us off
balance. As our threshold for stress increases, we accept minor [and major] set backs
with greater acceptance. Staying in ones centre is a powerful and productive way to live
one’s life.
For some, it can be an uncomfortable process as the threshold levels change. Old
patterns and baggage may surface, but the highs can be amazing. For me – following
this program since 2008, the results have been tremendous. My business and personal
life is rocketing. I am calmer and happier, regardless of what is happening in my life. This
is a state of early brain synchronization.
If you cannot or do not wish to commit to this program, it is still vital that you attempt
some form of daily meditation. I can recommend another company that I now use. This
is www.brainsync.com The founder is Kelly Howell. I have around a dozen of her running
music meditations and guided meditations. They are enjoyable as well as being powerful
and work on the same brainwave principles as Holosync, applying the binaural beats.
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When I am working with a horse, I am in a deep Alpha state, where telepathy and
healing energy flows strongly. The horse reacts to this energy and it creates powerful
sessions, and results.
If you are going to take nothing else away with you from this course, it would be
preferable that you accepted this section as one of the most important. If you truly want
to succeed in life, and get rid of the negative beliefs and behaviours that do not serve
you, then meditation is, in my opinion, one of the best ways.
Horses – in fact all animals – begin to gravitate to you as your brain becomes
synchronized. Your energies resonate at a lower level, and you feel a safe place for them
to be. On that note, it is also a fallacy that when you become ‘enlightened’ your
energies are raised. It is the very opposite. Lower energies greatly impact your ability as
a channel for the healing. You will also find that intuition; telepathy and psychic skills
are also considerably increased as the brain begins to level into a state of harmony.
Below is a diagram which shows how the brain resonates: -
Picture supplied courtesy of Centerpointe Institute
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At Beta level we are generally operating at a day to day level which may or may not be
fairly stressful . Anything above 30Hz is extremely unpleasant.
Meditation lowers the brain waves to Alpha level. Simply by closing your eyes your brain
will start to produce an Alpha state.
Traditional Meditation
Simply sit quietly and close your eyes. Make sure all external distractions are reduced.
Take the phone off the hook. Make sure that you are warm enough and are seated
comfortably. You may want to play gentle music or burn oil, incense or candles. You may
wish to create a special ‘me’ place in the home just for this occasion.
Decide what you are going to focus on. A mantra can be good for this, or any sound that
you feel comfortable with. Or you may simply sit and notice thoughts passing through
your mind, allowing them to come and go. Continue to do this for at least fifteen
minutes, and up to one hour. When you have finished, don’t rush to get up, as the brain
processes continue for at least five minutes after meditation.
You may notice many thoughts rushing into your head. This is a good sign. It shows that
the meditation is pushing deeply into your subconscious. Don’t get annoyed with
yourself. Relax. Tell yourself that this is ok. Allow the thoughts to come and gently place
them in a box or a bubble in your imagination.
Ideally, it is good to meditate at least three or four times a week and at a similar time. At
the same time, you can also ask for what you want for this day, and for your life in
general.
After a few months, you will easily be able to recognise when you are in an Alpha state.
In time you will be able to reproduce it at will. This can take a few years with traditional
meditation. For me it took around 7 – 8 months with Holosync.
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Breathing
Good breathing is at the heart of a successful meditation practice. Always start your
sessions with a little breath work. Most of us breathe too shallowly. This is not good for
our bodies or our minds. It is essential that we slow down the breath if we want to work
in a healing capacity. Animals will entrain with our breathing and if they feel that we are
breathing in a stressful way, the session will not run as well as it could.
When we begin to breathe slower and deeper, we actually become aware of our
breathing. We notice that it has a natural rhythm, an ebb and flow which is deeply
grounding and relaxing. Good breathing can help to calm the mind, reduce tension in
the body and allow us to find a place of focus.
There are two possible ways of breathing. One is from the abdomen {diaphragmatic}
and the other is from the chest {thoracic}. Abdominal {diaphragmatic} breathing is the
natural breathing of newborn babies and sleeping adults. It is deeper and slower than
thoracic {chest} breathing and enables our respiratory system to do its job of producing
energy from oxygen and removing the body of harmful toxins. Breathing exercises are a
great foundation in teaching you the art of mindfulness. Never underestimate the
efficacy of the breathing exercises
Breathing exercise 1
Place your hands on your stomach. Now fill the lungs with more air than you think
possible. This will expand your diaphragm and this will be felt from front to back.
Breathe out for longer than you think is possible. Initially, some people may find this
difficult but once you get used to it, you will experience greater benefits from deep
breathing.
Breathing exercise 2
Close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. Sync in to the natural rhythm of
your breath. Breath in for a count of 2 and out for a count of 2
Breath in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 4
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Breath in for a count of 6 and out for a count of 6
Breath in for a count of 8 and out for a count of 8
Breath in for a count of 10 and out for a count of 10
Then reverse backwards until you reach two breaths again.
Breathing exercise 3
Breathe in and feel the diaphragm rise to a count of 4. Hold the breath for 4 then
release to a count of 4. Push out the breathe until there is no breath to push out
Breathing exercise 4
Exhale before you begin, this helps to clear toxins and gives you plenty of lung room for
your next breath. Now breathe in and when you exhale think ‘relax’ on a long and
continue this whilst focusing on allowing your body to relax
Breathe with the animal
Stand or sit next to the animal and monitor his breath by looking at his tummy. Put your
hand on his back or shoulder, and begin to breathe in the same pattern as he is. After a
few minutes slow your breath down and invite the animal to follow you with his
breathing. If he doesn’t follow your breathing pattern, simply go back to following his
breath. It’s not a big issue. Practice this as often as you can. The animal will eventually
entrain to your breath and your energy.
Develop the habit of breathing correctly. It can help to significantly lower your stress
level, and assist in helping your chi to flow better. The horses will also respond more
positively to you.
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How energy works ~ Understanding the chakras
Throughout our bodies we have a flow of Chi energy. This flows via the meridian lines,
which pass through our organs, and round our body in one continuous flow. Along these
meridian lines we have Chakras. Chakras {from ancient Indian Sanskrit and meaning
‘wheel’} are circular energy centres. They are believed to be the joins of communication
channels between our physical, esthetic and astral bodies.
The Chakras draw energy and light into our beings. The Chakras can become blocked,
and are then unable to draw in the energy required to keep us in balance. These
blockages arise from disharmony in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual states.
Healing helps to release these blockages, and to open the Chakras to the energy source
available.
It is easy for us to get blockages. A few traumas or hurts in our lives can do it. Blockages
can also occur when we are not living our life purpose. Parts of us can feel unsettled and
uneasy. This is a clear message for us to change our lives and get back on track.
There are plenty of good books on understanding chakras, and I suggest a visit to the
library or www.amazon.com for new or used books
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CHAKRA POSITIONS – in a human
Chakra positions in a horse
Chakras and their meanings
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Chakras & their meanings
Root Chakra
Location: Situated at the base of spine.
Colour: Red
The Root Chakra represents: -
Survival
Monitors physical and material success.
It helps us to take action, get things done, and is a stabilizing, grounding energy.
It is our root and it gives us strength
As the horse is a flight animal and focused on his survival it makes sense that the root
chakra can become a blocked area.
We are unable to provide our horses with a total choice in regards to his management.
But we can try to make it as comfortable and natural [for him] as possible. This may be
an area of discussion with the owner.
Sacral Chakra
Location: Situated 2-3” below navel.
Colour: Orange
The Sacral Chakra represents: -
Relates to creative abilities
Emotional centre, joy
Intimacy, desires ability to be tactile
Holds emotional issues from childhood
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This chakra is often described as the emotional centre. As a major primal need a horse
has to feel safe and secure with both its environment and with its owner.
We expect our horses to understand us, and this is often unreasonable. It is good sense
to question our own behaviour before we blame the horse. If a horse does not perform
a task there is generally good reason. It is up to us to work out what that reason is. I
have witnessed horses beside themselves with anger, because the owner would not
listen to the horse.
Solar Plexus chakra
Location: Solar Plexus
Colour: Yellow
The Solar Plexus Chakra represents: -
Metabolic and vital energy
Psychological and emotional energy flow.
The solar plexus chakra represents personal courage, confidence, power,
willpower, independence, fear, panic & co-dependency.
It is important to allow a horse to develop his own character. Owners can get into the
habit of punishing their horse for normal equine behaviour i.e. running forward if
something frightens him. Remember what is and isn’t natural behaviour and respond
accordingly. If you do not understand this then you need to learn as soon as possible. A
really good easy to read book on this subject is ‘Teach yourself horse’ by Heather
Simpson
Heart Chakra
Location: Heart
Colour: Green or pink
The Heart Chakra represents: -
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Relates to acceptance of self, others and conditions.
Unconditional love, compassion, empathy, healing, compassion
Horses store a lot of emotion in their hearts. It is not uncommon to experience strong
emotions when working with this chakra. Many horses greatly enjoy a healer working
with their heart chakra
Throat Chakra
Location: Throat
Colour: Blue
The Throat Chakra represents: -
Relates to cycle of giving and receiving, self-expression, communication,
individuality, speaking one’s truth
Horses have no problems communicating with each other. But misunderstandings can
occur when we try to understand what they are trying to tell us. Horses have so many
ways that they can express their needs. Sadly most of them appear to us as negative,
and we get caught up in problem solving rather than listening
Horses want to believe that their needs are heard and respected. Imagine trying to ask
for something vital to your well being, and being continually ignored.
Understanding is the key to successful communication. If you lack this understanding
then your relationship will struggle. We must take responsibility for the relationship,
and not expect the horse to magically sort out the problem. For myself, when I do not
understand what my horses are trying to tell me I give them some space. I wait it out
until I find the understanding. It normally enters the free space with clarity, if I am
patient and do not put pressure on them to provide me with answers.
Third Eye Chakra
Location: Brow
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Colour: Indigo
The Brow/Third eye Chakra represents: -
Relates to seeing reality, intuition and ability to discriminate and chose options
Balance of mind, judgments, wisdom, imagination and spiritual awareness.
The third eye chakra works to develop a telepathic and intuitive bond. Horses are not
naturally keen for strangers to enter this area. I would not normally attempt working
with the third eye chakra until the end of the session, and then only if the horse is very
relaxed. If he objects quietly move your hand to another area.
In time it can become a pleasant experience for the horse. Once the horse has relaxed
with you, quietly work your hands to this area because once the horse feels the warmth
and love from your hands he will relinquish his hold on himself and begin to feel a deep
content.
Crown Chakra
Location: Top of head between ears
Colour: Violet
The Crown Chakra represents: -
Relates to ability to take ideas from abstract to concrete form
Connection to higher power, spiritual links knowledge, higher self and guidance.
The crown chakra is our connection to the source. I believe that horses were sent to
help us with our own spirituality, so connecting with this chakra can be a deep
experience for you and the horse.
It is perfectly acceptable to work through a session by focusing on the chakra areas. But
it is better that you allow a session to unfold as it is meant to be, and simply stay relaxed
about where your hands go. The horse will find a way of telling you where he wants you
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to be, so simply watch and listen to him. The healing energy will always go where it is
needed anyway.
In time, as your confidence grows, you will feel comfortable with working intuitively.
The horse will respond in a much deeper way, and the whole session will feel much
more connected and powerful.
I find that I get drawn to the throat and the root chakra predominantly with many
horses. As horses are unable to make true choices in their lives, and are often not
listened to, it makes sense that the throat chakra may be blocked.
Explaining this to owners is a useful exercise. They may not have considered this at an
intellectual level before. By helping the owner to understand the core reason for a
horse’s behaviour, they will be able to let go of believing that a horse is truly
domesticated, and should behave exactly as we do.
Opening & closing your chakras
To open the chakras it can be useful to do a visualisation technique. Many students
visualise their chakras as flowers. This makes it is easy to imagine a tight bud when they
are closed, and a big blossom when they are open.
It is vital to close down the chakras afterwards; otherwise you may take on other
people’s energy – particularly if you have a natural empathic or sensitive nature. This
can leave you feeling a bit woozy or ungrounded.
You may do this by imagining all of your chakras actually closing. If you use the flower
principle, it is easy to imagine a flower closing up in to a tight bud.
If the idea of flowers does not appeal to you then work with a concept that feels right
for you
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Opening to the healing channel
It sometimes helps to work with visualization techniques to open up the healing
channel, to connect to the source. If you are nervous in your first few healing session,
then the act of practical connection may help.
Imagine that there is a huge white light, an immense ball of energy, coming from above.
Visualise your crown chakra opening up and allowing the light to enter your head,
through the crown chakra. The light is coursing down through the top of your head,
down through your neck, down through your upper arms, down through your lower
arms and finally out through your palms. You can also flood your entire body with the
light, with the residue leaving at the soles of your feet.
Using visualisation techniques can be excellent for when you are not experienced with
the energy, or if it feels as if the energy is not flowing as freely as you would like. It will
help create a good flow of healing energy within you, and help you to focus.
In time you won’t need to mentally do these things. As you move from
1. Unconscious incompetence – not knowing what you do not know
2. Conscious incompetence - knowing that you do not know
3. Conscious competence – knowing that you are becoming competent
4. Unconscious competence - knowing what you are doing & not having to think about it
–like driving
Pre session preparation
Make sure that your intention is to offer healing unconditionally. The horse needs to
feel that you do not want anything back from him – not even a visible sign that the
healing is working. I find with new students that this is the most common mistake. Ones
ego begins to doubt your healing abilities if the horse does not respond. It is easy for me
to say and not so easy to do, but you have to let it be okay if the session does not unfold
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as you would like it to. It is not our job to predict the outcome. The sooner you let this
issue go, the sooner you will definitely see positive results.
Your job is to enable the horse feel relaxed with you, and show him that it’s okay for
him to let go of old emotional and/or physical issues. Working with this intention will
help you to become a good & powerful healer for the horses. He has probably already
experienced the ego of humans imposing their will on him and never been given much
of a choice as to how he would like things to go in his life. You, as the healer, may very
well be the first person that can allow him to have this choice. He will thank you for it!
* Expectation closes the healing channel and reduces the potential of a session *
Horses are receptive to healing, and I don’t rigidly endorse an exact routine way to
work. Each animal will present you with a different response or behaviour. Much of that
will depend on circumstances, the owner and your own state of being. Allow the session
to unfold with an easy flow, without trying to input too much information. Healing really
is a synergistic process that will develop with perfect balance and synchronicity, if we
allow it. It’s important that you totally embrace that as a concept. However the
information in this course is a guide as to how to approach your healing sessions.
First and foremost, always ensure that the horse is physically comfortable. Within
reason, try and work with the horse in an area where he is most content – this may be
his stable or in the middle of a field!
Healing can transmit through material – even a thick New Zealand rug – so you don’t
need to remove the horse’s rug if it a very cold day.
Mentally prepare yourself on the way to the horse. Think calm thoughts, open your
chakras, & imagine yourself working with the horse. Breathe deeply and send him a
message in your mind, that you are on your way to help him.
Make sure that your chakras are fully open as the horse can tell the difference
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Never try and predict the outcome. This puts pressure on you and the horse. The horse
has to be allowed to decide at what level he is able to accept the love and the healing
that you have to offer. When he feels this absence of pressure, and knows your loving
intent, he will be more open to you. He will be more relaxed, and willing to connect with
you.
Do not be in a rush to get your hands on the horse. Stand a few feet away from him and
talk to him with your mind. Allow him to feel – on an energy level – who and what you
are. Tell him, in your mind, why you are there, and that you genuinely wish to help him.
Ask permission of the horse before you work with him. Most horses will give you some
sign that they are willing. If they turn away, ask them again and offer them reassurance.
This is not a rejection; it is a test of your confidence & intent. Don’t take it personally if
he walks away from you.
If the horse appears agitated, try and find out what in his environment is worrying him.
If he is happier with his companion in the stable next to him, then try and have this set
up for him. The more relaxed he is, the more likely he is to respond to the healing. This
will make it easier for him and ultimately easier for you.
Respect the privacy of the horse and the sanctity of the healing session. Do not allow
groups of chattering people to hang over the stable door. The healing process fascinates
people, and they can’t seem to help themselves. But remembering that you are there
for the horse, if he or you are distracted then you aren’t doing right by him. Politely ask
them to leave. Relate this situation to human therapy – if you were having a massage
session, you would not like to have strangers watching would you? Then why should it
be any different for the horse? The horse will be aware of this respect towards him, and
it will help him to trust you even more.
If you are nervous, there can be a tendency to rush a session. Breathe deeply;
remember that this isn’t about you, your nerves, your confidence or your issues. Slow
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down. This is about the horse. This is why you are here! Always remain calm, methodical
and assured. Some owners may be nervous, and it is important that you radiate
confidence – even if you are shaking inside. I don’t wear a watch, and I never have. I
allow the session to unfold over time as it is meant to be. Leave your mobile phone in
the car and allow yourself the privilege of having this time and space with the horse.
It is personal choice as to whether you allow the horse to eat hay. I mostly do, as the act
of chewing releases endorphins into the system. Some horses, that might be nervous,
start off by eating their hay like it’s their last meal! This is simply showing how worried
they are. They may be concerned that you are a vet, and about to stick a needle in
them! ☺ By allowing a horse to continue eating, it portrays your acceptance of him, and
inspires him to trust you.
It is usually advisable to have the horse on a head collar and ensure that the horse is
facing the stable/exit door. This is of particular importance with a horse that has a
history of aggression. Early on in my career, I experienced a horse exploding in the
stable. He literally blew up for twenty minutes, rearing, bucking, kicking and pacing
round the stable. He was a horse with a particularly bad history. The healing drew this
from him with such an explosive force that it took us all by surprise. Fortunately he was
wearing a head collar, and we were able to get out of the stable safely until he had
calmed down.
The owner usually remains and holds the horse loosely. In time you will gain the
experience to ‘know’ when a horse is safe. These days, I often work in a large area with
the horse loose. I talk to him in my mind, until he makes a choice to come and stand
next to me. Owners are always amazed at this, and delighted by the obvious signs that
their horse has made an active choice to be healed. It took a good few years for me to
develop this level of confidence; so don’t try to rush this step. You will know when you
are ready.
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When the horse has given you permission, quietly – and without fuss – stroke the horse
on the shoulder {or wherever feels right to you and him} and then just casually lay one
or both hands across his back. This allows the horse to get the feel of your healing
energy.
When you first put your hands on the horse, make sure that your mind is completely
empty of conscious thought {Alpha state – see meditation section earlier}. Ensure that,
for at least the first few moments; you have complete silence, so that you and the horse
can connect on a cellular level.
Allow him to move away if he wishes, and wait for him to settle before trying again.
Never try to force him to stay with you. In some sessions I quite often allow the horse to
drift away. Many times they come back and ask for more, when they trust that you are
not going to push them. Horses don’t get much opportunity for choice in their lives, so I
like to think that I might be the one person that allows them the gift of making their
own decisions.
After a while he may look as if he has had enough. He may move away to drink or eat a
little more hay. Don’t assume that this is the end of the session. Sometimes horses just
need a moment to process the healing and, once that is done, they come back for more.
Explain this to the owner and wait it out for a short while. I find that most horses come
back.
Asking for a higher connection
We all have different spiritual and religious beliefs, so what or who you connect to,
during the session, is your personal choice. Personally, I connect to ‘Great Spirit’ and my
own spirit guides, Nerajaba or Jonah. I ask to be given the tools and the guidance that I
need to help this horse. For you it may not be Great Spirit or your own guide[s]. You
may relate to God, the Goddess, the higher self, the universe or even angels. It really
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does not matter. What matters is that you recognise a higher source of guidance outside
of your own energy.
I only ever give advice on systems or techniques that I use, or have used, that I have
personally found to be of benefit to the horse and myself. If you don’t agree, or find that
it does not work for you, then that is totally acceptable. These are guidelines, and all
that I ask is that you give them a fair try. As you develop, you will find your own ways of
working.
When I first started working with my guide, I was visiting an equine rescue centre with a
student. The stables were busy and noisy, and yet the horses practically collapsed
beneath my hands. The results were profound. Connecting in this way provides a clear
channel, and enables you to get out of your own way. A higher guidance takes over, and
you will be provided with the help that is necessary for each individual horse.
As the horse relaxes, allow your hands to go wherever they feel inclined to go. Trust
your instinct and follow your heart. If you find that your hands stay in one place for the
whole session that is fine. If they move all over the horse, that is equally fine. Always
talk to the horse with your mind, reassuring him and encouraging him to trust you. Aim
to be at one with him, feeling his feelings, and
watching for the tiniest signs of change,
acceptance or concern. Remember to keep
breathing deeply and always be 100% of the
horse 100% of the time. I sometimes see healers with their eyes closed. This is not only
potentially dangerous, but you may miss vital information from the horse if you are not
fully aware. His face and his body language will tell you so much, but you have to be
looking.
It is important, if possible, that the horse is he is in a deep state of healing, that you keep
at least one hand on him.
Think outside the box
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If you are moving from one side to the other, just stroke your hands gently on the
horse’s body as you move around. Obviously, if the horse is resisting strongly, this may
not be possible. If the horse is deep in an endorphic state and you remove your hands
too quickly, the horse will suddenly feel disconnected and may jump as if startled. It
breaks the connection too sharply, and the horse may be reluctant to allow you to carry
on afterwards. Conversely, it is okay for the horse to move away from you, as that is his
choice.
Soul Connection
A deep soul connection happens when you almost feel as if you become a horse as your
energies merge to become one living-breathing animal. Huge changes can and do occur
at this level. It is healing for the horse and it is healing for you.
This can only happen when you are in an Alpha state and you have totally got out of
your own way. You have let go of ‘getting it right’, and are only concerned with
experiencing how the horse feels at the deepest levels. You can’t make this happen. It
does take time and commitment from regular meditation. The best way for it to occur is
to simply allow yourself to be in the moment with the horse.
Be in the presence of a horse and let go of the fact that he is horse and you are human.
Allow the aura of you and the aura of the horse to merge. Feel the closeness developing
as this happens. See how he responds. As your auras merge, he will become sleepy and
may lean in towards you.
Let go of everything other than the energy that is you and the horse. Stand close in to
him, with your body touching his. Ask him in your mind ‘who are you? How can I help
you? What do I need to know about your life? Don’t expect an answer. Just allow
yourself to feel. Allow the transaction to be fluent and without agenda.
You may find that the horse looks at you a lot. He may stare at you or he may even look
a little surprised! Go with it. Allow the horse to find his way to you from his soul.
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When the connection comes, it will feel as if your heart and soul have intertwined with
the horse. It will feel as if time is standing still. It appears that you transcend the reality
of our day to day materialistic, superficial life, and enter into the ancient unconditional
response of the horse. My belief is that the horse was sent to us to teach us about our
spiritual selves, to teach us how to be better human beings. To me, when I experience
this connection, it is like a confirmation and it certainly feels like an ancient recognition
of something incredibly special.
Don’t worry if this doesn’t happen at first. It probably won’t. It may not happen for a
long time. But, be aware that it will happen at some point if you can get out of your own
way and relax into an almost trance like state. Practicing this will help you to develop
the perfect state of energy that will enable you to work at a high level of vibration with
the horse.
So, don’t go looking for it, just be aware that one day you will experience it, and then
you will think. ‘Ah! That’s what Jan was talking about!’
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People Study
The way that you interact with the owners of the horses is a vital part of your success as
a horse healer. The relationship is so deeply entwined that it simply cannot be neatly
separated. It is one and the same. If you can positively influence the thoughts of another
human being, for the benefit of their own growth and well being, then you will be
massively helping the horse to connect with their owner on a deeper level.
At this stage, I want you to simply observe what people say and what people do,
particularly around horses. For me I have found that the more I understand people, the
better I understand horses and vice versa. Most people operate on a reactive emotional
level, believing that everything that happens to them happens on an external level. It
doesn’t! Everything that happens to you happens inside your head. It is not what
happens to you that matters, but rather it is how you react – or don’t react – to it. That
makes the difference.
Work on developing the ability to detach. This will teach you to distance yourself from
unpleasant feelings. Learning ‘Emotional Intelligence’ is an excellent way of combating
external stress or dealing with destructive emotions. Many successful people have
developed this way of thinking. It enables them to manage strong emotions and cope
more easily with stress.
[A] Think of a time when you were stressed or had strong negative thoughts or feelings.
[B} Imagine that you are stepping out of your own body. Leave behind all those stressful
responses and notice how you become calmer, cooler and more rational.
[C} When you have completed both steps, return to point A and repeat.
Notice how you can keep a sense of detachment, whilst returning to this point. When
you can do this easily, start to put into practice during your daily transactions with
people.
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Another strategy is to let go of the need to be ‘right’. This is the cause of much arguing
and discord in the world. It really doesn’t matter if you are right or wrong. It really
doesn’t matter if another person does not agree with your beliefs. It is purely coming
from the overly important ego that keeps us determined to be right and to prove the
other person wrong. Look out for, and listen to, how many people appear to be brutally
determined to be right. It’s quite interesting. I once asked a client the question, ‘would
you rather be right, or would you rather be successful?’ when she was having problems
with an ongoing difference of an opinion in her relationship. Ask yourself that question
when you start to feel your blood boil and you may find yourself calming down and
disconnecting from this egotistical need.
Sometimes owners will say something that is blatantly wrong, but as long as it isn’t
harming the horse simply let it be.
The dynamics of people will be covered in more depth in module three. Here, you will
be shown how to identify the four core temperament types, and how best to interact
with each type for most effective results. This knowledge has helped my healing practice
considerably, as it will yours.
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Hand Positions
It’s important not to get stuck on knowing where your hands should be! Know where the horse’s
chakras are, but understand that you do not need to work with them systematically. Simply
allow your hands to be intuitively guided to the right spot. If you feel that you don’t know where
the right spot is, don’t worry about it, just put your hands anywhere and relax. For the purpose
of the healing session, the horse is your guide and, as such, will show you whether you are in the
right place by his reactions. If he becomes agitated when you are working in any area, quietly
move your hands away to another spot. Be gentle and considerate. Listen to the horse. Watch
his body language. Relax and breathe, and enjoy the process of togetherness.
Once a horse has worked with you a few times, you may sense that he is moving around to put
himself in a position for you. This is great progress. So many horses have never been allowed to
‘have a voice’ or express their choices. His experience with you may be the first time he has had
options with a human his whole life.
Owners quite often become quite emotional when they watch this breakthrough happening.
This alone can inaugurate major healing changes in their relationship. I have had horses stare
me full in the face, put their heads on my shoulders and close their eyes, or push gently into my
chest when they realise that they have been heard. It can be a truly beautiful moment for both
you and the horse.
In 2007 I was interested to discover that some horses were showing me that I did not have to
place my hands on them at all! I had been working with a lovely horse named Merlin. He had a
nasty keratosis in his hoof and had been stable bound for many months. The prognosis was not
positive. I worked with him every few weeks with a ‘hands on’ approach. Merlin loved it and
very rapidly dropped into a deep endorphic state once I laid my hands on him. One day, a few
months later, I walked into his stable and was about to put my hands on him, when I heard in
my mind ‘you don’t need to do that’. At first I thought he did not want the healing, so I backed
off, but he started to drop his head, so I tried again,. Someone annoyed, he said, ‘I told you that
you did not need to do that! I laughed and told the owner that he did not want me to touch him.
I backed off a little and stood near his head. I kept my hands at my side and waited to see what
happened. I was fascinated to see that he displayed all of the signs of healing taking place.
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Merlin stood like a rock for an hour in the deepest relaxed state. From thereon in, every visit
was the same. Eventually I became comfortable with it.
After that, I noticed other horses wanting the same thing. Time after time, I just stood next to a
horse and off they went! After a few months, as soon as I got near the stable the horse would
start to relax. Owners are mesmerized by this and, I must admit, I am still in awe of it. It is an
incredible feeling to be tuned in to the horse in this way, and it is wonderful for horses that are
wild or who have been over-handled by humans.
This proved to me that, in a healing session, we must always be aware that if something is
working, it is right for the horse, whether or not it is how you were trained or goes against what
you believed in. When you are lacking in confidence, you may feel concerned if it doesn’t appear
to be going the way you think it should be going. Or you may worry that the owner might be
thinking it should be going differently to how it is. Try to let go of that. Be flexible in your
approach.
I always, without fail, talk the owner through what is happening. For instance with a horse that
likes hands off, I point out the visual signs of healing to her, and explain that some horses prefer
it this way. If a horse backs off in the first instance, I tell them that this is normal, that the horse
may be a bit worried about what is going to happen and that I like to allow the horse to make
his own choice. This helps you to build your confidence in the process and it helps the owner to
have faith in you and the healing process.
I didn’t start off as a confident healing horse’s practitioner, far from it in fact. Confidence comes
from doing the same thing over and over, by making mistakes and learning from them and by
not being afraid to try new things without worrying about getting it wrong. Trust in yourself and
trust in the healing process and you won’t go far wrong.
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Scanning
When the horse has relaxed into the session, you may try scanning his body. This is best
done in an enclosed area like stable. It is harder to feel the hot and cold spots when
working outside unless it is very still wind free day.
Simply hold your hands a few inches over his body. You will be feeling for: -
• Hot spots - These are usually areas of inflammation and pain
What to do -Focus on ‘drawing out’ the inflammation, by raising and lowering
your hand above the area, and flicking it away into the atmosphere, imagining it
turning into positive energy.
• Cold spots – These are generally areas of depleted energy
What to do - Focus on lifting the energy there by holding your hands just above
the area, and imagining the area ‘filling up’ with life-force energy
• Depleted areas – These areas feel flat and lifeless
What to do - The same process As Cold areas
With any of the above issues, it is pertinent to assess exactly where these areas are on the
horse’s body. Are they under the saddle? This is quite usual, as there are few horses that have a
100% excellent saddle fit. Consider that it might be an area where an old injury occurred? Ask
the owner for their insights. Most times you will find that you have picked up on issues from the
past.
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How long to give healing
Every horse is different, but as a general rule a session of between 35 to 60 minutes will
make a positive impression on the horse. Always trust your instinct on the timing. I
often feel I cannot remove my hands from a horse, even if I want to. To the other
extreme, occasionally I feel the horse has had enough after a few minutes.
Generally, if a horse is having regular sessions he will only require a few minutes, and
will learn to let you know when he has had enough. He may move off, go for a drink,
start eating, stretch or kind of look round and indicate ‘ok that will do!’
There will be days when the horse just does not want it. This is part of our learning to
respect his wishes. Be confident, and you will learn when to be a little persistent, and
when to call it a day.
If you are there at the session, there is a reason. Never just walk away without trying to
find out what that reason is. In many instances it has been about healing the owner by
talking through an issue or building their confidence or giving them an actual healing
session themselves. On a soul level we all know what is what and, once you tap into
that, you will very quickly find that other people hook onto that and connect with you
on that level.
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Visual signs of healing
In most sessions you will see some , or occasionally all, of the sign of healing taking place. Try
not to become despondent if the horse doesn’t appear to be responding. If you look for it, you
will always find that it is on some level.
♦ Increase in respiratory rate – you will see the horses sides rising and falling a lot
deeper and slower. This is usually the first sign and, if nothing else is happening,
this always will!
♦ Licking and chewing
♦ Yawning
♦ Rolling eyes or closing eyes
♦ Blinking
♦ Spontaneous muscle twitching –kinetic release
♦ Lowering of head
♦ Bottom lip drooping
♦ Licking and chewing {this is when the horse is usually processing and he may
walk away to do this}
♦ Stretching
♦ Sighing
♦ Looking round at you
♦ Tummy rumbling/gurgling
♦ Flatulence!
Always point out the visual signs to the owners. It is surprising how little people notice,
even when it is in front of their very eyes. Once they start to see what is happening, they
will start to notice more and this can only benefit the horse.
Sometimes the visual signs are not very pronounced, and other times the horse is
practically on its knees. Neither indicates the level and intensity of your healing. It is just
how it is on the day. Accept either way as being perfectly okay.
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When to give healing
I believe in setting up a situation for ultimate success. When a client calls or emails me
to arrange a date for a visit, I always ask to appoint at the quietest time of the day.
Certainly, in the early stages of your visits, try to arrange the best-case scenario, in order
that you and the horse have the utmost chance of success. Try not to disturb the horse’s
routine i.e. if the horse is fed at 6pm don’t book an appointment for 5:30pm. If it is a
morning appointment ask that the horse be allowed out for a stretch before you arrive.
A horse that has been in all night will be eager to get out with his friends and won’t give
you his full concentration.
Ideally, you don’t want to be working in a busy yard with buckets clattering and people
talking and laughing, and horses are trotting about going out for a ride. For example, a
Saturday morning is not usually a good time! This is your business, so make sure that
you plan this into your sessions. It’s not always going to work out perfectly, but you
must at least try.
In emergencies, these theories go out of the window. Whilst waiting for the vet, offer
healing immediately. I have experienced a few emergency incidences of colic, and it has
made a massive difference. The horse has usually calmed down by the time the vet
arrives and may even have passed a dropping.
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When not to give healing
There is a universal theory in Reiki that giving healing to a freshly broken bone is not
advisable. Experts say that the bone begins to knit very quickly and, if has not been put
back in the right place, it can heal incorrectly. I turned that theory on its head with a dog
named Candy. Candy was a lolloping goofy six-month Doberman puppy. I was in the car
in the New Forest, having just walked my dog, when I witnessed Candy being hit by a
car. As the owner and driver were arguing about whose fault it was, Candy lay in the
road crying in pain. I instinctively knelt down and placed my hands on her. She looked
up at me with her beautiful pain stricken amber coloured eyes, and I watched the panic
slowly subside. Her eyes became heavy and her body relaxed.
The next day I called the vet to see how Candy was, and was told she had gone home.
The receptionist asked me to call her owner, who wanted to thank me for helping. Later
that day, I went to visit Candy. She had broken both of her front legs, which were
wrapped in bright candy pink support bandages. She made quite a picture as she stood
up on her big pink legs and tried to rush over to me! The owner told me that the vet had
expressed genuine surprise that his dog had shown no signs of shock. Considering the
pain she must have been in, this was unusual. The only thing that could be attributed to
this was the Reiki.
I monitored Candy’s progress over the next few years. She grew into a big strong dog,
with good straight legs. She remained a nutcase! I believe that ‘rules’ are important, but
there are times when instinct takes over. Trust yourself in each situation, and you won’t
go far wrong.
Other reasons not to offer healing
♦ If you are feeling unwell yourself
♦ If you have been drinking alcohol
♦ If the yard is unreasonably busy and the horse and yourself cannot relax
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♦ Without confirmation from the owner that the vet has been consulted for the
problem – unless it is an emergency and you are awaiting the vet.
On the journey of your own healing practice, you will discover that nothing is cast in
stone. As you allow yourself to bend and sway in the wind, you remain flexible to
dissolving any cast iron beliefs. They say that the happiest people in the world are those
with a flexible belief system. I believe that is so. Know that, over time you will change.
You will see things differently and will be able to help others see things differently. You
will not only change the lives of the horses, you will positively affect the owner’s lives
also. Always remain open to whatever is thrown at you, even if that goes against what is
written in this manual. This is a guide based on my experience; your journey may not be
quite the same as mine.
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How many sessions
I usually recommend a minimum of three sessions. The first session is usually focused on
getting to know the horse, making sure that he is connected to and comfortable with
you. The second session will be more productive, and by the third session you should be
seeing some real positive changes. That said, I now quite often only see horses once. I
believe that the reason for that is that the horse just needed to get some message to
the owner and, having achieved that, he doesn’t need my help any longer. I often act as
the mediator in repairing the relationship. Once that is done, I am no longer needed and
that’s ok.
In an ideal world it would be nice to see the horse every three months following the
initial sessions. This is an excellent way of keeping the horse mentally balanced and in
tune physically. Not every customer will buy into the concept of this. I promote the
importance of the preventative measures that healing can offer, but be prepared that
some will simply not commit to this theory.
Generally young horses are not interested in a long session of healing. But, conversely,
there are some youngsters that I have worked with, who have quickly become healing
junkies. If the youngster does become restless and fidgety, then settle for a shorter
session and explain to the owner that this is normal for young horses.
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Ending the session
Most horses will let you know when they have had enough healing. They may start licking and
chewing, move away, start eating their hay or have a drink. Sometimes, during the process of
the session, they may just need to take a few moments out. Then, after five minutes, they may
indicate that they want more healing. As someone who is new to this work, you may not
recognise this at first. In time you will intuitively know. If the horse moves away from me, I
always hang around for five or ten minutes more, in order to give the horse the option to ask me
for more healing. In my experience, they usually do come back. You will know intuitively when
the session is over. The energy will seem to fade away, or sometimes just stop dead.
Occasionally you will be the one to bring the session to an end. This is an instinctive process,
whereby you will feel that you want to remove your hands and step away. When this occurs,
return to the horses shoulder, and gently stroke the horse down the shoulder line, until you
quietly slide your hands away. This completes the connection in a natural manner, and the horse
is not upset with a sudden breaking of the healing connection. If you take your hands off too
quickly, it may jolt the horse out of his healing state. I believe this is an unpleasant feeling and
he may be less inclined to trust you next time.
At the point when you booked the healing session with the owner, you will have advised
them that the horse should not be exercised after the healing. Following the session
always remind the owner that it is advisable to give the horse the rest of the day off.
If the session has been conducted in the stable, it is a good idea to leave the horse for
half an hour to an hour to process the healing. After that time the owner may turn the
horse out. I have had one or two incidents whereby a horse has been exceptionally
dopey for several hours afterwards, so common sense must always prevail.
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Clearing the horse
After the healing session you need to clear the horse. This is necessary to rebalance his
energies. Horses are very good at taking on our issues, and do it with alarming
regularity. In my sessions of Equine Facilitated Learning, I am always amazed at how
quickly a horse will take on a stranger’s emotions and behaviour.
So, when you have taken your hands off the horse, ask for his own energies to be
returned and anything that is not his to be taken away. Sweep his aura, a few inches
above his body, moving from his ears with your hands all the way down the entire
horse’s body in a sweeping motion, down to this hooves and then move to the other
side. In your mind or out loud if it is appropriate, say to yourself
“Take away anything that does not belong to [horse’s name] and give [horse’s name]
back anything that does belong to him”
For a while now I have been performing a mental sweep, rather than a physical one.
When you have some experience, you may feel confident that you can do this.
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Clearing yourself
When you have finished clearing the horse, you need to clear yourself. You should not
become tired or drained when you are channeling the energy. Healing horses is a
beautiful and amazing experience and you may get a little carried away with it in the
early days of your practice. Consequently, you may feel a little woozy afterwards. I once
worked at a yard for two full days with the horses and enjoyed every minute of it. As I
drove away after the last day, I suddenly realised that I felt weird, as if I had been
drinking. A few miles later, I pulled the car over and went for a half hour walk in the
park, focusing on grounding myself to the earth with each footstep.
As you are new to this work you can anticipate that this could happen. This can occur
because: -
♦ You may have taken on unhealthy energy from the horse, especially if he has
been depressed or traumatized. Whatever the history of the horse, try not to
feel sorry for him. Sorrow is a weak energy and the horse needs your strength.
Believe in the present and the future for the horse.
♦ You may take low energy on from the owner or from the environment. Some
yards are not pleasant places to be. Energy lurks in all the corners, never gets
psychically cleansed and hops onto passing humans.
♦ You may have used your own personal energy. It is vital that you always work as
a pure channel, with the energy coming through you not from you.
Remember that last sentence. You are a channel; the energy flows through you ~ not
from you ~ using a white light visualization technique will help. Imagine the white light
traveling down from the sky, passing through your crown and down your entire body
and out through your palms.
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Remember to ‘close down’ and ground yourself after the session. You may do this by
the following: -
� Say to yourself ‘Turn the healing off’
� Wash your hands
� Visualise the link being cut
� Call back your personal energy and ask for any negative energy you may have
taken on to be taken away
� Drink a glass of fresh water
� Imagine roots coming out from the soles of your feet and going deep down
through the soil, through the rocks and deep into the earth. This will ‘bring you
back to earth’
� Go for a walk and visualise connecting to the earth as you feet touch the ground
Throughout the healing session, always monitor yourself. If you are growing tired, dizzy,
feel sick or out of sorts then you are giving your own energy.
As a good practice, following any healing, always ask, in your mind, that whatever is not
yours is removed and call back anything that is yours be returned to you.
Checklist
� Set up for success
� Keep at least one hand on the horse during healing
� Breathe deeply
� Clear your mind
� Stay intuitive, allow your hands to go where they are guided
� Scan the horse if you feel it is appropriate
� When completed bring your hands off slowly via the shoulder
� Clear the horse
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� Clear yourself
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Things you may experience during the session
I feel the horse’s pains, feelings and emotions. If I feel pain in my right leg, this relates to
the horses off side hind, right hand would be off side fore and so on and so forth. Begin
to listen to your own body. If you walk into the stable and get a piercing pain in your
head, then the horse either has or gets headaches.
I once got called out to a 30 year old stallion that had not been eating for a few weeks.
Apparently every conceivable test had been done on this horse by the vet but, as soon
as I entered the stable, I was stopped dead in my tracks by excruciating pain in both
sides of my lower jaw. The pain was so unbearable I felt like hitting my head against the
stable wall. I quickly released my own attachment to the pain and told the owners that
they needed an equine dentist urgently. Sadly, it was too late for this horse. The dentist
was furious as he could do little to save the horse. Weeks of not eating had created
organ failure and the horse had to be destroyed. Not once had the vet thought of
looking inside the horse’s mouth �
When you have your hands on the horse, you may occasionally feel pain in one or both
of your palms. Take a deep breath and imagine the pain passing out through the top of
your hand and into the universe as positive energy. It has occasionally been painful
enough for it to bring tears to my eyes, and I have a high pain threshold. But you may
never experience this, or as you progress you may start developing it. Keep your mind
open to possibilities. Remember that this is not your pain. Acknowledge the pain or
discomfort or emotion, or whatever it is that you are feeling and then tell it to go. Pass
on the information to the owner and let it go.
Your hands may tingle or vibrate, or you may feel that you are unable to move your
hands from an area you are on. If you feel you cannot move your hands then don’t try –
this is indicating that you are very much in the right place.
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You may also feel emotion as the horse begins to touch your soul. It is a humbling
experience when a horse opens his heart to you and tells or shows you what a sad life
he has had. The owner may feel this emotion to. It is not at all unusual to have owners
standing blubbing next to you for the whole of the session. For them, it is an incredible
release. They don’t know why they are crying and it doesn’t matter. What I do know,
from experiencing this so many times, is that it is cathartic in the healing of the
relationship with the horse. Reassure them that it is normal.
Over the years, I have learnt to detach from the humans and the horse’s emotion, as
you will need to also. During clinics I quite often have had students crying endlessly
around the horses in the rehabilitation yard. Yes, many of the horses have had a rotten
life up to that point, but I remind them that your sadness is felt as an energy of
weakness by the horse. Your tears are not helping him, you are crying for his past. What
the horse needs is the positive strength of your certainty for a better future for him. If
you are there, then that is assuredly what is going to happen on some level. When I feel
this emotion, my approach is to acknowledge it with compassion and then determine
that, as the past, it has been done with and now it’s time to move on. Just like humans,
horses can often get stuck in their story and allow it to define them, manifesting
ongoing behavioural patterns that could just as easily be let go by allowing the past to
dissolve.
As a point of interest, be aware that other horses nearby may have ‘fall out’ effects from
the healing. It is not unusual to find some horses in the next stables lying flat out!!
Maybe we should charge for a bulk healing session!!
With most of my first session calls I have got into the strange habit of measuring the
success by how quickly the owner is reduced to tears. It usually happens within the first
five minutes. Many times they have no idea why they are crying. I feel that this is a great
start to the healing process, as it shows the owner is open to the process and ‘tuned in’
on some level.
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This intensity of working may take a while to develop. Don’t worry if you do not feel or
experience any of these things. I didn’t at first. I remember, when I first started on this
journey, I attended a two day animal healing workshop. When we worked with some
horses, one of the students was able to feel and describe their physical pains. I was
envious and remember thinking, ‘oh, I wish I could do that’. Well, four or five years later
I was doing it without effort. All you need to do is stay committed to your personal
growth, and remain open and accepting to whatever happens. Decide what it is that you
want and then commit to the practice of it. Self awareness is the key. One day, you
experience a tiny sensation of something, a smell, a pain or an emotion; this can be a
pointer to something important.
Ask your guides or helpers for assistance on this. If you don’t know who they are that’s
not a problem, just ask for help at random. Rest assured that they are with you in your
healing sessions and will do all that they can to help. Some need permission to do it so
by you asking, they are able to get involved.
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What to do if the horse is resisting
At some point this will happen to you, and there is always a reason for this resistance. If the
horse will not settle, ask yourself firstly if this is the right time to be giving him healing. Trust
your instinct always but also look at outside influences also i.e.
♦ Is the yard very busy and distracting him?
♦ Are you in the middle of a field and he can move around too much?
♦ If you are in the stable, is the horse usually comfortable in this environment
♦ Is it very windy, cold or is it driving rain that is upsetting the horse?
♦ Is the owner distracting you? Is she getting uptight or upset?
♦ Are you feeling tired, ill or stressed?
♦ Is it the time the horse would usually have his feed, go for a ride, be put out in
the field etc.
♦ Is the horse cold or too hot – address these issues before they arise i.e. don’t
remove rugs in cold weather. Healing energy easily transmits through clothing,
or use the rug as you would when clipping by a process of quartering so that one
area is exposed at a time. I personally do not like working over the top of rugs so
I use the latter method
Look at all of these external influences and assess the situation. If the owner is
distracting you then politely ask for silence, or if it seems appropriate, have the owner
touch the horse so that the healing passes through them. Owners do get nervous, and
this can manifest itself in babbling small talk. If they continue, I sometimes imagine a
blue translucent bubble around the horse and myself. Oddly, when the bubble has
sealed, the owner becomes quiet. Then I bring the owner into the bubble. Set out to
relax the owner as soon as you can. She may be worried about being judged, which is so
common in the horse world, where there are so many perceived ‘right’ and ‘wrong’
ways to do things.
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I have occasionally been in situations where the horse just will not relax in the presence
of the owner. If you feel this is the case, you need to discuss this with the owner and try
and encourage them to re-assess their relationship with their horse, or tackle a
confidence crisis. There are a few occasions when the owner may be politely asked to
leave for a while so the horse can relax without the pressure. It rarely happens, but it
can.
Don’t be afraid to tackle things head on as this often gets the results that you need. If
things are not going well, I will quite often take a step back, have a few moments of
silence and then turn to the owner and ask, ‘what do you think is going on here? What is
happening with you or with your relationship with your horse?’ at this point most
people burst into tears, letting go of whatever it is that has held them in a stranglehold
of emotions. Also, at that point, the horse will usually start letting go.
If after all this the horse still resists ‘hands on’, stand back from him a few feet and just
direct your palms towards him, transmitting the energy without touching him. In your
mind ask him ‘how can I help you?’ or, ‘what do I need to know?’ This will enable him to
feel the healing initially without the worry of you touching him. After a period you may
be able to put your hands back on him, or you may continue to conduct a ‘hands off’
session.
If the horse is still upset or fidgety, this may be the time when it is best to call it a day. In
time you will instinctively know this before you begin. In my opinion, it is usually
something going on inside ourselves that prevents a session from unfolding. After my
young pony tragically died from sudden death syndrome in 2003, I was unable to heal
other people’s horses for quite a while. The horses felt my grief and wanted to help me,
which, although I was grateful for, I didn’t feel this was their job really. My intuitive skills
were clouded by my sadness and, in the end; I decided to take a year off. I wasn’t coping
with my loss, so it was unfair to carry on until I had dealt with that more appropriately.
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Always remind yourself that you are there for the horse, and relax yourself. Remember
to breathe deeply and to not be attached to the outcome. Maybe go and have a cup of
tea and come back in twenty minutes.
Occasionally I have visited horses where it was immediately apparent that the problem
was with the owner rather than the horse. Many of my sessions have turned out to be
more about helping the owner, rather than the horse.
Case example
I was called to a yard to see two horses that belonged to the same lady. The first horse
would not let me near him. I tried for twenty minutes, as he stomped around his stable
clearly angry for some reason. He would not let me near him. Defeated, I tried working
with the second horse, and this was worse. Neither horse was going to let me work with
them that day. For a moment or two I had a confidence crisis, and then, fortunately, I
decided to step back from my ego. As I did, I heard the words in my head ‘help Gill’. I
came out of the stable and told the lady that her horses had told me that I needed to
give her healing.
She was quite open to this and, as we started the healing session, she began to cry. She
poured out her heart, telling me what a tough time she had been having in her life. She
was in a bad place with her health and finances and was struggling to support herself let
alone her horses.
As we drove away, my friend, who had attended with me, asked if I had noticed what
had happened with the horses when I had put my hands on Gill. I hadn’t as my back had
been to them. She told me that instantly they had both stuck their heads over the stable
door and promptly went to sleep. This one session changed the lady’s life, and
subsequently improved the lives of her horses also.
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I find that a lot of horses have poor manners. They are bargy and pushy, primarily
because they have not been taught otherwise. If you are skilled in this area, then a
simple handling or change of attitude session may be enough to assist. In my
experience, healing is not always about the laying on of hands. In any relationship there
has to be mutual respect. Horses get that, but can quickly forget it if they are not
reminded. In a ten minute handling session you can perhaps change the course of the
horse human relationship for ever.
There will be horses that you come across that, when laying your hands upon them,
there will be a feeling of hitting a brick wall. The energy field of this sort of horse feels
impenetrable ~ but don’t give up on them. The horse, in this instance has usually ‘closed
down’ perhaps due to intolerable circumstances, fear, trauma or retained baggage.
What I do is gently put my hand on the horse and I speak telepathically to him. I tell him
how handsome he is, how important he is and how much I want to help him.
If I am able, depending on his circumstances, I will tell him that his life is going to
improve and that he does not need to hold on to the past. You will see his ear turned
back; listening to you, and he will begin to tentatively accept the healing. The feeling of
the horse giving himself to you is humbling and uplifting, the level of trust and
communication opening from his heart to yours. It may not happen in the first visit, but
the main thing is to keep talking to him with your mind, assuring him that you want
nothing from him and that your sole purpose is to help.
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What to do if your own horse won’t accept healing from you
This is a surprisingly common concern for many students. You may experience your
horse walking off, pulling faces, or he may become agitated or unsettled.
There is a huge amount of emotion tied up in our relationships with our horses.
Sometimes we expect too much from them. We may also be storing baggage from past
issues that we may have had with our horses, or we may have personal problems that
are interfering with our energy.
If your horse will not accept the healing energy from you, there are several things that
you may need to consider: -
♦ Are you feeling ill, stressed or depressed?
♦ Are you offering healing unconditionally to your horse?
♦ What are you expecting from him? Expect nothing & take that pressure of your
horse
♦ Are your intentions correct?
♦ Are you fearful of his reactions or fearful of failure with him
♦ Are you distracted and unable to focus?
♦ Are you working from your heart?
♦ Are your chakras open?
♦ Have you chosen a quiet time that does not interfere with his routine?
♦ Are you trying to prove to others that you can give healing?
Horses are perfect 360® mirrors for our inner thoughts and feelings. You must not take
this rejection personally. Accept it as information, not rejection and ask yourself ‘what
do I need to know in order to resolve this situation’ and let it go. Tell your horse it is ok,
and respect his wishes. Walk away. If you try too hard, he will withdraw more. Give him
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some space until you have a response to your question. A lot of horses I meet tell me
that they feel smothered by their owner’s desperate need to be loved by them.
Before I came into healing, I wasn’t always very nice to my horse Jack. I was frustrated
with his behaviour and I simply didn’t understand him. I seemed to spend most of my
time in tears, berating his difficultness to others. He was a headstrong horse who pulled
me about on cross country courses and quite often took off the wrong way round a
show jumping course! I had no brakes, despite trying everything I could think off. People
told me to drop the reins but when I did he galloped faster.
I never once felt that I had any control when I was riding him and I felt embarrassed in
front of my peer group. Although he was a marvelous horse to handle on the ground,
gentle and well mannered, I took it out on him emotionally and occasionally physically.
Over time, I fractured the relationship. He stopped trusting me emotionally. Gradually
as I calmed down, I asked to be invited back in and he refused. I had huge lessons to
learn and they came hard. Over time, I simply had to accept that I needed to give him
space to be himself. At the time of writing {July 2012 during editing of this manual} he is
thirty years old. He makes his own rules now and only has healing if he comes to ask for
it. Most of the time he is a grumpy old man, but I have learned to accept him as he is.
I wish I could go back and, armed with the knowledge I have now, start that relationship
again. But we have found our peace together and all I would say is for you to think
about your own relationship with your horse. If it is being damaged by your own
behaviour, take steps now to put it right. I know I regret not understanding Jack more
than I did and I regret being influenced by others because of my own insecurities and
lack of confidence in my abilities. Act now. Try to see things from your horse’s point of
view. Ask him to help you and listen to what he has to say.
Always remember that the healing you offer your horse is for his benefit, and it must be
offered unconditionally. If you are getting upset, or annoyed that he will not accept your
healing, then you are allowing your own issues or ego to get in the way. Propose healing
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from your heart and soul, make sure that your chakras are open and that you are fully
connected to the source and let your horse guide you.
It goes without saying that your horse must trust you on a physical & emotional level,
before he can trust you on a healing level. If you are inconsistent with your horse, and
prone to letting him down by temper tantrums, or pulling him about, then he cannot be
blamed for feeling unsafe to go into the healing zone with you.
Sometimes we have to take a long hard look at ourselves. Often, as with my past
situation with Jack, we do not like what we see. On a spiritual level, I have always
believed that horses have been sent to this earth to make us better people. My
goodness they have taken on a tough job but, time after time, I see them trying to help
their owners to grasp the learning, catch hold of the true meaning of life and share the
soul connection with them.
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Listening to the horse
This course does not specifically teach animal communication, but I will mention it
briefly as many horse healers do go on to become communicators. One thing I can tell
you straight away is that healing and communication are not two separate things. They
are indeed one. When horses are communicating with you they are being healed and
when you are healing it is a form of communication. Horses will always be trying to
communicate with you on some level, even knowing that you are not yet able to hear
them because of the blockages created by the ego. Animal communication is a truly
simple process; you simply have to remain open to possibility and stop thinking that you
are imagining it all.
Yes, some horses will try and block us from their thoughts, others will be screaming to
talk to us. I believe that we all have the ability to communicate with animals. I feel that
this is an ancient skill that, as we have moved into modern materialistic driven living, we
have lost the art. It isn’t a case of learning new skills. Rather it is about reconnecting
with something that is already there, has been there for a long time and just needs
reawakening.
Initially, I would suggest practicing one way telepathic communication, with you telling
the horse, in your mind that you are there to help him. Talk to him throughout the
healing process and don’t expect to feel or hear anything back. Just keep chatting away
and be patient and wait.
Speak to the horse telepathically and I guarantee that you will see him listening to you.
His ear will flick back and he will literally look as if he is ‘listening’. He will become still
and maybe hold his head a little higher as if to capture a better frequency. This may be
difficult for you at first. Tell him that you are unable to hear him and if he could do
anything to help you that it would be very much appreciated. Go easy on yourself and
don’t expect miracles. If you want this side of yourself to develop, ask daily for help in its
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development and it will come – when you are ready. Meditation helps immensely as it
helps to reduce the negative mind chatter.
If something comes into your mind – and it is not negatively impactful - just say it. It may
seem stupid to you, but we have no right to edit the horse’s thoughts. I have had the
weirdest things come to me, and I think ‘heck does this horse have a sense of humour, is
he winding me up?’ but I trust what I am given, and I accept that the horse is
communicating with me.
I was once working with a little grey section A mare that had issues with strangers
approaching her on the left side. She would rear and become extremely agitated. She
gave me a picture of her lying on the floor with all four legs tied together and attached
to her head. There were two men there and they were holding her down. I was a little
reluctant to pass on this vision but I did. The owner was not at all surprised as
apparently she had come from a yard in Wales that was notorious for barbaric methods
of breaking horses. I suggested that she tell everyone on the yard to approach her from
the right until she passed through the fear of being restricted again.
The owner emailed me a few weeks after my visit and said that the pony had improved
dramatically. She also said that having owned her for 18 months she had, right from the
start, a habit of trashing her bed every single night. After my visit she never did that
again and her bed was pristine every morning ☺. Having been able to tell her owner the
story of her past she had been able to let it go and start enjoying the great life that she
had in her new home.
If you are capable, coach the owner about how to connect with their horse. Ask them to
close their eyes and describe how they are feeling. I have often had owners burst into
tears at the rush of emotion they feel – their feelings 100% reflecting the emotions of
the horse. This shows them they can ‘tune in’ to their own horse and can help to build
their relationship.
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My aim in life, as is yours I hope, is to improve the lives of as many horses as possible.
This is not always by hands on healing. A big part in the healing process may take the
form of educating and/or nurturing the owners. It doesn’t matter how you do it, but
make it a part of your commitment to make a difference in whatever way that you can.
I am often asked by people who know of a horse in an abusive home, if there is anything
they can do, if they can give the horse healing to help him. Be careful with this, as the
horse needs his self-protection. Horses shut down to protect themselves, to give
themselves a coping strategy. If you show him how life can be and he opens up, the
abuse is going to appear far worse to him. What I do in those situations is direct a whole
heap of energy at the situation and ask that the horse either be removed from the
situation or that his lot in life will improve.
The power of the mind is awesome. I have witnessed situations turn around within 24
hours. It sounds bizarre to you maybe? Well don’t knock it till you have tried it. We can
make things happen with thought. The saying ‘Action follows thought’ is true of every
single thought you have in your life.
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Case study
My first evidence of a horse truly listening to me came about by accident. I was visiting a
yard where my friend was viewing a horse for possible purchase. The owner bred
Arabian horses and, at the time had an 8-month-old Arab colt named Twiglet.
Twiglet was notoriously accident-prone and had caught his shoulder on a fence. The
shoulder was sore and inflamed and oozing pus from a large hole. He was a homebred
colt but, for some reason, had never been easy to handle and, in this instance, the
owner had not been able to clean the wound.
Twiglet was dragging two people round the yard who were trying to bathe his wound. In
the end the salt water was knocked to the floor, and the owner went to fetch fresh salt
water. Whilst she was gone, I begun to speak to Twiglet with my mind. I told him that I
was going to touch his shoulder, and make him feel nice. I asked him to stand still for
me. He stood still, rigid almost, with an ear cocked towards me, and allowed me to
touch him. His whole body quivered and shook at my touch. I then began to discuss his
wound with him, telling him that I wished to clean it. I explained that if he didn’t let
anyone clean it, the wound might become septic and he would have to have a visit from
the vet.
At this point the owner came back into the yard and was amazed to see her nervous colt
standing like a rock. She passed me the salt water and Twiglet allowed me to clean deep
into the wound, exposing pink healthy flesh. I spoke to him all the time, with my mind,
telling him how brave and clever and beautiful he was, His left ear was locked onto me
the whole time. He never moved once, his tiny hooves stayed super-glued to the floor!
The owner was amazed and asked if I could come back the next day as Twiglet was going
off to a stud where he would eventually be a working stallion. The problem was that he
would not load into the horsebox. They had experienced many battles with him and had
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never managed to get him loaded. I could not be there the next day, so I put my hand
on him and told him about his journey.
I explained how great the new place was going to be, with all his new friends, and that if
he went into the box straight away everything would be so much easier for him. I told
him that there was no need to be afraid. He listened intently, his tiny little ears flicking
backwards and forwards and his eyes huge and focused on me.
A week later we went back to the yard and Twiglet had gone. I asked the owner how he
had boxed and she replied (with a slightly bemused look on her face) that he had loaded
up perfectly first time.
This was my first proof that the horses can hear us. I never heard a single thing back, but
it didn’t matter because I had helped him It was an amazing experience, and one I will
never forget.
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Psychic impressions
You may or may not receive psychic impressions. My advice is to not try and filter any
thoughts, just let them come. The more you trust the information the stronger and
more accurate they will become.
Psychic impressions may come to you in the form of pictures, feelings, voices, smells or
feelings in your own body. Develop self-awareness before you enter the stable. How are
you feeling, what pains do you have in your own body, and what emotional state are
you in? Acknowledge these feelings, so that anything that comes to you during the
healing is then likely to be from the horse. We all think, at first, that we are imagining
these things, but with practice - and trust - we soon find out that our accuracy becomes
sharp. Everything starts in the imagination; so don’t dismiss anything for that reason
alone.
As I have mentioned before, one of the things I learned fairly early on is that many times
we are called to a horse for healing, but it is apparent that it is the owner who needs our
help. Bearing in mind that the horse is a mirror, the owner’s emotions can badly affect
the horse.
I remember one yard I went to work with three horses. They were all restless, irritable
and had the tendency to bite and barge. It was fairly early on in my career, and I stood
in the stable thinking ‘I am no good at this, I have lost it’.
Letting go of my pathetically bruised ego, I suddenly became aware that I was picking up
the owner’s energy as she was bustling round the yard. I felt agitated. As I was relatively
inexperienced, I doubted my own abilities and instincts. After a while though, I took a
deep breath and suggested to the owner that we went into the house for a coffee, and
that I wanted to give her some healing.
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As soon as I touched her I felt all the things that her horses had been trying to tell me. I
felt the frustration, the anger, the upset, the tiredness and the sheer futility of her day-
to-day life. The owner was trapped in the rat race, commuting to London five days a
week, leaving early in the morning and coming home late at night.
She and her husband had a large beautiful house, land, stables and a ménage and yet
she could not appreciate it because she was never there. She had little time for her
horses and she, quite naturally, resented this. She cried like a baby, and I hoped that this
was the beginning of the realization that she needed to change her life.
It takes courage to be open around people, but in time you will see that it is pointless
being any other way. I see a part of our role as getting to the truth as soon as possible.
We all have some aspects to our lives that concern us, and this affects our horses.
Addressing these issues is the first step to healing the relationship between horse and
owner.
To develop your psychic skills I would suggest that you do one or some of the following:
� Practice meditation regularly
� Attend a psychic development circle
� Practice psychic development exercises at home
� Read as much on psychic development as you can. Learn how other people have
developed and it will help you.
� Just give it a go and don’t be afraid of looking silly. They say that even top
mediums only get 30% of their information right.
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Aggressive horses
I have worked with a few seriously aggressive cases and they are never easy to deal
with. There is always a reason for the aggression but the horses may not yet be ready or
willing to listen to you because they have developed the hard shell of defensive
protection.
The first priority is your own safety and the owner’s safety. Make sure that you have a
hard hat on and good sturdy boots. In bad cases, a body protector may well be a good
idea. This may sound extreme, but if you come across a genuinely aggressive case then
this is simply common sense.
Never put yourself in a position where you cannot extract yourself quickly. If the horse is
totally unapproachable, then stand outside the stable and direct the healing from a
distance. If you are able to do distant healing, it is ideal for aggressive cases as it works
when the horse is not put under pressure and your safety is ensured.
In many cases of horses being described as aggressive, I find that this is not the case.
The horse may not have been taught good manners and may be nipping or kicking, or
generally acting like a bit of a thug. This is easily remedied by retraining, and by teaching
the owner to become the leader that her horse needs her to be. Leadership is not about
dominating, it is about leading by example and by being consistent.
Many people do not know how to set boundaries in their lives, let alone with their
horse! Horses need boundaries. Many novice owners purchase horses that are way
beyond their skills of handling. I recollect a time when a couple I knew, bought an ex
racehorse, a chestnut 17hh giant. He had a super temperament, and in the right hands
had the potential to become a great horse. The couple had only had six months of riding
lessons, and felt that buying a cheap [£600.00] horse was a sensible option. I was
involved with the lady's brother as I was schooling his horse, and I bore witness to the
sad degeneration of a beautiful animal.
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Within three months he had become a nervous, bad tempered and aggressive horse -
his nerves constantly on edge due to the fumbling, irritating and reactive behaviour
from his owners. It was sickening to watch. I had no real awareness of my skills at this
point as it was over twenty five years ago - but suffice to say that this still goes on in the
horse world, on a daily basis.
If you witness this sort of relationship between horse and owner there can only be one
decision. The re-education of the owner has to come first. The owner must be helped to
realise that she has to become a leading role model to her horse, or he will continue to
disrespect her. The horse must be helped to see that his behaviour is unacceptable, but
tell him that you understand how he has become like this.
I personally feel that every horse owner should study horse psychology on a basic level
as it is ignorance that creates horrendous problems. Rescue horses are a good case in
point. The owner has all the right intentions, but sometimes over compensates for the
horses traumatic past, and babies the horse as they would a cuddly little dog. Horses
hate this! The horse gradually begins to take charge of daily situations, and suddenly
there is a serious communication breakdown. The horse is in control, and hates being
put in that position. What he wants and needs is rules, boundaries and limitations. Sadly
I have known horses become aggressive to such an extreme that they have had to be
destroyed.
One of the frustrating elements of healing is that we can only help as long as the owner
is prepared to take responsibility for the management and care of the horse’s emotional
needs as well as the physical. I make this a part of my service, and will advise the owner
as to the best plan of action to help the horse. Sadly, often the best thing for the horse
would be to be removed from the owner – and how do we tell them that?
Aggressive horses are a case in point for asking the owner a lot of questions to establish
exactly where it all started to go wrong. Find the trigger point. It is a hard situation and
one that I struggle with, because what I would really like to do is take the horse away
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and allow it to be a horse and teach it how to interact with humans again on. Sadly this
is not always possible, but if you are capable and have the facilities then this may be an
option for you.
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Working with rescue horses
Be prepared that this may, in the early stages, be a painful and emotional process for
you. The depths of pain and anguish that a horse can portray to you reaches deep into
your soul. If you are a communicator, some of the pictures can be heartbreaking. It can
be a physical and emotional experience that may leave you feeling drained. Approach
the horses with tenderness and unconditional love, but do not buy into their story!
Feeling sorry for them will not help. They don’t need your pity. They need your strength.
I once worked at a rescue centre with a horse called Bruno. He was an ex chaser and
was very depressed. He has a wound on his hip that wasn’t healing and he constantly
had his rear end to the stable door. All of the young girls that worked there assumed he
was being aggressive. Nothing was further from the truth.
Bruno had been gifted to the centre after his owner moved to Argentina. They showed
me a picture of them together and they looked so happy. He eventually settled into the
healing and loved it. He told me that he wanted to die and that he couldn’t see any
point to his life. He was only fourteen and had written off his life. At the end of it he
placed his big head against my chest and he said thank you. I saw him a couple of time
and then, after losing my own pony, I was unable to attend for a while. After about six
weeks I emailed the centre who told me that Bruno had had a stroke and had to be put
to sleep. Strangely I remember being out in my field one day and feeling aware of
Bruno’s energy. I wondered then if he had come to me at the time of his passing and I
feel pretty sure he had.
Pace yourself if you are new to the healing, aim for once a week or once a fortnight to
begin with. You have to develop your own method of protection and strength in order
to help these needy cases. Learn to detach from the horses history, and bring his
strength up to yours by raising his energy. Take regular breaks and recharge your
batteries.
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Monitor yourself, and stop if you are feeling dizzy, sick or drained. Walk away and assess
what is happening, take a break and begin again.
I have been given pictures of horses being kicked repeatedly and violently, shut in
stables in urine sodden straw, with top door shut - waiting for the owner to come back
to give him a further beating. You need to be able to view these images dispassionately,
and utilise them to help the horse. If you are so distressed by the emotion of the horses’
sad life you will be ineffective to the horse. Remove yourself, detach, find your inner
strength and start again.
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Psychic protection – do we need it?
I don’t want you to think that you are in danger every time that you open up! But it’s
true that we may potentially be at some risk, but only if we are not actively developing
expanded awareness.
Any time that your energies are open, there is potential to take on board atmospheric
energies that you may not want, or may not serve your best interests. Just recall what it
feels like being in the presence of a negative person. Gradually you begin to feel weary
to the point of exhaustion, and soon experience a frantic desire to get away from that
person. You feel a big sense of relief when you move away, but may feel tired and out of
sorts for a few hours afterwards. The negative person may however go away feeling
really good. Is this that they have taken something from you, or is it that they have
offloaded some of their negativity onto to you? In my opinion it can be a little of both.
In my experience, horses rarely – if ever – do this to us. If anything they have a tendency
to willingly take away our negativity. Any energy imbalances seem to radiate from
human energy, past or existing.
The main thing with psychic protection is to ensure that your energies grounded and
your aura is shielded. What this means is that you do not subconsciously ‘buy into’
another person’s story, emotions, trauma or distress. The owner of the horse may have
a multitude of things going on, some of which you may know about and some you will
not.
Be aware that there is a huge difference between empathy and sympathy. Empathy
allows you to understand the other person or their situation, but not get involved in it.
Sympathy draws you in to their feelings and emotions, and that is most definitely not
healthy. This is a major lesson for most healers, who tend to feel too much and, by
definition, become ineffective in the session.
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You cannot help people or animals if you are living in the middle of their pain.
Detachment does not mean that you do not care, rather it means that have the power
to instinctively evaluate a situation and create a solution without the hassle of adopting
other peoples emotion.
This may take some practice to master, but you can do it, and it will soon become a way
of being. The art of detachment creates empowerment both for you and your clients.
So for now, let’s look at ways that you can develop the protection that you need
Creating a bubble
Visualise a translucent bubble around you covering you from head to foot. Imagine a
colour that seems right for you. The bubble will allow your energies to be given freely,
but will prevent any negative energy entering your aura. Instructions for using the
bubble to cleanse your aura are detailed below.
Sword visualisation
Some people imagine a huge medieval sword in the periphery of their vision, just
hovering next to them. The concept is that the sword will swathe away any potential
negativity
Staying in your circle
This is a Native American tradition that works incredibly well. Imagine that you are
standing in your own circle. It can be exactly as your imagination visualises it. Now work
on staying in that circle, wherever you go and whatever you do, and this means
emotionally and physically. If you allow another person to upset you, then you are out
of your circle. If you are worrying or stressing over an issue, you are out of your circle.
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This is a powerful visualisation, and has helped many of my students to find their core,
their centre and to increase their self-confidence. Practice it daily and see the results in
a fairly short space of time.
Cleansing the aura
Having trained in Shamanism, I formed an understanding of how we need to keep our
auras healthy and free of damaging energies. When someone sends a bad feeling
towards us, it can create what shaman’s call ‘shards’ in our auras. It looks and feels like
shards of glass sticking in the aura. If we don’t remove them, we can feel
uncomfortable, unsettled or mildly unwell or out of sorts. I do a cleansing at least once a
week, or if I am feeling any of the above ‘symptoms’. In time you develop a sense of
if/when negative energy has been directed towards you.
� Stand or sit comfortably
� Think about the seven chakras – imagine them pulsing through your body and
feel the flow of the energy
� Let the energy extend outside of your body forming a bubble all around you.
� The bubble completely surrounds you from head to foot
� Be aware of the protective quality of this bubble. No old, negative or stale
energies can remain inside of it. Any negative energy must leave.
� Be aware that you are able to send energies out but bad energies cannot get
inside it.
� Choose a colour for your bubble. It can be clear or any colour of your choice
� Call up your bubble at any time that you may need protection from negative
energies i.e. supermarkets and other busy places.
� The bubble can also be used to protect you whilst you sleep
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Smudging
Another Shamanic way that you can cleanse the aura, is to apply a smudging method
using Sage, which can easily be grown in your own garden, or purchased in new age
shops & sweetgrass is also very effective. Light your smudge stick, place it on a abalone
shell {which won’t burn} and fan the smoke around your whole body by using a feather,
particularly focused on your chakra energy centres. Ask for negative energies to be
removed and for balance & harmony to be restored within you
Be aware of how you are feeling before you begin. Following the cleansing do self-
awareness check and check how you are feeling. This is a method you can use daily,
weekly or as required. You can now also buy smudge spray for cleansing the
environment, great for the office where you don’t particularly want to be walking
around wafting smoke with a feather!
You can also cleanse the aura with a rattle or a drum, both of which I use personally
most days. I rattle and drum the whole house once a week also and it leaves it feeing
fantastic.
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Advanced Techniques
Over the years, I have developed a wide range of techniques. As you develop spiritually
you may find, as I have, that every now and again spirit gives you something new to try.
Listen to your intuition and never be afraid to try something that you have not done
before.
Visualisation
I have had some extraordinary results from using visualisation techniques. Visualisation
can add a great deal of extra power to a healing session. I have highlighted several
techniques that I use, but do remain open to developing your own as you become
experienced in this area
� Think of someone or something you love – this works on a very deep level, by
actively encouraging you to open yourself up outside of the channel of healing. It
changes your aura and creates a loving connection between you and the horses.
� Imagine one large spiral or a multitude of smaller spirals - coming up from your
feet up to the top of your head and out through your palms – this technique can
make a dramatic difference to a session. Many times I have used it to remove
blocked energy. In those events there have been several unbelievable
miraculous recoveries in horses.
� Imagine that the horse’s problem is lifting up into the universe, and
disappearing and dissipating into positive useful energy. This also works well by
redirecting a negative energy flow. You can imagine the horse being filled up
with good healing energy, which kind of squashes out the negative.
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These are a few of the techniques that I use in a session. I tend to trust intuitively which
one to use at the time, and I suggest that you follow the same principles. Don’t be afraid
to find your own techniques, as this will come as you become experienced and
confident.
Colour- colour can be a powerful tool in a healing session. Be guided intuitively with the
colours you use and imagine the whole horse is being flushed through with the colour,
from the top of his head, all the way down to his hooves and out through the tail. I use a
lot of white light, gold and silver and then am guided which other colours are needed. I
have had several horses collapse when I have done this visualization.
Cass arrived as a 9 year old beautiful bay gelding that had been on the German show
jumping circuit. He eventually ended up in Jersey where he picked up and threw his new
owner across the stable. After that he came to the rehabilitation yard with a rotated
pedal bone and a terrible distrustful attitude towards people. At 17.2hh he was
impossible to put a bridle or a head collar on as he was very fearful and aggressive. He
was reluctant to accept healing and I could not trust him for students to work with. It
took a long time, and a lot of patience but, shortly after I was given the colour
visualization by spirit, I decided to try it with Cass. I had given him a lot of space since I
had known him, but he hadn’t let go of his past and was still holding on to the anger. I
intuitively felt that he was not going to be able to release it without some help.
I stood in the stable doorway, with a student, and we did the visualization together. His
head soon started to lower and he closed his eyes. His whole body started to relax and
his muscles became soft. Eventually his nose was touching the stable floor. After about
fifteen minutes, his knees buckles and he dropped to the floor as if he had been
knocked out. Just as it looked as if he was going completely down, he managed to right
himself. As he came to, he took one look at me and ran at me with teeth bared. I stood
still and told him that I knew he did not mean that and that he knew I was helping him.
He did not touch me but stood a foot away gnashing his teeth and looking very cross.
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At that point we left him to go and have our lunch. When we returned he was out in the
large concrete yard, dozing in the sun. There were five of us and I asked everyone to ask
Cass, in their minds, to come over to us. Almost before I got the words out, Cass started
to amble over. He stood in the middle of the group and asked for healing. All of the
students had tears in their eyes as this wonderful horse let go of his awful past. He told
me that he was so grateful that he would like to be a therapy horse and help people
who had traumatic backgrounds. He had become a cuddly affectionate horse in one
afternoon.
After that, whenever I visited the yard, Cass would always come over and put his head
on my shoulder. Sadly, the yard went bankrupt so Cass’s future is looking rather
uncertain. I am still trying to find a therapy home for him {July 2012} and hoping that he
will not be sent to the sales.
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Developing your confidence
The only way to increase your confidence is with practice and experience. They say that
fear is only a lack of knowledge. If you absolutely know what you are doing, you don’t
feel nervous and worried about outcomes.
Contact a rescue centre or ask as many friends who have horses, or the local stables – or
whatever is possible to get to be near horses. You can post adverts in tack shops and
vets for pro bono clients, to help you gain experience.
Trust in what you are feeling when you are with the horse. Listen to your inner wisdom.
Believe in your own abilities and always speak the truth for the horse. Although you may
be worried about getting it wrong, if you allow your intuition to be your guide you will
rarely go wrong. If things appear to go pear shaped, know that there is some learning to
be had and ask for guidance in finding out what that learning is.
Some owners have become nervous of their horse, and cover this up by shouting a lot.
Horses hate this, and usually the first thing they tell me is to ask their owner to ‘stop
shouting’. Learn to develop strength of character, and don’t be afraid to tell the owner if
you feel the animal’s management could be improved, or even discuss the owners
attitude, or behaviour. If you are confident enough, you can teach the owner more
effective ways to communicate with their horse.
Confidence is a state of mind. It can easily be developed. If this is an area where you
would like help then please contact me to discuss the coaching/mentoring service that I
offer to students.
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Positive Thinking
Everyone has issues at some level. One in four people suffer from lack of confidence and
low self-esteem. They may outwardly look as if they are confident, but many people
wear a mask to protect their vulnerability. Sadly for the horse, the owner may
subconsciously push their problems onto them, by role-playing their own inadequacies
through the horse. Often they are unaware of this, and are horrified when they discover
it.
For instance when a horse is ill, the owner may spend a lot of time crying and weeping.
Whilst we appreciate the upset and worry, this is not conducive to the animal’s
recovery. It is of utmost importance to remain positive in the presence of the ill animal.
Horses – in fact all animals and people to - absorb energy at base level, and if it is
negative energy, it will drain them. In my opinion, this can actually manifest illness or
behaviour problems; at worst it may compound existing problems.
To imagine how this feels, think of a negative or depressed person that you may have
spent time with – how did you feel when you left them? Exhausted, depressed, and
deflated? Now think of spending time with someone who is positive, cheerful and
optimistic. When you leave this person you feel uplifted and happy. It has scientifically
been documented that people with serious illness have a greater chance of recovery if
they have a positive attitude.
We are not taught to be positive, we are subconsciously conditioned by the media to
react to external stimuli i.e. problems or events. If you look at any of the major TV
soaps, all of the characters are terribly reactive and negative, acting out before thinking
and always seeing the dark side of events and people.
Focus on becoming proactive. Being positive is not about shoving problems away, or
burying our heads in the sand. It is a mindset that suggests that you recognise a
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problem, identify it and all its components, and then set about finding a solution.
Sometimes there is no solution, for instance in a terminal illness. Death is a part of life,
and nothing will change that. But we can learn how to accept death as the natural order
of life, and indeed for it can be a beautiful and transcendent process, if you allow it.
Take the time to learn about the grieving process, and help your clients to come to
terms with imminent loss. I initially did a short course with The Animal Care College
www.animalcarecollege.co.uk on pet bereavement. It helped me learn how to cope with
my own grief, and it has made a difference in how I handle situations with owners.
Occasionally we get asked by owners to tell them if it is the horse’s time to pass. Having
to make the decision to let an animal go and then act upon it is a hard part of having
animals in our life.
In the UK we are afraid to talk about death. Be courageous, and lead your client into a
conversation about how they will deal with their loss. As a qualified Pet Bereavement
Counsellor, I learned that if we are prepared for death – i.e. decided whether we are
going to have the animal cremated or buried, anesthetised or shot, at home or at the
vets etc – this makes the final process much easier to deal with. It allows the brain to
put itself into some sort of order, and you also feel that you didn’t make poor decisions,
that you may regret later, at an emotional time.
I suggest the purchase of books on positive thinking, and attend courses or seminars
that might help you with this. A commitment to ongoing personal development is vital
to this work and, if you are serious about pursuing it, I would suggest that you take this
as a given. Try not to discuss negative things with your friends and family, unless these
conversations are solution focused. Avoid ‘toxic’ people and don’t allow others to take
energy from you.
Thinking in this way will attract greater opportunities to you. You will also find that like-
minded people begin to become a part of your life. Right now I don’t have one toxic
person in my life, and believe me there was a time when I could genuinely say that most
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of my circle was toxic. Today, if I meet someone who is a taker of energy and dreams, I
do not allow them into my life. Unfortunately in many instances it can be our family who
can represent the worst negative influence. But that can change, if you decide to make
this commitment to a positive way of life.
The stronger you are on this energy level, the greater you will be able to help your
clients and their horses.
If you bought this course from www.janbarley.co.uk then do go and check out other
courses that I am adding. Positive manifestation and Emotional Intelligence are two that
I will be adding once they are written as well as a whole host of other course, some of
which will be accredited as this course is.
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Spirit Guides & Power Animals
Your guides are not sent to you to do all the work. They are there simply give you signs,
and provide guidance, which may be interpreted as your own intuition or higher self. If
you follow the signs that are given you will receive confirmation. Sometimes these signs
may be innocuous and you won’t know for sure if they are a sign, so trust in your
instincts.
It doesn’t require a great deal of effort to call your guides into closer connection with
you. On a daily basis, simply assume that they are there, and ask them for help and
guidance. When you meditate, ask for a sign and ask for a name, and write it down.
They don’t care what you call them, as long as you recognise that they are trying to help
you. There are plenty of good CD’s and books on the market and there is also a very
useful handbook for contacting your spirit guides and power animals on
www.janbarley.co.uk
Spirit or power animals are related to Shamanism, and can play a great part in your
development. There are many Spirit animals according to Native American tradition.
You can call on the energy of these guardians whenever you need their particular
strengths. Notice that at particular times you keep seeing the same animal. Maybe a
robin keeps alighting by your back door, or you see a deer every night for a week.
Having a power animal is a bit like having a live pet. If you do not feed him {with
attention and ritual} then he will leave you. Power animals are almost always wild
animals and not our companion animals. You may have one main power animal that
stays with you for life or you may experience a variety of them as you progress on your
path of learning.
A power animal may be a warm blooded mammal or it may be a fish, bird, reptile or
insect. The size of the animal does not impact on its power. For instance, say you had an
ant as your animal. Ants are incredibly good at working highly social networks, working
as a team, building and laying down foundations. They can carry extraordinary weights
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way and above their own body weight. Armed with the power of the ant, you could
literally build an amazing supportive network around you.
Your power animal and spirit guide may work with you during healing sessions. You can
request their help or sometimes find that they come along and help without you asking.
Personally, for me, they are an essential part of how I work.
A good book on understanding the meaning of animals that enter your life is Animal
Speak by Ted Andrews, limited only by the fact that it is American and some British
creatures are not listed. Stephen Farmer also has a book called ‘Animal spirit guides’ and
he also has a pack of beautiful power animal cards.
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Distant Healing & Communication
I personally believe that the power of the mind is untapped. I believe that we all have
access to an ancient source of wisdom that is simply lying dormant within us, untouched
for years. Anyone can conduct a distant healing communication; indeed sometimes it is
found to be much stronger than a ‘hands on’ session. This may be because it is in the
privacy of your own home and there isn’t the added pressure of an owner.
Prepare yourself in a calm quiet place, light a candle or two and maybe burn some oil
and have gentle soothing music playing quietly in the background. Do whatever relaxes
you. If you can create a sacred place in your home and garden, this would be all the
better. It does not need to be an elaborate set up, a small corner in a room is sufficient.
Lay down some crystals and things that are special to you. Burn a little incense or sage
to cleanse the area in preparation and have a few splashes of colour in the area. Open
your chakras. Try not to have limitations on your time, and have a pen and paper to
hand. Write down whatever comes into your head, no matter how odd it appears!
Hold the photograph between your palms, and just allow the healing to flow into your
hands. Connect with the horse first, and ask if he is happy to communicate with you.
You may feel odd sensations, such as pains in your legs, arms, hands, jaw or a headache.
Write these things down. They may be related to that horse i.e. your left foot would be
the horses inside hind. Keep an open mind. Horses will show you where their pains and
discomforts are.
The amount of time spent per animal can vary. It can be an intensely powerful
connection, which may develop to the point where just thinking about the animal will
warrant a result. You can also place a photo of a needy case next to your bed, and ask a
question and visualise the animal before you sleep. In the morning, you may have an
answer.
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To finish a session you can hold all the photographs in your hands and send a mental
thank you. Keep the photos in a nice place i.e. a small wooden box or a pretty folder.
This is just a matter of respect for the animals you are working with, plus it keeps the
photographs safe for when you need to return them to the owner
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Looking after yourself
At some point{s} in your life, you may find yourself unsettled, depressed or unsure of
yourself. There may be no apparent reason for this, or you may experience a trauma or
loss which creates this feeling. In my experience, it is vital that you listen to your body
and your soul at this juncture. Sometimes it can be the manifestation of a spiritual
growth spurt, so don’t resist it and over time it will settle down again, with enhanced
abilities. I have had periods where it feels like ii am a caterpillar in a chrysalis. I used to
resist it, but then discovered that it always, without fail, generating huge growth spurts,
results in my being able to implement changes that benefitted my life on some level. Be
mindful of your state of being at all times and listen to your heart and soul.
Let me tell you a brief story. In March 2003 my beloved 5-year-old pony dropped dead
in the paddock behind our garden wall. A post mortem revealed that it was an
extremely rare case of sudden death syndrome. At the time I was very busy visiting
horses and teaching Reiki for horses. I was booked solid for the next month, so I carried
on working. This was an incredibly painful time. Halfway through April I said to myself
that I wished I could take a break from my work. I felt overwhelmed and I needed time
to heal and grieve.
Almost immediately my work dried up. I had no students booked for May and June. This
was highly unusual but I didn’t question it. But, it turned out that my advertising
campaign had ‘somehow’ been put on hold with the two national horse magazines
where I ran my adverts. I called them up and they had no idea why my adverts had not
been in the magazine. They were as confused as I was.
I recognised this as a sign, and I followed my instincts. I took time out; I studied
shamanism and qualified as a practitioner a year later. I questioned my long held
spiritual and personal beliefs. I emerged as a stronger and calmer person. During that
time my psychic abilities increased, my animal communication skills developed and I
finally got started on setting boundaries with people in my life.
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So my point is that you must listen to what is going on in your life, and recognise the
signs. Rest, on all levels, is vital for all energy workers. This downtime is like the garden
bulbs in the winter. It doesn’t look or feel as if anything is happening as we go through
the bleakness of winter, but under the ground the bulbs are getting ready to push
through in the spring with colour and joy and strength.
Downtime creates new abilities, greater gifts, fresh insights and beliefs. Don’t deny
yourself this time when it comes.
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Temperament Theory
If you take the basic concept of your own temperament, you will naturally strive to do
the things that you know you will be happy doing and, consequently, be more likely to
be successful at. Trouble arises when you try to fit a square peg in a round hole and you
do the things in life that do not sustain or fulfil your soul.
Keirsey Temperament Theory is just one of various types of personality typing, that is
based on the concept of four basic temperament types, and within these types there are
four variants each. This makes a total of sixteen different variants.
Identifying temperament type is based on only two things: -
• What people say
• What people do
It isn’t possible to provide a crash course in temperament theory in this course, but I
hope to prove a simple overview, in order that you realise that you cannot expect
people to act as you do, and say what you say. Understanding this allows you to
communicate with other types based on their communication style.
There are two styles of communication
Concrete
Concrete thinkers communicate with solid facts, day to day events. They are not future
driven but think and speak in the here and now. They are not interested in abstract
possibilities. A concrete thinker will talk to you about what they did today, whom they
spoke to and what happened.
Abstract
Abstract thinkers talk and think about ideas and possibilities. They may have an active
imagination and discuss feelings and dreams, inventions and plans
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There are two styles of behaviour
Utilitarian
Simply put, people who are utilitarian do what works, and worry about whether it is
right afterwards – if at all!
Co-operative
Cooperative people do what {they think} is right
There are four base types
Artisan – Concrete Utilitarian Guardian – Concrete Cooperative
Idealist – Abstract Cooperative Rational – Abstract Utilitarian
Within each type variant one is Directive and one is informative. Directive types may
find informative types irritating and informative types may find directive types bossy.
Example of directive and informative saying the same thing: -
Directive: ‘I am hungry, let’s go to the café and get a burger and fries’
Informative ‘I am hungry’
Then we have expressive and reserved types. Expressive types tend to be outgoing and
reserved less outgoing.
The sixteen role variants
A Expressive Promoter Supervisor Teacher Field Marshall Directive
B Reserved Crafter Inspector Counsellor Mastermind Directive
C Expressive Performer Provider Champion Inventor Informative
D Reserved Composer Protector healer Architect Informative
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• Row A – Pre-emptors – action orientated people who get things done
• Row B – Contenders – naturally competitive
• Row C – Collaborators – good at bringing things together
• Row D – Accommodators – like to maintain harmony
Listed below are details of each type in order of strengths. As you can see Artisans &
Idealists are complete diametric opposites to each other, as are Guardians & Rational’s.
They would find it challenging to agree in many areas
Artisan Guardian Idealist Rational
Tactics Logistics Diplomacy Strategies
Logistics Tactics Strategies Diplomacy
Strategies Diplomacy Logistics Tactics
Diplomacy Strategies Tactics Logistics
How this knowledge can help you?
For instance, if you are trying to start your new business, you will need to incorporate
strategies and tactics in order to actually get it off the ground. As an Idealist, you may
struggle to do this as you spend long time thinking about possibilities. Taking action is
not your strong suite. 45% of people in the world are guardians, so when you are
working on a marketing campaign or putting your web site together, this needs to be
taken into account. Guardians like facts and figures and relate to authority.
Likewise, if you are an Artisan, you may face problems with co-workers, due to poor
diplomacy skills. Other types may find you rude, but you just like to get on with things,
resolve whatever needs doing as quickly as possible and then move on to other things.
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Study both tables well, as it can help you to identify your weak areas, which you can
then focus on bringing into greater alignment.
Having a personality test done can be very useful. When I had my chart done during
training, I suddenly understood why I struggled in some areas of my life. I had been
trying to do things that were not aligned to my strengths. After that I began to seek out
areas where I could utilise my strengths. I am an Idealist Teacher, which totally made
sense as I love teaching. But I could see that, in the past, I had been in relationships with
a few Guardians and found it highly frustrating and I struggled with Artisans as it always
felt like we were both different species. Understanding this can massively impact your
relationships with others, particularly your clients.
A good book to read is People Patterns by Stephen Montgomery.
Effective communication with horse owners
Understanding the temperament theory will help you to realise why we are all different.
People are doing the best they can with the tools they have. We all have to start
somewhere, and we have all made mistakes with our horses. Many people lack
confidence but may bluff their way through. It is our job to help and not to judge. Listen
to what people say and watch how people do things. Get the recommended book and
build up your knowledge. It is easier to influence another person if you speak their
language.
According to transaction analysis people have three ego states
• Child
• Adult
• Parent
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When we communicate with each other it is important that we are on a parallel
communication level. This means that child talks to child, adult to adult and parent to
parent.
If child is talking to parent, or adult to parent or parent to child then this is considered as
a crossed transaction. This is the reason for arguments and misunderstandings. We
must aim for parallel communication and realise instantly when we are crossed with
another.
When in the child ego, people can be playful, spontaneous and fun or conversely they
can be angry to the point of tantrum! Deal as an adult with the child by reasoning with
them, or if they are playful allow your child ego to play! I am sure we have all witnessed
the adult having a tantrum!
Adult to adult is a perfect transaction as it is dispassionate, without emotion or angst.
The parent ego can be a nurturing parent or a nagging parent. Recognise in yourself
when you feel the urge to be dictatorial to others, as this is the nagging parent and will
create a negative response in others. Recognise when others are doing this to you and
respond as an adult.
This information will be incredibly useful to you if you study it and people watch. Now
you can assess their temperament and see what ego state they are in. This can make
you a powerful communicator as understanding is far preferable to talking!
Sometimes, when owners are nervous, they tend to babble nonstop. This is not useful to
your session as you won’t be able to listen to the horse, and also the horse may be
irritated by the constant noise. You can either not respond at all – and people do get the
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message that you need to be quiet - or you can ‘break state’ by asking the owner an out
of context question. This is a well-used powerful NLP technique and never fails to work.
For instance, the owner may be talking about her problems with the horse, so I might
ask something like ‘What did you like to do when you were a child?’ When the brain is
faced with something that is out of sequence it cannot cope, so it goes into a state of
chaos trying to work out how the question is applicable. In that few moments, you can
secure take the opportunity to tell the owner that you need to be quiet for a few
moments. It takes a bit of courage but it is great fun when you have mastered it, and it
does work. It’s a great tip to use for your own relationships also.
Make it your job to understand people more as it will go a long way to significantly
impacting the success of your practice.
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Other complementary therapies
Many other complementary therapies will work well alongside healing. Indeed, for
those of you who seriously want a career based totally in the complementary market, it
is prudent to acquire several skills. It is difficult, if not impossible, to make a full time
career healing horses. Most practitioners have a human practice in healing and/or
therapies.
Many healers have qualifications in massage, Indian head massage, crystal healing, EMT,
Numerology, Reflexology, Cranial Head massage, Aromatherapy, Flower Essences and
many more as well as the humanistic skills like counselling, coaching etc. What this
means is that you can work on the human side of your practice as well as the animal.
You will be very lucky indeed if you can orchestrate a full time equine healing practice,
so it makes sense to have more than one string to your bow.
What this means is that when the equine side is a little quiet, you have income coming
in from your other therapies and vice versa. Most local colleges offer part time, or
evening classes in alternative therapies. Do the best course that you can afford, as it will
pay dividends later. Ideally seek out accredited courses.
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UK Veterinary Act
The Veterinary Act of 1966 is an important piece of law for animal energy workers. It
provides protection for the animals, and helps to weed out the quacks in this profession.
Basically what it means is that when an owner calls you up, you must ask if a vet has
been consulted for that problem – no matter if it is a physical or emotional/behavioural
problem. If the horse has not been seen by a vet, then you must ask the owner to give
her vet a call and notify him that she is going to have a visit from a healer. If you break
this law, and you are found out, your insurance cover is invalidated.
The act in its entirety is paragraphed below. It is also detailed on the copy consent form
in the next section in this manual. I would advise that you always take a consent form to
your first sessions, and have the owner sign it.
“The Veterinary Surgery Act of 1966 prohibits anyone other than a qualified veterinary
surgeon from treating animals, including diagnosis of ailments and giving of advice on
such diagnosis. However the healing of animals by contact healing, by the laying on of
hands or distant healing is legal. However the Protection of Animals Act 1911 requires
that if an animal clearly needs treatment from a veterinary surgeon the owner must
obtain this. Therefore before treating animals it is advisable to seek assurance from the
owner that the animal has been examined by a vet. To give emergency First Aid to
animals for the purpose of saving life or relieving pain is permissible under the
Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 Schedule 3.”
Consent form example on next page
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HEALING HORSES
Tel: 0111 247 8913 www.healinghorses.co.uk Email: [email protected]
Horse name: Owners name:
Age: Tel:
Date:
Address
Brief history:
The Veterinary Surgery Act of 1966 prohibits anyone other than a qualified veterinary surgeon from treating animals,
including diagnosis of ailments and giving of advice on such diagnosis. However the healing of animals by contact healing,
by the laying on of hands or distant healing is legal. However the Protection of Animals Act 1911 requires that if an animal
clearly needs treatment from a veterinary surgeon the owner must obtain this. Therefore before treating animals it is
advisable to seek assurance from the owner that the animal has been examined by a vet. To give emergency First Aid to
animals for the purpose of saving life or relieving pain is permissible under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 Schedule 3.
Veterinary Surgeon Consulted:
Date consulted:
Owner to sign:
It is not advisable to exercise your horse after a healing session.
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Insurance
You need to have insurance for your business to cover professional indemnity, public
liability and stock insurance if you have products on site. There are a few companies
that cover complementary therapies. I have detailed the two most well-known and
respected below. I use Balens as you can have a wide range of therapies covered at no
extra cost. I have about eight listed therapies and this year {2012} paid £110.00.
Balens www.balens.co.uk Tel: 01686 893006
Towergate Tel: 0113 294 4000 www.smg-professional-risks.co.uk
Charges
If you don’t need to make a living, and can afford to charge a minimum rate then that is
fine. But be aware that if you put little value on your services, then others will not value
what you offer either. There is also a very real possibility that if you charge too little you
may be inundated with work, reach exhaustion point and have to stop the healing for a
while to recoup your energies.
If you consider the price that vets, blacksmiths, chiropractors, physiotherapists, dentists
etc are charging then I estimate that a minimum charge of £35.00 per horse is a
reasonable fee. You will be with the horse for an hour or so, plus time spent traveling
and in discussions with the owner. If you wish to charge more, or less, then that is your
choice. Also consider traveling costs and charge a minimum of 40p per mile to cover fuel
and wear and tear on your vehicle. If you are visiting more than one horse at a yard then
split the traveling costs between owners.
I can’t emphasize enough that you must value yourself. This is not arrogance or over
inflated egotism. If you run out of money you will run out of energy and feel little
enthusiasm for this work.
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I think it is important to make a difference. I know that I have changed many lives with
my healing communication, my actions and my words. Many of my customers have
become students and friends, who are now helping others. So consider my advice, and
develop self-worth. You are important, you have chosen to help horses and this makes
you a special person.
At the time of writing I charge £65.00 plus travel per session. As my skillset is vast, I can
bring much more to a session that healing and that comes at a premium. I am rarely
with the client for less than one and a half hours. I know I can make a difference and, to
be fair, it is usually done in one visit, so my fee is cost effective for the client. When you
are starting out, you probably won’t have that level of confidence so it makes sense to
start off at a lower rate. But, as you may recall, in Reiki there has to be an exchange of
energy. When I first started, I practiced on other peoples horses in the yard. As an
exchange I asked for a bag of feed, carrots or help with my horses’ turnout and care.
That worked extremely well and gave me a lot of confidence in preparation to get out
and start my own practice.
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Paperwork & Accounting
There isn’t a great deal of paperwork associated with an energy practice. It is simply a
case of keeping records up to date.
As far as accounting goes, this is also fairly straightforward. I use Excel spreadsheets to
do my books, and this works well. You can either do your own accounts or hand
everything over to a bookkeeper that will charge you from £15.00 - £25.00 per hour on
average. Doing your own bookkeeping is easy. All an accountant wants to know is
details of: -
• Incomings
• Expenditure – what it costs to run the business
• Capital expenditure – i.e. office equipment
• Bank charges
• Loan interest
There isn’t a lot that you cannot claim for, ranging from vehicle expenditure to postage
and clothing. You can even claim a small allowance for a home office. The secret is to
find a good accountant that is happy to advise you on better ways of running your
business cost effectively.
Make sure that you keep up to date with your books, maybe doing them as you go or
once a month. It is a horrible job to do it at the last minute. If you are late with your tax
returns you will face a penalty.
As soon as you go self-employed, contact your tax office and ask them for advice. You
will also need to pay voluntary national insurance contributions, the sum of which they
work out for you. You can pay National Insurance contributions monthly.
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Marketing your practice
In my experience traditional advertising does not always work. The very best form of
marketing is referral. When people are talking about how great you are, then your
phone will ring. But we all have to start somewhere. For all of my business interests I
have used some or all of the following methods. I rarely spend money on advertising
these days. All of the suggestions listed below are predominantly free
• Speakers Club –Great for confidence building. I gained a lot of experience as a
member of the Association of professional speakers. It’s not as scary as it
sounds, as you don’t have to stand up and speak until you are ready and even
then it’s usually for a maximum of seven minutes. I paid £20.00 a year and £2.00
a fortnight, plus an initial £10.00 for a manual.
• Networking - talk to as many people as you can about what you do. Try to set up
alliance relationships with others, so that you cross-refer each other. Effective
networking works when you look to be helping others, rather than shoving your
business in their face. Focus on building relationships so that people trust you.
Networking does take time but are usually worth it. There is now a range of
women only groups which can be quite productive and brilliant for making new
contacts and friends.
There are professional networking clubs, but they tend to be more direct
business to business related than to therapists. Saying that one lady I know who
does Indian head massage has radically improved her business since joining a
professional group. Their prices range from £250.00 to £500.00 a year and you
attend an early breakfast meeting –which you also pay for – weekly, bi weekly or
monthly. However, in the main, these sorts of clubs are not going to be your
mainstream target market for Reiki for horses. If you have human therapy
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qualifications and skills then I would highly recommend it. There are a lot of
clubs started up
There are also online networking groups like www.ecademy.com and
www.network2connect.com
• Media coverage - This is a good way of marketing yourself, especially if you
target all avenues of the media. TV may be difficult but radio, newspapers and
magazines are always looking for new and interesting stories. You will need to
find an interesting slant on your story, in order that it doesn’t come across as
blatant advertising. Contact them with a press release, no more than 300 – 500
words. Make it catchy. You can do a search on www.google.co.uk on writing a
press release.
• Social media – start up a Facebook page, Linked In and twitter and keep them
live. Try to link up with your target market, once you have decided who that is.
Social media can help you to build a business, but you have to be active.
• Blogs – this can be a way of reaching your target market, helping them to see
who you are and what you do. Always keep articles lively and positive and try
and have a message and a call to attention in it. I personally find that Wordpress
is one of the most professional free blogging sites. www.wordpress.com you can
also create a web site with your own domain from Wordpress. For the none IT
friendly, this is a great way to build something that looks professional. Its not
terribly complicated to set up but, if you struggle, there are plenty of people who
I am sure would be willing to help you.
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• Adwords – Google Adwords can seem like a confusing and expensive process,
but it can work well for you to promote your website or blog and encourage
potential clients. Adwords advisors suggest a daily budget of £5.00. I have
experimented with that by dropping my daily budget and testing the results. If
you open an account, there will be a phone number on the site. Call them up and
ask for help in the setting up and also ask for a voucher. They gave me £50.00 to
trial for one web site I was working on, so it pays to ask. If you Adwords bid is the
highest, then your advert will be top of the page.
No one really wants to pay for advertising but until your web site is on page one
or two of Google it can work well for you.
• Business Link - Business Link offer great advice on helping your business and are
free in most cases. There is also a start up grant of £150.00 for new small
businesses. Make an appointment to go and see them.
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
• Targeted leaflet drops - create an A5 flyer and get it copied at printers. This is a
very cheap way to do direct marketing. Then visit an equestrian event near you,
like a gymkhana, and post leaflets on car windscreens and give them out to
anyone who is passing. Focus on benefits rather than features.
• Posting leaflets - these can be exactly the same as your flyer. Then place
coloured copies [ideally laminated – you can buy a cheap laminator from £19.99]
and in tack shops, pet shops, local supermarkets, vets and anywhere else you
can think of.
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• Offer taster sessions to people of influence - this could be the specialist equine
vet, and you could offer to treat his or her horse so that they can watch you
work. If you are brave enough seek out local celebrities that have horses and
offer them the same deal. This can be a scary prospect for many people, but bear
in mind that celebrities are only people all said and done. The worst thing that
can happen is that they ignore your request, and you won’t die from that! ☺
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Conclusion
I hope that you have enjoyed the Reiki for Horses handbooks. Use the guidelines as your
bible, but don’t be afraid to find your own way with your healing practice. You will
discover things that I don’t know, and that which works for you. Be courageous and
trust your own instincts. I very much hope that you come back to study other courses
with me, and check out my other accredited courses and E-books Go to
www.janbarley.co.uk