Healed By Horses

Carole Fletcher's story opens on a November morning in 1975. She began this day as a striking young teacher in a happy relationship; a horse lover and car enthusiast -- ultimately, a young woman eager for what lay ahead. But a gasoline explosion changed all that, leaving her with second- and third-degree burns over sixty-five percent of her body. At day's end, surgeons warned she had a one-in-ten chance of surviving the night and that even if she did, it would be more than likely she would never walk again -- let alone ride a horse. Carole surprised everyone: her family, her doctors, even herself. After seven months in the hospital and twenty-eight skin graft surgeries, she began to ride her beloved horse, Bailey. Thanks to the therapeutic nature of riding, she slowly regained almost full use of her legs. And though more surgery and almost four years of rehabilitation would follow, Carole eventually plunged into the world of performance with a clever trick horse named Dial. Carole Fletcher tells an inspiring and eloquent story of recovery and rebirth. Healed by Horses offers a compelling account of one woman's uncommon courage and perseverance, and illustrates the extraordinary connection possible between humans and horses, and how that bond can restore, motivate, and heal.

Riding Home:The Power of Horses to Heal, Horse Nation's must read book of 2016, is the first and only book to scientifically and experientially explain why horses have the extraordinary ability to emotionally transform the lives of thousands of men, women and children, whether they are horse lovers, or suffering from deep psychological wounds. It is a book for anyone who wants to experience the joy, wonder, self-awareness and peace of mind that comes from creating a horse/human relationship, and it puts forth and clarifies the principles of today's Natural Horsemanship (or what was once referred to as "Horse Whispering") Everyone knows someone who needs help: a husband, a wife, a partner, a child, a friend, a troubled teenager, a war veteran with PTSD, someone with autism, an addiction, anyone in emotional pain or who has lost their way. Riding Home provides riveting examples of how Equine Therapy has become one of today's most effective cutting-edge methods of healing. Horses help us discover hidden parts of ourselves, whether we're seven or seventy. They model relationships that demonstrate acceptance, kindness, honesty, tolerance, patience, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. Horses cause all of us to become better people, better parents, better partners, and better friends. A horse can be our greatest teacher, for horses have no egos, they never lie, they're never wrong and they manifest unparalleled compassion. It is this amazing power of horses to heal and teach us about ourselves that is accessible to anyone and found in the pages of Tim Hayes's Riding Home. The information and lists of therapeutic and non-therapeutic equine programs, which are contained in the book, are also available at the book's website.

This text explains what healing means, how it works and how it can work in the context of animals. Margrit Coates provides practical guidance on learning the skill, when and where to do it, along with the do's and don'ts.

Anna Clemence Mews presents a beautifully written collection of true stories that have made up a part of Julie Dicker's career as an animal communicator and healer. Client interviews, case notes, and an interesting collection of survey questions and answers that were actually posed to a representative group of Dicker's equine clientele provide "anecdotal evidence" of horses' emotions and their ability to reason.

The most comprehensive alternative horse care manual ever published for the horse owner.

An equine therapist shares the story of a spiritual awakening she experienced with her black mare, Rasa, which led her to investigate the metaphysical and scientific aspects of the human-horse bond.

A unique exploration into the spiritual relationship between horses and humans and their capacity to help us heal.

"... At an age well beyond what most horses live to be, McDougall began to enrich the lives of fragile children. Hundreds of children experienced positive changes as they sat upon or interacted with this beloved old horse. Honored by Purina as the "Oldest Living Horse in America" and immortalized by Reader's Digest (Some Sort of Magic) in August 1998, McDougall's legacy lives on with the Serendipity Stables Healing Horses in York Center, Ohio..."

Excerpts from Beyond Words: The Healing Power of Horses The space between words is where we live with horses. In the silence we are truly heard. ******* So much of our sadness, our discontent, our addictions and compulsions are driven by the emptiness we experience when, without being aware of it, we detach from our emotional selves. We often mistake this emptiness as boredom, anxiety, hunger, and/or loneliness. Horses, in their honesty and compassion, help us to reconnect to ourselves, to our humanness. ******* What I have come to believe is that no matter what orientation you bring to psychotherapy, or what equine certification you achieve, the one variable that has been shown to be critically important is the trusting, respectful, and compassionate relationship that develops between therapist and client; whether the therapist has two or four legs is irrelevant! ********** The goal of Beyond Words: The Healing Power of Horses is to connect the advances made in the treatment and understanding of mental health issues with the knowledge we have accrued through the years about the nature of horses. The key is to integrate the two professional worlds of equine specialists and psychotherapists, so that each can appreciate, communicate, and work together to further enhance the practice of Equine Experiential Psychotherapy.

Sue Spence is a gifted horsewoman, who has made it her life's work to use her horse whispering skills to help humans. All her life, Sue has found solace and companionship with her horses. After a brush with cancer in her late thirties, Sue and her husband opted for a tree change. As a result, she was able to fulfil a long-held dream: to work with horses every day. Her horse training and compassion for others quickly turned into a business, Horses Helping HumansTM - giving people a chance to learn from these intelligent, soulful creatures, including Sunny, the horse with whom Sue has a special bond. Horses Who Heal is the story of one woman's deep love for horses and the powerful life lessons they've taught her along the way. With Sunny always by her side, Sue's equine team are inspiring others on their own journey of healing, helping thousands of people - from juvenile offenders to company CEOs - discover the power of communication, using more than just words.