Sometimes lack of empathy from the horse's person can be the cause of problems with the horse. I was involved in a horse show over the past week and had the opportunity to speak with a competitor who was worried about her horse. He was not used to being trailered, and was obviously shaken up by the event (he was showing the whites of his eyes). She told me he was stubborn as well. I explained how Reiki can be a benefit to horse and rider before competition and she decided to let the horse have a treatment. She opted not to be a part of the treatment herself, so I led the horse to a far field and tied him loosely to the fence.

I spoke to him softly and asked him to explain to me what he was feeling and that I wasn't there to cause him harm. I ran my hands over his withers with my right hand as I held my left hand on his chest. Then I did the same on his right side. I could feel his breathing deepen so I knew he was relaxing. I was massaging his face and pole when I began to feel very panicky and my hands were hot and sticky. I imagined falling against a wall, which made no sense to me. My hands began to feel like electricity was passing through them. I removed one hand from the horse and shook off the negative energy. I reassured him (and myself!) that everything was fine and that I appreciated everything he was sharing with me. After the feelings subsided, I finished up with stroking out his aura and a quick groom. He was very relaxed after the treatment.

I went back to speak to his person and told her he was much better now and calmer after his session. As I walked away from her I heard her tell her friends that when they were on their way to the show her horse was kicking in the trailer so they would speed up and then slam on the breaks to teach the horse a lesson.

Suddenly the feelings I had during the Reiki session made perfect sense. I felt sick to my stomach! I turned around and approached the young girl. I admit I was a bit abrupt with her, asking what lesson she thought she had taught the poor horse by causing him panic, fear and anxiety. How was he to be at top performance level for competition after what she had put him through? In fact, she began to cry as she thought about my comments. She said at the time it was funny and her friends were laughing at it too. I told her she should go apologize to her horse for her actions and to tell him that she was truly sorry! By the end of our conversation she seemed much more understanding of Reiki and perhaps would reflect upon her opportunity to have a special relationship with a horse. All she had to do was truly listen to him...

About the Author: Anne-Marie Marrie lives in St. John's Newfoundland, Canada. She is happily married and has two furry children... Brutus, a Boxer and Jack, a Beagle. She is an Advanced Reiki Practitioner and Bodyworker(massage) specializing in horses and dogs. She just recently started her own consulting firm, specializing in recruitment, retention, and team building for companies and takes a holistic approach to her work and everything she does. Anne-Marie owes much gratitude to her special equine friend, Pandemonium (aka Andy) for teaching and helping her in many ways.