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Newsletter Article Spring 2009 by Shari Goodwin
About the author: Shari Goodwin is an environmental scientist and owns Cobbler Corner Farm, a training and boarding barn in Marshall, VA. She also recently opened Jaeger2, a strategic planning and coaching firm. Animals are her most valued teachers. Animal Paradise now has a blog. Become a fan of Animal Paradise on Face Book.
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Founding Member of Shelter Animal Reiki Association Click the link below for more information: http://www.shelteranimalreikiassociation.org
Click on the box below to subscribe to Animal Wellness Magazine This is a wonderful holistic magazine for our animal companions. A must read and reference. Click on the box below to subscribe to Equine Wellness Magazine I love this magazine. It is filled with informative information about holistic approaches to all things equine. If you have a horse you must read that magazine.
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It had been a particularly stressful
week. Normal work stress plus the added bonus of a stomped toe to make winter
horse care especially enjoyable. After tending to the eight horses, I was
puttering around the barn sweeping and tidying up in my self-absorbed state when
I looked up to see my horse Frescoe staring intently at me. All the others were
contentedly munching their hay and slurping in their water buckets. He followed
my every move (which he does tend to do, but this was somehow different). I
finally put away the broom and went over to his stall thinking maybe he wanted
some “hands-on” work (my uneducated version of Reiki). I went in to his stall,
took off his blanket and laid on the hands; he immediately moved off and started
circling in his stall. Ok, doesn’t want the hands-on thing, maybe he wants
brushing. So, I took out his brushes, went back to the stall and started to
brush – no way, swished his tail and continued circling around the stall. I
gave up, put the brushes away and picked up his blanket. Tried to put the
blanket on and he moved away and started circling again. He also wouldn’t look
at me (he ALWAYS looks at me). Interesting. I leaned against the wall in
defeat with his blanket in my hands and just decided to observe. He stopped
moving. Then, without looking at me, he came directly to me and stopped about 1
foot out, relaxed completely and stood still as a statue. Hmm, is he going to
sleep? I continued to watch as he went deeper and deeper into what I can only
describe as a full meditative state. It suddenly became clear that he wanted me
to follow his lead. So there I was, in his stall, leaning against the wall with
his blanket in my hands, all the other horses quietly munching hay. I closed my
eyes and started to relax. Then I peeked at him, still like a statue. I
breathed some more and peeked again, still statue-like. I finally just let go
and joined him. After about 5 minutes, I suddenly started sobbing, tears
streaming down my face, shoulders heaving - a full energetic meltdown (well,
probably a release of the major block that I had worked up all week). I peeked
at him again, still like a statue. I continued my histrionics for a little
while longer hoping and praying that none of the boarders would suddenly
arrive. Suddenly, it was over. I felt great, I peeked again. He moved away
from me (again didn’t look at me) and began to eat his hay and make nasty face
to the neighboring horses. He was done with me, I was good to go. Amazing.
We’ve been through a lot together since he was born (he’s 9 now) and I am so
honored to share my life with such a wonderful spirit. 
