The Horses of Medicine Horse
Those who are familiar with horses recognize and understand the power of horses to influence people in incredible ways. Horses are large and powerful, which creates a natural opportunity for people to overcome fear and develop confidence.
The size and power of the horse are naturally intimidating to many people. Accomplishing a task involving the horse, in spite of those fears, creates confidence and provides for wonderful metaphors when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life.
Horses require work, whether in caring for them or working with them. In an era when immediate gratification and the "easy way" are the norm, horses require clients to be engaged in physical and mental work in order to be successful. Most importantly, horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them. Clients learn the important lesson of having to change their behaviors or attitudes in order to have the horses respond differently. Horses are always honest, which makes them especially powerful messengers.
Each equine experience centers around a team of people and horses working together to accomplish certain therapeutic goals. The Medicine Horse Team of Horses serve as a guides, teachers, and healers.
Click on a name below to learn about our wonderful horses!!
Alex is a 16-year old Mustang pony and is our little horse with a big heart. He gives of himself freely and absorbs many emotions from the people who work with him. Alex had significant trauma in his life and has a hard time with trust, especially with adults - he often won’t let himself be caught easily and once caught, he only allows himself to relax when the clients relax as well. This provides immediate feedback for people who are tense and fearful because the stress Alex carries (and then releases) is easy to see – even for people with no horse experience. He is a perfect partner for people who have suffered abuse or neglect and through his work with them provides clients a glimpse of what it means to trust again. Alex loves children and lets them approach and catch him immediately. Children love the fact that they can approach Alex while some adults cannot. It’s an empowering experience. Alex is also a therapeutic riding horse for people with physical and developmental disabilities. The little horse with the big heart does it all and is a vital member of our Mancos therapy team.
Sponsor: I need a sponsor!
Bleu is a wise and gentle teacher. He’s the grandpa of the Durango group and he shows clients the true meaning of patience. Bleu loves to be with children and stands like a statue when they are around his body and legs – he seems to be constantly concerned about their safety. He is especially good with people who come to us with a lot of fear. He stands quietly while being groomed and allows clients to gain trust and confidence in his presence. Bleu also teaches these same people to be assertive, because he would rather stand in one place than ‘walk on’. Bleu spent most of his life on a dude string and as a pack horse – when he first came to us he had very little connection to the people in his life, but after a few months as an equine assisted therapy horse, his devotion and caring for all those that encounter him is immediately apparent. Here he is with a young friend after a Spirit Painting session.
Everyone in the field of equine assisted therapies experiences over and over again the power of horses to act as mirrors to human emotions, feelings and behaviors. This mirroring work is not as apparent in all horses to equal degrees, but it is something with which Brooke, our Thoroughbred mare, is truly gifted. She is extremely sensitive to moods and lets clients know immediately when inner feelings don’t match up with outward behavior. Because she has experienced trauma in her life, she is especially in tune to those experiencing emotional or psychological pain, particularly with the girls in the Circle of Healing Foal Project. We have seen her approach people in crisis and gently stand by, giving them strength and encouragement. Brooke is very perceptive and keys in to emotions, encouraging clients to experience self-worth. Her sensitivity and empathy to human behavior and emotions makes her an amazing part of our equine team.
Elvin, 17-year old Quarter Horse gelding, is a caring and intuitive healer. The mental health work we have seen him do with people is truly amazing. Sometimes as staff, we ask ourselves if Elvin really just did what we thought he did in his healing work, and the answer is always, “ Yes!” He is a horse that is truly gifted in the work that he does and many times all we have to do as facilitators is watch, learn and accept that he is usually wiser than we are. Elvin came to us after years of work as a schooling and eventing horse. He became injured during a ride and would never be completely sound. Elvin found a new home with Medicine Horse and we believe that he has found his true calling. Horses like Elvin don’t come around too often in a lifetime and we are incredibly lucky to have him as part of our team.
Hasta, a 15-year old Palomino Paint mare is the lead mare of our group in Durango and she is quick to tell everyone about it – especially at feeding time. Before she came to us, she was a competition horse and she still has that drive to compete and work hard. Our job as staff is to teach her that she now has a home where she can relax and begin to work with people, not just for them. Hasta has a lot of energy and needs frequent reminders about how to behave – which allows for countless opportunities to talk to kids about their behavioral problems and why these might be frustrating for adults in their lives. One of our teenage girls who has a particularly hard time controlling her risk-taking behaviors kept saying during a recent session with Hasta, “Oh my gosh, she’s just like me!” These “Aha” moments that Hasta frequently shows people provide substance and meaning to many of our sessions.
Lucy (a.k.a. Miss Versatility) is a 15-year old Navajo Reservation horse. She has endless amounts of patience for our clients, and is our lead therapy mare. She has the amazing ability to sense the clients who need her special touch. Lucy is used in all the Medicine Horse Programs - thus the “Miss Versatility” moniker. She is especially important in our “Survivors of Domestic Violence” program. When not working her special magic with our clients she may be found on the roundup for local cattle drives. She never ceases to amaze us! We often hear clients say, “I Love Lucy” !
If Lysingur (Lee), our Icelandic horse, could be another animal, he would most definitely be a big shaggy dog. He does not get along with the other horses very well and is always the loner of the herd, but loves to be with people and will stand for hours while being groomed. He is perfect for people with a lot of fear because he is such a gentle and mellow guy. Because Lee connects so well to people, he is perfect for the “hands off leading” exercise. Once a client has spent time working and bonding with Lee, they can take his lead rope off and Lee will continue to follow. This is a great experience for clients who have low self-esteem or feel that nobody likes them. People come away from this exercise with a new sense of self-worth – “If this horse really likes me and wants to be with me, maybe I’m not such a bad person after all”. Lee is a great “listener”; he will stand quietly while people hug him and bury their face into his big furry mane. Laughing or crying, he gives everyone the feeling that things will be O.K. He is nonjudgmental and accepting of everyone he meets – he is the perfect best friend.
Missy (Little Missy) is a retired ranch horse who is leased to Medicine Horse. She is twenty eight years old, but you'd never know it! Missy is one of the mainstays of our therapeutic riding program and takes care of every client in such a gentle way. She never wavers in her devotion to clients. She not only ‘rocks’ but she IS our ‘rock’. You Go Girl!
Whiskey is 29 years of age and is quite a character! He came from a ranching home where he was a trusty mountain/ranch horse for a child with special needs—that was after raising all the rest of the family members through 4-H! When he became too “long in the tooth” to trek around in the mountains or herd cattle anymore, his family donated him to Medicine Horse. Whiskey is especially good with clients who have a fear of horses and need some reassurance. He just loves to be loved, and we love to love him. It's a perfect match!
Our youngest additions are three adorable draft horse crosses, (l to r: Jade, Rico and Quinn) adopted from a Premarin Breeding Farm in Canada.
Premarin is a drug whose name originates from a key ingredient, pregnant mare's urine. It is prescribed to alleviate symptoms of menopause. Pregnant mares used for Premarin production are harnessed to urine collection bags six months a year. 60,000 grade foals, are the by-products of this industry. The majority will become casualties of slaughter. Through a grant, in the fall of 2006 Medicine Horse was able to rescue three fillies.
These fillies are part of our Circle of Healing Foal Project, where they are partnered with at-risk teens learning the values of the horse-human bond. Teens learn to value themselves and others, while taking on responsibility for the nurturing and care of their foals. Jade, Rico and Quinn sense they were rescued and share their special joy and love with these at-risk teens.
Jay Jay is our Bashkir Curly Horse. What’s a Curly you might ask?? The exact origin of Curlies is one of the greatest mysteries of the horse world. There have been many theories on this, some believing that the "curly" part of the horse came from the Bashkir region of Russia. To date nothing has been proven. What is known is that the earliest documented Curly Horses in North America were with Native Americans in the Winter Count of 1801-2. Jay Jay is a descendant of those early Curlies and has been used as a riding & pack horse in the mountains of Nevada and the hills of Mancos. Due to an injury in 2006 he was donated to Medicine Horse for use as a Therapy Horse and is currently being rehabilitated. He has been working with Youth at Risk and is excelling in that role. He has no pretenses – what you see is what you get – you can’t fool JayJay! He’s a favorite with clients because Curlies are hypoallergenic - they are less likely to cause an allergic response. Curlies are known for being versatile, hardy and gentle horses and Jay Jay is no exception. Welcome to Medicine Horse, Jay Jay!
If you are interested in donating or leasing your horse, please read here for more information on What Makes a Perfect Therapy Horse.