I arrived at Bearfoot Ranch at the end of March 2024. I had one main intention at that time; to discover what’s possible when nature and I come together in the name of Love. My passion is spiritual development, I am a healer. Since 2021 I’ve been exploring the role of nature and its rhythms on the spiritual journey. As part of this exploration I was interested in getting out from behind my computer and spending more time actually IN nature, particularly with animals. At the heart of it I knew, the root of all disease is being out of balance and alignment; that is, out of balance with nature and out of alignment with the great I AM.
On my first day at the ranch, I was introduced to Odin. I was intrigued. My training in Clinical Psychology and Spirituality helped me understand his trauma history and his behavior. Animals, much like humans, have emotions that influence their behavior. His sad eyes and quiet demeanor drew me in, his heart spoke to mine. I understood at a heart level. Intuitively I felt that the Archangel Fhelyai, the angel of animals, was a perfect match for this situation. I noticed how I became gently persistent with the humans at the ranch, even though it made me uncomfortable to do so, until I found myself sitting in Odin’s round pen. It is rather synchronistic that Odin’s name actually means ‘One I’ since my goal was to feel more At One with the natural world. Just the other day, my Bearfoot teammate said to me, ‘I wonder if all along it was written that you would come and work with Odin?’ Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t, but I like to think that somehow, the universe is always conspiring to help us and that it was the universe that helped Odin and I find each other.
During the first several weeks at the ranch, I observed. I observed Odin alone, Odin with various people in his pen, and Odin with his trainer. It quickly became clear to me that Odin was food driven and was feeling anxious every time he was being fed out of someone’s lap. I sensed the tension in his solar plexus/diaphragm/upper stomach. I also watched as he stretched his body out as far as he could leaving his rear feet behind so he could recoil in flight mode quickly away from his perceived danger, the scary human holding his food.
After reflecting, Wisdom told me that Odin could do well in his life even if he was never hand fed, but he did really need to be haltered and get used to touch so that he could get veterinary care. I discussed with the others on his care team the possibility of Odin no longer being lap fed and rather, allowed to choose where he wanted his bowl in relation to the human in the pen. It was my hope that this alone would begin to reduce his anxiety by giving him some power of choice and help him relax around humans.
Giving space during the morning feed seems to have helped reduce Odin’s anxiety, but it has been the team of dedicated people who have been sitting many hours regarding him and teaching him how to be at peace that seems to be helping him the most in reducing his anxiety.
During our sessions there are no expectations, we may do things that upset him, but our main purpose in being there is to help him find peace in the situations he finds himself in. Of course, this isn’t without its obstacles for human and horse alike; while humans may know that peace comes from within, it’s another thing to find it for yourself and share it with a horse. And as for Odin, he’s having to work through his traumatic experiences before true peace will settle deep into his bones and his being. Healing takes time and comes in stages.
Odin 