The Healing Power of Horses

I have a happy place, a refuge from the distractions of a world that, these days, seems bent on making life complicated, challenging and maddenly negative.  When I arrive there all of that disappears. A cheerful staff greets me and, most beautifully, dozens of horses welcome me with whinnies, demands for nose kisses and unconditional acceptance. My happy place is a horse shelter, the Maine State Society for the Protectional of Animals.  

The name is a bit cumbersome and belies the fact that it is a stand-alone organization, unaffiliated with the state (and thus receiving no state funds) and that it is strictly an equine shelter, housing horses and an occasional donkey or mule.  But its mission is clear: provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines, support the placement of surrenders, and educate the public. The vision is the elimination of equine abuse and neglect. And it relies solely on donations to accomplish a huge job.

Many of my equine friends have been dealt a bad hand early in life.  Abuse, neglect, poor medical health and other factors beyond their control have compromised their potential and left them vulnerable.  In many cases MSSPA is their last hope.  They arrive with fragile bodies and broken spirits, undernourished, riddled with parasites, dealing with cracked or overgrown hooves, damaged legs and backs, sporting coats, manes and tails that badly need attention.  Their heads are lowered with a look of hopelessness and despair in their eyes.  We are heartbroken for them and angry at the circumstances that bring them to us. Some of them are beyond the point of return to the beauty and pride which should be their birthright and the staff sadly have to consign them to their fate, but not before putting up a valiant fight.

A team of farm staff along with vets and farriers begins the long process of bringing each horse back to the best of their ability.  The transformation can be miraculous in some cases; in others the goal is to provide palliative care to ease the pain of a chronic leg or back injury which will never heal but will allow the horse to live comfortably for whatever time remains.  Some horses will recover to the point where they can be provided training to be adopted into a loving home and even become wonderful saddle horses.  Others will stay with us, enjoying a spacious stall, nutritious meals, expert medical care, the company of other horses and long days in grassy paddocks basking in the sun.

My jobs there as a volunteer are varied.  I clean stalls and provide comfortable bedding, fresh hay and water.  I also help in the office, generating descriptive stall cards for each new horse and inputting data into the volunteer data base. By far my favorite duty is conducting tours of the farm for the many visitors on Saturday afternoons and during school vacations.  It is especially gratifying to introduce people, many of whom have never been near a horse, to sweet Diana, the 17 hand Belgian, quirky Apollo who was an orphan foal and is just learning appropriate social skills, complacent Tonka who has earned the nickname Uncle Tonka for his gentle nature and willingness to step in as a surrogate parent, and Windy River, the one year old foal who was born on the farm to Daphne, a feral mare rescued shortly after she became pregnant.  Each of the 35+ horses has a distinct personality but all seem to enjoy the attention of visitors, volunteers and staff.  And we, in turn, have a special place in our hearts for each of them.  Yes, I have my favorites.  How can I not love Windy River who has always known love and care and responds like an overgrown puppy?  Beautiful Ebony, a petite mare radiates sweetness and headstrong Jafaar, the Arabian teenager craves attention and will literally rattle his stall door if he feels overlooked.  Gentle giant Bodie is often paired with the youngsters in hopes that his gentlemanly manners will serve as models (so far THAT has not worked for Apollo and Jafaar, the chief targets!).  And then there is Belle, the other Belgian who insists on staying outdoors year round (with a run-in shelter) and loves sunbathing in her roadside paddock, laying out prone and often prompting passing drivers to pull in to inform us that we have a dead horse in the field...until we call her with apple in hand and she miraculously comes to life and gallops over to demonstrate her "resurrection".  Valiant and sweet Dexter came to the farm with grossly overgrown hooves that his owner clumsily trimmed with a hacksaw, rendering him virtually unable to walk and prone to a long sequence of abscesses which nearly cost him his life.  With persistent attention from a farrier over many months his hooves are now perfect and healthy.  During that entire process, despite being in excruciating pain, he never abandoned his sweet nature and was always available to visitors for a neck scratch and a nose kiss.  We recently acquired two mini-horses, Treasure and Sage whose issue was not malnutrition, but rather a little TOO much nutrition.  Both of them "rolled" into the farm like the little teapot "short and stout" and are now on strict diets, much to their displeasure.  Little do they realize that we are giving them a better chance at a longer, happier life.  

Those are just a few of the reasons I look forward to my hours  at the farm.  Whatever else is going on in my life, I know my spirits will be lifted when I walk into the barn and hear the nickering, neighing, whinnying and other greetings from my four legged friends.  They seem glad to see me and I am ALWAYS so glad to see them.  It truly IS my happy place.

Romeo and Marley, two former residents who were personal favorites and have since been adopted to loving homes.

A happy Romeo out in the paddock.

Now THAT'S a nose!

A Clean barn is a happy barn

Bell in "sunbathing" mode

Horses on the Hill

Heading out to the paddock                   

 Jafaar is definitely up to something!

Windy River at one month old.  He will celebrate his first birthday on March 1st with a full-out birthday party at the farm.  All are invited to come join the celebration!

For more information, check out the website at www.msspa.org

Getting outside of myself feels SO good...

This past weekend was the 22nd annual Maine Lung Association "Bike Trek Across Maine" from Bethel to Rockland. That is 180 miles of punishing hills, black flies and mosquitoes, rough roads and grueling heat ridden by over 1400 bikers over the course of three days. For the past seven years, this event has raised over one million dollars for the good work the state association does. Every penny raised goes towards their efforts to make our air cleaner and healthier.

Everyone involved with the Trek has a compelling reason to participate. Riders often wear pictures of loved ones victimized by lung disease. Homemade signs along the route invoke riders to remember "Uncle Jim" or "Poppa" to keep up their resolve. In my case, my involvement has been dedicated to the memory of my mother who died in July 1979 from lung cancer at the age of 50. Riding the trek in 1999 just prior to the 20th anniversary of her death was one of the most emotional experiences of my entire life. Memories of her heart-wrenching struggle to simply take a breath sustained me and impelled me up even the steepest hills.

This is my ninth year of working with the Trek. I rode it for four years but my own health became an issue preventing me from continuing to ride. My last ride in 2001 was interrupted by a heatstroke and since I suffer from a seizure disorder (controlled by meds, thank God) my neurologist made me promise to find another way to participate. I am now a volunteer working to support the 1400+ riders who bravely push their way across the state. I have driven a supply truck, a small bus and now am in charge of one of the three rest areas each of the days. My rest area, named the "Friends Rest Area," has developed the reputation of being the liveliest, most energetic and most fun of the trek. Riders love that we have upbeat music playing and volunteers who genuinely seem to be enjoying ourselves (because we are!) I have a wonderful core of volunteers who return each year as well as some new additions. The volunteer coordinator mentioned to me that our rest area has become the most popularly requested assignment when volunteers sign up, so much so that they no longer list it on the application to ensure that other areas get covered.

It's an amazing event. I will say that my work as a volunteer is much harder than riding the trek but ultimately every bit as gratifying. The Trekkers are so appreciative of our efforts and many take the time to thank us for our work. We, in turn, thank them for riding for the cause. It means so much to be part of the greater effort for all of us. Making a difference feels so good.