A Good Day

A Good Day

written by Susan Brown

Week after week, month after month, clients of Courageous Connections come to breathe in the strength and calm of the farm’s therapy horses. Punkin, Remi, Ari, Willow, and now Cutter are ready for whoever needs them. A horsey handshake, where the horse sniffs the client’s lightly closed fist, and then, whether the person is healing from cancer, facing death, or struggling with trauma, the horses and people connect. Warmth and energy pour outward from each therapy horse. The person who has been hurting so much gets a dose of acceptance, strength, and non-judgmental caring.

A good day.

So many good days.

But this day is a little different. On Mondays, the farm is closed to clients and Cheryl Wable, a retired nurse, arrives to do therapy work with the herd.

“I want to give back to the horses because what they give is huge,” she explains. As we talk, each horse has stepped closer to the fronts of their stalls, all eyes on her. They know this is their time. Cheryl gestures to the horses and smiles. “The energy they give is a two-way path. And the immense exchange of energy is indescribable.”

The horses are living beings who willingly give support and strength to the people who lean on them for help. But they have had their own experiences, some harsh, before they came to the farm. They have been afraid too, yet they still accept the emotional load of Courageous Connections clients.

Cheryl’s goal is to give positive energy back to the horses, to support their emotional needs with hands-on methods. “I don’t force this on them. The ones who want this come up to me.”

As the horses watch us, it appears that they all want it. However, today it is Punkin’s turn first. Cheryl leads the beautiful roan from her stall to where a bucket of grooming tools waits. The lead rope is tossed loosely over the gate, Punkin stands calmly, and Cheryl begins.

“I start with grooming,” she says, “and check their energy.”

Her hands are gentle as she brushes fluffy clouds of shedding hair from Punkin’s body. The horse’s head begins to lower and she chews and licks, all signs of relaxation. Her eyes begin to flutter, half closing, and her breath deepens.

Cheryl lightly runs her hands down Punkin’s spine, hovering near her hips. “There’s a little stiffness and anxiety here,” she observes. “I put a little bit of acupressure on her hindquarters.” After a moment, Punkin shifts away so Cheryl goes to the horse’s front and begins stroking down her legs to the ground to remove negative energy. Then her hands gentle work on Punkin’s knees. “This is acupressure too,” she explains. “It releases endorphins.”

Punkin wraps her head half around Cheryl’s body. “She’s asking for connection,” Cheryl murmurs. She lowers her own head so that they are nearly cheek to cheek, and then they begin to breathe together, softly, with the horse’s breaths becoming slower and calmer, like a huffing series of contented sighs.

“This is relaxing for me too,” Cheryl says. “With the intention of light love and healing, I’m inputting positive energy – refilling them so they can continue to give.” She pauses and smiles. “I love working with horses.”

And as Punkin nuzzles her again, it is clear that the horses love working with her. Having given so much to the clients at Courageous Connections, they too need both spiritual energy and loving support. Judging from their affectionate reactions, it is evident that Cheryl is giving it back to them in full measure.