Natalie Wilson is an RN with over 20 years experience and has recently joined Spirit Farm Gypsy Cobs in the position of marketing coordinator and editor. She is a horse lover and owner who is passionate about the health and wellbeing of horses and their people. Natalie is also a Reiki practitioner who treats horses and humans. She currently owns three Rocky Mountain horses.

 

Spirit Farm (SF): What do horses mean to you and how have they impacted your life?

 

Nat: Horses are the fabric of my life. They are my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night and for those occasions when there is a storm or a blizzard they are in my thoughts every time I wake. Although I was late to horse owning (aged 24) it was not for want of trying. I spent every Christmas Eve, from the age of about four, until probably….uh hmm….11, trying to prepare myself for the pony that I would find in the garden. Santa wasn’t, of course, able to fulfill this Christmas wish for me but I am sure he tried ;-) The passion didn’t fade though. It just grew stronger and I grew more determined. Upon graduating nursing school, in England, at the age of 24 I went to work part time at a riding stable, trading work for lessons, and then 18 months later I bought my first horse, a yearling Arabian called Smokey. My friends were horrified that such a novice would be so foolish as to buy a young, unbroken horse…and a fire breathing, pure bred, Arab at that! I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was meant for me – we were meant for each other. He was the love of my life.

SF: Do you believe that horses are sentient beings? What leads you to this conclusion?

 

Nat: Yes. I believe wholeheartedly that horses are sentient beings. My understanding of sentience is the ability to feel emotions and have subjective experiences. After the past 25 years of having horses in my life, on a daily basis, I have no doubt that horses are absolutely sentient. I have seen horses grieve for those they have lost, equine and human, and watched the behaviour and interactions of horses with their humans. It is difficult to put into words but if you have observed horses long enough it is so easy to see.

 

SF: Do you have a heart horse? Who is he/she?

 

Nat: My goodness, yes. Anyone who knows me will not have escaped the story of my heart horse. He was my first horse. My Arab, Smokey. The first time I saw him he stopped grazing, picked up his head, looked right at me and then cantered across the field and ground to a halt directly in front of me, snorting. It was literally love at first sight.  My colleagues lovingly referred to him as my “son” and every day they were subject to tales of our latest adventures…or misadventures.

 

We learned everything together. We were both blank slates. We jumped (a little), did long distance and dressage, went on camps, rode on the beach and moved all around the Country. My first canter on him was riding on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England and was very brief as I was swiftly deposited on the ground!  Smokey thought that when I asked him to ‘go’ I meant “GO!”

 

He carried me safely through eight months of pregnancy at which point I could no longer get safely into or out of the saddle! I have never been a brave rider but my love for him and riding him conquered my fear every time. He was the keeper of all of my secrets and shared in my happiest and darkest days. I cried a million tears into his beautiful mane.

 

We were together for 17 years and when the decision was made to have him put to sleep I spent the last night with him in his stable. He laid his muzzle on my chest as he went to sleep for the last time. I didn’t know how to breathe when I said goodbye to my boy. I lost a BIG piece of my heart that day and my husband says I have never been the same. I don’t think I ever will be, but, I have learned to love other special horses in my life again – of course. What would my life be without horses? I cannot even begin to imagine.

 

SF: If your horses could speak to you or to the world, what would they say?

 

Nat: I honestly dread to think! Lol. I have three horses now; Cody, Spirit and Dream. Cody would want to know where his peppermints are and to make sure that he had the exact same number as the other two. Spirit would also be asking for his peppermints but would want to know what I have been up to and what events or lessons are due to take place at the barn (he watches them all intently). He would be the gossip of the farm. Dream is a little more aloof and probably wouldn’t say much. She definitely thinks I am very lucky to own her. I think they all know that they are loved to the moon and back.

 

To the world, I think they would say to please don’t forget what horses have given to mankind throughout history, how they have served, and the sacrifices they have made, how it is the greatest privilege to sit astride a horse. To not forget history and that horses have walked beside us, always. Although they may not be needed for agriculture, travel and war as they once were, that they will always have an essential purpose with mankind and that it is up to us to find it to ensure their welfare and survival. Also, to be a responsible owner and to make a commitment to your horses to always know they will be cared for and have a good home, always.

 

SF: I understand you are a Reiki practitioner. What drew you to this way of being and can you explain how this may impact your future experiences around horses?

 

Nat: Following the sudden, unexpected and tragic death of my Uncle at the age of 53, I was completely broken, again. I thought of him as a brother and he was only seven years older than I. Having been a nurse for many years, at the time of his passing, I thought I had pretty much seen and felt every emotion. I had held the hands of hundreds of dying people, with my heart. While it is possible to be ‘professional’ it isn’t possible to switch off your empathy…not for me anyway.  As we sat vigil at his bedside I found myself searching for something more. Some sign, some answer….I don’t know…something.  I guess Reiki really found me. At the right time. Everything just seemed to align and I knew beyond any doubt that it was the answer I was looking for. It could not save my Uncle but it has certainly helped me to heal. Knowing there is more than just what we can see with our eyes and measure with science gives me hope.

 

Reiki is, in its simplest terms, is the sharing of healing energy from the practitioner to the client. During this process the Reiki energy is able to detect and clear blockages in the body that interrupt the flow of our vital life energy. Every living being has this flowing energy and blockages can result in illness – physically, mentally and spiritually.  The more efficient the flow the better health we can achieve.  This is not a “cure all” or a replacement for conventional medicine but it certainly has its place. Reiki is being recognized all over the world for its effectiveness in healthcare settings and beyond. In the USA some hospitals are using Reiki routinely, pre-operatively, to speed up the post-operative recovery of patients.

 

As a Reiki practitioner it is necessary for me to ‘check in’ with my own body, mind and soul on a daily basis. This is something that, before Reiki, I neglected. Unlike many other methods of healing and therapy Reiki doesn’t “take” energy from the practitioner. I find the Reiki sessions I perform leave me feeling peaceful, yet, invigorated.

 

Sharing Reiki with horses is really the ultimate colliding of my two worlds. Healing and Horses. When delivering Reiki to horses I work on the different Chakras, of which there are seven, and each Chakra corresponds with specific body systems and functions as well as emotions. I deliver Reiki by placing my hands on the horse.  It is hard to explain what I feel when I do this. Sometimes there is a definite tingling sensation and other times my hands become very hot. On occasion I am instantly drawn to a very specific part of the horse or they will position themselves and literally place the part of their body under my hands. They often show their connection and acceptance by yawning, sighing, lowering their head and becoming sleepy. For anyone who has ever worked on horses they will understand these affirming signs that our equines give us. Sometimes the horse I plan to treat absolutely does not want it! This happens too and I respect this. In these instances I will take a step back and see if they are receptive to me “beaming” Reiki to them and often then they will accept this and I will again see the signs of relaxation.

 

SF: How can Reiki help horses in their emotional, spiritual or physical health?

 

Nat: As with humans, Reiki with horses can help to clear any blockages in their “life energy” and restore flow so that their mind and body can function optimally. I find that the absence of the spoken word and reliance on feeling where the horse needs to be healed makes the experience even more valid. There is no way of knowing where the horse needs healing other than what it is communicating with me through its body and mind.

 

SF: Do you connect with your horses from the head and the heart? Are there other ways you connect with them also? Can you share some successful ways of how you’ve connected more deeply with your horses over the years?

 

Nat: Yes and Yes! The more time I spend with horses the more I feel the connection. I have also spent endless hours trying to find scientific reasons that I feel this. There have been studies that show when horses and humans spend time together they do develop a coherence in their heart rate and brain waves. That is quite amazing.

 

I feel an almost indescribable connection with my horses. They seem to know my every mood and emotion and come when I call them. They are endlessly patient with my anxieties and we learn things together every day. There have been occasions when my horses have been unwell that I have known the very instant I have looked at them. Some things that you really can’t explain but there is a vital and unseen force there. The moment you are able to totally “let go” and gallop your horse and put all your trust and faith in them is so exhilarating.  Also, when you are able to ride your horse and they respond to the slightest and most subtle cues – that is very special to me – when you find yourselves on exactly the same page. Magical.