Singing to horses...

Inspired by Jena Ball's stack "Hugged by a Horse, Kissed by Cows"

Horses occupy a special place in my heart. I was raised in the city, with very few opportunities to interact with them; I am not clear on how this bond was formed.

In the summer of 2022, my husband and I were not quite ready to fly anywhere for a vacation, instead we sought out unique things to do in our province of Saskatchewan. I mentioned to my friend Cari that I would like to have the experience of horse therapy. She told me about a place called Free Spirit Holistic Healing Farm in Makwa, Saskatchewan, run by her friend Juanita Prosser. I called right away and booked a session for my husband and I; then I let Cari know I was coming to her beautiful neck of the woods for a week in August.

Cari, unbeknownst to me, reached out to Juanita and told her that I am a sound healer; Juanita then reached out to me and asked if I would like to channel sound for her horses. Heck yah, I sure would!

I do not use instruments like bowls, instead I simply use my voice. I open up to channel the sound that is required by the recipient, which in this case would be a beautiful herd of horses who work with veterans and at-risk youth. My gift of sound would be for them to receive, instead of the giving they usually do.

As we walked through the paddock, Juanita introduced us to each horse we encountered. One of the first horses was a young mare with a very sad story. This mare did not like to work with people and kept mostly to herself. The only foal she had given birth to had been drug out of the paddock and killed by a cougar; the mare was left with a grief that would not heal. She would work with people if harnessed; the rest of the time, preferring to be on her own.

Having lost my only daughter to a brain tumour at age five, I related deeply to her pain. I stopped in my tracks, turned around and connected my heart to hers. I sent her love and told her that this was not her fault; I understood her loss and there was nothing she could do. She was a good mama and her baby was safe in heaven.

We continued our walk to the centre of the paddock, horses wondering past us to where the grass was most tender. Juanita and my husband moved off to the side of the field, leaving me alone in the center. I closed my eyes and called in the energy to allow the sound to flow through me. Shortly after I began, I heard the hooves of many horses closing in on me. I sang out “Should I be afraid?” Juanita laughed and said, no you are fine. The horses circled around me, Max, their leader closing me off to the others as if to say, she is fine, let her sing. They all stayed near for the full time I sang to them, some curiously bumping up against me and Max sidling up for some Reiki love.

The most touching moment was when the sad mare came up behind me and put her head on my shoulder, giving me a horse hug; that brought tears to all three of us humans.

My husband joined to add his Reiki hands to Max. I received a message from Max that he was tired and sore; he was ready to leave but worried for the herd. I told him that he had done his work, was a good leader but that he could go. Another would step up to lead. We learned that Max passed within two weeks of us being there.

The feeling I had when channeling sound for the horses was of an ancient energy; the land rising up to acknowledge these sacred beings. It was beautiful and filled me with reverence for both the animals and the land.

Three horses on Seven Bridges Road near Lumsden, Saskatchewan

In early September, a friend and I encountered these horses while going for a drive in the Lumsden Valley near my home. I pulled over the car, wondering aloud what would happen if I sang to them? Being respectful of the owners, I stayed near the car, a good distance away from the fence. (The photo was taken by zooming in). When I began, they were in the middle of the field nibbling the grass and doing horse things. As soon as I sang, their ears perked up; in unison, they all wandered over to the fence and stood with their heads hanging over, as in the picture until I finished.

What amazing beings horse are. I believe that every creation on earth has a spirit, one that we can sense if only we take the time.

I hoped you enjoyed my horse tale. Unfortunately, I do not have access to the recording of the horses, but there are other examples of Sound Healing on my YouTube channel here.

A special thank you to

Jena Ball

whose stack Hugged by a Horse, Kissed by Cows brought back this special memory, inspiring me to share it with you.

Thank you for reading! If you have had a special interaction with horses or any other non-human beings, please do share. I would love to hear about your experience!