| Less than a year after a delicate twenty-two hour, | | | | without even a lead line on it and have the horse |
| two-part surgery for a benign brain tumor on my brain | | | | respond willingly and without fear. Several of the young |
| stem, I went from barely being able to move even with | | | | horses progressed to the point where they would |
| the aid of a walker to being back with my Missouri | | | | sidepass at liberty and stop when asked to stop, back |
| Fox Trotters practicing Natural Horsemanship and | | | | at whatever speed was requested, and turn figure |
| coaching others. | | | | eights around barrels without anymore control than |
| Horses have been very important in my life, and a | | | | paying attention to body language. |
| horse related incident even led to the diagnosis of my | | | | Patience is one of the things I learned to work on after |
| brain tumor. A young horse I was riding turned | | | | surgery, and it is important for all aspects of life. |
| suddenly and I fell off, something that wouldn't have | | | | Instead of trying to make something happen with |
| happened to me in the past. Casual mention of the | | | | horses, set it up and let it happen. It may seem like it's |
| incident at a routine doctor visit started the ball rolling | | | | taking forever, but the results will come and you won't |
| for medical referrals, tests, and the diagnosis of a | | | | have to keep dealing with the same issues over and |
| tumor that might have been growing slowly for years. | | | | over. The same philosophy works for life in general. |
| The tumor was large and in a touchy spot, so I was | | | | Get yourself prepared as best you can, and let God |
| referred to MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, | | | | do the rest. Don't try to force the issue. Fox trotters |
| TX, where they have done much more of that type | | | | are great for this kind of work because they are so |
| of surgery. | | | | intelligent, willing to please, and kind hearted, but the |
| When I awoke after the second day of surgery, I was | | | | same applies to other breeds too. All horses are much |
| really distressed to find how disabled I was. I couldn't | | | | more observant than humans and if we can be clear |
| see well, couldn't talk, swallow, or move, and the left | | | | and consistent in our communication, they will follow |
| side of my face was paralyzed. The doctors were | | | | our slightest cues. |
| calling the surgery a success, but I didn't think of it that | | | | Two families of wonderful home-schooled young |
| way at that point! Lying in the hospital bed able to do | | | | people have come into my life this last year. They |
| nothing, time really dragged. It was only because of | | | | have been a blessing keeping me busy sharing what |
| support offered by my family and the innumerable | | | | I've learned about horses and in return helping me with |
| friends and church families all over who were offering | | | | the chores and training. I've been doing Natural |
| prayers and good cheer that I kept going and came | | | | Horsemanship for several years now, but when I was |
| out of out of my pity party. This is where the horses | | | | ready and needed them is when the students came to |
| kicked in to help out. | | | | me. One young man has been able to help start the |
| During the recovery period back at home, my husband | | | | young horses and he has found that the ground work |
| Gregg wouldn't let me handle a horse for fear of my | | | | really made the saddle training move along fast. He |
| getting jerked or jarred, but he would put one in the | | | | was amazed that within just a few rides, he had them |
| round pen for me to play with while it was loose. It | | | | putting their feet forward, back, up and down |
| really put the things I had learned in natural | | | | wherever he wanted and that they would respond to |
| horsemanship practice to the test because body | | | | gait transitions up and down and turn right and left with |
| language was the only aid I had available. That was | | | | him not even touching the reins, just using his body for |
| some of the best and cheapest therapy I went | | | | subtle cues. |
| through. | | | | I have progressed to the point that I began riding again |
| At first, I was too weak to stand and had to play from | | | | early this spring, at first only on my well-experienced |
| a sitting position. That soon progressed to standing | | | | gelding due to my balance issues, but now on several |
| with my walker, and eventually on my own. The | | | | different horses that have been started using natural |
| horses wanted to understand what I was asking and | | | | horsemanship communication. |
| kept searching for the answers until they got it. | | | | I urge everyone who is experiencing something that |
| Horses can be such a source of comfort as well as | | | | doesn't seem quite right about their body to bring it up |
| great teachers. If dealt with respectfully, and with | | | | to a doctor instead of waiting, and to work on |
| understanding of their psychology, horses want to | | | | developing patience and look for the good in life that |
| please and will try their hearts out for you. | | | | will come even after something bad. I also encourage |
| Unfortunately, there is still too much of the old way of | | | | everyone to investigate more about learning to |
| handling going on that doesn't recognize that, and those | | | | communicate with horses in such a way that a |
| poor horses are either like robots or even dangerous. | | | | partnership rather than a dictatorship is formed |
| The extra time on the ground playing with different | | | | between human and animal. There are many |
| horses was fun and useful as well as therapeutic. It's | | | | wonderful books, DVDs, and clinicians out there for |
| neat to be able to communicate with your horse | | | | guidance. |