I've just had a really weird experience!

[Leo Walker]

I had the osteo out to Leo today and the weirdest thing happened. As well as being an osteo she does reiki and other stuff. The sort of thing I dont pay any attention to as it sounds like nonsense and something she only mentioning in passing afterwards. He is still very funny with strangers and didn't really want her touching him so she was treating him and doing myofasical release stuff. Just very gently to try and ease him into being treated.

She was working on his hindquarters and I was sitting in front of him. He suddenly went from tense and rigid to very soft. He pushed his head right into me and was stood with his head against me with his eyes closed, and I put my head against his head. He felt like he had just taken a deep breath and let go of all the tension and anger and decided to relax.

Then I felt a wave of sadness, more than that really, just absolute sorrow. It made me feel sick it was so strong. It literally felt like it was pouring out of him into me and I was drowning in it. I cant really describe it but it wasnt like anything I have ever experienced before. It only lasted a minute or so, then just stopped. When I looked up at the osteo she had tears in her eyes and said hes been very sad for a long time, no one has had anytime for him, or words to that effect. Then she carried on working on him and his eyes opened, his head came back up and he started checking my pockets for carrots that he knew I had.

She worked on him and left him loose and relaxed. He was radiating happiness and positively bouncing when I put him out so clearly feeling good.

Then driving home it happened again, feeling sick and just really, really strong waves of sadness. I thought I was going to have to pull the car over it was that strong. Then as quick as it started it stopped again.

The only thing I can think is that having experienced that when I was with him and disregarded it a bit, when I was on my own in the quiet in the car, the feelings came back. The whole thing was just massively weird and horribly upsetting. I've never felt such intense feelings like that before and there arent words to really describe it. But I'd testify in court it came from him and he was pushing it onto me and letting it go.

I know when he came he was very, very shut down and miserable and I've spent hours and hours and hours with him, just grooming him and working him from the ground etc. We dont ever fight with him no matter how hard he tries to start one. I do lots of clicker training and positive reinforcement. Hes now stopped trying to kill everyone who touches him and is a very different horse to the one that arrived. So I hope if those feelings did come from him that he doesnt actually feel like that anymore.

Sitting here now typing it out it sounds ridiculous! I'd roll my eyes and close the thread if anyone else posted nonsense like this. But I just wondered if anyone else ever had anything like that happen or am I just delusional?!

 

[Cortez]

My best friend is a physio, she once stuck her finger in my shoulder and I practically collapsed on the floor with a release of tension (she knows her stuff!). As for the rest; you are delusional

 

[meleeka]

I'm a sceptic but I'd love to have something like this for my boy and actually feel the proof.
It'll be interesting what she says (or what you feel) the next time she treats him.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Maybe the sick feeling was your breakfast not agreeing with you

 

[Leo Walker]

I really would rather it was me being delusional than think anything had ever felt that sort of sadness. Its really rattled me and I dont believe in that sort of thing at all.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Sorry I shouldn't off taken the piss. I had a dream come true only, nobody ever believed me but I remember every detail to this day. One off those things that you will never understand I doubt

 

[Leo Walker]

Dont worry about it. I'm more than half convinced I just made the whole thing up myself or theres another logical explanation

 

[blitznbobs]

If I sit with depressed patients and I feel this at the end of the day - my gut feeling is the osteo was manipulating your emotions (intentionally or unintentionally)

 

[SEL]

It may be that the osteo took what you'd told them about the horse, picked up on your own grief and came up with a bit of a story.

But horses communicate in ways that we're not programmed to. I never completely shut my mind to people who can 'sense' things around animals. Just because I can't, doesn't mean there aren't people that can.

 

[tallyho!]

I think thats really lovely

 

[Pearlsasinger]

But horses communicate in ways that we're not programmed to. I never completely shut my mind to people who can 'sense' things around animals. Just because I can't, doesn't mean there aren't people that can.

This. I have had horses tell me things through dreams, which I know sounds utterly bizarre, like when the coloured cob had a drowned rat in her water bucket. I dreamed about it, although I didn't know which horse it was, and when I went out to do morning stables, her bucket had a dead rat in it!

Never dismiss anything is my motto!

 

[Pedantic]

If that's what you experienced, then that's what you experienced.

 

[Goldenstar]

If that's what you experienced, then that's what you experienced.

Yes that it .
That's what a friend I had called treating a toxic horse she did not mean they they were poisonous I think it was more they had lot of bad stuff to let go of .
She used to a lot of horses in training and a day of them could make her feel sick sometimes.
Just run with the experience .

 

[ycbm]

You will know from your length of time on the forum that I am no fluffy bunny. I do not believe in homeopathy or horse whisperers. But I often sense quite intense sadness from horses, particularly those in American barn systems (sorry folks ).

You know your horse so well, I think that your sensation of him letting go of tension and mental pain was quite possibly genuinely coming from him.

Fifty years ago we would never have believed that the tiny, tiny amounts of electrical power that mobile phones work on could possibly transmit voice. Now, we take it for granted.

Our brains also work on electrical signals. I don't consider it beyond the bounds of possibility than big emotional surges can be read, person to person, or animal to person.

But don't start me on 'animal communicators' who know any level of detail ('he had a paddock with a tree in it' ). Absolute charlatans!

 

[MDB]

There is so much more to life than we can see or science can explain. I would just go with it. I certainly don't think you are delusional. What an amazing experience for you to be so connected with your horse, even if it was quite upsetting at the time.

 

[Leo Walker]

It may be that the osteo took what you'd told them about the horse, picked up on your own grief and came up with a bit of a story.

But horses communicate in ways that we're not programmed to. I never completely shut my mind to people who can 'sense' things around animals. Just because I can't, doesn't mean there aren't people that can.

I dunno, she never said anything until after it happened. She was there as an osteopath not anything else and she knows me well enough to know I'm just not interested in any sort of horse whispering stuff.

I emailed her to ask about it and she said shes not a reiki or energy healer or anything like that, but that she definitely felt him letting go physically and mentally. Maybe I misinterpreted the letting go of muscular tension. I have had myofasical physio stuff done to me and I know the release it brings and how wobbly and weird I feel afterwards. But it was such a strong, intense and horrible emotion. I cant describe it properly but it was absolutely awful then it just stopped and was gone.

Who knows what if anything happened. It wont change anything but it will be interesting to see how he is going forwards

 

[Leo Walker]

There is so much more to life than we can see or science can explain. I would just go with it. I certainly don't think you are delusional. What an amazing experience for you to be so connected with your horse, even if it was quite upsetting at the time.

Connection is a better word for what I am struggling to explain. I felt like there was a connection and all this sadness and sorrow was rushing through me and then it was gone.

Maybe someone slipped some LSD in my coffee this morning?!

 

[YorksG]

The longer we live the more we realise how much we do not know! We surmise that horses communicate with body language, but we have no proof that this is their only method of communication. There is some work in human babies on their ability to communicate with their primary care giver, by right brain to right brain. I wonder if humans who spend time with horses before their language is set (about 7 years old) "learn" their communication method?

 

[tankgirl1]

horses communicate in ways that we're not programmed to. I never completely shut my mind to people who can 'sense' things around animals. Just because I can't, doesn't mean there aren't people that can.

This, I'm sceptical but can't deny the possibility

 

[Lexi_]

I'm a sceptical type and I have no idea if she's good, bad or indifferent but I read a book by Nikki McKay years ago about her experiences as an animal communicator and some of the things she describes are very similar to what you've written.

 

[Leitrim]

I don't think you could have described that feeling so vividly if you had not really experienced it. I hope it was a real breakthrough for Leo and has consolidated his trust in you .... after all you got the physio in!

 

[Cowpony]

There's a lot of stuff we don't understand and don't take the time to try. I was on holiday recently and one of our group, who I'd never met before, has a massage therapy business. She offered to treat us with the tuning forks she had brought with her. :confused3::confused3:

I'm an accountant and deal with hard facts. Now I'm prepared to believe that a tuning fork might somehow vibrate at the same frequency as something in the human body and thereby have a therapeutic effect. But when I asked about the disks at the end of the tines and she said they reflected the vibrations of particular planets... .well, let's just say I had to control my facial muscles.

When it came to my turn she honed in unerringly to the areas that were causing me problems, and when she put the fork on my shoulder i got ripples all the way down my back. She treated my bad knee, and the next day I had no pain at all. I'd definitely have another treatment from her. Maybe the planetary vibrations helped, maybe they didn't, but something definitely worked!

 

[Red-1]

If that's what you experienced, then that's what you experienced.

I do believe in this ^^.

I once paid for a 'body worker' for Jay. He had no particular problems, and I thought this man was a massage person. He came well recommended, so I just paid the money for Jay to have a spa day.

I was alone when he came, and when he whipped his crystal out and started spinning it I did think "Oh Oh". But, a similar thing happened. The horse was at first unimpressed with the whole procedure, then he looked as if he was going to colic, really distressed. I was rather confused, as the man only had a light hand on his neck, and a crystal in the other hand. I was about to ask the man to leave, when the horse had a HUGE release. He had gut noises, yawning, licking, head down, eyes half shut. He was breathing slow and deep. The man was exhausted.

The horse was never the same again. He had also been shut down and he just woke up in a nice way. We had a much better relationship.

I have absolutely no explanation.

 

[Mongoose11]

What's his past that made him so sad? I didn't realise he'd come shut down.

 

[Leo Walker]

Hes an ex traveller horse. He was entire and was used to pull bow tops. Its a bit hazy what happened to him that meant his ex owner "rescued him" but those sorts of horses dont end up in a bad situation unless something has gone wrong. Ex owner thought a lot of him initially and bought him as a potential HOYS horse, was going to stand him at stud, spent a lot of money starting to register him with CHAPs and TGCA, sent him away for 10 weeks refresher driving training, advertised him as a covering stallion, had him gelded at the vet hospital at huge cost, then lost interest in him very quickly. Not sure why but 9 months later he turned up on the Horse Auction Online group on Facebook and I bought him for pennies. I didnt ask too many questions as it doesnt matter to me. I deal with the horse I have in front of me.

She told me he was difficult with his feet, dangerous with the farrier, couldnt be clipped, couldnt be bathed etc. All of which was true when he arrived. Hes now fine for the farrier, I can bath him stood loose in the yard and I clipped him with no issue. It took a little bit of work but we got there. But his default reaction to anything hes not sure of is to get in first and threaten to kill you. I dont know how far he would take it if I pushed him but he did initially respond with violence. I still have a bite mark/scar on my hip where I stupidly tried to put oil on his legs with gloves on. By that point he was fine with me touching his legs and it never crossed my mind the addition of gloves would tip him over the edge but it did and he really meant it.

When he arrived for about a week there wasnt any sort of response from him unless he didnt like it and then he was aggressive. He was a nightmare with horses and people and was absolutely lethal if he was without hay for even a nano second. We've had to cover the sides of his stable walls as hes in an American barn and he couldnt cope with seeing horses. The rest of the time he just hid in the corner.

We have responded by never, ever, ever picking a fight with him. If he looks like he is starting one we stop and come back to it later after doing something positive first. Clicker training, lots and lots of in hand work, very gentle riding with lots and lots of "gooood boy!"s. Every single day he gets better and hes blossomed! I genuinely believe that no one has ever been really nice and fair to him before, probably because he was such a git and its hard to be positive and kind to something thats being so vile! But now hes realising we are all kind and consistent and will be nice to him regardless he loves it. I have spent hours and hours with him, brushing him and doing the in hand stuff and its really paying off. He doesnt get why we are doing it, but hes prepared to give us the benefit of the doubt and see what happens.

None of it really matters to me. I knew what I was buying and I knew I was buying him from the second I saw his ad. He needed me and I needed him, and despite the difficult start we had I absolutely adore him. There are lots of horses that behave like him that are just managed, but I'm lucky enough to be able to peel back the layers and hes turning into such a lovely horse! Hes had the basic teeth, back and saddle done and his mites treated so hes comfortable and now we are slowly working on the rest of it.

This is ridiculously long and doesn't really cover how bad and sad he was and the work we have all put in, but I could go on and on and on about him as I am so very proud of him! We took him to his first show at the weekend and he went reserve champion with my non horsey OH running him up. And even better, he enjoyed the whole experience and was a total pleasure to take out. Another 6 months and he will be a model member of horsey society and no one will believe he once bit me hard enough to draw blood even though I got mainly out of the way

 

[Regandal]

In a book I have by Julie Dicker she describes similar events, where the horse somehow passes strong emotional feelings or states to her. You never know.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

I do believe that we can have connections. I have done with some of my ponies. A pony I had on loan was PTS, that night he came to say goodbye - I woke up with my arms around him. Two of my mares have "sent" messages when they were foaling. I very rarely wake at night, but on these two occasions I was alerted. We also lost a cat 18 months ago. A few weeks after he'd disappeared I saw him in a dream, he was letting me know what had happened.

LW, perhaps the out-pouring from him has also released grief from Frankies loss and he's now embracing the relationship with you. It sounds like you are doing a great job with him and the success at the show was the start of something great. I look forward to hearing further news from the two of you.

 

[StarcatcherWilliam]

I used to get an osteopath out to an exracer I had on loan a few years ago. She always said that he suffered from pain in his head and after working on him she would always have a terrible headache!

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

There is so very much we don't understand about things that can't be explained away by science, if that makes sense. I'm very open minded to just about anything and I've heard stranger things.
I hope that Leo has had a positive experience and that you can both progress forward x

 

[silv]

Hes an ex traveller horse. He was entire and was used to pull bow tops. Its a bit hazy what happened to him that meant his ex owner "rescued him" but those sorts of horses dont end up in a bad situation unless something has gone wrong. Ex owner thought a lot of him initially and bought him as a potential HOYS horse, was going to stand him at stud, spent a lot of money starting to register him with CHAPs and TGCA, sent him away for 10 weeks refresher driving training, advertised him as a covering stallion, had him gelded at the vet hospital at huge cost, then lost interest in him very quickly. Not sure why but 9 months later he turned up on the Horse Auction Online group on Facebook and I bought him for pennies. I didnt ask too many questions as it doesnt matter to me. I deal with the horse I have in front of me.

She told me he was difficult with his feet, dangerous with the farrier, couldnt be clipped, couldnt be bathed etc. All of which was true when he arrived. Hes now fine for the farrier, I can bath him stood loose in the yard and Iclipped him with no issue. It took a little bit of work but we got there. But his default reaction to anything hes not sure of is to get in first and threaten to kill you. I dont know how far he would take it if I pushed him but he did initially respond with violence. I still have a bite mark/scar on my hip where I stupidly tried to put oil on his legs with gloves on. By that point he was fine with me touching his legs and it never crossed my mind the addition of gloves would tip him over the edge but it did and he really meant it.

When he arrived for about a week there wasnt any sort of response from him unless he didnt like it and then he was aggressive. He was a nightmare with horses and people and was absolutely lethal if he was without hay for even a nano second. We've had to cover the sides of his stable walls as hes in an American barn and he couldnt cope with seeing horses. The rest of the time he just hid in the corner.

We have responded by never, ever, ever picking a fight with him. If he looks like he is starting one we stop and come back to it later after doing something positive first. Clicker training, lots and lots of in hand work, very gentle riding with lots and lots of "gooood boy!"s. Every single day he gets better and hes blossomed! I genuinely believe that no one has ever been really nice and fair to him before, probably because he was such a git and its hard to be positive and kind to something thats being so vile! But now hes realising we are all kind and consistent and will be nice to him regardless he loves it. I have spent hours and hours with him, brushing him and doing the in hand stuff and its really paying off. He doesnt get why we are doing it, but hes prepared to give us the benefit of the doubt and see what happens.

None of it really matters to me. I knew what I was buying and I knew I was buying him from the second I saw his ad. He needed me and I needed him, and despite the difficult start we had I absolutely adore him. There are lots of horses that behave like him that are just managed, but I'm lucky enough to be able to peel back the layers and hes turning into such a lovely horse! Hes had the basic teeth, back and saddle done and his mites treated so hes comfortable and now we are slowly working on the rest of it.

This is ridiculously long and doesn't really cover how bad and sad he was and the work we have all put in, but I could go on and on and on about him as I am so very proud of him! We took him to his first show at the weekend and he went reserve champion with my non horsey OH running him up. And even better, he enjoyed the whole experience and was a total pleasure to take out. Another 6 months and he will be a model member of horsey society and no one will believe he once bit me hard enough to draw blood even though I got mainly out of the way

Good on you for taking him on and giving him a chance. I am a bit on a non believer in these sort of spiritual things but would be interested to hear how he goes, keep us updated. Would also love to see a photo of him, sounds like he has had a pretty hard life up till now.