Our Horses Love Apple Season

It’s apple season and we’ve got more than 20 apple trees spread throughout the big field, and paddocks 3 and 2. A few days ago, the entire herd began coming to dinner once more. They had taken off 4 weeks from meals, stating, and rightly so, they were getting enough calories from the big field.

Jocelyn and I enjoy watching them harvest apples after we release them from their stalls. The trees are in clusters, here and there. It’s fun to watch who goes to which trees.

Tonight, we followed Joey and Rick down a hill to find them eating together at a single tree, totally out of sight of the herd.

Rick and the 3 babes (Kelli is 3 yo, Endy & Joey are both 2 yo) eat far more apples than anyone. Odella has several favorite trees she will only share with Dorinda or Rick. Once, at the lone apple tree on the hill in the big field, Venus, the colts, and Thyme were sharing the apples off a limb that had fallen earlier that day.

A few days ago, all the adults left paddock 2, where the food station is and the bulk of the apple trees, to graze in the big field. They crossed paddock 3 – all but Rick, who was in the apple grove of paddock 3, harvesting apples – and began their ascent on the big field. Left behind, were the 3 babes, who seemed to plan on tasting an apple from every tree in the paddock. We watched from our vantage point on the side of the big field hill as the babes came out of one grove, crossed over an opening, and disappear into one of the lower groves. They seemed to have grins on their faces and no intention to hurry to join the herd.

Hurray for apples, the temporary cure for herd bound behavior!

 

Serenity Equestrian Center and Feathered Dream Drum Horses are family owned and run. Serenity’s Equine Therapy program is not a therapeutic riding school, but focuses solely upon the emotional wellness of the visitors. Visit (right click) Serenity Equestrian Center to learn more about SEC. Proceeds from Gayla’s personal coaching at EFT Lady and Prayer Lady support the feeding, housing, and clothing of SEC’s herd. Private donations also support the herd’s needs and go toward the playground and building funds. Make a Donation at PayPal. Thank you!

Joey and Endy and the Burrs

Drum horses have long manes and tails and loads of feathers on their legs. Burrs in the hair is not fun or pretty.

Even though he cooperates, Endy does not like having burrs pulled out of his forelock and feathers. He gives us looks that seems to say, “I like the way I look. Can’t I just stay this way? Who’s going to notice? What’s the big deal?”…or could he being saying, “hurry up – I want to go eat apples!”

Joey, on the other hand, seems to enjoy the attention. When I work on his front legs, he bends over and nuzzles me up and down my back and lingers tenderly on my neck. I also think he enjoys making me squeal when he gently tickles my neck.

No matter what we’re doing, spending time with our stallions is a pleasure.

Serenity Equestrian Center and Feathered Dream Drum Horses are family owned and run. Serenity’s Equine Therapy program is not a therapeutic riding school, but focuses solely upon the emotional wellness of the visitors. Visit (right click) Serenity Equestrian Center to learn more about SEC. Proceeds from Gayla’s personal coaching at EFT Lady and Prayer Lady support the feeding, housing, and clothing of SEC’s herd. Private donations also support the herd’s needs and go toward the playground and building funds. Make a Donation at PayPal. Thank you!

Horses Are Smart

About 4 yrs ago, a scientific study was done comparing the intelligence of different species. Each team was given the same amount of time. Horses beat out dogs by learning 250 words and phrases compared to the dogs learning 50 words and phrases.

What our horses do in our veteran’s program simply astounds me. Our program focuses on emotional healing and was created out of our own experiences with our horses. Our horses each have different gifts in the healing of human emotions (trauma, grief, fear…). Unlike most therapy programs, we let our horses choose who they visit. They are always right. It thrills me to hear a person say, “this is the horse I wanted to get to know”.

Odella and Thyme attend the fear-filled and traumatized. Tess, Venus, and Rick go to those who are grieving – they have a gift for helping people cry out bottled up tears.

Horses most often show understanding of our tone of voice and attitude. When our Drum stallions were tiny tykes, I played curiosity games with them. I’d say enthusiastically, “Joey, Endy come see what I’ve got!” or “Come see!” Naturally, my attitude was the loudest message they were honing in on. The more I made out that I had a secret to share just with them, the more curious they were. As with most of us, they love feeling special.

Horses also talk to us. Fly season is an excellent time for your horse to prove how smart they are. Both Tess and Dorinda recently moved around me to present the offending fly on the other side of their neck. The other day, Joey hiked his hind leg up (like a dog!) and asked me to scratch his itch. He and his mom, Tess learned that move from Thyme!

8 out of 9 of our horses will go to their stall when they’re hovering over us (all of them are between 15.3h & 17.3h) at mealtime and we say, “go to your stall”. Tess (17.2) is the exception. She knows exactly what we are saying and yet, she stays in our face disagreeing – she says, “I’m not falling for that. I know you’ll put me in next if I stay with you.” Once in a while, she’ll say “ok” and go to her stall – just depends on her mood.

Serenity Equestrian Center and Feathered Dream Drum Horses are family owned and run. Serenity’s Equine Therapy program is not a therapeutic riding school, but focuses solely upon the emotional wellness of the visitors. Visit (right click) Serenity Equestrian Center to learn more about SEC. Proceeds from Gayla’s personal coaching at EFT Lady and Prayer Lady support the feeding, housing, and clothing of SEC’s herd. Private donations also support the herd’s needs and go toward the playground and building funds. Make a Donation at PayPal. Thank you!

Endy & Joey’s 1st Pony Rides

2 yo Drum stallions, Endy and Joey, recently gave their 1^st pony “rides”. Serenity’s Equine Therapy program is designed to work – literally – with the horses who volunteer on a given day. The boys have been involved with the public since birth. Because of our unconfined environment and no halters or leads, we let the horses and the people “tell” us what they feel comfortable doing. We read each situation individually. This day with the 6 J’s, was one of those amazingly perfect visits. The colts were their usual ultra-friendly selves and the 4 young children (ages 2, 5, 7, and and their parents were immediately comfortable with them. There’s just something calming and soothing about our drafts (and our TB who thinks like a cuddly draft). For most people anyway. 

The colts each seemed quite proud to have their little rider on their back. I think they appreciated us asking nothing more of them than to stand with this little person on their back while they continued to visit with everyone else.

The children sometimes laid down on their withers and hugged their necks. The colts love hugs. The children were full of respect – no bouncing or kicking – just willing to sit quietly and treasure the moment.

I took 80 photos and put 45 on our SEC site (lots of good ones). There’s one where the entire family is with Endy; the 7 yo is on his back – for the 2^nd time; and everyone has their head slightly bowed with a peaceful, contented smile on their face. It’s not so pretty, but it is a significant moment to me. Another not so pretty shot that I LOVE is the 5 yo sitting on the truck’s tailgate with Dorinda sniffing her shoe and the girl leaning into Venus’ chest while Venus takes a little nap. Her smile shines like a beacon between the two giant heads.

The one of Joey w/the 8 yo holding his hands out, showing how comfortable he was, is special. This boy has Asperger’s Syndrome. We had no idea how he would respond to the horses. It didn’t help that he had decided before they left home, that he wanted nothing to do with them! He surprised all of us by relaxing and “flowing” with their energy. He acted like he’d known them all of his life.

The 2 yo girl doesn’t speak outside of her home and very little inside. She talked “non-stop” from her first site of the horses. Her parents were thrilled and so were we. She rode Thyme. One of my favorite photos of her is in the truck – she’s bending down to let Venus sniff her hand, while her 5 yo sister is letting Dorinda sniff her leg. Both mares have their best ears-forward pose — too bad we didn’t get the burrs out of their gorgeous forelocks before company came!

It’s a privilege to witness moments like these where humans and horses meet soul to soul; enriching all of our lives. I’m so grateful and proud of my herd of 2 stallions, 5 mares, and 2 geldings for loving each other and gently, orderly lavishing their love on us and our guests.

I’m so proud of Endy and Joey. I knew they would take to having a “rider” with grace.

My heart is overflowing with joy and appreciation.

Serenity Equestrian Center and Feathered Dream Drum Horses are family owned and run. Serenity’s Equine Therapy program is not a therapeutic riding school, but focuses on emotional wellness of the visitors.  Visit (right click) Serenity Equestrian Center  to learn more about SEC. Proceeds from Gayla’s personal coaching at EFT Lady and Prayer Lady support the feeding, housing, and clothing of SEC’s herd. Private donations also support the herd’s needs and go toward the playground and building funds. Make a Donation at PayPal. Thank you!