Caring for a horse is not like caring for other companion animals. For starters, horses can’t live in our homes with us! And horses are larger and much more powerful than any dog or cat could ever be. But in other ways, our equine companions go through the same types of experiences as any other pet living in close company to humans. And sometimes, no matter what we do to try to figure out what our horses want or need, it just feels like we need a translator. This is exactly the right time to ask the animal communicator for help.

Dear Shannon,

My horse, Sir Morton, came to me five years ago. Getting him was a dream-come-true – he is my first horse. From the start, he has been a sweet and gentle riding buddy and companion. We have spent so many wonderful hours together riding along the trails that surround his stables. Until lately, that is. Over the past few weeks, Sir M (my nickname for him) has gotten more and more fussy about wearing his saddle and bridle. Now when I go to put his tack on him, he backs up as far as he can or turns to the side or nips at my hands – the stable manager thinks he’s just bored and trying to make it into a game, but I don’t think so. I’ve had the vet out to check him all over and she says he is healthy. I have no idea what to try next – will I ever be able to ride him again?

Sherry the horse girl for life

Dear Sherry,

Thank you for reaching out on Sir Morton’s behalf. What I get when I read between the lines of your email is that your intuition is talking to you loud and clear. Something is up with Sir Morton and it can’t be explained away so easily as a horse who is bored or in obvious medical crisis.

One of the reasons we human animals love horses so much is because they are such intuitive, sensitive, and nuanced companions. Horses teach us that small details matter greatly. And often those same small details can quickly become big problems for our horses, who have far less control over their living situations and daily schedules than we have over ours.

When I tune in with Sir M, he draws my attention to two small things that appear to be connected to his sudden big change in behavior.

As an animal intuitive, I receive a lot of messages from animals through my physical body. What I mean is, I might feel the emotion the animal is feeling or even feel in my body some of the physical sensations that are going on in the animal’s body.

When I scan Sir M’s energetic system, he stops me at the heart chakra in the chest area. And instead of the vibrant emerald green of a healthy heart chakra, his heart chakra appears to my inner eye as more of a dull army green. And instead of whirling at a steady pace in a clockwise position, his heart chakra is moving sluggishly clockwise in fits and starts. 

When I ask him what is causing these symptoms, a feeling of loneliness and loss wells up. It feels like Sir M is missing somebody. When I ask him to tell me more, he shows me a view of an empty stall. It could be that another horse who was stabled with him was moved recently or has passed across the rainbow bridge? If this does not immediately make sense to you, I would recommend checking with the stable manager to ask about any recent changes at the stables.

The second thing Sir M shows me comes across as a subtle sensation of low back pain nearer the hips than withers. As I am sure you are aware, there are so many possible reasons a horse might have low back pain or discomfort – if your veterinarian has already checked him out all over and nothing turned up, perhaps it may be beneficial to explore a saddle refitting or reflocking or holistic treatments using massage and other forms of bodywork. Noninvasive energy treatments like Reiki can also support healing at the physical, emotional, and energetic levels.

Sherry, I truly hope these insights are helpful to you as you explore options to help Sir M feel his best and get back to the trail rides you so love.

One additional thing I want to make clear is that Sir Morton’s behaviors do not appear to reflect any issue in his relationship with you. Rather, his behavior changes point to other types of changes in his daily living situation and perhaps to an underlying subtle area of pain or discomfort in his physical body. When I ask Sir M about his connection with you, what comes through loud and clear is joy, love, and gratitude.

From my heart,

Shannon