Distinctly Montana Magazine

People Heal Horses, "My mentors are horses," Dr. Sid Gustafson T TTOUCH on Bridger's ears stimulates his digestion, balances his breathing and pulse. PEOPLE HEAL HORSES he horse had been overtrained, always expected to perform. He was tense, not unlike Type A people. To get him out of this mode for weeks Catherine Nelson put her hands all over his body until he trusted her. She encouraged him to hold his head down in a relaxed manner and breathe. He be- came softer, yet still sensitive and aware. The two approach- es she uses to work with horses are TTOUCH, developed by Linda Tellington-Jones, and Pat Parelli's highly struc- tured natural horsemanship program. Catherine says, "The methods are similar and different. TTOUCH involves a lot of hands-on bodywork: with the ears, tail, legs, inside the mouth, all over the horse's body to help the horse come into balance physically, mentally, and emotionally. The Parelli method focuses on relation- ship and trust between horse and rider. Both programs involve groundwork techniques and riding as well as kind and gentle ways of training a horse." We need to understand that horses are prey animals, that they see potential danger everywhere unless trust and faith are established. Furthermore, horses have been abused, neglected, exploited and abandoned, not to mention sent to their deaths way before their time. They suffer joint pain, muscle and tendon strains, just as we do, especially in some accidental fall. The modalities individuals use on injured horses are similar in name to what they use on people but different in application. They include chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, massage, structural integration, TTOUCH, and acupuncture. Some horse healers also operate sanctuaries. Deborah Derr's United in Light establishment in Livingston, surrounded by the spectacular peaks of the Absaroka 48 Dr. Sid performs physical therapy on the coupling, where the pelvis articulates with the spine. Deborah with Prince of Dreams and Tatanka Mountains, exudes peace and contentment. She moved here with four old, arthritic draft horses in 2007. All the horses were saved from slaughter and are now free to live in retirement. Working with energy guidance as a Reiki Master, us- ing a cold laser, and employing chiropractic moves, she maintains the health of her horses. (Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. It is based on the idea that a life force energy flows through a body; if it is low, we are more likely to get sick; if high, we feel healthy and happy.) Currently she is raising funds for a shelter to protect the horses from the weather. She has a matching grant for a 20x80 one if she raises $3,000 more. (All donations welcome). Moonshadow, now 29 years old, was found in a tight stall in a barn; he hadn't seen daylight in 20 years. Fearful of everything, it took two years for Deborah to acclimate him to the corral and the other horses. Now when there is a new- comer, he's the one who shows where the hay is or the water. Another horse was shipped all the way from Pennsylva- nia with a fractured pelvis. He couldn't put weight on his back legs and walked tippy toes. She adjusted him and did energy work. She'd do strokes and hands-on positions for pain and inflammation in his nervous system and joints. Deborah says, "People come to visit not knowing why they're here. Some cry, but leave smiling." See the Web site for the backgrounds and pictures of the horses. She welcomes volunteers. DISTINCTLY MONTANA • WINTER 2011 JANICE CARTWRIGHT

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