Horses and Humans Help Each Other Heal
By: Julie Puentes
In the fall of 2011, a 34,000-acre inferno erupted just a few miles from our farm. For a week we were helpless, unable to reach our farm and not knowing what, if anything, would still be standing or how our herd of cows would survive. When we could finally access our farm, it seemed untouched, while our neighbor’s place was scorched.
At the end of our inspection our jaws dropped as we realized the back corner of our property was burned, trees were black, ash was everywhere right up to the edge of a fire line constructed by firefighters we would never know. And then, two months later, due to a significant injury, I had to retire my horse, who was in the prime of his life. I had raised him from a baby. The direction of my life changed dramatically within the span of those two months.My husband and I felt blessed that our farm was spared, but the devastation and the transition and care of my beloved horse weighed on us. I felt compelled to act on a dream I had, and what emerged was beyond my wildest imagination. What emerged is my non-profit, HorseLink, based near Austin, Texas.
Growing up riding competitively, I watched horses generously give their all throughout their careers for many years until they could not do the job anymore. At some point, they could not hold up to the physical demands of their athletic careers. Their owners were often in a dilemma, wanting to do right by their horses and provide good homes, while struggling to afford it or find people who would take of a horse who could not be ridden. The options were limited. Some people were lucky and found great solutions, many did not. Hard choices had to be made and horses seemed to disappear into the ether, no one quite sure what ended up happening to them. It gnawed at me throughout my whole life and then, it happened to me. My horse’s career was over at age fourteen.
In the spring of 2012, HorseLink was born, becoming a full-fledged non-profit in 2014. It is a dual-mission non-profit that provides a loving home and continued purpose for retired competition horses. These horses, used to high levels of human interaction while performing a job, transition to arguably the most important job of their lives: helping people find courage, hope, and skills to move forward after a life-altering event or challenge.
Profound healing
I knew the horses would be incredible and safe for people to work with, and I knew the profound healing that veterans, trauma and cancer survivors, and many others would experience. I also hoped that responsible horse owners who wanted the best for their horses would take a chance on us and trust our new affordable, yet sustainable option for their horses’ retirement (we ask previous owners to pay a tax-deductible yearly amount towards the care of their horse). What I didn’t fully anticipate was the mutual healing that would occur between our clients and our horses and the added joy it would bring to HorseLink.
One of the first times I witnessed this mutual healing was during one of the veteran’s programs. One veteran, Joe, who was dealing with severe anger issues related to his PTSD, chose to work with our horse Padi. Padi had eventually landed in a loving home and that owner retired him with us. But it had been a long, hard life for him before that and, while sweet and gentle, he was also often aloof, in protective mode and sometimes full of anxiety, especially when he came into the round pen to work with someone.
In a round pen, Padi would pace endlessly and almost seem to dissociate at times, showing no interest in the people in his vicinity. I watched attentively with my co-facilitators as Joe went into the pen with Padi. Would he be able to get Padi’s attention or make any connection at all?
Joe went in and started to walk back and forth with Padi matching him step for step, but always letting Padi decide where to walk, when to turn. He just followed him. He also spoke to him and reassured him the entire time. He talked about his own struggle with anger, uncertainty, pressure, and anxiety. He told Padi he understood and would just be there with him, however he was.
After about ten minutes, Padi suddenly stopped. He turned his head and looked directly at Joe who then slowly approached him. He started petting him and Padi nuzzled closer. They stayed this way for a few minutes until they both exhaled, and the hardness and strain in Joe’s face dissipated. He dropped his shoulders and he smiled still telling Padi he understood his feelings. He relayed that in the experience he learned he didn’t have to carry around the anger, he could choose to let it go. It was wonderful.
However, the gift didn’t stop there. The next time Padi came into the round pen to work with someone, he did not pace. He was present, engaged, loving, and calm. He has been that way ever since. Joe has also seen great change in his life, going back to school and starting a new career.
Growing up riding competitively, I watched horses generously give their all throughout their careers for many years until they could not do the job anymore. At some point, they could not hold up to the physical demands of their athletic careers. Their owners were often in a dilemma, wanting to do right by their horses and provide good homes, while struggling to afford it or find people who would take of a horse who could not be ridden. The options were limited. Some people were lucky and found great solutions, many did not. Hard choices had to be made and horses seemed to disappear into the ether, no one quite sure what ended up happening to them. It gnawed at me throughout my whole life and then, it happened to me. My horse’s career was over at age fourteen.
In the spring of 2012, HorseLink was born, becoming a full-fledged non-profit in 2014. It is a dual-mission non-profit that provides a loving home and continued purpose for retired competition horses. These horses, used to high levels of human interaction while performing a job, transition to arguably the most important job of their lives: helping people find courage, hope, and skills to move forward after a life-altering event or challenge.
Profound healing
I knew the horses would be incredible and safe for people to work with, and I knew the profound healing that veterans, trauma and cancer survivors, and many others would experience. I also hoped that responsible horse owners who wanted the best for their horses would take a chance on us and trust our new affordable, yet sustainable option for their horses’ retirement (we ask previous owners to pay a tax-deductible yearly amount towards the care of their horse). What I didn’t fully anticipate was the mutual healing that would occur between our clients and our horses and the added joy it would bring to HorseLink.
One of the first times I witnessed this mutual healing was during one of the veteran’s programs. One veteran, Joe, who was dealing with severe anger issues related to his PTSD, chose to work with our horse Padi. Padi had eventually landed in a loving home and that owner retired him with us. But it had been a long, hard life for him before that and, while sweet and gentle, he was also often aloof, in protective mode and sometimes full of anxiety, especially when he came into the round pen to work with someone.
In a round pen, Padi would pace endlessly and almost seem to dissociate at times, showing no interest in the people in his vicinity. I watched attentively with my co-facilitators as Joe went into the pen with Padi. Would he be able to get Padi’s attention or make any connection at all?
Joe went in and started to walk back and forth with Padi matching him step for step, but always letting Padi decide where to walk, when to turn. He just followed him. He also spoke to him and reassured him the entire time. He talked about his own struggle with anger, uncertainty, pressure, and anxiety. He told Padi he understood and would just be there with him, however he was.
After about ten minutes, Padi suddenly stopped. He turned his head and looked directly at Joe who then slowly approached him. He started petting him and Padi nuzzled closer. They stayed this way for a few minutes until they both exhaled, and the hardness and strain in Joe’s face dissipated. He dropped his shoulders and he smiled still telling Padi he understood his feelings. He relayed that in the experience he learned he didn’t have to carry around the anger, he could choose to let it go. It was wonderful.
However, the gift didn’t stop there. The next time Padi came into the round pen to work with someone, he did not pace. He was present, engaged, loving, and calm. He has been that way ever since. Joe has also seen great change in his life, going back to school and starting a new career.
Mutual healing
Over the years, we have witnessed this mutual healing phenomena with many of our horses.
One woman, Alicia, chose to work with a new horse, Pilgrim, who was not integrating with the herd. He wasn’t being accepted and did not make much of an attempt to be part of the herd.
During a grooming session with this horse, the woman tearfully confessed to feeling like an outsider and that she felt she didn’t fit in with people. How fitting, I mused, that she was sharing this experience with a horse who would have said the same thing to her if he could talk. When she made this confession, the connection that happened between her and Pilgrim was something to behold. She stood for several minutes with her hand on his lowered head and the resonance was palpable. Shortly after that session, the horse began to engage with the herd more and slowly built up his confidence to integrate. The herd accepted him, and he is now fully a part of them.
Alicia left the workshop and began to advertise her own class offerings and experiment with ways to engage with new clients. She wrote to us after her day with Pilgrim, “What struck me most about my experience is how comfortably led I felt with the horse. I sensed authenticity and clarity, and it was easy to trust.”
On the last of a three-day veteran’s program last week, we had each veteran take a rock from the property and write a word on it that would help them remember what they learned or gained from their time with the horses. A man we had seen transform before our eyes over the course of the program, wrote the word “worthy” on his rock.
“That word, worthy, shook me to my core.”
This journey has not always been easy, and I admit to the times I was terrified HorseLink wouldn’t make it. Would I have the stamina or grit to keep going? Now, I can honestly say it has been the most rewarding and gratifying privilege of my life. I realized as I watched this veteran grin and hold up the rock with the word worthy on it that it captured perfectly what HorseLink has become. It is a place where humans and horses metaphorically rise from the ashes and realize their intrinsic value. Here, people and horses accept and embrace their true worth based in their authentic selves and begin to awaken to the gifts they bring to the world by just being here. ~*~
Over the years, we have witnessed this mutual healing phenomena with many of our horses.
One woman, Alicia, chose to work with a new horse, Pilgrim, who was not integrating with the herd. He wasn’t being accepted and did not make much of an attempt to be part of the herd.
During a grooming session with this horse, the woman tearfully confessed to feeling like an outsider and that she felt she didn’t fit in with people. How fitting, I mused, that she was sharing this experience with a horse who would have said the same thing to her if he could talk. When she made this confession, the connection that happened between her and Pilgrim was something to behold. She stood for several minutes with her hand on his lowered head and the resonance was palpable. Shortly after that session, the horse began to engage with the herd more and slowly built up his confidence to integrate. The herd accepted him, and he is now fully a part of them.
Alicia left the workshop and began to advertise her own class offerings and experiment with ways to engage with new clients. She wrote to us after her day with Pilgrim, “What struck me most about my experience is how comfortably led I felt with the horse. I sensed authenticity and clarity, and it was easy to trust.”
On the last of a three-day veteran’s program last week, we had each veteran take a rock from the property and write a word on it that would help them remember what they learned or gained from their time with the horses. A man we had seen transform before our eyes over the course of the program, wrote the word “worthy” on his rock.
“That word, worthy, shook me to my core.”
This journey has not always been easy, and I admit to the times I was terrified HorseLink wouldn’t make it. Would I have the stamina or grit to keep going? Now, I can honestly say it has been the most rewarding and gratifying privilege of my life. I realized as I watched this veteran grin and hold up the rock with the word worthy on it that it captured perfectly what HorseLink has become. It is a place where humans and horses metaphorically rise from the ashes and realize their intrinsic value. Here, people and horses accept and embrace their true worth based in their authentic selves and begin to awaken to the gifts they bring to the world by just being here. ~*~
“What struck me most about my experience is how comfortably led I felt with the horse. I sensed authenticity and clarity, and it was easy to trust.”
Julie Puentes Bio
Working in what she calls “her ideal career”, Julie is devoted to partnering with clients to develop their leadership abilities and use them effectively in their jobs, communities, and lives. Committed to the principles of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, she helps people see and feel their impact on others and act with clear intention and purpose.
Julie has combined her life-long passion for horses with her knowledge of psychology and leadership to bring unique and pioneering approaches to learning and development in her
coaching and leadership work. In addition, she is the Founder of HorseLink, a non-profit horse sanctuary offering equine-assisted programs to veterans and other populations navigating difficult life challenges. She is an approved facilitator in Equine-Assisted Leadership, has a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Ethics from St. Edward’s University, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas.
HorseLink email: julie@thehorselink.org phone: 512-360-8499 website: thehorselink.org
Facebook: facebook.com/AustinHorseLink/ instagram: thehorselink
Be sure to check out Julie's Humanity Needs the Horses interview from her beautiful farm in Texas.
Julie has combined her life-long passion for horses with her knowledge of psychology and leadership to bring unique and pioneering approaches to learning and development in her
coaching and leadership work. In addition, she is the Founder of HorseLink, a non-profit horse sanctuary offering equine-assisted programs to veterans and other populations navigating difficult life challenges. She is an approved facilitator in Equine-Assisted Leadership, has a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Ethics from St. Edward’s University, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas.
HorseLink email: julie@thehorselink.org phone: 512-360-8499 website: thehorselink.org
Facebook: facebook.com/AustinHorseLink/ instagram: thehorselink
Be sure to check out Julie's Humanity Needs the Horses interview from her beautiful farm in Texas.