IN West County Fall 2019 | Page 30

Horses That Heal Blended Spirits Ranch teaches you how to interact with horses—and learn about yourself. BY BERNADETTE WILSON H orses respond to a person’s thoughts and feelings. They aren’t mind readers, but they sense confidence, understand whether a tone is aggressive or assertive, and they can read body language from 30 feet away. Horses test each other to understand their place in the herd, and they also test people to see where they stand— they either allow you to lead them, or they lead you. Horses’ intuitive nature makes them excellent therapy animals. “A horse’s reaction is so honest. It tells you a whole lot about yourself—sometimes more than you realize,” says Sandy Long, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Blended Spirits Ranch Equine-Assisted Therapy Center in Fairview. “It’s hard not to pay attention to a 1,200-pound animal in your space. They respond in a way that makes you see what’s going on inside you. Equine-assisted psychotherapy is powerful, and it works.” THE HISTORY OF THE HERD When Long and her sister, Debbie Ellis, founded Blended Spirits Ranch 12 years ago with the mission of becoming a positive influence in the community by providing equine-assisted learning (EAL) and equine- assisted psychotherapy (EAP), they rescued horses to rehabilitate and partner with to 28 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ therapy and riding program. That’s how Elijah, a quarter horse that Long describes as “her partner in therapy for 12 years,” and Ellis’ horse, Fletcher, Elijah’s older brother, came to the ranch. The ranch uses its horses for either the riding program or for therapy, but some of Blended Spirits’ extraordinary animals are suited to both. A LESSON IN OVERCOMING Elijah was instrumental in a lesson on overcoming negative thoughts that Long facilitated for students from Erie City Mission’s Urban University leadership development program this summer. Long had the students identify the negative thought they tell themselves most often, then turn it around to create an affirmation. Oliver and a veteran For example, if students often thought, “I’m not good enough,” she had them say, “I am provide therapy. Oliver, a 16-year-old mixed good enough.” One by one, students entered Blended breed horse, was their first rescue, and he Spirits’ round pen with the horse after has played a part in healing for many people receiving instruction from Long, which from Erie County and beyond, including veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder included using their affirmation to get the (PTSD). “He takes the most broken people, horse to move or to stop. But they couldn’t just say, “I am good steps forward and gives them hope to enough.” They had to believe it. continue,” Long says. One student couldn’t get Elijah to Long and Ellis realized they would also move. In fact, the horse was nudging her. need to purchase horses to support their icmags.com