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NATIVE AMERICAN HEALING & THE HORSE November 28, 2007 Susan Bates

Traditional Healers from all over the world share some very basic concepts. First - healing is a matter of balance. If you are out of balance in any area, then disease can begin. Simply curing the dis - ease won't necessarily correct the imbalance. If you were to go to the doctor with a stomach complaint, he/she might run some tests, arrive at a diagnosis and give you a pill. If you were to go to a Native American healer, he/she would spend a lot of time talking with you to understand what is going on - not just with your stomach, but in your life. Then the healer would spend time in prayer or trance to see what the spirits have to say about your problems. Often a healer will go into the woods in search of the right medicine plant for his patient. In Western Medicine certain drugs treat certain illness and there can be many deadly side effects which the patient may have to deal with. Herbs are different in several ways. First, there are many herb which treat the same conditions. Traditional healers see herbs as allies with a spirit of its own. One healer may use an herb such as mullein for lung problems, while another healer might use horehound. Both herbs work equally as well, but one works better for one healer than the other. Often ceremonies are used in conjunction with herbs. Each individual healer has his own repertoire of ceremonies which has either been handed down from healer to healer or given him by the spirits. You will probably never see an MD smudging a patient with sage or shaking a rattle while singing a curing song. But these work and often will do the job as well if not better than surgery. Animals are part of our healing traditions, too. Since they have spirit, it isn't surprising that people with pets often live longer, happier lives than those living alone. If you want to see a nursing home light up, arrange to take some dogs and cats for a visit. You will see the light come on in many an old tired eye. Horses are very valuable in physical therapy of sick, injured and handicapped people. People with spinal cord injuries as well as many other problems see improvement from therapeutic horse back riding. The horse's walk mimics that of a human's and stimulates and strengthens back muscles which the person cannot move on his own. The resulting benefits include increased mobility and less pain. People with balance problems are often helped, too. And who could be depressed very long riding on a horse? Many people experience their first taste of freedom on horseback. Recently I met a woman named Rhonda Crescenzo in West Plains. Rhonda, a native of New Jersey, is in the process of building up a stable of horses for therapeutic riding in West Plains. She was raised with horses and was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 19. Recognizing the role horseback riding played in her life, Rhonda dreamed of having her own therapeutic riding academy. Although new to our area, Rhonda has been involved with therapeutic riding for 6 years. Right now she has only one horse but is hoping for more. She is also in need of saddles, especially those designed for handicapped people. Rhonda doesn't charge anyone for her services and everyone is welcome. But she depends on donations to keep this work alive. If you have a horse you don't have time for, or some good tack you're not using, some extra hay or a little extra money, why not give it to someone who will use it to make a real difference in someone's life? If you would like to know more about therapeutic riding, set up an appointment to ride or to make a donation, you can call Rhonda at 417-257-9940. Her farm is located on County Road 343 across from JJ Highway off of highway 160. And tell her Susan sent you.

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Cures seldom result in a healing, but healing almost always results in a cure.-----Alberto Villoldo

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