Members of the Pegasus Club joined us yesterday evening for a session exploring the benefits of Reiki for horses…  

Reiki is a healing modality developed in the 1900’s by Mikao Usui.  It’s a Japanese “hands on or off” technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes the body’s natural ability to heal itself.  The evening was kindly hosted by Clare Fogarty of Healing Umbrella, a Reiki practitioner who visits our yard to work with our horses.

We began the evening with an introduction and meditation and then our Pegasus members were able to join the horses and practice what they had learned on Coco, Mr Darcy and Becca.  We had a brilliant reaction from the horses as the session progressed and they became visibly more relaxed.  

The evening really highlighted how much horses do pick up on our moods and emotions, and how centering and relaxing yourself before interacting with them leads to a much better connection with the horse and a more rewarding experience all round.

We returned to the meeting room after the practical session for further discussion and the opportunity to ask questions and feedback – here’s some comments from the evening:

“Coming here was amazing, it’s something that can’t be explained, but felt – when connecting with a horse it gives you a feeling beyond refreshed or relaxed.  I loved it and I hope wholeheartedly, I can do this again, thank you” 

“I liked how I now know when a horse is either relaxed or unrelaxed.  I also know how to make a horse relaxed or happy or calm if it isn’t.”

“After leaving the session I felt a sense of trust between Coco and I.  I really enjoyed learning and experiencing about the horses and I have a better understanding of how we influence the horses with our energy / mood.”

“I felt the connection with Becca”

“I enjoyed it a lot.  It was an amazing experience, I felt so connected to Darcey and seeing him so calm brought me so much joy”.

We hope to host another session with Clare later in the year and Pegasus members are welcome to ask at Reception and add themselves onto the waiting list for the next event.  More photos from the evening below: