Coffee Clutch with Dutch Henry: "Feature Friday- Katie Holme and Healing Horses"

Friday, April 5, 2013

"Feature Friday- Katie Holme and Healing Horses"

Howdy Folks,

Eighteen years ago Katie Holme suffered a horrible incident that left her suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For years she endured the devastating life changing effects and trauma while pursuing conventional therapies and treatments. Relief and comfort remained out of reach. Katie even sought out untraditional therapies with little results.

Her struggle for peace continued when a horse named Chief came into her life. Katie had heard Chief had been abused and neglected, and something inside her demanded she rescue him. It was while healing Chief that Katie began to heal herself. Even though weak, tired and confused, Chief carried Katie to a place of peace and harmony with the world. She began to heal and find strength and then a focus. Chief helped her understand that he, and other horses like him, could help heal other people like herself. Traumatized, wounded, neglected horses could help heal traumatized, wounded, neglected humans. Through Chief, Katie knew that to be true. What could she do with that knowledge?

Katie and Chief

Katie set about finding a way to use the truths Chief had given her. With her heart full of hope, and Chief's encouragement, she founded "Healing Horses," a non-profit organization in Fort Mill, South Carolina with a mission to "rescue, rehabilitate and offer sanctuary to horses who are victims of trauma or abuse, and to leading people with troubled hearts and spirits to a pathway of healing through the Horse."

At Healing Horses the rescue and rehabilitation is done with the horse's perspective as the guiding light. Each horse is guided gently back to health, physically and mentally using the, “The Healing Wheel” – The 7-step program formulated by Katie. 1) Rescue. 2) Evaluation. 3) Plan of Care. 4) Intensive care. 5) Re-education and Training. 6) Reconnection with people. 7) A New Start!

Relaxing with Katie and other Healing Horse family members is important during the healing process.

"Humans Healing Horses and Horses Healing Humans" is the motto at Healing Horses. After they've gone through the healing process the rescued horses in turn offer their love, strength and guidance to healing those humans who have been hurt and need healing of their own. Their program "Healing Hearts With Healing Horses" is a specialized healing program using the horse as guide and teacher. Since each person is different and faces his/her own unique challenges, the program is tailored to meet each individuals needs.

A "New Start"

A "New Start" is given both the horse and the human at this little piece of heaven called "Healing Horses." Thank you Chief for giving Katie her New Start! And thank you Katie for passing it on!

Healing Horses also offer horses with love to give for adoption. Visit their website http://www.healinghorses.us/site/ to learn more about them, and how you might be able help them help.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

2 comments:

PatriciaApril 29, 2013 at 6:46 PM
Hey Dutch! I guess I missed this post because I was googling Katie and Healing Horses and found this. I just spoke with Katie on the phone for over an hour because I'm looking to find a veteran in need in my area who would be interested in equine therapy for PTSD. She was so helpful and so kind I was instantly glad I spoke with her. I'm doing some research now and am going to keep in contact with her about what I find out.
Patti
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Welcome to the Coffee Clutch

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch, a happy place to visit. I write uplifting stories about a wide variety of subjects from horses to birds and nature, to love and family and friends. Sometimes I'll post excerpts from stories I've written for Equine Publications. Sometimes I'll post about writing itself. Coffee Clutch got its name because I often write while enjoying my morning coffee in the barn with my mare Kessy, and all our critters. Join us here for fun conversation and stories I promise will make you feel good.

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This is not a book about riding, or training horses. It is a book on my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how folks might find the joy in doing things for the horse, with the horses’ point of view as the leading guide. My hope is to help as many people as possible learn to hear the horse, feel their spirit, and in that way help horses everywhere. Over the years I’ve met and worked with remarkable people and horses who taught me about their feelings, their joys, their sadness, and their spirit. As a horse advocate everything I do is from the horse’s perspective, including this little book. Every story, idea, suggestion and thought on these pages will be to suggest and share thoughts and ideas on how to maximize a relationship between horse and human—from the horse’s point of view.

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