Making Choices for Your Horse -
Transferring Ownership
by Mia Mona Amore'
For those of you who are breeders of horses, please take a moment to consider your horse’s feelings before you buy, sell, or trade them. Many people think of horses as animals who feel physical pain, have likes and dislikes and even personalities. However, horses feel a great deal more than this and are capable of much greater thought processes than this.
Our equine friends are not just animals whom we can breed, buy, sell, or trade without consequence. These beings are intelligent, aware, fully equipped with extra-sensory perceptions, and have a full range of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual faculties – just as we humans (for the most part) do. Horses, especially the more sensitive breeds, are very much emotionally, mentally, and spiritually connected with their lives and every being with whom they share their lives – from the farm dog to their human counterparts.
These incredible beings are gentle, noble, and exceptionally Loving and loyal by nature and by their own choice. They are aware of family ties even when artificial insemination is used. They recognize family structures much in the same way that human beings do. They feel the pain and the loss of separation as humans do, too. They experience the feelings of betrayal, servitude, classification, and so many other emotional and mental perspectives as humans do. Horses are exceptionally spiritual beings, and quite often try to plan their lives as they can to uphold their spiritual beliefs and values. They hold honor, loyalty, and duty in very high esteem. Some people consider horses to be far more noble than most humans can even remember humanity being at any given point in its history.
As humans and horse “owners” we buy, sell, trade, and breed these beautiful beings at our whim. Not often do we think of how our control and our choices affect their lives and their emotional and mental states. We concern ourselves primarily with meeting our horse’s biological needs, although at times some do try to accommodate their likes and dislikes. Others give them not a thought or a care.
What is important for us to keep in mind is that the choices we make as our horses’ “owners” – or human stewards/counterparts – can affect the horse for its entire Life. We can literally “make or break” our horse from day one of its Life. This is a special consideration to those who are breeders, for your choices are among the most important of all those that affect the Life of the horse.
Ideally, transference of ownership or location of a horse should be done as if it were the blending of two families who come together for a time then fade apart again. The new owner comes into the “old family” so that the horse knows him/her as an addition to the family. Once the horse is familiar with the new owner, then he/she can be moved to the “new family” as the old owner then fades out of the picture. Again, ideally, we would not buy or sell just one horse, but at least two so that they have each other as Supports for their Life changes.
However ideal this concept is, it may not be practical or even feasible. We are left to approach the change in ownership as best we can. However, it is of paramount importance to acknowledge and honor the ability of the horse not only to Understand what is happening, but also to give them the opportunity to go through their closure and to process their changes. To do less creates an atmosphere for trauma and mental and emotional scarring and/or impairment. The horse will greatly benefit from the efforts of the buyer and the seller in attempting to avoid these traumas.
When it is time to sell a horse it is most beneficial and appropriate to talk to him or her first. The first separation can be extremely traumatic for any age, but it is especially so if it is a foal, the mother of a foal, or a horse who is still with his or her “first person” (the first person it came to know as a foal). As the seller of a horse, it is our responsibility to tell the horse what has been chosen for it and why. This should be done well before the actual transfer of location or homes is scheduled to take place. It may sound silly to suggest telling a horse that it has been sold and stating the reason why. Horses are incredibly intelligent and will Understand if they are given a chance to process what is happening in their lives. If you are a person who meditates, then we strongly suggest that you meditate with the horse and communicate the changes in this fashion. If you are not a meditator, then spend a few quiet moments alone with the horse and either speak the words aloud or think them as if you were talking to the horse. The horse will hear and Understand you either way. If the horse is unclear as to why he or she is being “sent away”, they often mistake the action as punishment, being thrown away, or feel as though they are not good enough in some way.
For the horse buyer, the responsibility is no less than it is for the seller. Again, if you are a person who meditates, welcome your new horse into your family through meditation. Explain who you are, who the other members of your family are (including non-human members of your family). Explain how you would like to see your new horse fitting into your collective Life experience and why you chose him or her specifically. It is important to make him or her feel safe, important, wanted, Loved, and of importance to you and his/her new family. If you are not one who meditates, try to spend time with your new horse before you actually have it transported to your home. If this is not possible, spend time thinking about and to your new horse communicating these things to him or her. Do your best to make him/her feel comfortable, welcome, Loved, and safe when he/she arrives. Then, spend some quiet moments alone with him/her and explain who you are, the family, the routines, etc.
For some, breeding, buying, selling, and/or trading horses is a way of Life. It is a business. It is how a living is made. There are some who view this process with distaste. Others see nothing at all wrong with it. It doesn’t have to be a case of one or the other when we simply commit ourselves to remembering that the horses we interact with are more than just animals whose biological needs must be met and personality quirks accommodated to maintain a seemingly Peaceful atmosphere. The mare in the corner of the pasture may seem Peaceful enough, but her Life may be sheer torture for her through the depression she feels due to the separation she has experienced through her purchase and sale. She may be depressed because she was taken from her mother for weaning before she was emotionally ready for it. She may be depressed because her foal was taken from her with no warning or explanation.
Spend time with your horses, especially if you are buying or selling one of them, and consider the great beings of intelligence and nobility that they are. Treat them with the same dignity that you would appreciate and expect if you were in their position. You may help them to avoid a traumatic experience that could well haunt them for the rest of their lives. Your choices not only affect your Life, but your horse’s Life as well. Make it a choice that you can both live happily with forever.
Mia Mona Amore’ is an animal communicator and multi-modality Healing arts specialist who assists equines in overcoming their biological, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual traumas and difficulties in Life. She is not a veterinarian and does not offer any form of veterinarian services. If you are interested in learning more about her, you can do so here.
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