Myths, Medicine & Misinformation:: Advice for Women About Life and Horses from the Barn Goddess

By Janelle Smith-Haff

Unbridle the caring spirit of humankind through the spirit of the equine.

Does the soul communicate with little girls through the spirit of the horse to begin the process of awakening females to their power? Is this why little girls experience a pink phase and a horse phase? Did the myths of yesteryear involving women and horses serve a spiritual purpose, or was their purpose solely to subjugate the power of women? Does the horses reputation as being a forgiving animal lie in the fact that it sees in humans the same energy that exists in the energy of the Divine?

Intertwined in Jellybeans continuing spiritual journey is a comprehensive primer for the newbie horse owner and owners of new horses on the cradle-to-grave care of the whole horse. Is the homeopathic remedy Ledum a successful alternative treatment for horses afflicted with headshaking syndrome? Is antioxidant therapy an alternative to joint supplement therapy for the treatment of arthritic conditions? How does the pH balance affect a horses arthritic condition? Are the three most important and most basic nutritional needs of horses being provided by owners?

With Universal guidance, Jellybean leads you into a self-empowering equine-human relationship; one that combines the powers of will and desire with T.I.M.E.E. (time, insight, money, exhilarating, exhaustion). Read and learn how to find that space within your self, as it is in this space where youll become best friends with your horse, and so much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Dec 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452564685

Janelle Smith-Haff

First as the student and now as the teacher, in this sequel to her first book, Good Heavens! My Journey with Spirit Guides, “Jellybean,” residing in Cave Creek, Arizona, with her horses, husband, and dogs shares how to unbridle the caring spirit of humankind through the spirit of the equine.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 Janelle Jellybean Smith-Haff

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-6467-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-6468-5 (e)

Balboa Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

1-[phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ABOUT THE COVER

The cover’s design is inspired by the words and energy projected within the pages of this book. It’s main color, pink, is the color of the Rhodonite crystal. This crystal represents one’s personal power. Each letter in the words of the title is associated with one of the colors of our seven chakras.

DISCLAIMER

Wherever there is mention of a particular brand name or product in this book, do not jump to the conclusion that I am receiving endorsement royalties because I am not, and I will not. When specific mention is made endorsing a particular brand name or product it is because, through my own costly experience of trial and error, I believe the particular brand name or product to be superior to others on the market. Keep in mind, however, that just as not every pharmaceutical drug works the same in every body, the brand name or product I have found to work best for my horses may not achieve the same results in your horse that it has in mine. The fun part of this journey is in exploring, learning, and experimenting to find what works best for your horse, and it will also be healing to the both of you. After all, exploring, learning, and experimenting is the purpose of the whole equine-human relationship.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Balboa Press rev. date: 12/11/2012

CONTENTS

From The Desk Of Sheri Drake, D.V.M.

Spend Your T.I.M.E.E. Wisely

A Look Back Into History

The Start Of Our Journey

Yarns Of Yesteryear

A Look Into The World Of A Horse

Choosing Your Color, Style, And Size

Living Well Or Just Surviving

Feeding The Body And Soul Of Your Horse

Where To Find Your Best Friend

It’s All In The Feet!

Training—It’s More Than You Know

Potpourri Of Commentaries

No Myths About These Medicines

Finished, But Not Done

BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

2007

Good Heavens! My Journey with Spirit Guides

http://www.jellybeanink.com

[e-mail]

2012

Myths, Medicine & Misinformation: Advice for Women

About Life and Horses from the Barn Goddess

http://www.MMandM.info

e-mail [e-mail]

Even my parking sign says I’m a Barn Goddess!

Interior_01_20121126063037.JPG

My Physicalized Equine Friends:

Paris – age 28 (2012)

Shiner – age 25 (2012)

Chewy – age 16 (2012)

My Non-Physicalized Equine Friends:

Remington (2006)

Zippo (2004)

Other Physicalized Equine Characters:

Katy Bar Dee Door – age 14 (2012) owner: Judy Lewis

Shorty – age 17 (2012) owner: Lynn Jackson

Interior_02_20121126063112.jpg

FROM THE DESK OF SHERI DRAKE, D.V.M.

Over the last 100 years enormous advances improving the medical care given to horses has been made. Unfortunately, the way we treat horses has not advanced at the same pace. I am optimistic, however, that even the present day standard of how we treat horses will be considered archaic within my lifetime.

Within my own veterinary practice I see an honest desire among my clients to give their horse, or horses, the best life possible as these owners know that, in turn, their life will be the best life possible. Their failure to reach the standard which is in their hearts and minds is not from a lack of trying.

I know that some of the information contained in this book has been spoken, in some fashion, by others, but it is revolutionary nonetheless. And, if this book changes just one thing about the way you see and interact with your horse, or the way you can help another person see and interact with a horse, it will have served its highest purpose.

As a veterinarian, even if we are not accepting or promoting alternative therapies in our own practice, we need to explore the changes we must make in our hearts and minds to ensure that we are not a barrier to those owners whose desire is to make the best life possible for their horse, and to ensure that we are complying in every way with our Veterinary Oath.

It is not where we are, but where we are going that defines our future. I see no harm to man or beast in going this road less traveled and create a future that is better for us All.

More power to all who do this!

Sheri Drake, D.V.M.

SPEND YOUR T.I.M.E.E. WISELY

To unbridle the caring spirit of humankind through the spirit of the equine.

THESE WORDS SPEAK what I feel in my heart and guide the choices I make in my life, for there’s nothing more emotionally rewarding and spiritually awakening as the equine-human relationship. It’s a self-empowering path which has a connectedness to Mother Earth and all her wonders and wonderfulness.

Even before I finished writing my first book, Good Heavens! My Journey with Spirit Guides, my brain began percolating ideas for writing a book about horses since they have been so important in my evolving into Who I Am. Many starts, rewrites, and even a few years have occurred with serious dedication to this endeavor coming about only when realizing that it would have to be a book that is just as much about my life with spirit guides and angels as it is about how horses shape my life. As you will soon understand, it is a symbiotic relationship we have with horses, and this symbiotic relationship is intended to play an ever-unfolding role in our individual and collective lives.

This is not a how-to book with a marketing gimmick about how to quickly immerse one’s self into this symbiotic relationship. No book can teach that. The equine-human relationship will take T.I.M.E.E. (Time, Insight, Money, Exhilarating Exhaustion), and require of you a change in beliefs and a change in behavior because not until one’s beliefs are changed will one’s behaviors change.

What you learn from your equine-human relationship is dependent on your willingness to change, and that decision is dependent on the quality and quantity of T.I.M.E.E. you contribute to your relationship.

I have intentionally raised more questions in this book than I have provided answers for. In fact, most of the questions raised have no collective or provable answer. However, it’s the raising of questions which starts the process of deepening our awareness of what’s within our soul.

Before her death, my Wiccan friend, Shirl, was always reminding me to take life one step at a time, saying the destination was not as important as the journey. Over these ensuing years I have modified her advice into believing that destinations are just as important as the journey, as destinations are where our new journeys begin. This continuous cycle keeps us learning.

Though there’s nothing like making that lifetime commitment and owning your own horse (or horses!), there are numerous ways to take the journey into the equine-human relationship without actually owning a horse. There are several hundred reputable horse rescues throughout the country, caring for horses which are in need of the love and T.I.M.E.E. you have to offer as much as you’re in need of the love these horses have to offer you. And, if I’ve presented my cause competently within these pages, by the time you finish this book, you will have awakened your spirituality, and you will have decided the best way for you to spend your investment of T.I.M.E.E. in pursuit of your equine-human relationship.

To those who are interested and willing to make the investment hold on because you’re about to embark on a journey where you’ll be spending the best T.I.M.E.E. of your life!

YeeeeHaaaa!

A LOOK BACK INTO HISTORY

AS I EXPLAIN within the pages of this book, the horse possesses a spiritual energy that has a connectedness to Mother Earth and the Universe which is far superior to mortal mans.

Humans owe their history and their destiny to horses. For some 6,000 years, actually until fifty years before Neil Armstrong and the lunar module Eagle landed on the moon in 1969, the world depended on the strength of the horse to power the transportation, agriculture, and technology economies of nations.

One past-to-present day technological connection with the horse can be recognized in the U.S. railroad; the width of the rails being based on the width of the Imperial Roman war chariots. While we don’t use horses in the same way today as we did even in our not-too-distant past, history details how humans have required the labor of horses during times of war. As man’s war machine, an estimated 1.5 million horses were used during the First World War; a war in which the British claimed 500,000 equine casualties. In the Second World War, Russia employed an estimated 1.2 million horses.

Lesser known are stories of the non-agricultural and non-technological connections between horses and humans, yet these relationships have had a positive impact on forming the Who We Are as a society and as a nation. For example, in 1901, a stagecoach horse named Old Joe was shot and killed during a stagecoach robbery. Under normal circumstances the death of a horse would not even be recorded in history. Obviously, Old Joe was not your regular horse. His senseless killing left a hole in the hearts of the passengers traveling the California stagecoach trail, as well as in the hearts of the children who lived along the trail. They considered Old Joe their stable friend. The positive emotional imprint that Old Joe had on the lives of those who knew him is reflected in the stories of those who declared themselves to be better people because of knowing him. Moved by these stories, succeeding generations of children have kept Old Joe’s gravesite neatly trimmed and clear of weeds, talking to their spirit friend as if they, too, had been passengers on the California stagecoach trail.

Over a century ago, at a time when our nation was at war over a belief in slavery, it was the love and compassion shared between a man of color and his horse named Beautiful Jim Key which motivated citizens of all color to change their negative beliefs and negative behavior for a collective and positive social purpose. Beautiful Jim Key sparked an interest and then a movement, a movement that launched not only the animal rights movement of today, but the child protective movement, as well.

All because of one horse.

Unfortunately, and in spite of our best individual and collective efforts, then and now, some individuals, nations, and civilizations still look upon the horse as a disposable item to be thrown away when no longer useful. As I set out in this book, it is my belief that if we are ever to have a world filled with peace, love, healing, and one which is in balance with Mother Earth, it will be due to our recognition and acceptance of the purpose for the symbiotic relationship we have with the horse.

Women are most cognizant of this symbiotic relationship. It empowers us, and inherent in our personal power is our spiritual power to make it so.

THE START OF OUR JOURNEY

Because energy is pure force,

and energy is in constant motion,

everything about life is a journey in motion.

WHILE ALL MY horses are special, in my first book, Good Heavens! My Journey with Spirit Guides, I shared the special relationship I have with my horse, Paris, the powerful women who had a positive impact on my life during a critical time, and how it all culminated with my recognizing and embracing my own spiritual and personal power. Therefore, it only makes sense that this second book be considered a sequel, as it is about honoring the spiritual and personal power of women, and the impact of horses in the continuing journey of Who I Am.

Left on its own, the mind concentrates on the past, but when engaged with the spirit of desire, its thoughts are of the future. How I wish that every female, of every age, would recognize the spiritual imprint of this desire during their life on this earth. We all have the ability to feel this spirituality that’s shimmering within our soul; it’s our desire to connect that needs to be embraced in order to make it happen. Life will be easier, and that loving feeling will flow freely from us to others when we open ourselves to this desire.

This desire of the spirit is inherent in females, and it’s why, I believe, as little girls, we’re drawn to horses and the color pink. It’s no secret that little girls go through a horse phase and a pink phase, but it wasn’t until writing this book that I gave any thought to the possibility that these phases were a communication from our souls, and intended to awaken us to our personal power.

I came to recognize that there was something profound in this horses/pink/little girl/personal power connection because my spirit guides were making sure I couldn’t ignore their prompting. Because of this, the why for these phases maintained a prominence in my thoughts over a period of many days during the early writing of this book. I was certain I would be guided to the answer if I dedicated myself to its search. Sure enough, during one of my meditation sessions, as I sought advice from Bridger, my Master Teacher, I was told why little girls love the color pink, horses, and the relevance of these two phases to awakening females to their personal power. Within the communication provided by Bridger also lies the reason for our symbiotic connection to the horse.

Let me preface by saying that what you are to read is based on the belief that the Universe uses whatever channels we make available to it to communicate with us. The answer Bridger gave blew me away, not only because it is so out there, but because it makes such down to earth sense.

Regardless of our age and awareness, our souls are constantly communicating with us, primarily through symbolism. Most of us know that little girls love to wear anything that’s the color pink. Our favorite hair clip, jacket, dress, sweater, socks, gloves, boots were all pink. Pink made us feel good about ourselves. Wearing pink empowered us.

Not surprisingly then, the symbolism used by our souls to begin to awaken us to our personal power is the color pink.

At around the age of eight, little girls enter into a horse phase. This is the phase where a little girl’s awareness of her inherent personal power is increased due to her infatuation with horses. In addition to still wearing pink, in this phase we begin to read books about horses, watch TV shows about horses, watch movies about horses, wear clothing with horses on it, and even plead with our parents to buy us a horse of our own.

This horse phase is driven by our spirit of desire to be One with the horse, sharing the power they wield, and the compassion they share.

The connection lies in the fact that as little girls the color pink begins to awaken us to our personal power, and pink is the color of the Rhodonite crystal—the crystal that represents the energy of personal power. It is believed that the Rhodonite crystal provides a psychic link to one’s personal destiny, a destiny to be lived for the good of the All. A key word describing one of the lessons to be learned through the energy of the Rhodonite crystal is compassion, and the learning and sharing of compassion are the lessons to be learned by horse and human. As we grow, the horse takes us under its wing to guide us in the journey with our soul to more fully embrace our personal power. The horse is connected to the Rhodonite crystal because the horse is the Chinese Zodiac symbol for the pink Rhodonite crystal.

The definition of the symbiotic relationship I write of is one in which there is a close and long term interaction between two (or more) species, and for which the interaction is beneficial to both species. As we grow we no longer respond to the communication in the same way, but I believe its purpose remains an active part of a continuous communication loop sent by our souls reminding us to embrace our personal power in the journey that our spirit desires. As proof, today’s women are becoming most aware of their personal and spiritual power as a result of their equine-human relationship. It is these women who are exercising their personal power in ways that will leave a lasting and spiritual imprint on society’s relationship with Mother Earth.

For that reason, this book is about more than the day-to-day care of horses. While you may not be aware of it, at this very moment, your selection of this reading material is a stepping stone on the path you’ve always wanted to travel.

In this symbiotic relationship between horse and human, if we recognize the pink and horse phases as benefiting the human species, what is to be the benefit to the horse in this relationship? Answer: compassion. In his Nobel Peace Prize address Albert Schweitzer stated, in part: … compassion in which all ethics must take root can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. And, just recently, the Dalai Lama quoted the following from his book Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, and said, in part: … Likewise, we are born free of religion, but we are not born free of the need for compassion.

In order for any living creature—human or animal—to learn compassion it must physicalize, because only by experiencing the giving and receiving of compassion is the soul of any living creature able to quantify what it has heretofore only known conceptually.

There is six-thousand years of cell memory within the species of horse that doesn’t contain the experience of giving or receiving compassion. As I related earlier, during the past six-thousand years, the horse has been looked upon and treated by humans as a disposable entity used for labor. Humans showed very little, if any, compassion toward the horse during these six thousand years. Only because our relationship with the horse has become less for labor and more for pleasure have humans begun to afford the horse with any opportunity to experience compassion. In the equine-human relationship the spirit of the horse desires to learn and experience the giving and receiving of compassion from the human.

Horses have much to learn, and humans have much to teach. The spirit of the human desires to learn and experience the giving and receiving of compassion from the horse. The spirit of the horse desires to learn and experience the giving and receiving of compassion from the human.

The horse and the human are both teacher and student in this symbiotic relationship.

I refer to spirituality a lot in this book, but don’t confuse spirituality with religion. Spirituality is an individualized, altruistic faith in one’s self and one’s beliefs with an intent that is for the benefit of the collective All. It is also defined as selfishly being selfless. Though there is no superior definition for spirituality, at its core is the belief that there is an interconnectedness between all living creatures—humans, plants, and animals. This connectedness has been widely published in recent years. Most recently in David Wilcock’s 2011 book The Source Field Investigations. In his book is the recitation of Dr. Cleve Backster’s 1966 study evidencing the connectedness between plant and human emotions.

In applying this type of spirituality to my daily life, I’d define it as a lifestyle in which I live as if I don’t have to do anything, yet I want to do everything, and with gusto! If you live your life with the awareness of the interconnectedness between the All of us you’ll find that people are drawn to you because of the Light that leads your life.

As young girls we’re taught by our parents and conditioned by society to behave in a certain way, or to do things for others out of a sense of duty or responsibility. Indeed, religious dogma preaches that this sacrifice of the self is good for the soul. I’m telling you to ignore this dogma. It’s OK to be spiritually selfish. In fact, it’s required in the equine-human relationship, as this is an experience of self-empowerment. The only way to spread love, hope, and joy is to first have it flowing within your self. That is why, as I wrote in Good Heavens! My Journey with Spirit Guides: "We must not help others at any sacrifice to our own souls. It’s only by being selfishly joyous to ourselves in everything we do that we are able to give anything to others of our spiritual overflow! The result of selfishly helping others is one of living in truth, balance, and harmony with Mother Nature."

There are hundreds of millions of people on earth, and just as many animals. In order for compassion to attain its full breadth and depth for the benefit of All devote your time and energy to those already expressing a desire to change their negative beliefs and behaviors. When others see the positive changes occurring around them they, too, will experience a shift in consciousness, and express their desire to change their beliefs and behaviors. Only in this way can you be of any help without any sacrifice to your own soul.

It’s a fact of science that humans, plants, and animals are all connected to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, and to the Universe atomically. And because of this, one cannot fully experience the equine-human relationship without embracing the ethics of reciprocity that spirituality involves. A further discussion on the ethics of reciprocity can be found in later sections of this book.

Within the human species realm I believe that it is women who possess the inherent potential to be most aware of their spiritual and personal power. At one time, women were initially one of the three parts of the Holy Trinity. In the 17th century a nun named Maria of Agreda wrote a book called The Mystical City of God in which she claimed that God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary were the Holy Trinity, not the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Of course, this belief in the female principle caused an uproar in the male-dominated Catholic Church, and Sister Agreda’s book was banned.

Throughout history it is men who have led us to war. A few years back I read a book titled When God was a Woman. The author, Merlin Stone, begins her book relating that women were once prayed to as the Supreme Goddess (God), and that when women exercised their personal power during that period in history there were no wars, only peace on earth.

All the more reason women should recognize that when we exercise our personal power we are effecting positive change on a world-wide scale, one life at a time. Women’s spiritual power cannot exist without embracing the personal power we have over issues of reproduction and nurturing. Our possession of this power to bring forth life and nurture that life is no accident. Women’s personal power has been in evolution since the beginning of time. International Women’s Day is now celebrated all over the world on March 8th. For these reasons I have chosen to direct the advice in this book primarily to women, but it is also for those males who wish to connect with their feminine side.

Within the circle of women there is sometimes a discussion about men involving what is commonly referred to as the Napoleon complex phenomena. Absent in the discussion, however, are women claiming to have penis envy. We all have our individualness to bring about positive change in society. Women do not envy any part of men and their role in society. Women don’t want to be like men, but we don’t want men telling us how to be, either.

Whether it’s a myth or a commercial jingle I don’t know, but I do know the claim that women’s