Meet Gemma:The Rescue Horse Who Became a Healer | Madison, WI

I've always had a thing for horses. From the time I was a little girl — tracing the outline of a horse's head from library books, collecting figurines, wanting to be a veterinarian just because it meant being near animals. I didn't know what it would turn into. I just knew that horses were something I was supposed to be around.

It started with a vision, honestly. I got this big piece of art — a picture of a horse — and I looked at it every day and just asked Creator, however this is supposed to happen, whatever I need to do, whether it's just riding or learning about horses or maybe using horses in therapy someday — I am open. I didn't have any idea what it would look like. I truly didn't.

How She Found Me

Long story short, I ended up reconnecting with someone who had a barn and a farm. She was going through a really difficult time and couldn't even get out of bed to see her own horses. I offered to come out, help facilitate, just be there. I didn't know anything about horses at that point and she said it didn't matter. She knew everything about horses, she just needed someone to be there with her. Over time, she taught me to ride, and we she introduced me to Faith Based Equine Learning in which I became certified. 

And then one day, I was riding at the barn and there was this horse in for training that was in the same arena I was riding — a rescue the barn manager was training to sell. I locked eyes with her and something happened that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was like the heavens opened up and I just got this download of knowing.

This was around Christmas. I went home and my dad said, "Did you buy a horse?" I hadn't said a word. I was astonished because nothing had happened at this point except feeling this “knowing” connection in my heart.

Shortly after, my friend, the barn manager, called and said, "Jennifer, that horse is yours." 

I answered back, “I don't know anything about horses!” 

"Jennifer, yes you do. You've been here since October. You're riding. You're here all the time. That horse is meant to be yours."

And that's how Gemma and I came together. Or maybe how she was the one who found me.

Meet Gemma

Gemma is a rescue. We believe she was a barrel racer and a halter horse where she participated in intense competitions that pushed her to be the best of the best. In the horse world, when you're not the top performer or the best in your discipline or if a horse acts out in any way, they just get rid of them. From my understanding, she was passed between a few owners before she ended up at that barn.

She has a very serious demeanor. She is not soft in the way people might expect from a therapy animal. One might say she is very “matter-of-fact, this is the way it is, and that's it.” She has her own personality and she communicates in her own way. 

She is boarded on pasture where she is outdoors and free to roam with her herd mates. It is beautiful and her preference-  to be free and in nature. My favorite sound in the world is just sitting on the earth listening to her eat grass. It’s a simple pleasure that brings me a sense of presence and peace. My happy place is being with Gemma, watching horses and listening to the sound of them happily grazing and munching on grass.

What She Brings to the Work

When clients come out to work with me and Gemma, Gemma knows her role. You can see it when we arrive as she shifts into a different presence. I'm the facilitator and the horse does the communication.

Gemma had her own trauma, which I will share her story in another article, but the fact that she's come through it is part of what makes her exceptional at this work. My clients that come out are often traumatized from something in their own lives, and they can really relate to Gemma and her story. They can see that she came full circle. She's amazing now. And she has a different purpose — one that is heart-centered, for her too.

There's something about God, or Spirit, or however you refer to the Creator Being, in horses. There are tons of books written about this special essence that horses carry that connects and captivates us. In my own words: horses are one of God's greatest creations because they are  a bridge between what is possible and what we haven't been able to access on our own. This is how I work with Gemma, she is the bridge for the people who come to work with us between themselves in the present moment and their own peace, their higher essence, their faith, and their unique and authentic presence.

If you're curious about what equine assisted psychotherapy looks like in practice with Gemma and I, Book a consultation to talk about whether this is the right fit for you.