Horses have always been there for humans, pulling our plows, carrying men into war, or hauling groceries home from the country store. We (for the most part) have grown beyond our need of horses performing these chores for us. Remarkably, horses seem to have evolved to these changing needs of man kind. I have noticed over the last twenty years that horses have moved their services from the physical realm into the mental.

The gift of a shelter pet changes more than one life

A lot of what I write about seems to be about what should not be done. Actually, that is what a lot of horse training is about (Don’t Do’s). If you have read any of my past articles, you probably have realized that we focus more on “being” than “doing” anyhow, but since humans love “doing” things, I figured I would cut you a break and give you something to do this month.

Why is our team here at Centaur Training so successful? We constantly achieve success where others have failed and when I say others I am referring to not only local but nationally, well recognized trainers also. Most of these trainers have had their rejects pass thru our doors over the last 20 years. To our delight we have been able to reconcile these relationships.

That was a simple little statement in my last article for the Woman’s Journal. The understanding of that statement is the key to the door that opens into the room where trust is created. Trust is fundamental to the exceptional relationship between horse and rider. For good or bad, that relationship will be the most important aspect of your life while you are sitting upon the beast. Harmony is what allows you to communicate clearly with your horse.

Well, I have spent a life time trying to figure those two subjects out, and I am smart enough to only address the latter. I have observed the effects of horses on humans for over twenty years, 6 to 7 days a week. It is quite amazing to watch a horse as it rips through someone’s psyche, disenabling any dysfunctional coping mechanism that may exist, and trust me, there is literally no more powerful self help tool on this planet then 1000 pounds of horse that must be controlled by love not fear, through relationship not oppression, through faith not doubt.

The Spending time with a dog may be a surprising way to improve health and wellness. It can lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, release endorphins, and diminish physical pain. Pet-assisted therapy can improve emotional well-being by lessening depression, encouraging communication, and increasing socialization.

Dogs and cats are invaluable members of the family; however in some cases they can transmit disease. A zoonotic disease is a disease transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to people. People most at risk of developing a zoonotic disease are children under 5, the elderly, pregnant women, and people who have poor immune systems due to chemotherapy or chronic disease.

Dogs and cats look and smell better when they are clean. Cleanliness provides a distinct health advantage, for them and the rest of the household as well.

By: Dr. Kathryn Stoltzfus
We all know that our pets age faster than us but we can now do a lot more to help them in their “super-senior” years. Noone likes to think of their pet as geriatric, but no matter how we label this period they have some unique medical issues that can be easily addressed to help them live as long and healthy a life as possible.