Heart of the Herd Horse and Animal Healing
Founded by Emma Simmons MNFSH EAHAE HEAL cert. Registered Healer, Equine Reiki Master Teacher and Holistic Equine Therapist
"I first met Emma soon after losing my beloved Welsh Cob Rusty to a brain tumour in April of 2011, at the time I was extremely upset and finding it very difficult to come to terms with having lost not only a valued member of the family but also my best friend and confidant.
A close friend had recommended that I in some way honour Rusty's life to assist with what was a very difficult grieving process and when I saw Emma's website and realised that we could create a ceremony to mark his passing I was immediately sure that this would be the right thing to do. The day itself was extremely personal and emotional and Emma carried out a beautiful and fitting session that we chose not only to use to honour Rusty but also our other horse and pony Glynny and Charlie who are also in spirit.
It was on this day that I also introduced Emma to my new pony Fred (Bewcastle Brakethorn) who came into my life totally unexpectedly shortly after Rusty died. Fred is a beautiful 14hh Fell Pony and an honest little soul who since coming to us had been experiencing a difficult time, unfortunately within a month of owning him he had been kicked on the hock and this had become infected and he had also developed an itchy skin and ears which all seemed to affect his confidence. I therefore asked Emma to come back and carry out a healing session with him to assist him and help him with his continued process of settling in to his new home.
The day of the healing dawned and I can truly say it was one of the most positive things I have ever had done for one of my equine friends, the difference in Fred has been amazing - I have seen a marked improvement with both his hock and his skin, aided by some suggestions on natural product ranges from Emma, but it was the release I saw Fred experience which was the most incredible thing - and also the reaction of the other members of the herd to him after this occurred.
To say I have a more confident and happy little horse now is an understatement - in fact I think we are seeing a Fred who now feels he can take on the world!! I continue to work with Emma on a personal level and I will definitely ask her to work with Fred through out his development. I can honestly say she is a wonderful healer, an understanding person and a true friend who I was lucky to find!"
Anneli, Hampshire
"Emma was excellent with my very nervous and stressed Arab gelding. He is very wary of new people around him and particularly does not trust women due to alot of veterinary treatment and injections etc but she was very quiet with him and allowed him to come to her in his own time. He was much improved by the third visit and started to really enjoy his healing work and relax into it. His stifle has improved enough to restart his ridden work and he is now now being ridden every day and has remained sound."
Caroline, Equine and Human Massage Therapist, Hampshire
Healing for Softee and EFL for Jackie
"Meeting Emma has been a life changing experience for me. Emma's wisdom, guidance and amazing ability to connect with horses and humans alike has enriched my relationship with my horse Softee and my relationship with myself in a way I only dreamed possible. Thank you Emma and thank you to your wonderful horses."
Jackie, NHS Nurse, Hampshire
"Ever since I bought my Friesian Mare, Tsjerkje, from Holland 5 years ago, she has had various problems; the worst being her tripping which lead to us both having a really bad fall. I had my vet examine her and he found problems in her neck on her left side, and her back left leg from an old injury, and also a possible tear in her retina in the past. He advised me not to ride her again. I wanted another opinion, and have had healing for my horses in the past, so that's when I rang Emma. I wanted to see if she could shed any light on what happened to Tsjerkje, so as we live at different ends of the country we arranged a distant healing session.
Emma rang me at the start of the session, to make sure both my horse and I were relaxed and then the session began. During the distant healing session, my horse kept very close to me - her face inches from mine, occasionally she seemed slightly restless and looked around towards her flanks, then she would put her head up and seem to stare into the distance as if she was remembering something - she didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular - it looked like she was daydreaming or deep in thought. Then she nuzzled into me and kept her head close to my body.
After the session had ended Emma rang me to go through what she had felt from Tsjerkje. Emma said she had sensed that Tsjerkje had suffered a bad fall during transportation and had received a heavy blow to the left side of her head and also sensed pain in her neck, face, poll and ringing in her ear. I was quite amazed at this, because when Tsjerkje was brought to me from Holland another horse had jumped the partition in the horsebox, been injured and had to be sedated. The horsebox was quite badly damaged. I had completely forgotten about this incident until Emma mentioned it, so its highly likely that Tsjerkje could have fallen or been badly hit when this happened and suffered the injuries that are now causing problems. Also Emma said about her left eye, which fits in with my vet saying he could see damage on her left retina as though there had been a small tear in the past possibly from an injury. Emma also picked up on my mare stiffness along her left side, and the fact her right hip is slightly higher than her left, all confirmed by my vet. As well as the physical elements of Tsjerkje's problems, Emma also mentioned her emotional trauma, grief and sadness at being separated from her foals - especially the last one. I know Tsjerjke had 4 foals in Holland prior to her being sold to me...
I was hoping for some information from Emma ,but I got so much more than i ever thought, I now have a better understanding of my mare's problems, and how we are going to go forward in the future. Knowing that Emma continues to send distant healing to Tsjerjke is also very reassuring and I am noting any positive changes. I feel that Tsjerjke is more at peace now and our bond is a stronger as well, which is fantastic! I would highly recommend Emma - she has a unique gift and I am so glad I went ahead with our healing session"
Fiona, Carlisle
"I fell in love with my equine soul mate the very second I saw him. He was a yearling and I was the vet about to castrate him. He was bred by my neighbour and over the next few years, whenever I saw him I would be in awe of this magnificent animal. When a number of sales deals fell through for him, I couldn’t resist any longer and walked him back to his new home three kilometres away. The next two years were very busy with my fourth child still a baby. Mojo would look over the paddock gate at me every day, itching for me to interact with him in some way. After feeling guilty for not offering him enough, I sent him to a professional event trainer where he moved from a non-educated paddock horse, to winning at 2 star eventing level in just over 12 months. He was amazingly talented, but I saw the distant and dull look in his eye.
He came back to me after his rider had an accident and then I sent him to another rider and he was back within two weeks. My mate had had enough. He had gastric ulcers and an extremely painful back. Emma helped me understand that Mojo only wanted to be with me. That he felt we were the same and afflicted by the same things but with qualities that we could use to help and heal others. That he could help me be more confident. I am now more aware that our dreams for our horses are not always their dreams. Although they will, out of a sense of duty, play along in our dreams, we are in fact forgoing an even better dream, that would unite us as spiritual partners.
Emma helped me know how to make small management changes that meant the biggest things to my horse. Ways to help him heal the wounds that he had endured. Just a week on he looks brighter and more confident, playful and well. I look forward to evolving with my horse and bringing to light all the reasons we were meant to be together."
Rebecca, Veterinary Surgeon, Australia
"I approached Emma for help with my pony, Lucy. I had rescued Lucy from an awful situation - I found her shut in the corner of a dark barn with her foal with no water, feed or bedding - so I just had to bring her home. Once home, it became apparent that she had been treated far worse than I’d ever anticipated. Then one day, Lucy spooked, reared up and fell over backwards. The vets suspected she had a fractured skull and limited vision in one eye as a consequence. She was lying down for over 3hrs and almost died on the spot, but somehow summoned the energy to stand up again.
Her recovery was painstakingly slow, but somehow… she pulled through. After Lucy’s accident she became incredibly nervous and would violently rear up if anyone aside from me approached her, she was visibly tense all of the time and she dropped a considerable amount of weight. The vets cleared her as physically fit, but were concerned that her emotional state would prevent her from living a normal, happy life - they suggested euthanasia as the kindest option.
This is where Emma comes in! I was skeptical, but at a loss for what else to try - Lucy hadn’t responded to conventional behavioural techniques. Emma is such a bright, happy person that Lucy and I both warmed to her immediately. For the first time ever, Lucy was calm - her breathing slowed, her head dropped and her muscles relaxed. Just days after her first session with Emma, Lucy’s weight picked up, her coat looked incredible and her whole attitude changed - she was now trotting over to meet me in the field instead of backing off when I approached her. And things have continued to improve from there - Lucy has already made more progress than I thought possible, I now look forward to finding out what her future holds."
Jennie, Hampshire
Lucy's First Healing Session
In my first meeting with Lucy, I gave her the choice to come to me in her own time and offered her healing energy from a distance without touch. By the end of the session she had begun to trust and was clearly enjoying the healing energy and total lack of pressure.
Lucy's Second Healing Session
When I arrived for Lucy's second healing session, I could see straight away that she was far more relaxed and keen to interact. She approached me in a far more confident and friendly manner and quickly accepted full contact healing - she was now ready to trust and receive. She began drawing in a lot of healing energy particularly into the areas that had suffered the most trauma during her accident.She is an extremely sweet pony and clearly wants to have a second chance at life - which thanks to her lovely and experienced new owner, Jennie, she has.
Emma Simmons
"..Emma helped both AJack and me to heal, and I am very grateful to her for that."
"In March 2010, I was donating and trying to help spread the word about slaughter-bound horses via Facebook when one of the horses in danger caught my eye. He was described as being “11 years old and calm and gentle.” He was a Leopard Appalossa, blind in his left eye. I was not actively looking for a new horse but for some reason, I was taken with him, perhaps due to the fact that he was half blind… So, going against my better judgment as a horse person, I threw caution to the wind and purchased him sight unseen.
When AJack arrived here, he was very sick. It took several months before he was completely healthy. Initially, he seemed a bit cranky and had a tendency to nip and kick out when I would try to clean his feet (he was not shod in his hind feet), but I attributed that to his having been ill and his past experiences. It also turned out that he was 21 years old, not 11. On top of that, based on exams of his eye, it appeared that someone had struck and blinded him in his left eye.
However, as time went by, his behavior became increasingly hostile and dangerous. As time went by, it got to the point where he would charge and attack me unprovoked when I was in his paddock or stall. He would rear up and strike out at me, try to knock me down, bite me in the back, and several times tried to grab my shoulder and drag me, etc. He would also try to attack my other horses. Thankfully, from having worked with difficult horses in the past, I was able to handle the situations and get him back under control, but only by using force and dominance, which is really not my nature, but in the case of AJack and keeping myself safe, it was my only choice. However, I did not feel good about myself having to resort to such measures.
The vet did a thorough physical evaluation of AJack to see if there was a physical cause for his behavior, but he was perfectly healthy. The head vet at the clinic also confirmed that his bad eye was not the issue for his behavior either, since we had wondered if pain from that eye was the cause. So it was purely behavioral with him. The vet had gotten to know AJack very well and felt that he was far too dangerous and suggested I send him away. AJack was also a monster for the farrier, even under sedation he would try to kick, strike and bite. It got to where people dreaded having to deal with him. I knew that I had a ticking time bomb on my hands and the whole situation was incredibly upsetting.
Since I was a teenager, I had always been able to bring emotionally and physically damaged horses around to become happy, healthy and trusting souls, but I had never dealt with a situation like this before and was feeling like a complete failure. Selling AJack or shipping him off to auction again was not an option. Once an animal is in my care, they are with me for life. However, everyone was concerned that I would be seriously injured or killed by him. My only option if he did not begin to come around was to humanely euthanize him, which was a very heartbreaking option for me to even contemplate, but I also had to consider my own health and safety, and the fact that so many other animals in my care depended on me. If something happened to me, what would happen to them? I was dealing with a very angry, bitter and dangerous horse who was stubbornly set in his ways and could not see past his own past and treatment by prior owners to understand that I was trying desperately to help him.
Around the same time that I bought AJack, I had become friends with Emma Simmons (who was still Emma Dinnage at that time) on Facebook. After seeing some of her posts and having a sense that she was a wonderfully kind, intelligent and good person, I had sent Emma a friend request which she accepted. At the time, I did not know that she was a gifted healer and communicator. Emma and I connected through our mutual compassion and love for all living creatures, and we were both involved in trying to help save slaughter-bound horses through various rescue groups on Facebook. As I learned more about Emma and her work, I felt it was a great honor to know and communicate with her.
When Emma learned about what AJack and I were going through, she reached out and offered to send healing to us. I gratefully and happily accepted. At the time, Emma was in Portugal (I am in the U.S.), and she sent healing energy over that great distance to AJack. I am happy to say that Emma’s healing gift was a huge help. Over the next few days and weeks, I noticed that AJack was beginning to relax more and starting to “see” me and the love and care I was offering, instead of seeing the people from his past who damaged and hurt him. He also stopped biting me, which was a huge leap forward. I could see that he sometimes had the urge to bite from his old habits, but he would reconsider and give me a sloppy lick instead. His actions were very clumsy but it was very sweet and a complete surprise and I have learned to allow myself to relax and enjoy his expressions of affection. It took me a while to get used to it, since I had become so wary of him trying to bite and was always ready to jump out of the way, but as he is learning to trust me, I am learning to trust him, and our relationship is improving greatly each day, and so is his behavior.
Emma also helped me to heal, since I was grieving for my 24 year old niece and my Mom, who had passed away unexpectedly within 6 months of each other. She gave me tips about how my own emotions and actions affected AJack. Through Emma, I also began to understand that AJack and I share some similar traits, so I have become better at putting myself in his shoes and seeing things from his perspective, and realizing that we share similar strengths and weaknesses. Thanks to Emma’s healing and friendship, I can say that I truly love this horse, and it is wonderful to see him beginning to enjoy his life here and hopefully bring him back to being the wonderful horse he was meant to be. Emma helped both AJack and me to heal, and I am very grateful to her for that.
I am a firm believer in the benefits of animal communication and healing, and am very impressed and grateful to people like Emma who share their gifts and talents with us and our animals.. I have found that communicators and healers help us fill in the gaps in an animal’s story and past, and help us and our animal friends to move forward together, and create a new history together. In our case, we are also proof that healing energy can travel over great distances to its recipients. I am very blessed to have met Emma at a time when AJack and I truly needed help. She is a beautiful soul who makes the world a better place for us and our animals, and I recommend her healing abilities very highly."
Maria, USA
The Kill Pen Horse By Emma Simmons
What had become of me? I looked all around..
Old and sick horses in the dirt on the ground.
How did I end up here? I don't understand,
What I did so wrong to be in these harsh hands?
A mare and foal next to me cling to each other,
An old lame stallion stands close to his brother.
There is no light here and very little hope -
I'm hungry, I'm hurting and tied by a rope.
They call this "The Kill Pen", a place horses go
Who are no longer wanted and doesn't it show?
Just because we're not perfect or just past our best -
Is not justification for this final test.
Though slaughter awaits the majority there
Some of us are lucky because some people care~
Though blind in one eye and old in my years
I was chosen by a angel who wiped away my tears.
Her name is Maria - she followed her heart,
She paid my bail money and that was the start..
Of my healing and truly the best years of my life
I am finally home and was saved from the knife.
So to all of you out there who have taken the time
To read this poem about horses on the line
Please consider the difference you too could make
To a slaughter-bound horse caught in life's sweepstake.
Copyright Emma Simmons, Heart of the Herd 2010.
"This morning Harmony was the closest to sound she has been in a good while and is prancing round the field like a yearling! Also , she must of had a very good sleep because she was covered in poo :) So thank you - she looks fantastic! Thank you so, so much - you have made her and our day. Look forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you!"
Holly, Surrey
"I’ve known Rufus, my New Forest pony, for 20 years and we have always been very close. However, recently our relationship had broken down and we were making each other unhappy so I decided to book a healing treatment for Rufus with Emma.
During a lovely hands-on healing session some problem areas were uncovered. Without realising it, I had been using Rufus to nanny my youngster and also pampering him too much, when all he really wanted was to be free in his paddock. I’ve learnt to let him go a bit more and not feel guilty about not riding him, and he seems so much happier now! I’ve even made the huge decision to move them both to a new yard where he will be able to live out, if he chooses."
Cate, Hampshire
Gus's healing story...
"Gus, our rescue bull terrier had been with us for around 6 months before we contacted Emma about getting some help for him. Personally I was a bit sceptical about this sort of thing as it was "all mumbo-jumbo to me". But Gus seemed such a good dog to me that he deserved any help he could get to settle in.
He had poor physical health from the first week we had him, a toe infection and rubbing from untrimmed dew claws, which was followed with an acute bout of Pancreatitis. He was also very overweight with low energy levels.
I felt this was reflected in his mental state making him insecure and emotionally flat, even after his physical symptoms had been treated by the vet and us. As my partner still felt he should be brighter she ask Emma to take a look at him, having had her work with her horses.
I was not present for the entire hands-on healing session but my partner was and I have to say that whatever Emma did, the following hours and days we had a different dog in the house. He was more playful, seemed more secure going out for walks with any member of the family and more relaxed around the house.
Even now 2 months later he has more "get up and go" and has become a fully active member of the family.
Is there a change in Gus and our relationship with him? Yes there is. Would I do it again? Yes I would.
It has done something for our dog and that is a good thing, so hopefully it will help me to open my mind.
So is it "mumbo jumbo"? I can't say, but for the sake of my dog there is more to what Emma does than I understand.
I would have to say if you feel you need her help do it you have nothing to loose but your pets do."
Phil, Hampshire
I called Emma in a panic because a beautiful white pigeon I had taken in a year or so previously with a broken wing had become very poorly.
When Emma arrived she concentrated on making Snowball comfortable in her presence, he is not a tame bird so is wary of human company. He was very calm and seemed to be concentrating on what Emma was saying to him and to me. It was interesting to see him make eye contact with her and the way he seemed to be completely in tune with what was happening.
Emma explained she did not need to touch him throughout the process which was a relief as Snowball becomes stressed when handled. He remained calm throughout the entire session even when Emma needed to put her hand in his cage and move closer to him. He seemed to just concentrate on what was happening. Emma said he was taking in a lot of healing energy for such a small animal, she said she was quite surprised by this.
It was extremely interesting to watch, especially the way Snowball seemed to connect with Emma while she was working, there seemed to be a silent communication between them, she had his total trust, cooperation and attention. I have never seen him so calm in the presence of a person.
It was very comforting to hear Emma's comments about him, she explained he is a very strong bird and determined to fight the illness. We also discussed how other factors had contributed to his emotional health so I had a better understanding of the situation.
After the session I kept Emma updated on Snowball's progress, amazingly he started to gain weight and was soon well enough and in control of his movement to come out of his cage confinement. A few days after his healing session, I found him up on his perch and preening himself while stretching out his wings and legs. For him to be on his perch and being able to preen was such an immense improvement to his condition as he could hardly walk or even stand properly on his cage floor before his healing. I made sure I kept the rescue centre up to date with how he was progressing and they were absolutely amazed by this.
Snowball made a very strong recovery. I was able to move him to a private rescue home with a lady who specialises in the condition he had. He is now in a large aviary with lots of other birds and ha s found a mate. They have a very strong pairing which is such good news, it is so important to birds to find mates and pigeons make very strong bonds and like to mate for life. It seems that at last Snowball can start to enjoy a natural busy bird life after his wing injury and live in a protected environment that he can enjoy with his new mate and lots of other busy happy birds. He had a horrendous few years after breaking his wing, not only did he have to learn to live as a bird that could not fly, but he had to overcome an illness which kills most birds very quickly after they contract it. I knew he was a strong and determined bird, but I was having serious thoughts about whether it would be kinder to let him pass away, I am so glad Emma reinforced that he was not ready for that and wanted to continue fighting.
I cannot thank Emma enough for the work she did with Snowball. Without her attention and the healing he received I worry that he would not have made such a full recovery, may have had to be put down to ease his suffering or would have had to learn to live a very compromised life with constant attention and assistance. Thank you Emma.
Charlotte, Hampshire
Beautiful 'Snowball' now living happily and healthily with his devoted mate
Ugo is a 13 year old Andalucian gelding. He came to me as a ‘problem’ horse for schooling a couple of years ago and was subsequently given to me. He lived in Spain for the first six years of his life before coming to the UK and was primarily a driving horse, but following an accident he was backed to saddle. It would appear he was misunderstood for a large part of his life and was very nervous about most things when he came to me. Ugo has endured physical as well as emotional problems, resulting in many behavioural issues.
I first met Emma on a Shiatsu foundation course and instantly felt connected with her. She is such a kind, warm person with no sense of judgement about her, very easy to talk to and very down to earth. Although I felt Ugo and I had worked through the majority of issues, I also felt I wanted to do everything I could to continue bettering Ugos’ emotional health. At the time when Emma came to visit I was going through a turbulent time personally, compounded by the guilt of having to move Ugo to a temporary home.
Although it was a very emotional session, it was also enlightening. Ugo did enjoy some healing, but he also ensured that Emma spent a large part of the session on therapy for me. I had been trying to compose myself and be positive around Ugo, yet he was feeling something completely different from me. The session created a much better understanding that me trying to protect Ugo from any negative emotions I was feeling in my personal life, was actually confusing and unsettling him. Emma suggested that Ugo would be much more confident if I were to be more open with him rather than hiding my emotions from him. Since the session with Emma Ugo and I seem to have a closer relationship he has coped very well with many recent changes, something which would previously have distressed him.
Emma put both of us at ease throughout the session. She was professional yet extremely empathetic, allowing a very personal, emotional and effective session to take place, guiding us to a stronger relationship with a clearer understanding of each other. I would highly recommend Emma to anyone who would like a stronger connection with their animals, to understand them better and to help them move on.
Melanie, Yorkshire
Sweep is a 7 year old Jack Russel cross dog. He came from a rescue home and was adopted by my partner’s sister; my partner then took him in when his sister could no longer look after him due to a change in her personal circumstances. We thought Sweep may benefit from a healing session as we knew he had been traumatised by his past.
During the session with Emma, Sweep conveyed that he had witnessed and experienced mistreatment in the past which had greatly upset him. He expressed that he had let go of that now, was at ease with it and actually gives healing to Scruff and others. He didn’t so much need healing himself, as just to recharge his batteries and dream lots of happy thoughts!
It was a truly wonderful session with lots of images coming to Emma from Sweep, mainly to do with things he loves; jelly in his food, walks on the beach, across bridges (a walk we used to do had several little bridges along the way), jumping through the long grass with Scruff, paddling in rivers, Sweep and Scruff towing Paul and I on our bikes!! Unfortunately for me, Sweep also told tales on me…..on one occasion he was disappearing somewhere he shouldn’t have been, the only accessible part of him being his tail; needless to say he gave Emma the sensation of someone pulling on his tail!!
We all enjoyed the session and it is great to know that Sweep has let go of the past, is helping Scruff to do the same and that his happy thoughts are at the forefront of his mind.
Melanie, Yorkshire
Scruff is a 7 year old Jack Russel dog. I have had him from when he was 13weeks old and he has always been a great companion. He has been timid and nervous from when I got him. I was persuaded by my partner to try Emma with him, and yes, like a lot of people, I was sceptical at first. Scruff was immediately at ease with Emma and she was great with him.
Emma knew nothing about him and I was amazed at the communication which came through during the healing session. He had been experiencing some skin problems and hair loss, the vets had said it was a grass allergy, but despite medication he still suffered, Emma told us his problems were brought on by his anxiety. It was also established that his anxiety was due to mistreatment carried out at the place where I got him from, I was upset to learn this but it made sense as I have never mistreated him.
Since Emma has given us a better understanding behind Scruff’s anxiety and related skin problems, he has shown improvement in himself. His skin and hair loss has improved and he has also become less timid and much more confident.
Paul, Yorkshire
You are viewing the text version of this site.
To view the full version please install the Adobe Flash Player and ensure your web browser has JavaScript enabled.
Need help? check the requirements page.
