Three years ago we went to Oklahoma to
visit our children and grandchildren, a trip that we actually thought
would be my last. On that trip I was talked into riding a little
pinto pony named Pronto. I hadn't ridden in nine years and had become
very withdrawn and anti-social due to my physical deformities and so
many years in hospital and in pain. That little pony changed my life
and the way I live it. I no longer sit at home and feel sorry for
myself and I have found tremendous strength within me that has made
it possible for me to enjoy every moment as it comes. Not only did I
feel better emotionally, thanks to Pronto, but I started to feel
better physically as well. After I came back to Spain, with my whole
new attitude, I started to work on developing a type of therapy to
help me and other people suffering from disease and toxic medical
treatments. In this, I was helped by Loli Berenguel, my friend,
teacher and now the new president of Animo at her stables El Albero
in Los Partidores, Almería. I went several times a week to Almería
to ride and work on programs that could improve my health. We used
her vaulting horse, Nora, and that seemed to make all the difference
and Loli and I finally found a system that worked.
We have just come back from spending
another two weeks in Oklahoma with the children and, once again, I
was able to ride Pronto every day. I just wanted to thank him and his
owner, Patsi Smith for the wonderful gift they had given me, and that
was to get my life back. Since my first visit things have changed
considerably. I have my own horse, the horse of my dreams, that was
donated to me so that I could do my therapy at home. My friend and
partner in this investigation, Ken, also has his own horse and we
have just finished building a beautiful new stables, right outside my
back door. My horse is a Friesian mare that I fell in love with the
moment I saw her, a year later she was mine. We are now training her
to take over my therapy and in the meantime she is a great companion
and I get a lot of benefit from the very active gaits that she has.
She makes me want to get up each morning and start my day with a
smile.
