ANIMO

Frisona

2012-01-27T11:48:00.002+01:00

Sad and lonely after losing her foal in November. Now she will come live with me for love and attention. Frisona will be in tiptop shape in no time and so will I. We both need each other.
Here's a fine video of Frisona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1S3q_6BqY&feature=related

Cookie

2012-01-17T14:24:00.000+01:00

Horses in My Garden

2011-12-16T18:10:00.002+01:00

Over a several year period, starting about eight years ago, when I had to spend a lot of time in the hospital, I had to find good, loving homes for all of my horses and other animals. All of my animals played a big part in ANIMO, as well as playing a large part in my life and that of my children. The loss of my animals was almost as hard as or harder than learning to live with a terrible disfigurement and a terminal disease. Since I started riding again over two years ago, thanks to the kindness of Loli Berenguel in Almería, my health has improved considerably and so has my life. After a lot of investigation, Loli and I have been able to develop a therapy that removes the side effects of medication and seems to slow down the progression of the illness. The only drawback for me was that I had to travel almost an hour each way to get to my therapy. Now thanks to my friends at Cadi Moxeroi and another participant in our therapy investigation who started out as a volunteer to take me to my riding therapy, I now have two horses at home. Now I am able to ride every day which has improved my blood analysis drastically plus my mental and physical state. Just spending time with the horses has improved my whole outlook on life and the way I live it. If it hadn’t of been for the encouragement of my husband, children and a few special friends, I probably wouldn’t have been here today to write this. Now I have so much to look forward to every day and I am living every day as fully as possibly.
The photograph was taken a few days ago, just before Christmas, in my garden.

Graduate students from Gallaudet University, Washington DC, come to ANIMO to learn about therapeutic riding and other animal assisted therapies

2011-12-01T14:28:00.005+01:00

During the summer we had four students from Gallaudet, all graduate students in Education or Mental Health. We all had a fantastic time as they learned everything from being a groom and riding lessons to helping train horses for therapy. We also went over the benefits of therapeutic riding and the different special needs it can benefit. It was a great opportunity for me to learn ASL (American Sign Language) and practice it. It has been proven that in many learning disabilities, if they can have visual and auditory stimulus, they are able to take in and understand more so the sign language was a big help for me in my work at ANIMO. The students all worked or were studying in different fields of Mental Health within the deaf community and felt that therapeutic riding would be very useful for everything from abused children and women to autism. Megan had a one month intensive course for which she earned a certificate and became a valuable member of out team and family.

P.S. Megan—I’m still waiting for your essay on your time here and what you learned and liked about Spain and AAT. We want you to come back soon. We miss you.

Megan and I developed a special relationship and shared so many laughs and experiences including a very funny last supper. Now we have horses at home and are starting a new project on therapeutic riding and infantile cancer for a presentation in May of next year to the National Child Cancer Association Congress. I could use your organization skills and a big hug. Mima

(Heh! I was just able to sign this last paragraph)

The Friesian

2011-11-26T11:19:00.003+01:00

This is a 4 year old Friesian stallion we saw in Seville this week. Out of the ten available, we chose this one. He has a magic quality and a character that goes with his looks. Gorgeous isn't he?

The Animo Course in Almería

2011-11-15T14:13:00.006+01:00

We have written up our Animo course, held this past weekend in Almería at the Centro Ecuestre Albero, over on our sister blog Animo AAT. The course dealt with the basics of therapeutic riding, since little is known about the international norms here in Spain and we also learned how to work and communicate together in a multidisciplinary team. The course was a big success (and our thanks to the Red Cross for their special demonstrations) and we plan further courses in the future.
This was Animo's first course to be offered in its new headquarters, the Centro Ecuestre Albero.
Barbara Napier
Loli Berenguel
Beatriz Prevosto
== You can contact us at: animoalbero@hotmail.es

Cookie with the Children

2011-11-13T23:07:00.003+01:00

A short piece with Cookie and her friends On YouTube.

Raven the Poster Dog

2011-11-10T22:02:00.001+01:00

All this rubbish about taking a mongrel dog home from the pound. Here's Raven, a Briard. They say these are the most beautiful dogs of all - and in this candid picture, you won't help but agree!

Arturo the Donkey

2011-11-06T11:17:00.003+01:00

One year, we went to the feria de bestia in Albox. Sheep, horses, pigs and, look, a little donkey. We called him Arturo and brought him home in the Nissan.

Curso básico de Equitación Terapéutica

2011-10-28T10:58:00.004+02:00

INTRODUCCIÓN

Bajo la coordinación de la Vocalía de Paraecuestre de la Federación Andaluza de Hípica se CONVOCA el Curso básico de Equitación Terapéutica.

CONDICIONES DE LA CONVOCATORIA

Requisitos:

Los solicitantes deberán poseer la Licencia Deportiva Territorial en vigor, expedida por la FAH antes del comienzo del curso.

Fecha:

12 Y 13 DE NOVIEMBRE 2011

Horario:

9:00-19:00

Lugar:

Centro Ecuestre Albero, Los Partidores, La Cañada, Almería

Ponentes:

Bárbara Napier.

Dolores Berenguel

Cruz Roja

Coordinadora:

Vocal de Paraecuestre: Alma Narbona.

Plazas:

Limitado a dieciséis. (16)

Inscripciones e Información :

Vía email a brbrnapier@yahoo.com y alberocentroecuestre@hotmail.com

Fecha límite: 10 de noviembre 2011 .

Contactos:

Bárbara Napier: 649471219

Matricula: 100€

Visiting a Neighbour's Ranch

2011-10-26T11:26:00.002+02:00

We went to see some horses yesterday, at a large lettuce farm between Cuevas and Pulpí. I know the owner from years back and he has - besides any number of thousands of hectares of lettuce - around a dozen Pura Raza Española horses (and a donkey). Here I am riding a nine year old mare. Riding this kind of horse is like floating through the air. A real pleasure.

Back in Mojácar, we now have the stables in good shape and one horse staying with us, Cuki, a Hispano Bretón which came here from Catalonia and our friends at Cadi Moixero.

Therapeutic riding: Hispano Bretón

2011-09-23T18:22:00.008+02:00

The therapeutic riding cooperative Cadí Moixeró brought two beautiful examples of Hispano Bretones to ANIMO for us to try. They meet all of the requirements you could ask for in a therapeutic horse. They are calm, willing, friendly, strong and have a body build and gait that is ideal for bareback riding and all types of therapeutic riding. Sadly, these beautiful horses are generally bred for meat because of their large build. Due to their kind and easy-going nature and broad sofa-like back they are perfect for everything from early stimulation in babies to back-riding for every type of disability. We will be doing demonstrations and courses hoping to promote the animal as a beneficial therapeutic animal. Here are a few pictures of their first day here. After a fourteen hour trailer ride all the way from the Catalonian highlands, and in a new place with people they didn't know, they performed perfectly.

There's a short piece on YouTube, prepared by Ken.

Finding the Mid-line

2011-08-26T16:23:00.006+02:00

Step number one in any therapeutic riding is to help your student find their mid-line or center. Until they have an idea of what their center feels like they cannot move on to other exercises like reaching from one side to the other. They need to find their mid-line in order to walk, bring a cup to their mouth or get the feel of what it is like to walk and be in balance for those that are wheelchair bound or have an awkward gait. This is something most children learn from birth, slowly learning to bring things together to their mouth. If your student can already do this then you can move on to other activities.

The first step is to get them to relax and be in a good position; ankle, hip, shoulder and ear in line. This is done with a back rider who supports the feet, keeping them in line to achieve the most benefit; while holding lightly on to their wrists and stretching out, in front, up and across the chest, ending by touching the nose with both hands.
This is very difficult for some children especially with Cerebral Palsy. Never force the movement. If they go rigid or limp, start again by crossing the arms over the chest until they relax and continue the series over again.
You may not be able to accomplish this in one or two classes. Once they have achieved the goal, praise them and do something like a short trail ride or something for fun. When they are able to do this on their own they are ready to start games and exercises where they cross the body to retrieve or place objects. The back rider must lean slightly back so that the child's head is supported. If the head drops, ask them to try and lift it themselves, if they can't give a little help.
The goal is to get both hands together to the nose by themselves or with the minimum of help.
This is a riding therapy demonstration on Nora at Centro Albero, with Loli Berenguel Gálvez as the instructor, Marla as the student and me as the back rider.

From My Book

2011-07-20T16:59:00.007+02:00

This is a piece from the final chapter of my work-in-progress Riding for my Life.

I have had my last operation, which was on my eyes. The membrane around my eyes and under my eye lids were replaced with placenta but unfortunately after a month the new membrane is dissolving leaving my eyes uncovered and open to any food or drink that I have. I am now too high of a risk to operate any more. I have been off all medication since September 2010, and have been in better shape than I have been in years. I do not recommend that anyone stop their medication without their doctor’s approval, but anyway, I did. The reason I stopped is because for over three years I was taking so much medication for so many different things and none of them were stopping the problems: but they were killing me. Doctors and friends are shocked when they see me now because I am in so much better condition, both mentally and physically. I have more energy, less pain and am more productive. My insomnia has been gone for over a year and I have no visible signs of vasculitis. I have a post-cancer patient who is also participating in this study, who has different problems yet many of the same symptoms as I do. He also has suffered from depression and Short Fibre Neuropathy, for which there is no medication. For the first time in fifteen years he is pain free and has his depression under control. The side effects of the cancer treatment are disappearing and his general quality of life has improved to the point that he wants to get his own horse so that he can ride more often. This is far from the end of the investigation or my practice of the ANIMO-ALBERO therapeutic riding program. That is just really beginning. Every day we are finding so many ways in which the horse can help people suffering from circulatory problems or the side effects of medical treatments, to reduce pain, to prolong a better quality of life and to help people deal with their fear when suffering with a terminal disease. We have now found that with a few months of continuous therapy the effects are long term and not short term as we had originally thought. I know that this program does not eradicate the disease and I don’t want to give anyone false hopes, but by just practicing this therapy twice a week, I have improved my quality of life and am living almost pain free; allowing me to be a wife, mother, grandmother and friend once again. This is something that was stripped away from me by Rhodatarula, Wegener’s disease plus a series of misdiagnoses; also by the ten years that were taken away from me by the more than thirty operations that left me so physically disfigured that I suffered severe depression and wouldn’t socialize for over three years. One trip to visit our daughter, Jessica, and grandchildren in Oklahoma; a trip that I thought would be my last, changed my life around 180 degrees. A little pinto gelding, by the name of Pronto owned by Patsi Smith, was the beginning of my new life and the investigation into the ANIMO-ALBERO program. I hadn’t ridden in over eight years and was coaxed into going riding with my children. I found that not only did I feel more energetic and happier but I somehow found a hidden strength inside of myself. This strength and self confidence made me start to go out with the family - not worrying about what people thought - and I found to my surprise that everyone was so nice to me and that my scars and bandages didn’t seem to make a bit of difference to them.
It is my dream, that one day the medical profession will take note of the work that we are doing and that thousands of people may benefit from what we have discovered and that the investigation continues for years to come.
Note: It is vital that family, friends and caregivers encourage their patients to go to therapy, no matter what kind it is. Usually the patient is too tired or doesn’t feel up to it but I can tell you from experience, that once you go you feel much better. I learned this way back when a volunteer, Sarah, that took me to my riding therapy, told me that even though I didn’t feel like riding, we would go and if I didn’t want to ride we could come back home again. It is a lesson I have never forgotten and am forever grateful to her.

This is me riding a beautiful Friesian mare called Frisona, who comes from the Yeguada Valdesol in Sorbas, Almería.

How a Horse Helps Against Depression

2011-06-21T10:24:00.002+02:00

I have decided to post this picture alone instead of including photos of the other animals that have helped me deal with my illness. I will post them on another day because they are important too. This photograph shows the emotion and joy that I get when I am around the animals and I think it has more impact, standing on its own. This is a Friesian mare called ‘Frisona’, who happens to be carrying the foal of the horse of my dreams, ‘Ero’, who is on another posting below. I have fallen in love with ‘Frisona’. The first time I rode her, it brought me to tears: it was such an emotional experience for me. She has such a wonderful disposition and it feels like you are floating when you ride her. She has a different gait from other horses, which gives more benefit in ten minutes than most horses manage in half an hour. She is very affectionate and follows you everywhere.

But, let’s go to the photograph. Animals have no prejudice and love you as you are; they take away any feeling of depression and they seem to understand when you are feeling down or have a problem and react accordingly. That’s why I can share this picture with you.

Animo Update (Updated)

2011-05-12T13:40:00.001+02:00

This is something my father wrote about Animo in 1987 which he updated in 1998, two years before his death. I've just found it and wanted to share it (with a small update for 2011).
::: ::: :::

Barbara Napier, the director of Animo, is on the board of the Federation for Riding for the Disabled International (FRDI) - elected at the international conference in Colorado in 1987. She has since attended the AGM in Paris this March and a further international meeting in Munich during September as part of an international AAT conference.

Hippotherapist Joan Would visited Animo on May 16 and 17, and imparted a two-day seminar to 25 physiotherapists, doctors and rehabilitation specialists. Joining her was the director of the Spanish Spina Bifida Association, Dr Carlos Miguelez. Information from Barbara, 950 478 268.The annual ANIMO dinner will be in Mojácar at El Puntazo on Wednesday, December 4th. During the evening, there will be a satellite link up with the Royal Prince, Felipe, Duke of Asturias. Talk to us about dolphin therapy? An associate from Madrid wishes to start a centre locally which sounds interesting.

ANIMO's animals are two dogs (under training), six horses, four donkeys, wild boar, tortoises, a rather affable pig, sundry rabbits, guinea pigs, peacocks, ducks, turkeys, about a hundred love birds and some chickens. Did I mention the sheep?Cash is always short, as we don't charge our disabled friends, and we work with volunteers (thanks as always to Viv, Keith, Doctor Maria Rose, Lionel, Tina and Juanico). But we have one full time employee, light, maintenance and a lot of animal-feed to cover.We now have over thirty students using the centre, from Almería and Murcia provinces. Most have noted improvement in their mobility.Our sessions (weather permitting) at the Era del Lugar centre in Mojácar (Almería, Spain) are Mondays and Wednesdays, at 5.00 to 7.00pm and Sundays 10.30am to 1.00pm.
We're always looking to make new friends, give us a call 950 478 268 or 34 950 478 268 from outside Spain, or national call 950 478 268 950 478 268 , and fax 950 478 789, or e-mail us at The Entertainer.

Miguel Rios Supports ANIMO

The Spanish rock star Miguel Rios joined the ANIMO gala evening at the Pascha discoteque in Mojacar, Almeria, last Saturday. Miguel, accompanied by Pepe Grano de Oro, the lead guitarist from the legendary Los Puntos pop group (rated during the late 'sixties as Spain's best selling band), performed two of his best known songs with a chorus of thirty children who accompanied him in sign-language. The gala, which featured Juan Roque, Corleone, Los Templarios and Backbeat, was organised by Barbara Napier, the president of ANIMO, an association which helps the disabled using animal assisted therapy. The keynote songs were 'El Himno de la Alegria' and 'Santa Lucia'. Miguel Rios, who had recently completed a Kurt Weill concert in Granada together with Ana Belén, said afterwards that he was delighted to freely give some of his time for such a noble cause. Around 1000 people attended the concert.

INTRODUCTION

ANIMO, a non-profit association currently in its formative stages, consists of two distinct but complementary entities--a Research and Rehabilitation Center for Handicapped Persons, and a Farm and Wildlife Animal Conservation Center. Initiated as two separate entities, the overlap of interests and of key personnel provided a significant synergism by incorporating the two into ANIMO. The common element uniting all activities within ANIMO is the importance and utility of the relationship between man and animal. Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Activities are almost unknown in Spain but are widely and successfully practiced in other countries. A remarkable benefit has been observed when animals and humans come into contact with each other. Animals have a way of relieving the symptoms of depression and creating a calming effect, partly due to the animal's complete lack of prejudice and total acceptance of a person as he is, boosting self confidence and improving mental health. The improvement in patients with depression has been widely observed when interacting with animals, which is especially useful in accident victims who have to learn to deal with a new handicap. A tremendous improvement has also been noted in stroke victims when they come into contact with animals--just the touch of their fur seems to inspire muscular movement in paralized areas. The benefit of Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is that the independence, integration, confidence, mental and physical health in the individual are improved. Animals can take the place of a missing sense, exercise and massage body parts that can no longer move on their own, or help with the tasks of everyday life, providing a happier, healthier life for the handicapped individual. The values of riding for the disabled and assistance dogs are described in detail in the following sections on horses and dogs. ANIMO is aimed at, but not exclusive to, the physically and sensorally handicapped in Spain, which, according to a study carried out by INSERSO in 1986 and published in the Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas( INE ), was 5,191,063 people. Added to this number are the handicapped people from other European countries who have expressed a desire for a holiday, therapy and sport center in the south of Spain, where they may take advantage of the warmer climate.

RESEARCH AND REHABILITATION CENTER FOR THE HANDICAPPED. ANIMO is involved with all aspects of the ways in which handicapped persons may benefit from their relationship with animals--specifically horses and dogs at this time.

HORSES. Although the concept of handicapped persons riding horses may be unfamiliar and startling to many, therapeutic riding has been widely and successfully employed in other countries, particularly the UK and USA. It includes four major elements of providing treatment for people with disabilities: Hippotherapy, in which the rider is influenced by the horse, rather than controlling it. The movement of the horse imparts a movement of the rider's pelvis that closely resembles that of walking. Under the supervision of a physiotherapist this movement can be used to stimulate the nervous and muscular systems of the rider. Physician- or therapist- prescribed exercises, which strengthen, stretch, and relax the muscles, can also be done on the horse's back.
Rehabilitative Riding is a type of treatment which uses functional horsemanship skills (movements while riding to maintain control of the horse) to achieve a therapeutic or educational goal, such as improved motor skills and speech/language skills.Sport riding is used to develop social skills and to provide recreational therapy and includes such activities as trail riding. Many handicapped people display an extraordinary ability in classical dressage and other equestrian events. At ANIMO we will provide top level training for these athletes to enable them to compete on local, national or international levels. Developmental Vaulting, which is used to improve cognitive, perceptual, and motor skills, allows a rider to explore various types of movement on the horse's back.The center will also provide Carriage Driving, both as a recreational activity and at competition level.Riding, whether for sport, therapy, or pleasure, is psychologically and physically advantageous for the handicapped. It gives them the opportunity to go places unavailable in his everyday life, and to experience the world from a new vantage point, the whole time providing the much needed stimulation to muscles and vital organs. Most of the trail-riding at ANIMO will be carried out on donkeys with specially fitted tack, as donkeys tend to be more surefooted and calmer for novice riders. This will also help revive a dying breed and bring a new usefulness to the Andalucian donkey, which is now an endangered species.The instructor must have a real understanding and knowledge of horses and an ability to communicate with disabled people. They should have an understanding of the rider's disabilities and should work as part of a team including the physiotherapist/occupational therapist, center staff members, and other helpers. The team will set realistic goals to develop the full potential of each rider, while giving him a sense of achievement and enjoyment.
All ANIMO horses will be sponsored by companies, with the option to sponsor school horses or competition level horses, providing positive image and publicity for many years with a one-off cost and no on-going expenses or responsibilities. Near the stables and the kennels and with easy access to both, will be a complete veterinary surgery to cope with the needs of all the animals on site and to provide training facilities for students. All animals will undergo a veterinary inspection on acceptance and on-going supervision for vaccinations and worming. Aside from good health, the character of all dogs and horses will be studied by a team of ANIMO personnel to insure a good temperament and easy handling.

PETTING ZOO: This activity is an outgrowth of an informal animal center which has been maintained for many years by the president of ANIMO at her home/farm. Due, perhaps, to the informal and casual setting of the center, all manner of birds and animals which do not normally breed in captivity have reproduced well. This has also been a popular educational and recreational center visited frequently by groups of local school children. All of the local communities have expressed interest in seeing this activity continued and expanded to enable the school children to experience, at first hand, typical farm and domestic animals which are no longer commonplace in their homes.

RECUPERATION CENTER FOR NATIVE WILDLIFE: This center will be concerned with restoring the viability of native wild birds and animals which typically are brought to the center by concerned persons who encounter them in a distressed condition, such as very young birds which have fallen out of the nest , injured birds or animals which cannot survive on their own, and wild-type animals which have been raised in captivity and cannot compete in their proper environment. Every effort will be made to restore these creatures to a functional level such that they can be returned to their natural habitat. Those animals which are not capable of resuming normal existence will be kept at the center, where they are particularly appropriate, as often a handicapped person will relate especially well to a handicapped animal.

VISITING ANIMAL PROGRAM: Since we will have a wealth of animals of all types and many volunteers, a practical step for us is the very successful Animal Visitation Program wherein animals are taken to other centers, children’s hospitals, homes for the elderly, etc., where the patients often find the sight and touch of the animals both enjoyable and therapeutic.

ANIMO: CURRENT STATUS (1998) The Town Hall of Vera has recently ceded three hectares (around eight acres) to the association, and is actively helping in the projected move to the new permanent site. Barbara Napier, the President of ANIMO, has traveled widely in Europe speaking at conferences and on the radio and TV. Her boundless energy and determination has done much to bring the above-mentioned concepts to the attention of the Spanish handicapped societies and organizations.

CONTACTS and ADDRESSES ANIMO, Apto 34, Mojacar, 04638 Almeria, Spain Telephones: (950) 478 268 (both voice and TTY/DTS). Asociacion Benefica: No 137,284. CIF: F04219614

ANIMO-May 2011 This center does not exist now but ANIMO continues to help other centers starting up, gives conferences and courses and is currently working on a new therapy for terminally ill people called ANIMO-ALBERO. This program has shown great promise for reducing pain, side effects of medication, improving circulation, posture, clearing lungs, helps dysfunctional organs function, removes marks from vasculitis , cures insomnia and a host of other benefits. Every day in this new investigation we are discovering new ways that the horse can help improve the quality of life for people with sever illness. You can see videos and read about our investigation and the continuing work of ANIMO at; animoaat.blogspot.com or the long running old blog at animospain.blogspot.com or contact me: Barbara Napier at brbrnapier@yahoo.com or animoaat@yahoo.com the main phone number is still the same (34) 950 478 268, the postal address is Era de Lugar 15, Mojácar, Almería, 04638, Spain

ANIMO, PASO A PASO...
ANIMO es una asociación nacional no lucrativa cuyo objetivo principal es la investigación y rehabilitación de personas discapacitadas mediante terapia asistida por animales (AAT), actividades asistidas por animales (AAA) y desarrollo de nuevas terapias derivadas de la experiencia adquirida. Todo ello sin menoscabo del seguimiento terapéutico aplicado usualmente por los distintos especialistas de nuestro sistema sanitario.En España, la terapia y actividades asistidas por animales es una práctica poco extendida y por lo tanto bastante desconocida. Sin embargo, la solidez del proyecto está basada en la actual experiencia y conocimiento de la terapia que avalan cerca de 100 años de trabajos de investigación y desarrollo en centros que la practican por todo el mundo bajo la supervisión de los respectivos servicios técnico-sanitarios.La terapia con discapacitados asistida por animales se entiende como un programa de apoyo a otros tratamientos médicos que, trabajando como un equipo multidisciplinar, proporcionan índices mucho más elevados en los resultados perseguidos. Ofrece además este tipo de terapia la posibilidad de abrir nuevos horizontes de relación, ocio y deporte a personas que, debido a alguna discapacidad ven su vida limitada a un entorno inmediato, con poca esperanza de cambios o mejoras en su calidad de vida.

Dr. J. O. BEAUMONT

The Story of Angel

2011-04-27T17:31:00.004+02:00

Angel was a young boy with cerebral palsy who came from a very small inland village in southern Spain. How Angel’s family ever found ANIMO, I have no idea. They showed up one day and said that they wanted us to help their son. The parents were farmers and were illiterate. They had no idea what was wrong with their son and assumed that he was retarded because he couldn’t speak or walk or even control his limbs. We set up an obligatory, free medical exam, by our volunteer doctor Dr. Maria Rose. She explained very carefully to the family what cerebral palsy was and that Angel was much more aware and understood much more than they had imagined. He started his therapeutic riding the following week. Angel still crawled around on the floor because the family didn’t have a wheelchair or the means to obtain one. We always had wheel chairs available for our students so that they didn’t have to put one in the car; that is if they had one. Angel advanced very well and his parents enjoyed chatting with the other families and seeing that they were not alone. Our volunteers kept the children occupied with rabbits and other farm animals while they were waiting for their turn to ride. They never understood why these strange foreign people helped work with so many Spanish disabled children, seeing as most of them never even spoke the same language. We were very lucky to have over forty volunteers from all over Europe, many of whom had worked in riding for the disabled in their own countries, and all brought a wealth of knowledge and ideas to ANIMO. In those years, the late eighties, Spain seemed to be the only European country that had never heard of Animal Assisted Therapy. As Angel progressed and the family spent time with the other parents, their whole way of treating and speaking to Angel changed; making a huge difference to Angel’s life. For the first time he was part of a loving family and not just tossed to one side. Another of our young students, with muscular dystrophy, died and wanted his parents to give his fabulous electric wheel chair to some boy who would love it as much as he did. We chose Angel. Angel and his family plus our doctor and other volunteers were there when Angel sat in this great machine. Not only could he sit up by himself, but he could go places. His family were sure that he could never even learn to use the controls but within a few minutes, to the surprise of his family, he was zooming all over our terrace. We had meant to change the controls to the other side to make it easier for him because they were set on Angel’s bad side, but even that didn’t stop Angel. We had the wheel chair moved to Angel’s house and he soon was able to go around town on his own. The town was so pleased that in 1990 they invited me to give a talk to the village and they awarded me with a plaque of gratitude.
Since we never charged a fee at ANIMO, some of the parents would bring us fruit or vegetables from their gardens. The interaction between the parents was almost as valuable as the therapeutic riding that their children were receiving. We had many group and family BBQ’s and parties for every American and European holiday. They carved pumpkins for the first time, had Easter-egg hunts on horse back, Guy Faulkes night with fireworks and every year we had a dinner where we gave out awards and prizes to the students and volunteers.

The Price of a Puppy

2011-04-22T11:55:00.001+02:00

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING A PUPPY, THEN THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. The first is time; do you have enough time? When they are young they have to go out several times during the night. They need to be played with and taught what is theirs and what isn’t. Do you work during the day? Do you plan on taking trips? Who will care for your puppy while you are away? Do you have a garden where they can run free or do you have to take them out for exercise? What size dog do you choose? As far as the cost of keeping a puppy, you can figure on about 60 euros every time you go to the vet. They need a series of puppy shots, worming, plus prevention against ticks, fleas and mosquitoes. This prevention comes in the form of drops on the neck, but needs to be applied every month; the amount depends on the weight of the dog and can become very expensive. Next you have the puppy food. Dog food is expensive. It is important to keep them on a regular diet or they will tend to get the runs. A good supplement to give your puppy is plain yogurt with a few tablespoons of olive oil and brewer’s yeast; this helps keep their skin and coat in good condition and the yogurt provides extra calcium and keeps the stomach healthy. An alternative to ready-made kibble is to make rice or lentils. This takes time and you need to add some sort of meat and vegetable to keep their diet healthy.

Another big consideration is what are you willing to lose? Puppies love to eat furniture, shoes, and clothes plus garbage. It takes a while, while they are teething, for them to learn what is theirs and what isn’t. You must have toys for them to substitute when you remove something they aren’t supposed to have. You don’t have to buy expensive toys; a rag with a knot in it, a plastic water bottle will suffice, but they do tend to love those soft squeaky toys. Every time they chew on something that they shouldn’t you must tell them no and give them something that they can chew on. Depending on the size of the dog, you have to be careful of the size of their toys. It is easy for them to swallow a tennis ball or little rubber duck.

During the first six months, they should be learning vocabulary and basic behaviour. At six months they are ready to start obedience training, which should be relatively easy if they learned the basics during play-time. Socialization is very important; the more things and situations that you can expose them to the better. Is you puppy going to be a guard dog or a companion? A lot of this depends on the breed and temperament but also on the way it is raised.

Getting a puppy is a big decision, you must be sure that you are ready for the investment of both time and money, but the rewards you receive have no price tag; they are unending and without prejudice.

Animals Forecast Weather

2011-04-05T09:02:00.003+02:00

ANIMO is thinking about reinitiating its research and investigation project into how animals and insects help us to predict natural disasters and the weather. I started the project with my father, Dr. James O Beaumont, and in his honor I would like to continue. I stopped pursuing the project after his death in 2000.
Governments spend billions of dollars every year on meteorology, yet the weather-person never even gets tomorrow’s weather right. We started by talking to farmers, in a small town in southern Spain. They had no television and were illiterate. All they knew was what had been passed down to them for generations. We were sitting talking to our neighbor when she saw three flying ants and told us that it would rain the next day. She was spot on and the weatherman missed it. My grandmother, Winifred, told my dad when he was a child, that if there was a circle around the moon, to count the stars inside the circle and in that many days it would rain. She was always right. Anyone in tornado country can tell you that before a tornado, the behaviour of the animals and the flight patterns of the birds change, way before the satellite image picks anything up. On my farm, my animals were all free to go in and out as they pleased. Always, before a storm, they would all go to the middle of the paddock, away from trees and fencing, I couldn’t even coax them in with food. There they stayed until the storm was over. In southern Spain we know when spring is coming, not by the ground hog, but because the swallows all return from Africa and start rebuilding their nests.
One night our dog tried to get us out of the house, hours before the roof caved in, almost killing our son. We had no warning; no cracks or leaks. We thought the dog just wanted to go out and find a bitch in heat and didn’t listen to him. He kept looking at the ceiling and crying and trying to go out. He couldn’t have made it any clearer.
Before earthquakes, tornados, volcanoes and other natural or even unnatural disasters, some animal or some insect knows and tries to get out of the way of the impending disaster. We just have to learn how to read these signs and we might be able to save thousands of lives.
To continue the project and before it can become an official study, we need information. So we want information from farmers, fishermen, tribesmen, Native Indians, Bushman, hikers, anyone who has travelled and come in contact with people that live by nature and their livelihood depends on knowing what is going to happen; people without the aid of modern technology and whose information comes from nature itself.
The study would include cultural anthropology, psychology, ecology, meteorology, folklore, storytellers, travellers, historians and many other fields. It would make great field work for university students.
Any information would be useful so please send your stories to me at brbrnapier (at) yahoo (dot) com with the title ANIMALS AND WEATHER. Thank you all.

I have had good feedback from this post. Here are a few links on the subject:

The Animal Weather Project

Can Animals Predict the Weather?

Can Animals Sense Earthquakes?

Manual Básica de la Hípica Terapéutica

2011-03-05T12:38:00.004+01:00

I have written a manual in Spanish on the basics of therapeutic riding. I hope it will be in print by the end of April and can be presented at the Almería horse fair (Feria del Caballo y Vino: 28 April - 2 May). Here is the preface (I wrote the Spanish first, then translated it into English):

To succeed in any type of animal-assisted therapy, it is essential to have a good knowledge of your students and their problems. But even more important is to have a good knowledge of the animals with whom you work and of their psychology. The only way to get to know your animals is by spending time with them. Some things cannot be learned in a book...
All animals have a way to communicate their feelings and needs; it's your job to learn to understand them. For example: the eyes, ears, and muscles of a horse can all indicate if they are afraid or uncomfortable. The job of an animal assisted therapist is to get the most benefit for their students while keeping in mind the needs of the animal.
Always watch your surroundings. Hygiene and treatment of animals is most important, no matter if you're carrying small animals to a children's center, or using an assistance dog or engaged in therapeutic riding. Working with animals is never ending. When working with animals, those assistants to the therapist, you must continue their training and their care between sessions.
Working with animals requires seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days a year. There is no rest when you work with animals, since they depend on you for their health, food, shelter and companionship. It is all worthwhile when you see the smiles on your students or clients and see the improvement in them. Also, you will know that the animals themselves receive pleasure in being helpers.

Para sacar beneficio en cualquier tipo de terapia asistida por animales, es esencial tener un buen conocimiento de tus alumnos y sus problemas. Más importante aun es de tener un buen conocimiento de los animales con quien trabajas y su psicología. La única manera de conseguirlo con tus animales, es pasar mucho tiempo con ellos. Hay cosas que no se aprenda en un libro.
Todos los animales tienen una manera de comunicar sus sentamientos y sus deseos, es tu trabajo aprender a entenderlos. Por ejemplo: los ojos, las orejas, y la musculatura de un caballo puede decirte si ellos tienen miedo o están incómodos. El trabajo de un terapeuta con animales es de sacar el máximo beneficio por su alumno mientras que mantiene en cuenta las necesidades del animal. Siempre hay que vigilar tu entorno. La higiene y tratamiento de los animales es de lo más importante; no importa si estas llevando animales pequeños a un centro de niños, utilizando un perro de asistencia o, haciendo la hípica terapéutica. El trabajo con los animales nunca termina.
Dentro del trabajo con animales, como ayudante al terapeuta, hay que seguir tanto a su adiestramiento como a su cuidado entre sesiones.
El trabajo con animales exige siete días de la semana y tres cientos sesenta y cinco días del año. No hay descanso cuando trabajas con animales, ya que ellos dependen de ti por su higiene, comida, cobijo y compañía. Vale la pena cuando ves las sonrisas de tus alumnos o clientes y ves el mejoramiento en ellos. También, la alegría de los animales siendo ayudantes.

For light relief, you might enjoy this short video: http://www.maniacworld.com/which-is-the-guilty-dog.html

The ANIMO-ALBERO therapeutic riding program update:

2011-03-04T10:06:00.003+01:00

The ANIMO-ALBERO therapeutic riding program was designed for improving the quality of life for people suffering from illness or disease as opposed to the traditional riding therapy for mental or physical disabilities. During the year and a half that we have been investigating this revolutionary new program we have discovered some interesting new things. We once thought that the benefits were short term but we now find that a lot of the benefits can be long term after a few months of practicing this therapy. We have also found that the benefits increase rapidly and last longer as you advance to the trot and the canter. Below is a list of the benefits we have confirmed and some that show great promise:

1. Feeling of well-being and mind clarity.
2. Increased energy.
3. Improved circulation.
4. Removal of fluid from the lungs.
5. Reduction in the effects of vasculitis.
6. The ability to absorb iron for people with anaemia.
7. Cures insomnia.
8. Improves muscle tone and atrophied muscles.
9. Improves arrhythmia.
10. Helps dysfunctional kidneys lower levels of potassium, creatina, urea and triglycerides.
11. Removes toxins and thereby the side effects from toxic medication such as steroids.
12. Greatly improves symptoms of depression, stress and the menopause.
13. Helps heal wounds and skin grafts.
14. Perfect pre- and post-op preparation.
15. Small fibre neuropathy shows great promise.
16. Improves functioning of the digestive tract.

Every day we find new benefits to the ANIMO-ALBERO therapeutic riding program. After a series of trials and error, we have found that this program is much more efficient than a trail-ride or a lesson in the ring for treating the symptoms of terminal disease or illness. No stress is put on the heart, so even people with heart disorders that tire quickly, are able to complete an entire exercise program of half and hour to an hour.
The horse does the work and you get the benefit. Before participating in the ANIMO-ALBERO program you should get a doctor’s permission to make sure you don’t have any contraindications. No prior riding experience is necessary. Everything is done bare-back or with a sheepskin, with the aid of a sursingle and on the lunge line. You start at the walk and as you feel more comfortable you progress to the trot and the canter. A perfect and complete therapy program would be around forty-five minutes, doing each exercise at the walk, trot and canter in both directions. Three times a week is the optimal number of therapy sessions, however even once a week has proved to provide great benefits. The program must be tailored to each patient’s needs, so the exercises and the pace vary. This program does not eradicate the disease but it greatly reduces pain, side effects and improves your quality of life.

El ANIMO-ALBERO programa de equitación terapéutica fue diseñado para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas que sufren de una enfermedad en comparación con la terapia al caballo tradicional para ayudar los con discapacidades mentales o físicas. Durante el año y medio que hemos estado investigando este programa nuevo y revolucionario, hemos descubierto algunas cosas nuevas e interesantes. Anteriormente, hemos pensado que los beneficios fueron a corto plazo, pero ahora nos encontramos con que muchos de los beneficios pueden ser a largo plazo después de unos meses de practicar esta terapia. También hemos encontrado que los beneficios aumentan rápidamente y duran más tiempo a medida que avanza al trote y el galope. A continuación se muestra una lista de los beneficios que han confirmado y algunos que muestran gran promesa:

1. Sensación de bienestar y claridad mental.
2. Aumento de la energía.
3. Mejora de la circulación.
4. Extracción de líquido de los pulmones.
5. Reducción de los efectos de la vasculitis.
6. La capacidad de absorber el hierro para las personas con anemia.
7. Cura el insomnio.
8. Mejora el tono muscular y los músculos atrofiados.
9. Mejora la arritmia.
10. Ayuda a los riñones disfuncionales en bajar los niveles de potasio, creatina, urea y triglicéridos.
11. Elimina toxinas y por lo tanto los efectos secundarios de los medicamentos tóxicos como los esteroides.
12. Mejora en gran medida los síntomas de la depresión, el estrés y la menopausia.
13. Ayuda a sanar heridas y los injertos de piel.
14. Perfecta preparación ante- y post-operatorias.
15. La neuropatía de fibras pequeñas muestra una gran promesa.
16. Mejora el funcionamiento del tracto digestivo.

Todos los días nos encontramos con nuevos beneficios del programa de equitación terapéutica ANIMO-ALBERO. Después de una serie de ensayos y errores, hemos encontrado que este programa es mucho más eficiente que un paseo o una lección en el picadero para tratar los síntomas de la enfermedad o enfermedad terminal. No se pone estrés al corazón, por lo que incluso las personas con trastornos del corazón que se cansan rápidamente, son capaces de completar un programa de ejercicio completo de entre media hora y una hora.
El caballo hace el trabajo y el jinete obtiene el beneficio. Antes de participar en el programa ANIMO-ALBERO debes obtener el permiso de un médico para asegurarte de que no tienes ninguna contraindicación. No importa no tener experiencia previa en montar a caballo. Todo se hace a pelo o con una piel de oveja, con la ayuda de un sursingle y bajo el control de tu profesor con su cuerda. Tu comienzas a caminar y como te sientas el progreso más cómodo para el trote y el galope. Un programa de terapia perfecta y completa sería de alrededor de cuarenta y cinco minutos, haciendo cada ejercicio con el paso, trote y galope en ambas direcciones. Tres veces a la semana es la cantidad óptima de sesiones de terapia, sin embargo, una sola vez a la semana ha demostrado tener grandes beneficios. El programa debe adaptarse a las necesidades de cada paciente, por lo que los ejercicios y el ritmo varían. Este programa no erradica la enfermedad, pero se reduce en gran medida el dolor, los efectos secundarios y mejora tu calidad de vida.

Horse and Wine Fair

2011-02-24T17:19:00.003+01:00

The VII Almería Horse and Wine Fair, the Feria de Caballo y Vino, takes place this year in Almería at the Olympic Stadium from April 28th to May 2nd. There will be a large number of related stands, plus competitions, shows and spectacle! We were at the presentation of this year's poster and were treated to a video of last year's show, which included flamenco dancing and fashion, exhibitions of classical dressage and doma vaquera and the presence of the Royal Riding Academy. The only type of horse at this feria is the Pura Raza Española - a wonderful and beautiful horse. The feria is organised once again by Francisco de Aguilar from the Asociación Almeriense de los Criadores de la Pura Raza Española.

El VII Feria de Caballo y el Vino de Almería se lleva a cabo este año en Almería en el Estadio Olímpico desde el 28 de abril hasta el 2 de mayo. Habrá un gran número de stands, además de concursos y espectáculos. Estuvimos en la presentación del cartel de este año y vimos un vídeo del espectáculo del año pasado, que incluyó baile y la moda, exhibiciones de doma clásica y vaquera y la presencia de la Real Academia de Equitación. El único tipo de caballo en esta feria es la Pura Raza Española - un caballo maravilloso y hermoso conocido por su tranquilidad y buen caracter. La feria está organizada una vez más por Francisco de aguilar de la Asociación Almeriensede los Criadores de la Pura Raza Española.

Courage

2011-02-04T16:56:00.000+01:00

As I look at Ken’s close up video-clip of ‘Barbara’, which is posted below, I find it a bit hard to accept that I have been so physically deformed, then I felt proud of myself for coming out of hiding and getting on with my life under these circumstances. I realize that none of this would have been possible if it hadn’t been for the tremendous support, encouragement and loving friendship being constantly sent my way by friends and family. I would like to take this chance to thank all of you for remembering whom I am inside and keeping me so positive and active. I think I have been able to achieve more in the last few years than I have in a long time. It is a wonderful feeling to know that I have so many people who love and care for me, so I will keep fighting this dreadful virus so that I may continue to be a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to all of you who mean so much to me.

Thank you all, Barbara

2011-02-03T13:40:00.000+01:00

The Walk, Eat and Drink Trio

2011-02-01T09:37:00.000+01:00

I am off to Madrid to see the eye surgeon about my upcoming operation and my friends Ken and Sarah have kindly offered to keep me company on the trip. They have never been to Madrid so I will be able to show them some of the real Spain, unlike the coastal tourist areas. Mojácar Pueblo used to be one of the true wonders of Spain, but every day they take down another beautiful piece of history and they build endless rabbit hutches on the beach. Madrid is full of wonders, but the best part is to just walk and try the fantastic tapas and drinks in some of the oldest bars in Spain. I think one tapa would probably do for the three of us, since between us, big meals are not the order of the day. However we are going to have a great time and I will show them places that most tourists never get to see. I would like to say here a special thanks to Ken and Sarah as they have become such close friends and have helped so much on the ANIMO-ALBERO program. Ken has done all of the photography and Sarah has done all of the lay out and documentation of our progress. They make sure that I get to Loli’s at least once a week because they have seen, first hand, the enormous benefit to my health. They had no idea what they were getting themselves in for the first time they offered to drive me to my riding therapy, but since the first session they have become ‘ANIMO Fan Nº1’. Ken has documented and made videos of my therapy sessions and they have helped with the content of my book Health Through Horses.

Continuing Investigation Animo-Albero

2011-01-22T20:01:00.000+01:00

Since we are still experimenting and learning new benefits that the horse can offer to terminally ill people and people taking toxic medication or coming off cancer treatment and especially with circulation or digestive tract problems, we are keeping careful records of the time ridden and the effect it has on health and blood analysis. We are documenting sessions with both video and written information to discover why some sessions go well and have great lasting effect and some classes do not go so well if the person is too weak. So far we have found the anaemia is the main cause for the weakness and causing a poor lesson, even though there are still many benefits gained. Never push your student if they are tired or weak. We have discovered that a good gallop on the beach or a trail-ride or a lesson in the ring, do not begin to give the same benefits as working on the lunge-line. Usually you can see an improvement in just the first five minutes, in the energy level and feeling of well-being. It is a day or so later that you see the disappearance of red blotches on the skin, improvement in healing of skin grafts and scars. It has come to the attention of the doctor that we are working with, that the ANIMO-ALBERO therapy program somehow seems to do the work for dysfunctional kidneys, eliminating the elements that the kidney is unable to do on its own, thereby also removing the painful side-effects of things like high potassium levels. It also seems to kick start the heart and put it back into normal rhythm and taking it out of an arrhythmic state. The more you ride the longer the effects last. Two to three times a week seems to be the right amount of times to ride for the optimal results and unfortunately if you go a few weeks without riding you do find some of your symptoms starting to return, but you improve immediately as soon as you start riding on a regular basis. The sessions should be between half an hour to an hour. Besides the immediate increased energy level and feeling of well-being one of the great things is the clarity of mind that it gives. When you do not feel well or are on heavy medication you tend to feel a bit confused or foggy and have a hard time concentrating but after one session your mind is totally clear. Most students feel too tired or not in the mood to make the effort to go to their therapy session but once there, they change into a new person, and are so glad that they went, so it is important that you try and encourage them to go because the benefits may save their lives or at least give them a good quality of life without pain for a little while which makes all the difference in trying to lead a normal life with a terminal illness.

Odds and Ends

2011-01-18T20:19:00.003+01:00

I have received my permission to go to Madrid for my eye operation; they will also be doing biopsies and an exploratory to see if they can find the virus. This is all very positive and the examinations will be during the first week of February, the operation soon after.
On the continuing investigation in the ANIMO-Albero therapy program, we have discovered that many of the benefits that at first we thought were short-term have become long-term, the longer I continue the program, such as heart rhythm and the disappearance of red blotches on the skin, from vasculitis.
After we just started to get grants for these types of alternative therapies, the EU will ban all types of alternative medicine, both practice and herbal, from April of this year. Anything where there is no profit to the pharmacies, FDA or the medical community. This is something I don’t understand and will have to investigate further to keep you informed.
Our manual on the Basics of Therapeutic Riding is just about ready to go to press; it is in Spanish, since there is such a demand for this information in Spanish speaking countries. The manual covers everything you should know before starting up a therapeutic riding center, including all of the forms necessary, games, exercises, how to choose the right horse, first aid and much more.
Yesterday I was too weak and felt a bit dizzy so my class didn’t go very well but I still got some benefits and I feel much better today. Never push your student if they feel tired or weak it can just do damage and even undo some of the good work already done. I am sure my next class will be better.
For any of you that have seen the YouTube videos and don’t understand them, it is just one of my sessions that I thought you might enjoy but I realized that they are very boring if you don’t understand what I am doing and why. The benefits being, better blood circulation, more lung capacity, more energy, healing of scars and removing blotches from vasculitis, more stable heart beat, lowering of levels like potassium and creatina and triglycerides, massage to the organs, improved digestion, increased appetite, lower stress levels and depression. My heart has been weakened by this virus and I can’t do anything like walking or house cleaning for more than about ten minutes without stopping for a rest but I can easily do an hour’s session on the horse and I feel more energetic. The reason for this is that the horse does all of the work and you get the benefits. This program also helps to get rid of the side effects of toxic drug treatment and so many more things. For over a year I had to go to the hospital every three weeks to drain my tear ducts and one day after riding they drained themselves and I have never had to go back to have them drained. That was a benefit I had never even considered. If you haven’t seen the videos on YouTube you can find them in the article below this one.

The Dog Gets the Final Word

2011-01-16T20:14:00.003+01:00

Ken has put three videos on YouTube showing a session of the Animo-Albero therapy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagpbJebaQE&feature=email

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpo0jy32Utc&feature=related

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOZXm7-ckR4&feature=related

Oh, ...and here's a picture of Raven:

Hospital Christmas

2011-01-09T17:52:00.003+01:00

Having spent the last three weeks taking care of my mother in the hospital, I haven’t had a chance to go riding or to see my puppy. Before my mother took ill I had been riding twice a week and with no medication I got my blood levels down to within normal range except creatina, which was close to normal. In all, a complete surprise to the medics. Now that I haven’t been riding I can feel all of my levels rising. This week I will start riding twice a week and see if I can live a happy, pain-free life for a while. It was very sweet that my riding instructor (and friend) Loli and her son came to visit in the hospital and brought me a Christmas basket full of my favorite foods, which was great, as I couldn’t leave my mother alone; even to go for a coffee. I am back at home now and will continue with my investigation. I hope to be writing some fun and interesting stories in the near future so don’t think that I have given up, it is quite the opposite. I want to thank my husband for sending in my hospital bear and a cute, “come home soon, I miss you”, card. I have been waiting to hear since the beginning of September when I can go and have my operation on my eyes as they are being destroyed again be the virus. I have also asked for a nutritional supplement as it is getting harder to eat; and after several inspections and blood analyses I still haven’t heard whether I am eligible to receive them. Not very speedy service from the regional health authority! What I am able to eat is getting limited.

In the meantime I will ride and stay as healthy and positive as possible. Happy New Year to all my readers. Don’t forget, AAT works.

ANIMO: National Association for the study and investigation in all types of Animal Assisted Therapy

2010-11-29T10:16:00.002+01:00

The ANIMO center ran for almost twenty years with a farm school, hippotherapy for severely disabled children, wild native animal park, classes in sign language, training of assistance dogs, many international conferences with guest speakers from around the globe, courses in therapeutic riding. We introduced the idea of taking animals to homes for the elderly and to hospitals; Spain is still a little reluctant to start that. ANIMO stayed within the international guide lines even though they are not required in Spain yet. Our latest project is the ANIMO-ALBERO project. ANIMO-ALBERO is a revolutionary new program to help people with terminal illness, heart problems or suffering the effects of toxic drug treatment, incorporating the movement of the horse to achieve outstanding benefits to the patient. Some of the information is included in my blog below but we are keeping analysis records and charting progress as well as what we do and for how long. It is an ongoing investigation but has already helped me, where no medical system seemed to be able. I am writing a book covering our program, my illness plus an entertaining view into the Spanish health system, called Health Through Horses. I hope to have a little more information before going to press.
Here are some people who helped get ANIMO off the ground by sharing their knowledge and talent with us and showing Spain just what is available world-wide:

PEOPLE THAT HELPED ANIMO TO SHOW THE BENEFITS OF AAT:
Miguel Ríos - Famous Rock Star gave a benefit concert with a group of children accompanying him in sign language.
Padre Angel - Mensajeros de La Paz, came to ANIMO to learn how to train dogs for the elderly.
International Conferences: Guest Speakers
Susan Duncan - The Delta Society: came to speak with her dog Joe
Sandra Stone - CHATA; animals in hospital with children
Sister Chiara - RDA; International liaison
Joan Would - Hippotherapist, UK
Caroline Theinpont - HAICHIKO assistance dogs Belgium
Pedro Pablo Martín Lopesino - Director of the ONCE guide dogs, Spain
Miguel Gallardo - Sac Xiroi; Center for AAT and delinquents
Dr.René Garrigue - Handi-Cheval France
Francisco Limonche - Telefonica
The list goes on and I would like to thank every one of them for helping to make ANIMO a success.

I Believe in Animal Assisted Therapy

2010-11-27T21:22:00.005+01:00

It is a good thing I do, as well, since I have dedicated my life to it. I have been going on about the wonders of the horse and how it has been helping me cope with my illness, but it is not the only thing. All along, all of my animals have added so much to the quality of my life since I was a youngster. I always feel happy and fulfilled when in the company of animals. The responsibility you feel taking care of them, learning their psychology and how they think, their unselfish love that never ends, no matter how you feel; all in all they just bring a smile to your face and make you happy, besides all of the other benefits like companionship and stress relief. I was just telling my cousin, Lucia, how much I have been enjoying the full moon and wonderful warm nights because we have a new puppy and he needs to go out several times a night, so as not to have an accident in the house. He is a six week old Briard, and already wakes me to let me know when he wants to go out, he has figured out when the lights go out it is bed-time and only a few more minutes of play are acceptable. He is so expressive and seems to be able to communicate his every desire. Besides being my friend and companion, that makes me go outside to enjoy the world, I plan on teaching him to be a hearing dog for me. As soon as he has had all of his vaccines, I will start taking him everywhere, so that he can get socialized and learn to behave in public places. Even though hearing dogs don’t exist in Spain, I have trained them before and also have a license for him to be able to accompany me to restaurants and other public places during his training phase. Once he is trained, he should have all of the rights awarded to Seeing Eye dogs and other assistance dogs. I am very lucky because in the village where I live, the people are used to me bringing animals places, for training, so that they can make a difference in someone’s life. This puppy has already made a big difference in my life and I hope we will be able to have a long and bonding relationship with each other. His name is Raven and he is black with a little white tuft on his chest. Each dog has its own qualities and abilities. Once you figure out what they are then you can encourage these traits to help them become valuable assistance dogs. I wanted to train my Bearded Collie, Wilber, to be a hearing dog but he had no interest in sounds but in the end his strong point was working with people in wheelchairs and being able to pick things up, take things out of the fridge, he never did learn how to shut the refrigerator though. Also, he would know the names and be able to distinguish between groups of many objects - unless his ball was included in the group, when he’d go straight there. He could push the button to call the elevator and pick up the telephone receiver to give to you when it rang. He was at my side everywhere I went and had a tremendous vocabulary both spoken and in sign language, even though he never became a hearing dog.
Raven is only six weeks old, but already he shows a lot of promise and seems to be very bright. It is too early to start any type of formal training but they can learn so much if you talk to them and use the same words over. They learn through play at this stage because their attention span is short but it all goes into the making of a great dog later in life. It takes a lot of patience and time. You have to be able to dedicate your time to repeat and go over things they know while at the same time keep introducing new words and activities to their lives. By the time he is six months and ready for obedience training it should be relatively easy because he will already know and have practiced the basics. I will just have to wait and see where his strong points are as he grows up, it is no good trying to force them to learn something that they just aren’t good at or like. An assistance dog must be happy at his work and do it out of pleasure and love. Assistance dogs are very well adjusted and used to a change in environment while enjoying the constant companionship, that most family dogs miss out on because they usually have to stay at home, which is also a very important job. Every day now, Raven is surprising me with just how fast he catches on to things and finds his way around. He seems to remember from one day to the next, where things came from and where we go, he is also becoming a little more independent, being able to entertain himself for short periods because he knows where to find us. It rained last night and after his first quick trip out he decided to sleep through the night instead of going out again. I just love this little puppy.

These posters were made by Viv Snailham, a volunteer, supporter and great friend. Sadly, she has passed on and is, no doubt, leading programs for dogs and horses Elsewhere.

A Day at El Albero

2010-11-15T10:48:00.008+01:00

On Saturday I went to El Albero with two friends, Ken and Sarah. Ken is a photographer so he got lots of photos of the wonderful things that go on there. We all had a great day with the animals and I did my therapy on Nora, with the help of Loli.
While we were there we got to watch two stallions play like something no one has ever seen before. Having been raised together as foals and then separated when they got older they have a huge unrequited love for each other, so when they sometimes get a chance to be turned out together, the antics never stop and it is spectacular to watch. One is a magnificent Friesian Stallion and the other a petite Moroccan donkey stallion, Ero and Pepe. See them play! Pepe is the proud father of little Bambi who is just too cute for words so I wanted to show you them with some of Ken’s pictures. Later we were entertained by Rad, the little Coatimundi, who duly managed to escape, allowing Ken to get some great shots of Loli on the roof with Rad. Later Ken entered Rad’s house to get some close ups of Loli and her little baby when it turned out that Rad had developed a crush on Ken and his camera. Ken has the battle scars to prove it. Besides the horses and donkeys – the main population – there are peacocks, pheasant, various strains of chickens and an ostrich. After visiting with the animals, and putting mercurochrome on Ken’s nose, we went down to a nearby beach-bar and had a tapa lunch. In all, we had a really great day and I feel so much better. I am forever grateful to Loli and her kindness and interest in getting me well, it is really helping.

Bambi

Loli with Rad

El Albero Centro Ecuestre, Los Partidores, La Cañada, Almería. Ph 699762339 (Español)

El Caballo de Mis Sueños

2010-11-14T17:42:00.004+01:00

This is the horse of my dreams. He is a Friesian stallion called Ero.

ANIMO- Asociación Nacional de Investigación MOjácar

2010-11-14T17:32:00.001+01:00

Since I am the president of the non-profit, animal assisted therapy and investigative association, I am going to put it to work, but this time to help me and millions of other people that could benefit from the program I am still developing. Every day I discover new ways to improve my quality of life and make living with a terminal disease bearable. If I can’t kill the disease at least I can make what time I have as happy and pain-free as possible. Since I have seen the effects and the benefits that I receive I know I can help other people to live a more fruitful life under difficult and frightening circumstances. I am going to try and get the provincial TV to come and make a documentary on Loli’s and my program. I don’t want all of this to go unknown. I know it is very revolutionary and people won’t believe it, but I have experienced it and benefited from it, giving myself a few extra years of good quality life, which I wouldn’t have had without it. First I would like to say something about organ donors. I have been one since I got my first drivers license in California. It has always been something that I have felt very strongly about. I know that it goes against the feelings and beliefs of many people, but for those that are willing to be a donor it is important that you have a living will. Indeed, in California, this useful document can be on the back of your license. That way in case of accident the hospitals will know that you are a donor, or with an official living will like I have, then if you go to the hospital a little red flag comes up on the computer stating that you are a donor and what you want done with your remains. A living will also makes clear your wishes of whether or not you would want to be kept alive on machinery or not, that way saving many family traumas in case of coma or a vegetative state. There are many different options to choose from and they all go to help other people that may be suffering and you can change their lives. I never thought that I would be on the receiving end but after being blind for a year, I received an eye transplant from a donor and now have sight again. Without the help of this Good Samaritan, who thought in advance to make their wishes known in case of their death, I would still be blind today. I am very grateful and more than ever want to raise awareness of the benefits of being a donor. Please consider it.

Benefits of the ANIMO-ALBERO therapeutic riding program:
We have already discovered many benefits which I will list but I know we will find many more before we are finished, it is an ongoing investigation.
1. Feeling of well being.
2. Improved circulation.
3. Oxygenated blood flow to the extremities.
4. Massage to all of the organs which helps correct problems like to much potassium, triglycerides, urea, all of which cause pain in the bones and muscles.
5. Improved functioning of the digestive tract.
6. Reduction in ‘purpuras’ or red blotches caused by vasculitis.
7. Elimination of toxins in the blood stream and their side effects.
8. Clearing of fluids from the lungs.
9. Strengthening of muscles and muscle tone.
10. Reduction in medication needed.
11. Increased appetite.
12. Increased energy level.
13. Aides in stopping arrhythmia.
14. Improved balance and posture.
15. Helps to heal wounds.
16. Increases lung capacity.
17. Puts you in shape for pre- and post operations, speeds up recovery time.
18. Reduces tiredness and weakness.
19. Helps the body absorb and use iron for those people with anaemia.
20. Cures insomnia or at least makes a huge difference.

These are just of the things we have found out so far that really work. The horse does the work and you get the benefit, thereby not putting any stress on the heart. There is no need for prior experience.

Animo-Albero

2010-11-14T17:24:00.004+01:00

THE ANIMO-ALBERO PROJECT:
The therapeutic riding program, ANIMO-ALBERO has been designed, investigated, studied and practiced by Barbara Napier, the president of ANIMO and Loli Berenguel Gálvez owner of El Albero, together with the help of a few members of the medical community.
The ANIMO-ALBERO Project is an investigation still in progress. With over fifty years experience in Animal Assisted Therapy along with complete knowledge of the horse and the benefits it provides to people with disabilities, the ANIMO-ALBERO project is a revolutionary study into the medical benefits the horse can provide for people suffering from terminal illness, cardio-vascular problems, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, toxic medication and long term convalesce. Also in any lung or heart oriented problem that hinders the healing process or kidney and digestive tract problems. It helps to heal scars due to surgery and keeps implants and transplants healthy. In the ANIMO-ALBERO therapy program, the horse does the work and the patient receives the benefit without any stress to the heart. No prior experience in riding is needed. This program is ideal for pre and post operation preparation and recovery, as well as any problem that needs a good oxygenated blood flow to the organs, skin and extremities. The ANIMO-ALBERO therapy program is fun and easy to do. It has already provided so much information that can improve the quality of life of people suffering from any of the above mentioned problems. We have also found that this program has the ability to reduce the results of blood analysis, lowering levels of things such as potassium, triglycerides, creatine, and urea, while allowing the bloodstream to absorb and utilize iron, to lower cholesterol, reduce arrhythmia, while – unlike many medicines – maintaining other minerals so necessary to keep the body healthy. Other note-worthy benefits are: a feeling of well-being, more energy and relaxed muscles; at the same time reducing depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Even though the effects of the ANIMO-ALBERO therapeutic riding program are short-term, between six to thirty hours, it gives the body time to heal and recuperate, leading to a better quality of life with less pain and trauma to the person. After a lot of investigation and studying of results, we have determined that three times a week for between one half hour to an hour is ideal, keeping the body in shape throughout the whole week, hopefully leading to a termination of the existing problem. However, with practicing our program just once a week (for logistical reasons), the results are still very noticeable. Other benefits that have become apparent are improved muscle- and skin-tone, better balance, eye/hand coordination and mind clarity. All leading to a happier, healthier life style.

EL PROYECTO ANIMO-ALBERO:
El proyecto de hípica terapeutita, ANIMO-ALBERO ha sido diseñado, investigado, estudiado y practicado por Bárbara Napier, Presidenta de ÁNIMO, y Loli Berenguel Gálvez, dueña de centro El Albero, junto con la ayuda de algunos miembros de la comunidad medica.
El proyecto ANIMO-ALBERO es un investigación todavía en progreso. Con mas de cincuenta años de experiencia en Terapia Asistida por Animales y un conocimiento profundo y completo del caballo y los beneficios que da a personas con discapacidades, el proyecto ANIMO-ALBERO es un estudio revolucionario de los beneficios médicos que el caballo puede facilitar a personas sufriendo un enfermedad terminal, problemas cardiovascular, tratamientos de quimioterapia y radiación, medicación toxico y recuperaciones largas. También en cualquier problema del corazón o pulmón que impide el proceso de curación, la arritmia, o problemas de los riñones y sistema digestiva. Ayuda curar cicatrices de cirugía y mantiene injertos y transplantes sanos. En el programa terapéutica ANIMO-ALBERO, el caballo hace el trabajo mientras que el paciente recibe los beneficios sin ningún estrés al corazón ni experiencia previa. Este programa es ideal para ante y post operatorio preparación y recuperación, también cualquier problema que necesita una buena circulación de sangre oxigenada a los órganos, piel y extremidades. La programa terapéutica ANIMO-ALBERO es divertido y fácil en hacer. Ya nos ha dado tanta información que puede mejorar la calidad de vida sufriendo cualquier de los síntomas arriba escritos. También hemos encontrado que este programa tiene la habilidad en reducir los resultados de los análisis sanguíneos como potasio, triglicéridos, creatina y urea mientras que deja el cuerpo absorber y utilizar hierro, baja el nivel de colesterol mientras que mantiene los otros minerales tan necesarios para mantener el cuerpo sano. Otros beneficios notables son; sensación de bienestar, mas energía, relajación del los músculos al mismo tiempo reduciendo depresión, ansiedad y insomnio.
Aunque los efectos del programa terapéutica ANIMO-ALBERO son de corto plazo, entre seis y treinta horas, deja tiempo para que el cuerpo puede curarse y recuperar dando una cualidad de vida mejor con menos dolor y trauma. Después de mucho estudio y investigación en nuestros resultados, hemos llegado al conclusión de lo ideal seria hacerlo tres veces a la semana, en sesiones entre media hora y una hora, dejando el cuerpo con tiempo a recuperarse y renovarse con el motivo de recuperar el funcionamiento de los órganos. Llegando a un terminación del problema existente. Haciendo nuestro programa solo una vez a la semana (por razones logísticas), todavía da resultados impresionantes. Otros beneficios que hemos encontrado son el mejoramiento del tono de piel y los músculos, mejor equilibrio, coordinación entre ojo y mano y claridad del mente, todo llegando a una cualidad de vida sana y feliz.
Fotos: Ken Hogg

Therapeutic Riding

2010-11-11T17:11:00.004+01:00

There are many categories that fall under the term ‘Therapeutic Riding’, such as Sport, Education and Medicine. Then there is Hippotherapy which is a direct medical treatment incorporating the body and movement of the horse to acquire a benefit. Hippotherapy is usually used for students with severe physical disabilities and needs a professional to make and organize the class plan. Many students with severe movement impairment need the use of a back rider who sits behind the student to help keep them in the correct position and to help with the exercises desired by the physiotherapist. The back rider must be a competent rider and understand the disabilities of each student. Hippotherapy is often performed bareback or with a sheepskin to protect against rubbing which can be a big problem for many disabilities and if not done properly, can aggravate the problem and could even lead to amputation. The benefits of any kind of therapeutic riding are many, from improved circulation, the massage of atrophied limbs to massage of internal organs, a sense of caring for another being when you are used to always being the cared for, the freedom of movement and, finally, the elegance of the gait which is impossible to achieve by traditional therapies on the ground. Almost all students achieve a feeling of well-being and a joy in looking down at their surroundings for once rather than their usual ‘up at everything’. They also get the chance to cover terrain that is normally off limits to them. Just the action of sitting on a horse at a walk without doing any specific exercise can provide many of these advantages.

In hippotherapy, unlike the other forms of therapeutic riding, the rider never learns to ride or indeed ever takes control of the horse. The horse emulates the walking movement of the human gait and sends this message to the appropriate part of the rider’s brain so it is clearly important to have a horse with a good stride and in balance. The horse must also be calm and prepared for unusual noises and movements that the disabled person is likely to make. The preparation and exercise of the horse is one of the most important parts of any therapeutic riding whether it be sport or hippotherapy. Everything that will be done during a class must be practiced by the volunteers first, and practiced many times, until the horse is used to the movements and the objects used for the class such as toys, balls, rings and cups.

Before any type of therapeutic riding begins it is important to have a Doctor’s certificate to make sure there are no contraindications. The staff must be well prepared and have regular training sessions which help to prepare the horse as well. The equipment must be clean and sterilized as most disabled people are much more prone to infection. The sessions are usually boring to the horse as it is led around in circles and figure-eights with a leader and side-walkers and will stop at a stand for long periods. Therefore a good ride in the countryside or a good work-out prior to the session is very important so that the horse is calm.

Exercises include things such as reaching for the ears, lying down either front wards or backwards in different positions depending on the desired effect, and face down hanging over the horse, which is used at the end of almost every lesson to help clear the lungs of the fluid which accumulates in people wheelchair bound.

Therapeutic riding has been practiced since the end if the First World War when it was used to help rehabilitate amputees. Many disabled people have gone on to competitions and even the Olympics. RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) is the most common type of therapeutic riding and is practiced all over the world and almost anyone can participate and achieve great benefits. If you are interested in RDA, the Diamond Centre in England is the main centre for training courses. For information on worldwide therapeutic riding centres the FRDI in Australia (www.frdi.net) has a complete listing of all qualified centres and NARAH in the USA offers university and private course in all of the aspects of therapeutic riding including hippotherapy. Therapeutic riding is relatively new in Spain but is becoming increasingly popular, but please check with an official association, either national or international, before participating because there are a lot of cowboys out there who can do a lot of damage.

ANIMO ran in Southern Spain for fourteen years, as an official non profit organization, but started way before on an informal basis - all with no charge to students - and offered international conferences and courses. All staff including the doctor and physiotherapist plus forty some odd volunteers worked free of charge. We were financed by fund-raisers and by us personally. We worked on our land with our animals, nine horses, four donkeys and a whole array of farm and native wild animals. Most of the animals were abandoned or donated and hand raised by me, as a result they all got along well, could be handled by everyone and could be turned out into a large pen together, making it sort of like a petting zoo. Everything was accessable to all types of disabilities and was also used by the local school. Animo started way before its time and has had to stop practical operations due to lack of funding and official support, but still continues to give courses and information to groups trying to set up. ANIMO continues working in investigation and studies in AAT. Our children played a large role in every aspect of ANIMO from exercising the animals to interpreting conferences. Without our children and their friends, I don’t think it would have been possible for ANIMO to have so many students and animals, we would have had to work on a much smaller scale even with so many volunteers.

Barbara Napier
President of ANIMO

Conference Notes

2010-10-13T19:19:00.000+02:00

The III Annual Conference on Animal Assisted Therapy in Almería came to a close on Sunday. There wasn’t a large turn out but the people there were all very enthusiastic about their programs and finding out more about other centers and ways that animals can help people in an urban environment. As I have mentioned before each group has its own philosophy and terminology, the important thing is that there is now a growing number of people interested in the way we can incorporate animals into our lives, especially those of the disabled. It mostly covered dogs, cats and horses, with a mixture of presentations on anything from service-dogs trained without food rewards to gooey dog-in-pound stories to hippotherapy to dolphin-therapy followed by a practical presentation from the Guardia Civil to demonstrate how dogs can help find anything from lost people to bombs and drugs, or even, apparently, counterfeit money. Go Rover!
Every day we find more ways in which animals can help us emotionally, physically and with chores we are unable to do because of an impairment of some kind. I was pleased, even though a little embarrassed, to be recognized and called from the audience to speak as the pioneer in this field here in Spain. I am not sure why Spain has been so slow in coming around to the idea since it has been so popular and beneficial in so many other countries for a very long time. My problem, with my center ANIMO, was that I started twenty years too early for Spain and they weren’t ready for the idea, they thought of me as some crazy American that wanted to put disabled people on horses or train dogs for deaf people or take animals into hospitals and residential homes for the elderly. The only program that was known and accepted was the ONCE dogs for the blind and even though they had tremendous backing and funding they were turning out very few dogs a year. If Mojácar had been a little more ahead of its time they would have realized that if we had gone with my plans twenty years ago we could have had one of the best and largest training facilities in Europe for all types of Animal Assisted Therapy which would have drawn a large international group for conferences and courses.
I mention all of this in my article on this blog called Mojácar’s Greed Cost them a Gold Mine. All in all I think it was a good conference and it let us all know what is happening in Almería in these fields, because there still seems to be a terrible lack of communication between groups or much level of practicality. At the end of the conference they didn’t even ask for people’s e-mails or names and addresses to contact them for the next event.

Working Pets

2010-10-05T19:06:00.003+02:00

This weekend, there's a two-day seminar in Almería about 'Working Pets' or, more properly, El Papel de los Animales de Compañía en el Entorno Urbano. The seminar will examine how pets can help the elderly and the disabled through their companionship. Saturday 9th October from 5.00pm - 8.00pm and Sunday 9.30 - 1.00pm.
The seminar will be held at the Almería Museum (Crta. de Ronda, just up from the train station) and practical demonstrations with the Guardia Civil anti-drug dogs(Sunday 12.00 noon) will be held in the museum grounds. www.iealmerienses.es or write iea@dipalme.org

Mojácar's Greed Cost Them a Gold Mine

2010-09-30T22:21:00.002+02:00

Because of any lack of vision for the future of Mojácar and greediness to put money in their pockets at the moment, instead of thinking of the future gold-mine that lay ahead, Mojácar lost its chance to be one of the leading centers for Animal Assisted Therapy in Europe. Over twenty-five years ago I started, on my own, a farm school and petting zoo which I let the school use for free. Then I started the first AAT program in Spain providing Therapeutic Riding, farm school and native wildlife park. Four times we were donated land, ten hectares each time, only to have it taken away again after all the plans were drawn up and the projects financing granted. It was then used for something else, in two cases totally fictitious, only to get the grant money. I put on five international conferences, with speakers from various countries, and several courses including two for the University of Almería. When the head of the ONCE was at an international meeting for the disabled in Australia, he was speaking to the head of the local organization, who was explaining to him about AAT and all of the benefits and programs around the world, most of whom were at this conference; the head of the ONCE said it was a shame that Spain had no such program, only to be told that one of the best programs in Europe at the time was right here in Mojácar. I had actually met with the head of the ONCE several times to talk about my program but he obviously thought it wasn’t worth the bother. It was actually he who told me after he returned from the conference how embarrassed he was! The disabled organization in Almería (I won’t say ‘who’) actually helped me to get my paperwork and non-profit licence only to steal the grant when it finally arrived for the first training center in Europe for training dogs for the disabled, therapeutic riding and farm school.
It was not just a functioning center and educational place for the school-children but also a place for people to come from all over the world to learn how to work in these fields. The architectural plans actually included a covered riding ring with bleachers and a restaurant overlooking the ring plus stables where people could board their horses, petting zoo, a small veterinary clinic and emergency room, school with accredited teachers and a full course with degree in any of the branches of AAT. It would have been a place for the whole community and tourists to visit. The ring was designed so that it could be used for concerts or football games and may other events. All of the training of the animals and the classes for the disabled had its own separate area within the grounds.
We ran for almost fifteen year starting small until we had over forty students, all Spanish, severely physically disabled, and more than forty volunteers, almost all foreign, including a vet, doctor, physiotherapist and riding instructor and me as the coordinator, all on my own property with my own animals at no cost to the students and no help from the Town Hall. Now that it has become fashionable there are a lot of EU grants available and people without the slightest knowledge of what they are doing are starting up centers all over Spain. If Mojácar had only thought ahead a little we could have been the front-runners in this field for all of Europe and held International conferences to fill the hotels and students to come and study. I travelled all over Europe giving lectures and going to conferences representing Spain and was on the board of directors of the FRDI for four years, still Mojácar never helped. We trained five dogs to start with, to help people in wheelchairs and for the deaf, but had to drop the program due to lack of funds.
Money is available for grants, and there are even agents out there who will help organisations find this funding – for a flat 20%. It is no secret that a lot of ‘charity money’ ends up stolen, and even large and well-known organisations in Spain have been caught. It is almost considered ‘normal’ – so who on earth is going to help fund a group run by foreign residents?
Funding for a charity is key; but it’s also pretty hard to keep afloat if the national and local authorities won’t help.
We held quite a few fundraising events; with the only benefit to ANIMO was the money from the sale of drinks during the day. One such event was Burro Baseball. It was a huge success and the only place in Europe to hold such a game plus we did something to help honour the disappearing Spanish donkey. It was filmed on TV and it did not cost Mojácar one penny and could have put them on the map. We did it for seven years with the help of the American Naval Base at Rota, who provided all of the equipment every year and even one year they sent a bus of twenty-three marines to play against Mojácar. When we started to have a shortage of donkeys to play, Mojácar refused to help and the game was dropped. We also held the first pop concert with Spain’s most famous rock star, Miguel Rios, and a chorus accompanying in sign language which was also televised and Mojácar never paid any attention. Our politicians couldn’t see beyond the ends of their noses. Now it is too late: I had to stop due to lack of personal funding and bad health. I am now back in the game but helping others start their programs.

Riding Out My Illness

2010-09-29T17:11:00.004+02:00

I know I have talked a lot about Loli and the wonders that have happened since I met her after giving my speech at the university. I don’t want to drone on unnecessarily but between us we have been working on a program to help me get stronger and to improve my health and it is working. I am writing a book about it called ‘Health Through Horses: a personal journey to recuperation, health and happiness’: The book will include a lot of personal things about my illness and some funny experiences but mostly it is about how Loli and I started to come up with a program that can help so many people recovering from cancer and other illnesses. So I will put here an excerpt from the book on some of my exercises.

MY SELF-HELP PROGRAM: HEALTH THROUGH HORSES

I decided that I couldn’t cure the virus (Note from Editor. Barbara’s virus remains unidentified after ten years) but I could make myself as strong and healthy as possible and knowing the power of the horse and what it can do, I decided to set up a program for myself using all of the knowledge I had learned over the years. With chronic kidney dysfunction and chronic anaemia, I was told they would just get worse and that my body didn’t absorb the iron I was taking in so I would have to inject myself every day. I was also told I would need to eat from a feeding tube for the rest of my life. None of these things were acceptable to me so I wanted to change things and make a difference in my own health.
I started riding at Loli’s once a week on the lunge-line, and in the ring, it soon became clear, I don’t know why, that riding on the lunge-line provided much more benefit. I think the reason being that I didn’t have to think about my reins or steering so all the concentration went into me, Loli was in charge of the horse and watching that my posture was correct. The benefit of riding bareback on the lunge-line is that you don’t need to have any previous experience. You have the sursingle to hold on to; someone in charge of the horse and you can go at your own speed. Start at the walk and when you feel comfortable then you can progress to the trot and so on. I have improved so much both mentally and physically and hope to continue through experimenting with more useful ideas.
I am still slightly anaemic but I don’t have to take iron and I don’t have to inject myself. My kidneys have improved by one point, which doesn’t seem much but really is a huge advancement because they were supposed to be getting worse not better. The side-effects of the steroids are almost non existent except for the continual hunger. My insomnia is finally easing up and letting me sleep a few nights a week. The most impressive result was that of my triglycerides - which turn fat into energy for your muscles. The highest you can go is 200 but mine was over 400 and after three weeks, of riding once a week, I now have my levels down just below 200 and it is still going down. I knew I had to keep a good flow of oxygenated blood running to all of my extremities, because at one point they were going to amputate my toes and the tips of my ears. All of this was avoided by getting a good blood-flow to my extremities; also through my heart and lungs so that was one of the first exercises I started to work on. It was important to help keep the new skin and implants from dying. I use a yoga breathing technique and stretching and opening my chest cavity. I also breathe from the abdomen instead of the chest. I do all of my exercises at the walk, trot and canter in both directions. I still can’t do some of them at the canter but each time I get closer. There are still some places I can’t reach in the stretches but I will get there. That is one of the wonders of this program, you don’t need previous experience and you go at your own pace, meanwhile, just sitting on the horse while it is walking is giving you benefits. After a long time in bed, especially hospital beds, which are known for being uncomfortable, I had a lot of muscle-pain and a bad and weak posture. That was one of the next things I worked on, by stretching above my head with a pole and doing push-ups on the horse’s withers. It will all become clearer when you see the pictures and get a full description of the exercises, now I am trying to tell you what and how I decided to work on different parts of my body. My kidneys bothered me so I had to find a way to strengthen my lower back and stretch my torso so there wouldn’t be so much pressure on them. I needed energy, most of that came from the canter with my arms spread out and my eyes shut. I had to be in a good frame of mind so as not to go into depressions every time I had to change my bandages or see myself in the mirror; I helped achieve this by getting back out into the world and helping other disabled people and the decision to stop dwelling on my own problems. I also had to work on my balance, since I am almost completely deaf, that included a lot of trot, stop, trot, stop plus a series of other things like around-the-world and riding backwards. I needed to build strength in my legs and build muscle-tone, so I put my hands on the rump of the horse and ‘did the bicycle’, foot circles and bringing my knees together and lowering them again. Between each set of exercises I would relax by putting my hands just behind my hips, resting on the horse and sit up straight at a good working walk. To relax my back muscles I lie down with my head on the rump and just go a few times around the ring. It is amazing what a great massage you get from that but you can’t do it at the trot or canter, at least I can’t. I do a lot of stretching, reaching from tail to ear and back again stretching way over my head. I spend about five minutes on each exercise in each direction at each pace. I found that I could isolate muscles that were bothering me by finding the right muscle on the horse and the right pace to make it work and it is incredible how when you get it just right everything just slips into place. Then I do some basic aerobics for fitness and energy. It is very important that your instructor makes sure your arms are at shoulder level when stretched out and that your hands are a shoulder’s-width apart when you work with a pole or other instrument. Always look between the horses ears with your head up even when you are doing twisting exercises to the sides. When I finish my workout, my muscles feel tired but good and relaxed and I have boundless energy and a fantastic positive feeling of well- being. I know I will always have moments of depression and wonder why this should have happened to me. There are times when I just want to give up but then I see all of the things I have to live for and it gives me a renewed strength to carry on. I know I am very lucky to have such a wonderful family and friends as a support group; I probably would have given up if not for them.
It has all been trial-and-error but now it is working well enough with me to get a few doctors interested and that is what we want in this field. I have seen over the last thirty years the benefits horses provide for the disabled but I never put much thought into illness and recovery. Since my illness I neither have the money or the strength to reopen my center ANIMO, but I am helping a few small centers around the area and giving a few speeches. Now, my main concern is to get better myself and if I can help other people in the process, so much the better.

Little Boy Kitty Lost His Meow

2010-09-09T15:35:00.003+02:00

Something fell out of the tree straight into my husband’s arms. When I asked him what it was, he took a look and said “a little boy kitty” and that is how he got his name. Little Boy Kitty was no normal kitten, he was completely black and tiny with the softest fur you have ever felt and he knew from that very second that he fell from the tree that Lenox and this house were his. He wandered around with all of the big dogs and other animals without a care in the world. He knew this was going to be home. As Little Boy Kitty began to grow he also began to speak, or meow, about and to everything and everyone he could find. He became particularly verbal at meal times especially if you were late, according to him. He would weave in and out between your feet, tripping you up and meow to the point that you felt like throwing him out of the door. When I say that he was no normal kitty, I meant it, he never just curled up in a ball and went to sleep or did any of the other things cats normally do, no, he had to stretch out on your chest with his arms wrapped around you like a big hug and he always put his chin right under yours and looked at you with these adorable eyes so you didn’t dare move him. There he would stay until you had to go to sleep, and that is when we finally started to put him out of the bedroom at night, so we could roll over and get some sleep ourselves. As he grew he became more and more verbal. When you would come home he would have to tell you all about his day and who had been mean to him and what bird he had tried to catch, all before you could get the groceries into the house. If we would go away for a few days, when we came home, it was hours of telling us everything that had happened. After a few years it really became quite annoying, his insisting on breakfast while you were in the middle of fixing it. He just never shut-up. Then one day he just lost his meow. He would open his mouth but no noise came out. He was waiting for me at the door as usual and was weaving in and out of my feet waiting for breakfast but there was no noise. I checked his throat and him but there was no meow. It was gone. We looked everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. It had been about a week and still no meow. One day when I went upstairs I saw, sitting next to me on the bed a huge, and I mean huge, bull gecko, one of our house-lizards that usually live behind the paintings. I didn’t want him to sit with me so I told him to shoo, very politely. He was so fat that he couldn’t hold on to the walls or ceiling anymore, without falling, splat onto the floor again, so he had to stay on the floor or bed. He had no intention of moving from his comfortable position on my bed so I became a little more insistent, when all of the sudden he just looked up at me in a deliberate way and said MEOW. WHAT A SHOCK! I came running down stairs to tell Lenox. So we finally found where Little Boy Kitty’s meow went to and to this day Little Boy Kitty still gives us hugs and is still trying to tell us about his day, but he is completely silent and fortunately I haven’t seen that big bull gecko again and I hope I never do.

Wonders Happen at Loli's

2010-08-19T17:58:00.003+02:00

Lenox and I met the most wonderful lady called Loli and her son Alberto just by chance when I was giving a lecture at the University on Animal Assisted Therapy a few months ago. After the lecture she came up and introduced herself, and you could tell just by the way she touched you, that there was something very special about her. She knew nothing about us except the lecture I had given. She invited us to come and visit her and we went the very next weekend. She has a walled in compound full of horses and all sorts of animals from farm to exotic. She is a riding instructress and had very kindly lent her ponies to a group of students from the university to learn and practice Therapeutic Riding, while she taught her regular students in the other ring. Her animals have all been hand-raised since they were tiny and are the most gentle and calm animals I have ever met - along with my own of course.
I have a virus that is unknown and they can’t kill which has left me disfigured and going deaf. I was blind for a year but they gave me transplants and we are just hoping the virus doesn’t eat them as well. Because of the toxic medicine that I take, I have a lot of ups and downs physically and mentally which must be hard for my husband but he is very understanding, and is by my side through it all. Loli picked up on it right away and knew the only solution was to get me back on a horse and ride it out, so to say. It had been almost eight years since I had ridden but I started slow and in a few minutes was galloping with my arms out like I was flying. I haven’t felt that good in years, I had energy that lasted several days and was strong and in good humor. She insisted that we come the next weekend and try some more to see if I got the same effect. It was even better. She treated us to lunch and friendship and made us feel like part of the family and even though it is just Loli and her son who have to care for all those animals, she takes time out for me to make me better. Now we go every week if we can.
We noticed, since I had taught ‘equinoterapia’ for over thirty years, that the new people were missing the basics, which are so important for the safety of the children. If Spain wants to be on an international level, they must learn the basic safety procedures and follow the international rules, because even though they are not required in Spain yet, they soon will be. This brought us even closer together and now we are starting to give courses on the Basics of Therapeutic Riding with the backing of the Spanish Riding Federation. It is a course for professionals, aides and volunteers. We were looking forward to starting in October along with Beatriz the physiotherapist from ANIMO, but things haven't worked out yet. We will be publishing a manual soon with everything you should know before you let a disabled child near a horse and what things can help and what can hinder. Exercises, how to choose the right pony right through to first aid.
Thank you Loli for making me forget about my own problems and help other people again, at the same time ride out my illness.

Imagine

2010-08-10T17:37:00.005+02:00

Just imagine for a moment that you are in a huge circus tent with hundreds of people and it is silent and completely dark. You can’t see anything, not even the person next to you and the all of the sudden you start to hear one set of castanets and then another until it sounds like there are about ten people playing them and tap dancing. The beat changes and gets faster and then each one starts to do a slightly different beat that blends beautifully into a harmony of wooden castanets. Slowly the lights start to come on very, very slowly the tent starts to light up and you begin to see the things around you, then the spotlight hits the center of the stage and there are four beautiful pure-bred Spanish stallions dancing in place to a beat on a wooden floor just off the ground. The crowd was in shock to see that it was four horses making this music with their feet on the planks each in different time but blending into beautiful harmony. That was the start of a wonderful horse theatre I saw in Madrid. These horses, in the dark, just stood and waited their turn to be told when to start prancing in place, making the typical Spanish sounds of a dancer with castanets. We were all expecting to see a group of Flamenco dancers there. The show just got better and better, there were girls doing ballet holding on to the saddle while a man rode and the ballerina did exactly the same moves as the horse from prancing to flying changes. These horses travel around the world as ambassadors to their country. It is a cultural program paid for by the government; several other countries do the same thing.
The French have Circe du Soleil, which is a travelling horse theatre, paid for and run by the French government. It is a true theatre, and tells a story, in fact each show tells a different story. The ring is round, like a round-about, with a stage in the middle and aisles crossing through the middle for the horses. The timing must be exact or the horses would collide with each other as they cross over each other and on to the round part of the ring, missing each other by a few inches, almost always at a canter, while people jump on and off and do acrobatics, the whole time a story is being told and played out with beautiful costumes. If you ever get a chance to see them go for sure because it was just as impressive as the flying horses, the Lipizzans, from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna; the blood line originally from The Czech Republic, they are also sponsored by the government to show the horses, their beauty and talent to the world. Now most countries have their own breed of horse, every one as gorgeous as the next. They have crossed some of these horses with other breeds to make some of the best horses in the world. I know most of us from California saw the Lipizzans at the Cow Palace, when we were kids, but the French theatre was equally thrilling.
The Portuguese Lusitano horses and the Lipizzans from Vienna and the PRE from Spain are all fantastic horses and all share a common blood-line but each country has kept their own identity. Even the Dutch Friesian horses, that look and act like PRE; only they have a heavier bone-structure. The Lusitano is supposed to have a stronger temperament than the PRE. Besides their beauty, the one thing they all have in common is that you feel like you are floating when you ride them. It is very difficult to explain the fantastic pace of these horses.
I have a very hard time to tell the difference between the Portuguese Lusitano and the Pure bred Spanish horses, they are very similar in build, beauty and temperament.
To see the Pura Raza Española pure-bred Spanish horses there are two big shows every year¸ SICAB in Seville and ECUMAD in Madrid where you can see these horses do things you never imagined a horse could do. Also they have all of the breeders there with horses for sale and all of the foals. A lot of foals are actually born during the fair. There are exhibitions every night and during the day you can go from one arena to the next and watch anything from foals through to freestyle dressage to music.
In order to try a preserve the bloodline the military has a herd of stallions whose job it is to go around Spain to the small out of the way villages and let the farmers breed their mares to a PRE, that way the foal gets half-papers and next time it is bred it will be Pura Raza Española. It costs a fortune to take your mare to a PRE stallion, but the army only charges an honorary fee, so that every one can afford it. There used to be one main problem with this system. That was, how to get your mare to the military station they had chosen, in some way out in the sticks village. None of us had trailers and it would have been about a three-day ride to get to our closest one. U-Haul and Rent-Rite didn’t exist so you couldn’t rent one. They use abandoned buildings and made make-shift stables. Where we were was an old pig sty, cleaned and converted for the mares and their foals, most still had a foal with them because they breed them three weeks after giving birth so that they have a foal every year. The stallions were kept on the other side of the building with a large wall and gate between the mares and the stallions. On this blog page is one of my favourite stories and it is called “Foaling with the Army”. Read it I think you will get a good laugh out of it.
My first picture is a Pura Raza Española and the second is of a Fresian three year old stallion who has already won some local championships in dressage.

A New Look

2010-08-08T11:37:00.004+02:00

That's a Pura Raza Española at the top of the page which I was lucky enough to ride the other day. This blog is about horses (and dogs and rabbits and donkeys...) and about my life with animals in Spain. It's also about 'Animo', an AAT association which I ran in Mojácar some time back. Bits of this blog are in Spanish, but most of it is in English.
The photographs and text found on the Animo blog have written permission from the parents to be used only for the promotion of equinoterapia by Animo. There are also links to other sites that you might find of interest, this does not mean that we follow the same standards or teaching methods, we are all just groups interested in helping the disabled improve their quality of life through working with animals.
Barbara Napier
brbrnapier (at) yahoo (dot) com

La Hípica y sus Beneficios

2010-07-31T11:52:00.000+02:00

La equinoterapia, hípica adaptada, hípica terapéutica, hípica para discapacidades, hípica y hipoterapia, son todos maneras distintas de explicar como la musculatura y paso del caballo puede beneficiar al ser humano, con problemas físicas, mentales, o solo para quedar en forma y pasar bien. Podemos incorporar al caballo en el deporte y en tratamientos médicos. Conociendo bien al caballo y las necesidades de los alumnos, un equipo bien formado puede tratar a personas con y sin problemas. El caballo es un animal muy noble y fuerte, y cuando está tratado bien, hace todo para ayudarnos dentro de cualquier de los campos que elegimos. El paso del caballo es casi idéntico del paso humano y porque nuestro cerebro y sistema neuromuscular está abierta a cambios, es por esta razón, si podemos estimularle correctamente, el alumno puede aprender la sensación de los movimientos normales y con suficiente práctica, partes del sistema neuromuscular puede arreglarse y supeditar la parte dañado. Según la discapacidad del alumno, claro está, hay que elegir la rama mas indicada.
Adultos con o sin discapacidad empiezan con más miedo y suelen ser más rígidos que los niños. Los niños no tiene responsabilidades y mucho menos miedo de lo que puede pasar si se caen. Una vez que un adulto está más acostumbrado al montar al caballo y vea la seguridad que se supone en tener laterales y una guía, se relaje más.
El pasó y travesía que hace el caballo cambia en una forma notable la clase por completo. Si el caballo es violento o vago, el alumno no recibe la estimulación que necesita para hacer sus ejercicios. El caballo hace la diferencia. Hay que elegir un caballo adecuado por cada caso. El profesor de equitación, fisioterapeuta y el coordinador del equipo, entre ellos, tienen que elegir el caballo más adecuado por cada alumno. Cada alumno necesita un movimiento diferente para lograr el objetivo de cada clase. El tamaño del caballo influye mucho también. Si el caballo tiene el lomo un poco redondo, es mejor para hacer los ejercicios a pelo donde se saca provecho del mejor beneficio. Puede ser un poco más difícil para las personas con problemas de abrir mucho las piernas, pero al mismo tiempo ayuda para que las mismas piernas poco a poco abren más durante cada clase.
Los que hacen hípica como deporte, reciben muchos de los mismos beneficios como los que hacen la hípica terapéutica. Pero, claro está que el primero es activo mientras que el segundo es pasivo. No están montando a caballo para aprender montar en sí o convertirse en jinete. Las personas que están recuperando de una enfermedad también reciben mucha ayuda del caballo. El caballo ayuda estimular el sistema circulatorio y quite algunos de las toxinas que quedan dentro del cuerpo después de un tratamiento con medicamento nocivos, dejando al alumno con más energía y sentido de buen estar. Si uno tiene que pasar mucho tiempo dentro del hospital o la casa, el caballo hace masaje a todos los músculos sin que el alumno tenga que mover. El caballo hace el trabajo y el alumno recibe los beneficios. Para personas que pierden su equilibrio, por ejemplo alguien que no ha nacido sorda pero luego queda sorda por una enfermedad o un tipo de Parkinson, hay muchos ejercicios para que el cerebro aprenda de nuevo como recuperar el equilibrio.
Si uno tiene amor por los animales, las clases avanzan más rápidos. La terapia asistida por animales no es para todos, hay muchas personas que prefieren y reciben más beneficio de terapia ocupacional. Pero no hay duda del beneficio de hípica terapéutica. La hípica terapéutica trabaja los músculos, da equilibrio, da energía, mejora el sistema circulatorio, da masaje a los músculos y los órganos, mejora la coordinación entre ojo y mano, y todo lo anterior mientras que el alumno se siente encima de un caballo con un paso bueno, sin hacer mucho esfuerzo propio. Todo el ejercicio, y no sin menos la hípica en general, es buenísima para curar el insomnio, ayuda vencer a los enfermedades y mantener un estado de buena salud físico y mental.

Terapia Asistida Por Animales

2010-07-22T17:33:00.002+02:00

TIPOS DE TERAPIAS

PERROS DE ASISTENCIA:
ANIMALES DENTRO DE HOSPITALES Y HOGARES DE ANCIANOS:
HIPICA TERAPEUTICA:
GRANJA ESCUELAS:
NUCLEO ZOOLOGICOS:

Todos estos tipos de terapias ayudan a las personas en una manera u otra.
Tarda años para aprender como cuidar e incorporar los animales dentro de nuestras vidas: Todo depende en la rama de trabajo que eliges.
Siempre hay que recordar que cuando tratas con animales y humanos pueden suceder problemas si todo no esta bien controlado.
Comida y agua fresca, higiene y cariño son las cosas mas importantes para tener éxito en cualquier campo que tiene que ver con animales y sobre todo, un buen conocimiento de ellos y de su habites.
La mayoría de los niños ya viven dentro de una ciudad o pueblo y no tienen la posibilidad de conocer a los animales de la granja como antes. También deberían de conocer a los animales y insectos que son autóctonos en su zona amen que a las plantas autóctonas.
En terapias como los primeros tres notados arriba tarda mucho tiempo para aprender como manejar y adiestrar los animales por cada caso. Si no lo saben las personas pueden tener infección o alergias: por esto en mucho de las terapias hace falta un certificado medico antes de empezar y una inspección veterinaria. O a lo mejor los dos participantes no hacen buena pareja y hay que buscar otro animal mas adecuada.
Los animales deben de tener su hábitat y comida lo mas natural posible.
Las granjas escuelas y núcleos zoológicos son divertidos y educacional. También pueden ser sitios para la recuperación de animales dañados.
Perros de asistencia ayudan a los discapacitados físicos, ciegos, sordos, con epilepsia, diabetes y pueden detectar comida que causa alergia en una persona. Todo este tipo de perros están trabajando por todo el mundo ya, y con los mismos derechos que los perros para ciegos.
Animales que van a hospitales y centros de ancianos llevan una toalla para no hacer pipi encima del paciente y están cuidadosamente elegido por su carácter tranquillo. Las personas en carga de los animales dentro y fuera del hospital o centro de ancianos tienen que seguir su trabajo para mantener la higiene y temperamento de los animales.
Trabajando con los caballos es imprescindible que haya un equipo bien formado.
Un curso de fin de semana no es suficiente para que uno empiece a trabajar en estos campos.
Todos estos sitios son buenos lugares para personas que quieran trabajar con animales como voluntarios.

Some New Arrivals

2010-07-20T18:01:00.003+02:00

Congratulations to Pepa and Pepe on the birth of Baby Bambi. Here's another baby, Rad, who has joined the menagerie and has taken a fancy to Lenox. Rad is a coatimundi and a cute as a button.

The Smile

2010-07-20T17:57:00.001+02:00

Here's Angel with that type of smile that makes life worth living.

A Short Video

2010-07-07T13:42:00.004+02:00

We have a short Animo video on YouTube which was made by Daniel. No talking, and the music fits perfectly, because our students are non-verbal.

Handling a Foal

2010-06-12T11:34:00.002+02:00

From the day a foal is born you should start handling it. Brushing it, picking up its feet, and playing with its tail and rubbing its back (but never putting weight on it) and touching it all over especially around both the mouth and the feet. Talk to it a lot and use words that you would like it to know as it grows up. It is very important that this is done regularly. If you just leave the baby with mom until it has to be weaned, you will have a struggle with lots of things and get lots of kicks and bites, but if it is handled from a newborn and shown all around, it should start to follow you as it gets older and can leave mom, especially if you have been making sounds or words for it that mean different things. The foal should be introduced to different areas and objects, the type of thing that can scare a horse when it enters a new environment. Water for example, like the hose and a shower if it is warm enough, and puddles are very important because they can be fun for a foal but terrifying for a yearling. With the hose you start by letting the foal drink from it and getting its feet wet then slowly move down the body until he or she is used to getting wet all over. Most horses love the shower. They love to learn tricks and learn them very easily in exchange for a treat or a cuddle. Going in and out of a trailer is very important too as it is very frightening, but if you just leave an open trailer in the paddock with food in it they will start to go in and out by themselves. Then as they grow older they are not afraid to try new things because they have full trust in you. I lived up in the mountains when my filly was young so we had dirt roads and no traffic. That made a great place to get used to thing because there was no danger. If you live in an area where there is traffic and other dangers than the process is made more difficult. I had a sheep, Negrita, who was inseparable from Casi, my foal, for almost twenty years and she would accompany us on our outings along with my calf, Petite Suisse. They would walk with me way up in the mountains, the three of them running and playing with each other. They never had lead ropes on, they just ran free and because I just talked to them all the time, Casi learned to lunge very fast just by me asking her to change direction or pace or even to back up. That is the way I started riding her as well: I could get her to slow down or gallop full speed and of course stop just by asking her. She knew how to shake hands and just naturally followed me. It is a good idea from time to time when it is windy to just let them loose in the riding ring with things like plastic bags and balloons or flags tied to the fence and just leave them there for a while until they aren’t scared of the objects any more. The more experiences they have and the more confidence they have in you the better horse you will have. The only problem I had with this system is that everyone thought Casi was a spoiled brat, and maybe she was, because for the first five years or so she would only respond to me and no one else could ride her let alone get on her. It wasn’t until my girls started to work with her that she became the best horse I ever had. She knew high school dressage, both Spanish and English; she loved to jump and was the best of my nine horses for the disabled. All because of the trust she had in me.

Charlie: Faithful Hound

2010-06-02T12:43:00.003+02:00

Charlie is my son’s dog; she is half Greyhound and half Labrador. She is very intelligent and very well behaved. When my dog died a few weeks ago, Charlie knew I was very sad and she has spent a lot of time cuddling with me and following me around. She has become very protective of me and keeps me out of what she thinks is danger which might include a new dog on the property. (Actually, it does! Ed.) She is also very jealous and wants me for herself. Now she sleeps in my room instead of my son’s but he has two other dogs to keep him company. The other night I was working on the computer and she was by my side when all of the sudden she started to cry and paw at my arm. I kept telling her to go lie down but for the first time she wouldn’t listen she just kept persisting. It wasn’t until she started to move in circles and show her teeth and growled that I look to see what was bothering her. A large scolopander had just crossed my slippers and was on his way under the desk. (It’s a kind on huge man-eating centipede Ed) I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to do, but I knew if it got under the desk I could never catch it, so I took a piece of paper and kept moving it to the middle of the room. Meanwhile Charlie was growling and had her hair standing straight up. It was the middle of the night but I started to call to my husband for help because I couldn’t let it escape or it might show up some place else where I wasn’t aware of it and bite me. They are the most poisonous creature we have here in Spain. (Well, after the neighbours. Ed) My husband came quickly but didn’t have his contact lenses in so he couldn’t see it very well, so he went to put them on and to call our son. Between them they captured it (hog-wrestled it. Ed) and took lots of pictures. It was about eight inches long and as wide as my thump (Barbara has a pretty big thump. Ed), with big brown stripes down its yellow body. Once it was caught it started to get really mad and made biting motions so we could see its big fangs. My son now has it in a terrarium and will watch it to learn more about it. In my thirty-five years here I have seen maybe five but they have all been about two or three inches long and yellow.
They can still give you a good bite though which will go sceptic and can be dangerous. So I have to thank Charlie for saving from what could have been a very painful and unpleasant experience. It always amazes me how animals can express themselves when they really need to and I am glad they can because this is not the first time an animal has kept me from harm.

Horse, Foal and Friends

2010-06-01T20:47:00.015+02:00

Tina and Barbara spent the day at Albero watching Loli with her amazing animals. Our thanks to Alberto for the photographs.

Princesa

2010-06-01T20:25:00.003+02:00

Here's a cute friend called Princesa who is nibbling on my finger (ouch!) as she shows me how she does her hair. Princesa and her friends live in Almería at a stables called Albero. The horses (and a couple of donkeys and a rather odd ostrich called Bola who lays enormous eggs every now and again) are remarkably well looked after and highly trained. It is a splendid place to visit.
Princesa and her friends' job is to help look after some of the young children who visit as well as the disabled riders while they are waiting for their lessons.

Baby takes a Lesson

2010-06-01T20:22:00.001+02:00

In our aviary we have Love Birds of every color and they have lots of babies all year long. They usually find a partner and stay with them for life sharing everything from building the nest to caring for the young. While the mother sits on the eggs the father brings her food and water, then, when the babies have pecked their way out of their eggs, the two parents share the feeding of the little ones. At this time, the babies are rather ugly, with bits of bristle and half-formed feathers on their tiny bodies. When the babies are ready to leave the nest, it is a lot of fun to watch them learn from their parents how to fly and eat and where to find water. They grow and learn very quickly and pretty soon they will find a partner of their own and start their own family. They are called Love Birds because once they find a mate it is for life and they like to do everything together. They are very affectionate and spend all day hugging and kissing and feeding each other. They are so close that if one dies usually within a week or so the other dies of sadness, they almost never find another mate. One day a snake got into a nest box with a mother and four babies. He ate the mother and smothered all but one baby. We had never seen anything like it because, out of character, all the birds in the aviary took turns taking care of the baby. They fed him and tried to coax him out of the nest but he did not want to leave. They started putting his food farther and farther from the entrance of the nest. When they finally got him out on to a branch they all stood in a line and tried to teach him how to use his wings. All synchronized they would stretch one wing and then the other while he watched on. He wanted to stay a baby. It looked like a Jane Fonda exercise class to watch. He would get very angry and stomp his feet and scream but the other birds were persistent. They kept moving closer and closer to the food and water trying to get him to care for himself but it was always another temper tantrum. It took him much longer to learn things than the babies with mothers even though all the birds were helping. He finally grew up and learned to do these things himself and then found a partner and started his own family. Besides being very funny to watch, I wanted to put on Jane Fonda Music for them, it is very unusual for this to happen. The father usually tries to take over both roles and is usually quiet successful, but if the baby hadn’t survived the father probably would have died of heart break. They are beautiful and wonderful birds and much more fun to watch the TV. When they are making their nests they take strips of palm branch and stick them in their wings until they can’t carry any more, they do not carry them in their beaks. They look like pretty colored porcupines. Our aviary runs the length of one side of the house so you can watch them while you clean the kitchen or from the bathroom, or of course, from the garden where you will be joined by some curious sparrows and other birds.

El Albero

2010-05-20T17:14:00.007+02:00

After my talk at the University I met a woman called Loli who owns a nearby riding stables and is starting to be the preferred center for students of psychology and physiotherapy to learn Therapeutic riding. Lenox and I spent a very enjoyable morning with her on Tuesday, looking over her small petting zoo. All the animals were in such good shape and so friendly. Later she gave me the honor of riding her prize white Spanish stallion, and then I got to do some vaulting on Nora. A vaulting horse may never change its tempo no matter what the rider or riders are doing.I just started with basic exercises and now I would love to do it every day. What a wonderful feeling and what great exercise! In the afternoon Loli gave her regular classes and I watched and helped in the therapeutic riding side. We had about five children in all. It was hard to help much without knowing them and their history but I lent a hand and gave a few tips. I think it is a wonderful thing Loli is doing and none of it would be possible if her animals were not so well trained and handled. She had some of the cutest ponies I have ever seen and the children were able to climb all over them and they never budged. I was very impressed with the whole day both professionally and emotionally.

A Talk at the University

2010-04-27T16:09:00.006+02:00

During my recent speech at the University of Almería on the subject of hippotherapy, part of a larger course on sports therapy for the disabled, I showed a short film made in about 1998 which features a small girl called Sofia who suffered from cerebral palsy. She had no control of her head, arms or body. I always rode behind her to support her and help with her exercises. One of the exercises we would do was to try to get the student to touch the nose, this way he or she could try and find the center of their body. Small children do this automatically while playing, they grasp things in their hands and move it to their mouth, and this is the way they find the center of their body. Sofia was not able to do this exercise so we started by crossing her arms over her tummy, first both arms then one at a time. When she was able to complete this task on her own we worked on touching her nose with both hands together by raising them above her head then down to the nose or from the center of her tummy straight to the nose. Finally she was able to complete this on her own. Another exercise we would do was to hold both of her upper arms and lean way back then lift her shoulders while sitting up into a straight position for her (I was still leaning fairly back, if I sat straight up she would be leaning forward and not learn the feeling of sitting upright and the weight of her head would drop down rounding her whole back and neck). This type of sit-up doesn’t only help them find their center, it also strengthens their neck and back muscles.
A man in the university audience asked me what benefit someone with no possibility to ever walk or do anything for herself would get from these exercises. I was glad he asked this because it helps show the difference between hippotherapy and other types of riding for the disabled. In hippotherapy the student almost never learns to ride but gets the benefit to their health from the exercises on a moving horse I explained that touching the nose may someday help her hold a cup or feed herself. During the other exercises, she was being stretched up, finding what was her center and opening and strengthening the chest so she could breath more easily, during the whole time she was doing these exercises on the horse at a walk she was receiving a massage to her muscles and organs, her circulation was made to work harder sending more blood to her extremities, brain and heart and her digestive system was working on its own. After each class she would be put face-down with her belly over the horse and be walked around for a few minutes while one of the side-walkers would pat her back with a cupped hand to remove fluid from the lungs. People in wheelchairs are unable to remove the liquid the way we do by just walking around.
Sofia is a very intelligent girl and very interested in ecology. She can’t speak but she says a lot with her facial expressions. At the end of these vigorous exercises we take a walk out in the country and go places she can’t go in her wheelchair so she gets to enjoy nature that is usually not available to her.
Here is a photograph of the plaque they gave me for my contribution in the field of hippotherapy and I am writing a chapter in their book on the subject because very little literature on this exists in Spanish. I am also planning on being their liaison between the international groups and new groups starting in Spain. They would like to start encouraging more conferences. Now that the medical community is taking an interest in the findings of the benefits of riding we might start making advances in studies and investigations.

Durante mi ponencia en La Universidad de Almería sobre La Hipoterapia, he enseñado una pequeña película con una niña con parálisis cerebral. Sofía no tiene control del tronco ni de sus brazos ó su cabeza. Yo montaba detrás de ella para dar suporte y mantener su posición. Unos de los ejercicios que hemos hecho eran intentar tocar la nariz, para que ella pudiera encontrar su centro. Niños pequeños lo hace mientras que están jugando sin saber que están aprendiendo algo: todo se pone entre las dos manos y lo suben a la boca. Sofía no era capaz de cumplir este ejercicio, entonces hemos empezada cruzando sus brazos por la barriga, los dos brazos juntos hasta cuando lo ha logrado y después un lado tras otra. Una vez que lo había conseguido por si misma, hemos intentado tocar la nariz con las dos manos juntas. Al final ha conseguido hacerlo sola. Los otros ejercicios eran coger sus hombros y casi tumbada, subir nosotros y yo levantando sus brazos por arriba, y volver a tumbarnos. Solo hemos subido hasta que ella encontraba que era recto, yo todavía estaba bastante tumbada. Si hemos llegado hasta que yo estaba recta ella seria inclinada hacia delante y no puede suportar el peso de su cabeza y tampoco podía aprender donde esta la postura recta. Hemos repetido este ejercicio muchas veces.
Este forma de “abdominales” no solo la ayuda encontrarse recta pero también dar fuerza a los músculos de la espalda y cuello.
Un señor me preguntaba que beneficio tiene todo aquello para una niña que no puede hacer nada por si misma. Estuve contenta para recibir esta pregunta ya que demuestra la diferencia entre la hipoterapia y otros tipos de equinoterapias. En la primera, el jinete casi nunca aprende lo que es "montar a caballo" en sí, pero sí saque el beneficio fisiológico de estar sentado en un caballo andando. He explicado que el ejercicio de tocar la nariz es para que un día al lo mejor podría poner un vaso a su boca o comer por si misma. Durante los otros ejercicios, ella estaba encontrando el centro de su cuerpo, cuando su cuerpo estaba estirada durante el ejercicio, su pecho abría para tener mejor respiración, durante todo el tiempo que el caballo estaba andando, ella estaba recibiendo un masaje a sus músculos y órganos, un efecto así como recibimos cuando nosotros estamos paseando, su sistema digestiva estaba funcionando y su sistema circulatorio tenia que trabajar para irrigar sus extremidades, su cerebro, corazón y el resto de su cuerpo. Ellos no pueden hacer esto en silla de ruedas ni tumbada. Después de la clase, ella hacia “jinete muerto” donde colgaba boca-abajo con su barriga encima del lomo del caballo mientras que uno de los laterales la pegue en la espalda con mano hueca. No la pega fuerte solo bastante para quitar el liquido que se acumula en los pulmones que ellos mismos no pueden evacuar. Sofía es una niña muy inteligente y con mucho interés en ecología. No puede hablar pero su cara dice mucho. Después de la clase fuerte hacemos un paseo por el campo donde ella pude ver cosas que son inaccesibles a ella desde su silla.
Aquí hay una foto de la placa que me regalaron por mi trabajo y voy a hacer un capitulo en su libro sobre este tema. Voy a intentar ser el enlace entre los grupos internacionales y los grupos empezando aquí en España. Ya por que el mundo medico está cogiendo interés en los beneficios que el caballo puede dar, a lo mejor podemos empezar a tener estudios e investigaciones sobre los beneficios.

The Bunny-pig (New to Science)

2010-04-05T13:23:00.001+02:00

We always had long haired guinea-pigs and they lived in a cage together with a big white male rabbit, Eccles, who was obviously in love with Mrs. Ingypig. They all lived together quite happily for several years and produced lots of baby guinea-pigs. The interesting thing about guinea-pigs is that they are born like popcorn. They just pop out and are miniature guinea-pigs ready to eat and everything. The mother has to take no care of them, whereas rabbits on the other hand are born with their eyes shut and no hair and in a sack that the mother has to remove. They need to nurse for several weeks, needing the mother’s full attention. One day the male guinea-pig died, leaving the rabbit and Mrs. Ingypig alone (at last!). They lived happily together for about a year when one morning I went out to feed them and found Mrs. Ingypig dead with three babies in sacks with their eyes closed and way to big for her to give birth to and a fourth half way born. I think it is scientifically impossible to cross a rabbit with a guinea-pig but it happened. If it had been the other way around they may have survived because a female rabbit would be big enough and would know how to care for the young, whereas the guinea-pig had no idea how to take off the sacks and nurse plus they were way too big for her body. Later we tried putting a male guinea-pig with a female rabbit for several years but there was no chemistry between them and that was the end of the bunny-pig. We almost had a new breed of animal but the circumstances never were right again.

Charity

2010-03-26T13:42:00.001+01:00

Charity can mean many things to many people. Charity means to give or help with no thought of reward. The gratification is in the giving. It can be as little as giving a beggar a dime or sponsoring abandoned animals, helping the Red Cross or any other NGO. Charity can mean spending time with an old person or volunteering at a children’s centre. Giving of your time and/or money to disaster relief groups is another good way to help. There are hundreds of associations in your community and starving or abused children all over the world. There are also the veteran’s charities, helping them find jobs or giving psychiatric work to help them over the traumas of war. Everywhere you look there is someone or some group that desperately needs your help. Give what you can whether it is time or money. The meaning of charity disappears if you go around telling people how much you gave or if you expect people to be impressed with your achievement. Just give from your heart and if you are a good person people will know, you don’t have to advertise it.
It is nice to help in your local community but there are a lot of countries where disaster has struck either by force of nature or war; these people are just as needy. Some of us have money and some don’t but everyone can find a few minutes in their day to give to a charity. The reason I am mentioning this subject is because I have seen so many articles printed about people bragging about how much money they have given or what they have done. In my opinion this behaviour takes away from the meaning of charity and is just boasting.

Chico

2010-03-24T14:28:00.008+01:00

Throughout my life I have had a lot of fantastic dogs. Each one, with their own special character and personality. In one way or another they have all left a special imprint on my life. They have each been different from one another but each one added something to my life. They all had tricks and words that they knew but I had never had a dog with a sense of humor until I met Chico. He was very loyal and guarded the house and us. He had boundless energy and never ate one shoe or piece of furniture in his life. He had a toy-box under the bed and you could ask him to choose one and he would always get the right one out. He loved soft squeaky ones and he never destroyed them, after playing he would always put it back in the toy-box. He never ate or lost one toy from the day we got him. He was a Briard that Lenox bought for me as an anniversary and birthday present. His real name was Hychyko de Dasilva because we had a few minutes to come up with a name that started with H. That is how the breeder kept track of each litter of puppies. The reason I chose Hychyco is because there is a wonderful girl in Belgium called Caroline that trains dogs for the disabled and her association is called Haichicko. I couldn’t think of a better name. Caroline came to Spain several times to help ANIMO show what service dogs can do.

I wanted to spell it the same way she did but the breeder preferred the ys. It sounded the same and had great meaning for me as I thought how much these dogs help us in our daily lives. A Briard is a French sheepdog with long silky hair and not much of an under-coat so they don’t really shed or get there hair in knots. The hair hangs over their eyes and their ears are up and round with long hair hanging over them. Their back feet turn slightly out making them look like a ballerina. They run like rabbits with both back feet together and have the extra toe which for some reason is so important in a sheepdog. Chico died unexpectedly last night; we sat with him and talked to him until he passed away. I hope our voices helped him. I will miss Chico very much, especially his companionship. He was a funny dog but beautiful and well behaved. Maybe one day I will get another puppy because he is the second Briard I have had and as a breed they have really stolen my heart. The only dog that comes close for me is an Irish Wolfhound.

I have found a few cute pictures that can let you see what of character he was. He loved the water. He would be in the pool first thing every morning when you let him out and in the bath with you if he could.

Cruelty to Animals

2010-03-13T17:10:00.002+01:00

We have all seen a lot of cruelty to animals here over the years. I have written about many instances of my children bringing home boxes of puppies thrown out of car windows and puppies put in plastic bags to suffocate, dogs chained to a barrel and not fed or cared for, donkeys carrying loads that are too heavy with no food or water, hanging grey hounds from trees by their neck and the list goes on. The worst of these atrocities, I think, that I have witnessed here, was a box of puppies abandoned in a parking lot. The local children aged about six had cut off their toes and noses with a razor blade and were driving them around the parking lot like little trucks, removing their stomachs in the process. I stopped the boys and collected the puppies. Here is a picture of one of the puppies with no toes or nose. Because I already had a box of abandoned puppies that were thrown over the bridge I knew I couldn’t take all of them so I went to all the neighbors to ask for help. One restaurant owner said he would take two and I kept the other two. When they were old enough I found good homes for them along with the eight puppies from the box. It takes dedication, money and lots of time to bottle-feed so many animals not to mention the kitten that was left in our driveway which we still have. I am very pleased that we were able to place so many animals but the cruelty or lack of education is astounding even though the education is slowly and reluctantly improving. When I lived in the village the local sport for young boys was to take a piece of bamboo and put a nail on the end and poke the eyes out of the cats. The parents actually seemed proud of Junior for his achievement. Another gem was to wire the animals up with a coat hanger in some imaginative way.
I am glad that animal awareness has improved since I came here because we don’t see so much of the cruelty any more. They still abandon the puppies and kittens though and that goes for the English as well as the Spanish. Because I had so many animals the people, with a conscience, seemed to think that if they dumped the unwanted pets in my driveway they would be taken care of, and they were; but you reach a point where you can’t take any more or find good homes for them and the price of worming and vaccinations makes it impossible these days. I take in way fewer strays than I used to and I guess I have gotten a little harder in my way of thinking. An animal needs lots of love and care but you can only have so many and I have reached my limit.

Animo on YouTube

2010-02-26T17:10:00.001+01:00

This is a little example of how to prepare a horse for therapeutic riding and a few exercises done by some of our disabled students. The service dogs are from England and show a few ways in which dogs can help us. There are so many different aspects and benefits from Animal Assisted Therapy. The video comes from various sessions held in Mojácar in the late nineties and start with ‘warm-up exercises’ with our kids helping out. Later we see several students, a doctor who wanted to see the effects of hippotherapy for himself, several side-walkers and leaders and our ramp. There’s just music accompaniment here as Amber was using this for a seminar she gave in 2004. The last bit is to do with handi-dogs and comes from a colleague in England.
While this video is no great shakes, we did win a prize with another one – and when we can locate a decent copy, we’ll post it on YouTube as well.

Therapeutic Riding

2010-02-24T17:38:00.003+01:00

(From the archives)

There are many categories that fall under the term ‘Therapeutic Riding’, such as Sport, Education and Medicine. Then there is Hippotherapy which is a direct medical treatment incorporating the body and movement of the horse to acquire a benefit. Hippotherapy is usually used for students with severe physical disabilities and needs a professional to make and organize the class plan. Many students with severe movement impairment need the use of a back rider who sits behind the student to help keep them in the correct position and to help with the exercises desired by the physiotherapist. The back rider must be a competent rider and understand the disabilities of each student. Hippotherapy is often performed bareback or with a sheepskin to protect against rubbing which can be a big problem for many disabilities and if not done properly can aggravate the problem and could even lead to amputation. The benefits of any kind of therapeutic riding are many, from improved circulation, the massage of atrophied limbs to massage of internal organs, a sense of caring for another being when you are used to always being the cared for, the freedom of movement and, finally, the elegance of the gait which is impossible to achieve by traditional therapies on the ground. Almost all students achieve a feeling of well-being and a joy in looking down at their surroundings for once rather than their usual ‘up at everything’. They also get the chance to cover terrain that is normally off limits to them. Just the action of sitting on a horse at a walk without doing any specific exercise can provide many of these advantages.

In hippotherapy, unlike the other forms of therapeutic riding, the rider never learns to ride or indeed ever takes control of the horse. The horse emulates the walking movement of the human gait and sends this message to the appropriate part of the rider’s brain so it is clearly important to have a horse with a good stride and in balance. The horse must also be calm and prepared for unusual noises and movements that the disabled person is likely to make. The preparation and exercise of the horse is one of the most important parts of any therapeutic riding whether it be sport or hippotherapy. Everything that will be done during a class must be practiced by the volunteers first, and practiced many times, until the horse is used to the movements and the objects used for the class such as toys, balls, rings and cups.

Before any type of therapeutic riding begins it is important to have a Doctor’s certificate to make sure there are no contraindications. The staff must be well prepared and have regular training sessions which help to prepare the horse as well. The equipment must be clean and sterilized as most disabled people are much more prone to infection. The sessions are usually boring to the horse as it is led around in circles and figure-eights with a leader and side-walkers and will stop at a stand for long periods. Therefore a good ride in the countryside or a good work-out prior to the session is very important so that the horse is calm.

Exercises include things such as reaching for the ears, lying down either frontwards or backwards in different positions depending on the desired effect, and face down hanging over the horse, which is used at the end of almost every lesson to help clear the lungs of the fluid which accumulates in people wheelchair bound.

Therapeutic riding has been practiced since the end if the First World War when it was used to help rehabilitate amputees. Many disabled people have gone on to competitions and even the Olympics. RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) is the most common type of therapeutic riding and is practiced all over the world and almost anyone can participate and achieve great benefits. If you are interested in RDA, the Diamond Centre in England is the main centre for training courses. For information on worldwide therapeutic riding centres the FRDI in Australia (http://www.frdi.net/) has a complete listing of all qualified centres and NARAH in the USA offers university and private course in all of the aspects of therapeutic riding including hippotherapy. Therapeutic riding is relatively new in Spain but is becoming increasingly popular, but please check with an official association, either national or international, before participating because there are a lot of cowboys out there who can do a lot of damage.

ANIMO ran in Southern Spain for fourteen years with no charge to students and offered international conferences and courses. All staff including the doctor and physiotherapist plus 40 some odd volunteers worked free of charge. We were financed by fund-raisers and support from The Entertainer Newspaper. Animo started way before its time and has now had to stop practical operations due to lack of funding and official support, but still continues to give courses and information to groups trying to set up.

Back-Riding

In some cases a helmet is worn but this is not required in back-riding. In Spain a helmet is not required for any riding, however all our students wore helmets unless there was a medical reason not to. For example a shunt that would be damaged by the helmet or pressure on part of the brain so that the Doctor advised not to use one. The boy in this picture has no control of his head and upper torso so the back-rider maintains the proper position and helps him follow the instructions of the physiotherapist gaining maximum benefit from his sessions.
This student was with us for about five years. In this time, his muscle-tone improved greatly as did the working of his digestive system, allowing him to take fewer drugs. His sheer joy while on the horse was well worth it, plus usually after class, we took him on a short ride in the country. At the end of each session, we turned him on his stomach over the horse and walked around for about three minutes to help remove the fluid from his lungs. Depending on the student’s abilities, the lessons can begin with just five minutes and increase as the student develops more stamina and flexibility. Most lessons will last about 45 minutes.

Animal Assisted Therapy

2010-02-21T18:05:00.003+01:00

In April I am offering a course at the University of Almería and helping them write a book in Spanish on the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy. This field has been very slow starting in Spain but has now become very popular and I felt that there were a few basic guides I could provide from my years of experience. ANIMO does not offer its practical side anymore but we still give technical advice to other centers.

It is a privilege to have or to ride a horse. The horse is a very strong and majestic animal but at the same time very delicate. Just a simple change in their food can cause colic, which can be fatal or leave them foundered. Foundering comes from changing food like from dry food to being put in a lush pasture and it separates the soft part of the hoof from the hard part. This makes the horse walk on his heels because of the severe pain. They then begin to use the wrong muscles to compensate. Unless cared for properly and promptly, it can take years to improve or it may never get better and the horse will always have a limp. So there are many things to think about before you buy a horse. They need good clean food, clean housing and good hygiene, lots of exercise, a turn-out area and most of all lots of love and attention. All of this comes at a price both financial and in time. It is not cheap to have a horse or even to go to classes. However the benefits of riding a horse are so great and every day they are discovering new benefits that the horse can offer us. For this reason it is important that we continue the research and make horses more accessible to everyone. Not only the disabled, where we already know about the benefits, but to everyone. Even medical doctors are starting to study different aspects of the horse-man relationship.

The benefits that animals can provide people have been known for a long time. Just stroking a cat can relieve the pain of arthritis and help relieve stress or riding a horse improves your circulation while at the same time massaging your organs and muscles. There have been very few studies on the benefit riding a horse can have on depression, stress and the menopause. I did a small informal test using my volunteers. We found that out of twenty women, in every case a noticeable difference was made. They all felt less depressed, had more energy and basically just felt happier. I just read a new medical study on the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy and mentioned in the article was a section on how riding can lower your level of triglycerides. Triglycerides change fat into energy for your muscles. I found out the positive results from my own case just recently. I rode every day for three weeks and my triglyceride level dropped by half. Two-hundred is the top level in a healthy human being and my level was over four-hundred. After riding every day for three weeks it dropped to close to two-hundred, other blood work improved as well.

After working with all types of disabilities and many different types of animal therapy, I decided to concentrate mostly on hippotherapy, which is the medical side of riding therapy. I saw such a change in the students not just physical but mental. It is basically physiotherapy on horse-back, letting the movement of the horse work on areas that the disabled person is not able to achieve in any other way. It is also something that should be included in their regular therapy not done instead of.

Every country and every center have their own methods of working and training the staff and animals. Hippotherapy is different just like styles of riding are different. In our center we had the students ride bare-back. We felt that we got better results from the direct contact or sometimes we used a sheep-skin to help keep students from getting burns or wounds which in some students never heal and can even lead to amputation. That is why it is so important to have a medical certificate before the student ever even goes near the horse and why the classes usually start at around five minutes and work up to around forty-five minutes. There are specially designed saddles with movable parts to help support different parts of the body but we found over all that bareback was the best for our students. Only three of our forty students ever used a bridle and that was because they had enough body control to do so. We usually used a halter and lead line. My grand daughter says riding bare-back helps keep your bottom warm and she is right. We used so many different positions on the horse that a saddle would have just been in the way. We had students facing all different directions, lying down, walking barefoot while the horse was at a walk and around the world just to name a few. Most of our students had such severe physical disabilities that they needed some one to back-ride in order to hold them in the correct position and help them with their exercises. It is very important that your team is experienced with horses because even something as simple as leading wrong can change the whole muscular system of the horse there by not conveying the correct message to the brain and body of the rider. It is important that you try to use both sides of the horse equally. We had one student, a young adult left partially paralysed from a motor-cycle accident who always leant to one side, so we would try and put a cute young helper on his bad side to try and get him to use it more. It was quite an effective strategy. During a session the work is very slow and boring for the horse making figures of eight and serpentines and little circles. After several students the horse may become bored and start acting up a bit this is why it is very important that before each class the horse has a good work-out or gallop in the country-side.

Terminology:
The words that we use in this field change from country to country, and depend on the time for what words are politically correct. It is incorrect now to say that you use an animal for a task because in some countries this signifies mistreatment, you have to say incorporate the animal in the task. I think the correct term for your students, regardless of their disability, is ‘challenged’. They may be visually, physically or mentally challenged etc. Or some times they are referred to as ‘special needs students’. These two expressions seem to cover everyone without offering any offence.

The Center:
If you are planning on starting a center there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
1. Have a good insurance policy that covers the animals as well as students and helpers.
2. Have all parents sign a waver allowing the use of any photographs or videos.
3. Get a complete medical history and have a medical exam before beginning class.
4. Have healthy sound animals.
5. Make sure the center is wheel-chair accessible and that there is a bathroom. All students should ride on an empty bladder. This is very important.
6. Decide on the type of center you want to have and the type of student you want to teach.
7. Where will you get your financing, as this is an expensive consideration.
8. Staff: Physiotherapist, doctor, riding instructor, veterinarian, stable hands and aides.

Sympathy

2010-02-18T17:10:00.009+01:00

Here's a song which sums up my love for animals and children. It's called Sympathy and was recorded by Rare Bird. Lenox sings it sometimes.
Sam Cooke with Summertime
Jean-Jaques Goldman with Comme Toi
Malicorne with L'Écolier Assassin
Here's Khaled with Chebba Cheb
Celtas Cortos with Odin
El Koala says he's going to build a shed - Opá, yo viazé un corrá
The Horseflies play Hush Little Baby
Carmina Burana O Fortuna
Carmen's Factory Fight
Sad Song from Richard Marx
Nobody Knows with Paul Brady
From Oliver 'Be Back Soon'
Love Song with Randy Newman
Warren Zevon

Some of these are songs that Lenox would sing to me when I was in the hospital or feeling down the rest are some of my favorites. Carmina Burana my father used to play every Sunday, and for El Koala you really need to be Andaluz to understand it but he is very funny. The reason I put things like Sympathy on here is because Lenox can sing them so much better than the versions you hear that it makes my hair stand on end.

(Sorry Darling, I've added one of mine here: Abdullah Ibrahim and Carlos Ward).

Animo

2010-02-13T15:32:00.005+01:00

This is my ANIMO logo. I thought you might be interested in how it came about. ANIMO -Asociación Nacional de Investigación Mojácar. We had a contest of my disabled students to come up with a logo and got lots of suggestions. Animo in Spanish also means to caress, love, encourage and animate someone so we felt it was appropriate; we just had to come up with the right words to spell ANIMO.
The word-design was eventually made by Lenox, on the spur of the moment at the lawyer's office, when he turned the letter 'a' into a wheelchair. Because it dealt with Animal Assisted Therapy, especially dogs and horses, we wanted them to show. The little man in the middle is the symbol of our town, the Indalo. It is a god holding up a rainbow, or so they say, and was found in a cave painting near here. The horse-shoe is upside down for most of you but that is because here in Spain they believe that the horse-shoe should go that way because it takes the luck from the ground and then returns it, as opposed to the way we think that if it goes the other way the luck will stay in. There are seven studs in the shoe which is very important for the Spaniards. All horse-shoes should have seven holes for luck. I am very pleased with the logo and it has served us well. I don't think anything else could visually describe what we did and how we felt as well as this. 'Animo' - as in 'cheer up!' - is one of the most common words that I heard when I was in the hospital. Everyone from the janitor to the doctors would say 'animo' when I went for operations or tests or anywhere.

Chicken Luck

2010-02-09T19:41:00.002+01:00

Most Animal Stories Have Sad Endings:

It is true that a lot of animal stories have tragic endings so I try not to include many of them but there are a few that stand out both as sad and happy. One day I was given twelve laying hens in a row of wire cages where the eggs just rolled down a slope into a tray. There were two hens in each box, not really even big enough for one hen. They had had their beaks and nails cut off so they couldn’t hurt each other. As pleased as I was with the gift I couldn’t bear to see them confined this way, having never experienced scratching in the dirt or stretching their wings. The row of cages was put into my large bird pen where we had once had ducks and turkeys and birds of all kinds. It was my favourite spot on the property, full of trees with a pond and waterfall and birds of all kinds mixing with the exotic plants. I even had a hammock hanging between two trees so I could just lay there and ponder. Several times the fox got in and killed most of the birds and the few remaining birds went into the peacock aviary. We cemented under the fence, filled any holes and made it fox-proof. I didn’t get any more birds because the whole place just didn’t have the same magic about it. It was a few years later when these hens arrived and we hadn’t seen a fox in years. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for the chickens I decided to let them out into the real world. They were stunned. They didn’t know what to do or where to go so they just followed me everywhere. Little by little they started to stretch their cropped wings, scratch with their cut nails and pick at things with their beaks. They were truly in heaven. I was so pleased at having finally let them go, as I watched them try out and learn what the world was about. It was so funny that I stayed there most of the day. Some of the hens even tried a dirt bath. When I finally came into the house, I spent hours telling Lenox how wonderful it was to see them free and having room to move and about how funny they all were as they tried new things. I was very pleased with myself until the next morning when I went out to feed them and found that a fox had killed all twelve without even taking one to eat. I was so devastated that all I could say was “well at least they had one great day of freedom”. The poor things - they had no wings to speak of and certainly didn’t know how to use what they had or some could have flown up into the trees to get away.
After another fox attack, even more devastating, the only bird left was a guinea-fowl, she was the sole survivor of a fox attack that killed over twenty birds. We called her a Jeannie-bird because of the awful noise she made and she lived right under our alcoholic neighbour Jeannie’s bedroom window. We put her in with the peacocks, which lived in a large aviary, to see if she could survive. Not only did she survive but she flourished. Peacocks, like turkeys, aren’t very smart and often kill their young by accident or maybe a male kills them. Once our Jeannie-bird moved in that was no more. She took mothering very seriously. The chicks all ate before the peacocks, they were kept gathered in her clutches and in general she cared for every baby in the aviary. After the fox problem was solved by not having any more birds out, the neighbour’s dogs took a shine to checking us out from time to time and killing anything they could. We had two wonderful chickens that we kept in the garden, known to us as Scrambled and Poached, that we put away every night so they would be safe, but unlike the fox, dogs in packs don’t care whether it is day or night and they raided and killed our two chickens. We finally realized that if we wanted a chicken the only way was to let it out in the garden when we were there and put it in the aviary when we weren’t. Prunella was our chicken and you have seen her in pictures on this blog. She was a delight. One day a friend came with her dog that jumped out of the car and attacked Prunella right under our noses. She didn’t look like she had a chance for survival so the contrite dog owner left and rushed back a few hours later with another hen to replace her. You can’t just replace one pet with another that looks the same, they all have special qualities and Prunella was a cracker. Remarkably, Prunella did survive the attack and her new friend is called Henrietta. They both lay eggs and wander the garden with our dogs for protection during the day. They are very good gardeners by the way, scratching at the ground and pecking at bugs and weeds. They are put away when we go out and at night.
But animal stories often have sad endings. The pack of dogs came back down a few days ago during lunch time and they took poor Prunella from us. Now Henrietta lives alone, she still lays two eggs a day and spends most of her time in an aviary and at night in her coop. We don’t want to lose her because I don’t think I have much luck with chickens.

I love rabbits and we have had many, large Angora, miniatures, country and pet shop leftovers; most however came from farmers that raised them to eat and usually let me take one or two home out of sympathy. Even though we vaccinated, a horrible man-made disease called myxomatosis took several of our rabbits.
The miniature travelled with Jessica everywhere even in her pocket on the airplanes coming and going to school. The enormous white Angora was free to live in the house, sleep in bed with the girls and basically live like one of the family. Most people don’t know but rabbits are very easy to house-break. All you do is put down a kitty-litter box and they will use it. Our Angora lived inside for many years until she had finally nibbled on too many wires for us to put up with, like the telephone wire and the cables to the lights, so we decided to move her outside to a run we set up just outside the front door so that we could still spend lots of time with her. Even though vaccinated she got myxomatosis from being on the ground where they pick up the disease from wild animals. So my next two rabbits were not going to have that happen to them. I had a huge cage built up off the ground and put fresh straw in every day so they would stay clean and away from the ground and any contact with wild bunnies. It turns out that straw carries the disease so I lost them too. Nowadays, from bitter experience, I am much more knowledgeable about rabbits. Several years back, while in Pamplona, I was allowed a hospital rabbit. His story is on this blog so I won’t go into the details but I can tell you that he has outlived just about any other rabbit: he is a family favourite who lives in an elevated run just outside the kitchen door so we can talk to and play with him all the time and he uses newspaper as bedding. His potty corner is always The Euro Weekly, a local freebie without much merit. So rabbits can be great pets, don’t under-estimate them, they are very smart and affectionate and if well cared for can live a long time. This story is dedicated to the memory of Pepe, a rabbit friend of ours, who lived with a little girl in Madrid and was the biggest rabbit we’ve ever seen, well at least his ears were huge and he was like a puppy, always scratching at the door and wanting to come sit on your lap and watch the telly. I am sorry to say that he got too fat for his breed and is no more. All of my grandchildren call rabbits ‘Pepe’ so when they see one on the road or in the country they say “look, there goes Pepe”. I don’t have the heart to tell them he is gone.

When we left America for England I had to leave my sheep behind. I was so distraught that shortly upon arrival my parents bought me an apricot miniature poodle called Chaussette. It wasn’t the same but it helped. Chaussette had a wicker basket and everywhere we moved the first thing unloaded from the truck was her bed, then she felt safe and at home because we moved almost every year. She was a feisty little thing, I remember my father taking a fire poker to her in the hall because she wouldn’t take her food outside and no-one could touch her. I had her from early childhood through university. I don’t think I remembered life without her. One day I came home from work and she was having a nervous break-down in the driveway. Then I saw it. The neighbor’s puppy had stolen her bed and eaten most of it. She died a few days later. I know it is a sad story but she had the longest happiest life of any dog I know, and this is a section about how most animal stories have a sad ending.

Girl with a Bunny

2010-02-02T08:22:00.002+01:00

Here's a picture from our ANIMO days that I hope shows the joy that animals can bring, especially to a little girl with cerebral palsy.

This and related photographs have written permission from the parents or guardians to be used on this blog for the promotion of animal assisted therapy. They are not to be copied or reproduced.

Spiders and Insects

2010-02-01T10:07:00.004+01:00

Spiders have a head and an abdomen with eight legs, while an insect has a head, thorax and abdomen with six legs. My husband has always been fascinated by bugs of all types and knows most everything about them. He has tried to pass this passion on to our children. Daniel caught on at a very early age and he and his father would spend hours in the garden looking at bugs. Daniel has maintained his interest and increased his understanding of these creepy-crawlies. He and his father still show each other bugs they have found. I use the word bugs so that I don’t have to keep differentiating between spiders and insects. When Daniel was in his twos he could tell the difference between a good spider and a bad one. We found this out one night when he came into our room, late at night, to tell us there was a bad bug under his bed. We were sure it was a Wolf Spider; they are very ugly and hairy but harmless. We went to look and sure enough he had a tarantula under his bed. How he knew the difference I will never know. When Lenox didn’t know what the bug was he would give it a name and it sounded very real and are called that to this day. Like one the girls found upside-down in the ash tray and asked daddy what it was, he said, without hesitation, that it was an ash bug and so it became. Lenox has named several bugs here one of his favourites he says reminds him of me. It is the golden splendour beetle. When you touch it, it lets out a shriek, rolls over on its back and puts its legs in the air. I have no idea how that reminds him of me or what the beetle is really called.
I don’t know if they have them everywhere but here we have stink bugs. They look like little beetles and come in three fragrances, pine, lemon and shit. This keeps any predator from eating more than one, so by preserving the species.
I can take bugs or leave them as long as they aren’t in my bedroom. Living in the country it is inevitable that you will get bugs in the house. That is one of the great things about Geckos because they eat the bugs, until the little lizards get so fat that the stickers on their feet don’t work so well and they fall to the floor or onto the bed. They also shit like birds and it is very hard to clean. Geckos usually hide behind pictures or mirrors, and make a little screech noise during mating season. They are considered good luck to have in your house here in Spain. It even used to be the custom to bring a gecko to a house- warming to start the house on the right foot. Whenever I see a spider I ask my son or husband to please release it into the garden, which they do while having a long discussion on the wonders of the thing. My husband has a thing about mothers. A mother spider will carry hundreds of babies on her back until they are ready to go out on their own. Lenox has a strong feeling that they should be left alone until such time but all I can think about are the hundreds of new spiders I will have in my room.
Our daughter, Amber, suffers from severe arachnophobia. If she sees a spider, she becomes hysterical, can’t breath and has an instant panic attack. Insects don’t bother her so much. Our house is so big that the children lived on one side and we live on the other. One night she saw a spider. It was in her room, in the corner of the ceiling and she had a panic attack. She was screaming for an hour or so and couldn’t breathe. We couldn’t hear her. Finally she screwed up the courage to slide passed the spider and run to our room for comfort. Before we could comfort her we had to slap her a few time to get her to breathe and then came the cuddles. She said she had been screaming and crying for hours and why hadn’t we come to rescue her. We just hadn’t heard her. Our other daughter Jessica can take them or leave them. They don’t bother her but she has no real interest in them. She will however gladly move one outside for you.
When we first lived here there were always hundreds of different bugs hanging around the front door by the light at night. Lenox would spend ages examining each one. Now they have mostly all gone away and we just have flies and mosquitoes.
Scorpions are still about in abundance and they belong to the spider family or arachnids. They can give you a very nasty sting. Most people I know here have had that experience once or twice. You actually are a bit of an outcast if you are a country person and haven’t had your scorpion sting yet.
Don't worry about this beetle, he's from the Amazon. Cute, isn't he?

Learning Something New

2010-01-31T14:48:00.003+01:00

I always felt it was important for our children to try new things. When they were little, Mojácar had very little to offer so I tried to provide experience in as many aspects of life as I could here at home, usually with a group of their friends. We had riding, trampoline, art, cooking, swimming, dance and a petting zoo, where they all had their responsibilities. When they were a little older we even sent them to boarding school, much against my wishes, but there were no opportunities here to learn and experience new things like art, music or mountain climbing. We chose a school not just on its academic record but on extracurricular activities. Until a child tries something they have no idea whether it might become a passion or even a future career. I took advantage of the abilities and hobbies of just about everyone in Mojácar. One seemingly useless sport we took up was roping. A German girl here had worked in the American rodeo in Germany and was kind enough to come teach us how to rope. There were no cows here so it seemed rather futile but I thought you never know when it might come in handy. We used to go out in the back field and lasso beach balls and chairs. It was a lot of fun but not very practical until the girls had to leave Spain and moved to live in a Midwestern state in America. They started riding with a woman who was a roper and had four horses. The locals were quite shocked, and I think, so were the girls, when they knew how to handle a rope and swing it properly over their heads. They may have been a bit out of practice but the skill was still there. So you see no matter how mundane or silly something seems it is worth trying to learn it. You never know when it might come in handy. I know the girls enjoyed riding but I was not a teacher and just rode bareback which is the way the girls learned. They even did jumping and dressage bareback. Later when they went to school and joined the riding team there wasn’t a pony that could throw them, they both went on to be Three-Day-Event champions and now still enjoy riding for pleasure and relaxation.

Foaling with the Army

2010-01-28T13:37:00.003+01:00

When we all started having horses around here, after buying it, you either had to ride your animal home or it went into a big flat-bed truck with sides, where they were just thrown from side to side and dumped off on a hill, somewhere near enough that you could ride it home from there. When I bought Honda, the mule, she was driven to Vera and I had almost a day’s ride to get her home, but it was the closest hill they could find to put the tail gate on. I even brought some of the smaller donkeys home in my Nissan Vanette. Most of us had campo horses without papers or breeding, it wasn’t until later that things started to move up-market. Once a year, the Spanish military would bring some stallions to Albox and farmers could take their mares there to be bred to a pure-bed stallion giving the foal half papers and so on. The trouble was getting to Albox which is at least 40 kms away from where we live. The mares were put into a pigsty that had been cleaned for the purpose and the stallions were kept well locked away on the other side. They of course had the poor old teaser (an unfortunate and ultimately frustrated second-rate stallion) that had to see if the mare was receptive to the idea and then he was put away while the real stallion came out to take his place. The mares couldn’t wear hind-shoes and their legs were tied so they couldn’t kick the valuable stallion. The unlucky teaser had to go back unsatisfied only to come out and repeat his performance. It all seemed a bit awkward, with all the help they received and the lack of nature taking its place, but to protect the valuable stallions that is the way it worked.
One year a group of us decided to try this government service and found a German girl with an old clapped out trailer. With my horse having never seen a trailer and Casi suffering from claustrophobia, it was not an easy task to get them in. It took hours. We finally got my old Spanish mare called Mora in but there was no way Casi would go near it. Every one tried their trick but no-go. Because Casi was so spoilt and hand- raised - I didn’t ride her until she was nine - I finally got her in by having her shake hands all the way up the ramp. Well, it worked. When we arrived I told them Mora would be easy but that Casi was a special case and very sweet and innocent. Please be kind to her. It turned out to be the other way around, Casi was uncontrollable and Mora was so horney that she actually jumped through three pigsties with horses in them to go straight to the stallions, much to the amazement and ribald amusement of the military. Casi on the other hand broke people’s fingers and wouldn’t go near the stallions; she was a ‘right pain’ for the military. After a few weeks we were allowed to take our mares home. With all the military, farmers, gypsies and horse people they thought getting Casi in the trailer would be a breeze. With all the know-how and tricks and me in floods of tears at the horrible things they were doing to my little baby they had no luck. When I finally got a word in I said let me show you and I had her shake hands all the way up the ramp. That was a first for all of them. Mora had a beautiful foal and Casi was still a virgin. I know there is a much simpler way and more natural to accomplish this and it happened right here. Our daughters were riding in the ring when a man came up on a beautiful black stallion, to see if I wanted to buy him, although it turned out later that he was stolen.
I told the man to let me bring my girls in and their horses and he could show me what the stallion could do, even though I wasn’t in the market for another horse, but it never hurts to look. The man didn’t wait very long and came up the hill just as Amber and Mora were entering the corral. With Amber still riding and tacked up, Mora backed up, lifted her tail and the stallion mounted her right then and there with a very frightened little girl on top and there was no pulling the two horses apart. After thanking the man and telling him we weren’t interested we were blessed with another black foal eleven months later. So you see it can be done in a much easier way if you have a horney horse.
Then there is conception without a stallion or at least that is how it seemed. Our horse Nata was bought home by Lenox one day, having sworn that he could never be talked into buying a horse, but who had got drunk in a bar and came home with an albino mare for the girls. Thus we acquired Nata. After a year or so she seemed to be changing shape and losing weight and I was afraid she was very ill. The vet could find nothing wrong with her so we thought we would just watch her closely for a while. One morning I went to feed the horses and standing in the driveway was a new-born, peach coloured palomino with a long curly mane. I didn’t know where she had come from as we had no pregnant mares and no near-by stallions. When I checked Nata it turned out to be her foal whom she had rejected, so for a week we had to restrain Nata, both front and rear, put the foal between our legs and milk her ourselves. After a week she took to mothering. I think the whole thing was as much of a shock to her as it was to us. It turned out that the kids had ridden over to Manolo Coronado, a very famous painter, in Vera and they tied the horses up to go inside for some refreshment. When they returned all seemed fine, everyone was where they were supposed to be, we just never saw what happened when the kids were inside. Manolo had one of the few pure-bred stallions in the area, Galión, and it seem he jumped the fence for a quick-one while the kids weren’t looking and then returned to his stall. Eleven months later that is how Salsa, shown in this painting came about. Later as our horses got more up-market people started getting trailers and taking them for breeding and to shows or courses.
Vets were few and far between in those days so you had to depend on old remedies and common-sense plus experience. My mule had cataracts so a gypsy told me to grind up cod-bones and take a piece of bamboo and blow it into her eye and the cataracts would disappear. For colic, a bottle of lemonade down the throat. I actually found that ‘gripe water’ (a popular British mothers’ remedy for colic made from dill water) was very effective so always had some on hand. For hoof-rot an old man came out and put agua fuerte (nitric acid) in rags, flooded them and then nailed an open tin can to the horse’s foot. I have to say it was a bit off the wall but it worked. After we got a few vets in the area things didn’t change all that much. Two of my horses hated vets - they could smell them for miles, even I couldn’t catch them. We even built a ‘box’ to lock them in while eating so no one could get kicked and the horse couldn’t move. Javier the Vet was clever. To get near to my two cranky mares, he took riding lessons on them and did a lot of grooming, then when it came time for injections and inspections he would just get them out and start brushing and do what needed doing and the horse was none the wiser.
I have some great pictures for this story but you will have to be patient until I find them.

Identity Crisis

2010-01-17T11:36:00.005+01:00

Are you my mother? A few cute pictures that show how things were here on the ranch.

Who Makes the Rules?

2010-01-09T13:55:00.002+01:00

What makes the perfect dog? That depends on who you are talking to. If it is someone who is into showing and pure bred dogs, then they will have a totally different idea than someone who wants companionship. The Kennel Club sets strict rules about how each breed of dog should look. Should it have a tail? How long should the muzzle be? What and where is the correct coloring? I have no idea who comes up with all theses rules but it has led to terrible over-breeding causing lots of problems in certain dogs. Too narrow a head on Collies and Dobermans, hip problems on almost all big dogs and so on. I have been very lucky in having a lot of pure-bred dogs but they were all rejects and not suitable for showing or breeding. My best friend when I was young joined 4H-Dog and got a Dalmatian to breed and show but when her parents spent a fortune on this dog they didn’t know all the rules. The dog was fabulous in character and body-build, she had a beautiful shiny coat and lots of spots. When my friend went to her first show she was immediately disqualified and told not to bother trying to show her or breed her. It turned out that a few hairs on a spot on her ear touched a spot on her eye.
This is apparently a no-no. So all her time and money for a show dog were wasted but she still had a fabulous friend. My Bearded Collie had a similar problem and was donated to me. His name was Wilberforce: we called him Wilbur. He was brown and white and his ears were half brown and half white matching perfectly with his head but ears are only allowed to be of a solid color to make the dog have any value.

Who decides these things? Wilbur turned out to be my demonstration dog for service-dogs. He appeared in many international events and fairs on disabilities and even participated in a commercial for Telefonica. He was a fabulous dog all the way around, but because of his ears being of two colors he was considered useless and to be put down. Again I ask who decides these things? I had four Belgian Shepherd pups given to ANIMO for training as service dogs because a black male had mated with a salt and pepper bitch making them not saleable and not breed-able. My children each took one and trained them to do different tasks to help disabled people. One was very good at getting horses out of their stalls and leading them to the ring for people in wheel-chairs and so on. We were never able to finish training the Belgian Shepherds due to my children growing up and going away to school and lack of funding. But they went to a fabulous home where they were easily trained to totally different tasks as work dogs on a farm, protecting and taking care of the property, animals and children.

The town hall had a dog show during fiesta and we decided to enter these five dogs, not knowing it was an official kennel-club show. One of the shepherds, a salt and pepper won best of breed and I never saw a judge so embarrassed, as when our black one went in to find out it was the brother of the one she just awarded best of breed to. When it was Wilbur’s turn we were just sent straight out of the ring, after the judge had reached between his back legs only to discover that he was castrated and, then of course, his ears were two different colors. How many fabulous dogs go to waste just because of their coloring or some other invented flaw? A lot of rules are changing now about cutting ears and tails and they are trying to solve the over-breeding problem but really don’t you think a good dog is a good dog no matter how it looks? One of our best dogs was a tiny mutt, we had for twenty-one years, and her name was Freetxua. It started as Free To A Good Home but the longer she stayed with us it just became Freetxua. I have mentioned her in several of my earlier stories because of some of the spectacular things she did even though every one would have to admit she looked like two different dogs glued together. Not so cute but a family favorite.

Animal Expressions and Actions

2010-01-08T11:38:00.002+01:00

If you live around animals long enough you learn to interpret their facial expressions, body language and the amazing tasks they perform. The reason I thought of this is because yesterday I walked into our bedroom and our dog Charlie, a greyhound lab cross, was sitting on the floor and by her expression I immediately knew she had done something wrong so I started to look around the room to see what she had done all the while she was lying closer and closer to the ground, her eyes down and her ears pulled way back, then I spotted it. She had been lying on the bed, which is a definite no-no. I could see the mark on the bed and felt it and it was still warm. When she heard me open the door she jumped down in the hope not to get caught. On asking her “did you do that?” she couldn’t get any closer to the ground. I told her nicely not to do it again but to her it meant don’t get caught next time. As a family we always raised Great Danes and they love to put their posterior on chairs and beds while their feet remain on the floor, it is a trait that runs in a few breeds other than Danes. The reason I bring this up is because my father showed me a cartoon once that showed a man arriving at the door with his brief case and a Great Dane blowing on the sofa where he had been sitting. It captured their personality with one little drawing.
Two examples of heroic deeds by animals happened here in this house. There are millions of other stories out there but these happened here. We had a ginger cat that decided to move in with our neighbor because the food was better and he got a lot more attention. They made a great pair. The only time he would come over to visit was when she was away. One day he came to the window and began to cry and would not stop. I went out to see if he was alright and he just kept crying and moving towards the lady’s house looking back to make sure I was following him. He never stopped crying or looking back until we got to the house the gate was locked but he kept insisting so I climbed the gate and sure enough our neighbor was very ill and in need of help, which we were able to get her but we would not have known if the cat hadn’t of been so persistent. The other pertains to one of our daughters, who was exercising our neighbors horse. She had not ridden the horse many times and was in our ring not theirs. After a hard work-out she was cooling the horse off in a walk with the reins loose when a dog jumped out of the bushes and bit the horse in the heel. Scared and hurting the horse began to buck and run throwing our daughter off. The horse left at full speed after the dog leaving our daughter out of hearing range and with a totaled knee. She couldn’t get up and was in terrible pain. To her surprise a few minutes later the horse returned to where she was, lowered her head and let my daughter grab the mane and pulled her to her feet then supporting her so she could hop all the way home where we then had to take her to the hospital for a new knee. All our daughter kept saying amongst the floods of tears was, “well it was so kind of her to come back for me”. We really couldn’t believe it ourselves because it wasn’t even one of our horses. There are so many stories of animals saving families from fire or accidents that it makes you wonder. That is one of the reasons I went into Animal Assisted Therapy because once you know how to interpret an animal’s body language it is amazing the bond you can make and the benefit you can receive. That is why service dogs for veterans and riding therapy are becoming so popular and even being studied scientifically. So if you have a pet be sure to take good care of it because it may just be your best friend.

The Worst Dog in Town

2010-01-05T11:24:00.000+01:00

When Win Wells the famous playwright and artist became ill he asked me if I could come take care of his house and animals while he was in England in hospital. He had two cats and two dogs. I didn’t mind as it was almost next door to my house and he said I could bring my small animals which consisted at that time of a strange abandoned dog that was nursing an interesting mixture of two baby bunnies and two new-born kittens. Plus I had my Great Dane, Nisha, who had come from the USA with me a couple of years previously. Who was, I freely admit, rather large. What Win had neglected to tell me was that all of his animals were pregnant and within a week of moving in, I had no less than 27 animals to deal with. The only male was a small brindle mutt named Elmer, who enjoyed a reputation for being quite the worst dog in town. I couldn’t believe that he was that bad and thought a little socialization was all he needed. I was wrong. I took him to the plaza on a lead and he attacked every dog he saw no matter the size, and Elmer was very small; he humped everyone and peed on everything. He was completely unmanageable. I ended up having to shut him in the phone booth so I could finish my coffee. I tried a few more times and the same thing happened so I started to leave him at home.
In another story on this blog I talk about Foxy the abandoned dog that nursed the two kittens and two rabbits so I won’t go into that here. About a year later Foxy was returned to her rightful owner whom we bumped into one day quite by chance on the beach. It turned out it was a custody battle in a broken relationship, so the man had thrown out the dog and it somehow had ended up at my house. We were sad to see her go but you could see how thrilled the lady was to have found her dog she thought was long gone.
I luckily found good homes for all of Win’s baby animals and I kept my two bunnies and kittens, one of which was called Cookie who I loved and she was very special and I have written about her too.
As time went on it was clear that Win’s health would not allow him to return to Spain, so he and his partner sold or rented the house, I don’t remember which, but I told the new people that the house came with two dogs and two cats one of which was Elmer the brindle mutt. Every day on my way home the people would be on the balcony and they would call down to me to say they couldn’t deal with Elmer and would have to put him down. I knew I couldn’t have him, I already had too many animals, and the last thing I needed was the worst dog in town. After a few weeks as I was walking home one evening they told me it was his last day so I broke down and said open the door and I will take him. He ran out the door and down the stairs like a jack rabbit and was at my side in a flash. When I arrived home with Elmer my father was furious because that was the last thing we needed. My father said he was my responsibility and one wrong step and he was gone. Well, I think Elmer listened to this very carefully because from that moment on he became a dream dog. The kind everyone wants. I don’t know what made the instant change in his personality, maybe he realized that this was his last chance but Elmer became the perfect dog. I remember once, around the same time, my mother had a horrible cat called Nando who was about as bad as Elmer and one day she picked him up by the scruff of the neck and said next time I will throw you over the cliff. At that moment too, Nando became cat perfect and never looked back. It is funny how we had the two worst animals in town and just like that they became the kind of animal every one wants around. They both lived a long and happy life with us.

My Animal Family

2010-01-04T22:29:00.002+01:00

When I was about four year old I had lots and lots of stuffed animals. I never wanted to hurt their feelings so at night I would put my animals all in my big double bed. Lots of times there were so many that I had to sleep on the mat beside the bed. One night my father came in to kiss me good night and found me sleeping on the floor. After thinking the problem over with me he thought the animals would be very sad if I had to sleep on the floor so we had to devise a plan. My father’s plan was that the animals took equal turns in the bed leaving room for me. That way no one’s feeling would be hurt and every one would get their turn in bed. I agreed with his plan and that is how I got to sleep back in my bed. I must say that there were so many animals that sometimes I didn’t always get the turns right. I had a few favorites and they seemed to get a little extra bed time than the others. My favorite was Chubby Cubby. I think he actually got a turn every night. I remember the Christmas I got him. I always told my mother I wanted a polar bear and if she bought me one I would never ask for anything else. She told me that after a long talk with the man at the zoo she was told that polar bears had very bad dispositions so we couldn’t have one. I believed her but when I looked under the tree that year there he was, bigger than me. I cried with joy and my parents couldn’t understand why I was upset, they didn’t know they were tears of joy... He was a big, white, soft cuddly polar bear and about my height just a little fatter.

Each one of my companions had its own character and likes and dislikes. Chubby Cubby liked honey in his tea while my large Siamese cat, which cleverly held my pajamas behind a zipper in her stomach, preferred milk. My father made me a table as big as my bed and low to the ground to put my farm on. I had been collecting for many years, at least it seemed to me, until I had the whole farm, with barns, a water wheel, pastures, fences and every kind of farm animal and their babies. They all seemed to prefer rice over tea.
My father traveled a lot with his business and so did we, so I had a collection of dolls from most countries in the world hanging on my wall. They were all decorative and not to play with but the Spanish donkey had baskets on it and I used to hide my money in the basket against the wall. Even years later I would have a dream and say that is where I hid it and in the morning go to look for my money but there was never any there; it had gone a long time ago.

My sister and I shared a wing of our giant house and we had a bathroom in the middle. My room was very large and light with big bay-windows all around for sitting in and there was more than enough room for all my stuffed animals. I had a large canopy bed and a desk, a table for tea parties, a vanity and so many drawers and closets that you could never fill them. One of the closets was built over a small staircase and had a door just where I could reach the handle because it didn’t come to the ground. It was my secret hiding-place and because it was built over stairs it had a nice wooden slide inside. I loved my room. My sister’s room, she being older than me, was more mature: she had two single beds and a desk but other than that quite stark. She hated stuffed animals and dolls so there were none in her room. There were only four years between us but we had nothing in common. The house had about twenty rooms and 2,000 acres for us to play on and ride horses. Our house was so big it even had a ballroom. It was one of my favorite houses, and we lived in a lot. In the huge basement was a large cooking pot hanging from the ceiling, it was big enough for three children to get into. We used to make up scary stories and tell our friends that in other times it was used for boiling children. Some of the stories we told even scared us. It was in this house and at this age that I began my life-time habit of collecting animal both stuffed and alive. I brought home every animal I found in the countryside, even on one occasion a skunk. It was around then when I got my first horse, Peaches. I also got my first lamb. My mother was at a friend’s house and a sheep had given birth to triplets and couldn’t care for them. These people had thousands of sheep so had no time for hand-raising. My mother volunteered that she had three children and would give one to each of us to raise. It wasn’t as much fun as you might think because in the cold and rain and dark before school we had to go out and bottle feed them then again after school and again before bed. I got the runt, a little girl and my brother and sister got the two males. Mine was so cute and followed me everywhere. As they grew, my brother and sister's sheep went out to join the herd, but mine was so little and friendly that we kept her around the house. I even took her to school for show-and-tell one day. She rode with me on the bus and stayed in the classroom and played with all the children at recess. I don’t think the teacher was all that pleased.

There were terrible electrical storms there and we used to sit in the window and watch lightning hit a neighbors barn or a tree; we were allowed to go out and play in the warm rain unless there was lightening. I saw several terrible things that the lightning did. On one occasion, a ray hit a neighbor boy bringing the tractor back in, killing him and the other was when we were on the bus coming home from school one day we stopped at this one girl’s house. The firemen were there but the house was gone: only a piano was sitting on the lawn in front.
We had our land rented out to cattle so there were over two hundred head of cattle roaming the pastures where we used to ride. Our closest neighbor also had 2,000 acres and ran a riding school where my mother and I volunteered in the summer at a camp for riding for the disabled. That is where I first got my interest in working with animals and the disabled. At this farm they were all Down Syndrome teenagers making them perfect for me because they functioned at about my level so I was able to teach them about grooming and leading and basic care of a horse. I have never stopped collecting animals both stuffed and real and have continued my work with animals and the disabled to this day.

It Had Been a Long Time

2009-11-29T17:15:00.002+01:00

I have lived in Spain for so long that I really feel more Spanish than American and I know our children don’t think of themselves as Americans. Between university and rejection of residence papers, after being here almost since birth, two of our daughters have moved back to the States. One now has blessed us with four grandchildren. She met her husband here at a fund-raising Burro-baseball game for our charity, ANIMO. He was a Marine based at Rota and the Americans sent up a bus-load to play a friendly game against Mojacar.
It was time to take a break and spend some time with the children and see something new. Coming from California, one of the privileged ones, or so they say, I thought the mid-west states would be very backward. I was so wrong. The people were gracious and friendly. The countryside was beautiful and the wildlife spectacular. What a change from southern Spain where the rivers are dry and the wildlife almost non-existent. We were also lucky because we hit Indian summer and our three weeks in the States was sunny and warm: not just the weather but also the people we met.
We had the good fortune to stay in the guest house of a friend of our children. It was next to the university and walking distance to the Old Town. Right next to the house was a river that ran through the city and there were parks everywhere. Lenox made great friends with an armadillo that lived under the neighbor’s house and with all the squirrels and birds. All the animals and birds seem bigger there. We took our grandchildren to the zoo to give our daughter a day off and we actually saw more wildlife just sitting on our patio than we did in the zoo.
Patsi, the woman whose house we stayed in, had a huge ranch just outside of town with four horses and lots of cows, all giving birth during our stay. I got to ride every day sometimes twice. My husband got to drive a four wheeler, a horse and a fourteen-wheeler which he drove to help bring in all the huge rolls of hay.
There is the ‘miracle mile’ with all the big shops and fast food but they have kept it all in one area. The houses in the town were all different, ranging from authentic log cabins, colonial and single storey brick or wood houses. They all had at least half an acre with an open area in the front, you couldn’t tell where one property started and the next one began, and a fenced back yard. All beautifully mowed, with a huge variety of trees and birds. Besides spending time with our grandchildren, which was a pleasure, we took in the sights. Lakes and rivers everywhere, we saw a parade for Veterans Day, Halloween was a treat, the food was fantastic and everything was relatively cheap.
Besides the escape from here and spending time with our children, for us the best part was the wildlife and riding everyday. I hadn’t ridden in about eight years I was a bit nervous at first but in a short time was galloping all over the countryside. I have always ridden bareback and that is how I rode. On the main farm you could just walk because of the prairie-dog holes but there was a lovely plowed ring for riding in and a forest that went all around the 180 acres with beautiful paths where you could see herds of deer, brown squirrels, owls and other wildlife. Nearby was a nursery with saplings in it, it was several acres and had a plowed road going all the way around it so you could trot or canter for ever. I had forgotten how happy riding makes you feel and the physical benefits you receive just by having a good time. Patsi, it turned out, was a roper so we went to several practice events and even got to ride some of her horses around just to keep them used to the atmosphere. In the arena we had to use saddles which I found very uncomfortable so will stick to bare-back. Every moment of every day was relaxing, interesting and fun.
It was a great holiday and I can’t wait to go back. It is all thanks to the organization of our children that made this trip possible. Daniel stayed home to take care of the animals and house while Jessica and Amber arranged our lovely accommodation and transport. Without their help we never could have made this trip and in the end it cost us less than staying here for three weeks. Thank you kids, we love you.
One of the interesting things that we noticed was in the grandchildren: they had all grown and matured so much. We noticed that the two school-age girls had lost a lot of their childish imagination in the arts. It is a shame that school tells you that grass is green and the sky is blue etc. because their drawings all looked the same, whereas before, they painted marvelous painting worthy of hanging in a gallery. The imagination on the story telling had increased even to lies but all in good fun. Jessica has been so lucky because she has been able to stay home to watch the change and growth in her children which nowadays is a privilege because most mothers have to work and miss out on a lot of changes both physical and developmental. We had so much fun playing and getting to know the new grandchildren.
The cows had to be counted every day and see if there were any new ones. As they were born they were given names in alphabetical order to try and keep them straight as to their age. They decided on using plants for names and I got to name three: Ivy, Hay, and Jalapeña. Lenox named one, Gooseberry. Patsi also had a mechanical bull and a big metal horse in the barn to practice as all good ropers do because sometimes you just can’t get outside to practice because of the weather or lack of people and animals to participate. At practice sessions all the cows are in a shoot wearing helmets to protect them and two horses back up on either side. The header, one who ropes the head and pulls the cow to the left, and the heeler who is a second behind and catches the feet as the header swings it around to the left and the steer kicks up its hind legs so the heeler can rope them. Then they all run to the far corner and into the shoot again. It isn’t a sport I see myself doing but it was lots of fun.

Strange Birds

2009-11-23T09:45:00.001+01:00

Kalinska was a small Egyptian owl that fell on to a Russian cargo ship in the middle of the Suez Canal. How, no one knows. The sailors fed her and took care of her until they docked in Garrucha, the fishing village next to Mojácar. The sailors gave her to a Russian girl that lived in town. Kalinska lived in her room and ate chicken livers and hearts. The owl had no idea how to clean herself so was always covered in blood and sticky gore. The Russian girl would wash Kalinska with people shampoo after every meal and then dry her with a blow dryer. She got tired of this routine very soon. Knowing that we took in animals of all sorts, she brought it to us to care for. We had a lovely big aviary for her and every day we fed her by hand the liver and hearts that made up her diet. The butcher was so intrigued that he gave them to us for free. She still never learned to clean herself and all the washing and drying of her feathers had removed all the natural oils that she needed for flying and her health in general. What we thought was a fat healthy owl turned out to be a thin ugly filthy little thing. We didn’t wash her with the hopes that the natural oils would return and that she would learn to clean her own feathers. She never did learn to clean herself so she always looked rather mangy. She was very friendly and would eat out of your hand and we would wipe her feathers down from time to time. There was no way she could ever be returned to the wild and even if she could where would we let her go? So she stayed with us.
Another strange bird that arrived at our house arrived in the bra of a woman on horse-back. Her dogs had found it while she was out riding and it had a broken wing. She knew the only place she could take it to be cared for was to us. It was a hawk. We nursed her back to health and her wing healed. She flew a little more each day until one day she was ready to return to the wild. We kept food out for her for a while until she got the hang of living in the wild. She did very well and I hope went on to have a family. What I couldn’t understand was how that woman brought her all the way here in her bra because the hawk had one heck of a bite and a very sharp beak. The strangest thing about this story was our cat, Mouse, he was not a hunter and had never brought home his prey to show us, unlike Cookie who was a hunter and brought in everything from rabbits to snakes and rats. I don’t like it when cats kill just to play with the animal but Cookie ate every last bit so I figured it was nature at work. From the day we got the hawk, our cat Mouse took to bringing us a field mouse he had just caught. Apparently, for our guest to eat. This went on every day while we had the hawk until the day the hawk left and Mouse never hunted again. It was great for us because I hate feeding animals that eat other animals but I know it is nature’s way.

Just Because He is Different

2009-10-23T13:55:00.002+02:00

Information for children about disabilities
By Mima
Note to parents:
There are many types and grades of disabilities that are too complex for children so I tried to pick a few that wouldn’t alarm them yet give them the idea that it is alright to make friends with someone who may be very different from themselves.

There are a lot of children with disabilities of many kinds. A disability means that they have some problem and can’t do everything like other children. They may look different or be in a wheel-chair or might be blind, which means they can’t see, or deaf, which means they can’t hear. Some children are born with their disability and some get disabled from being sick and others from accidents. Most people are afraid of people that are different because they don’t understand or haven’t been informed or exposed to disabled people. They tend to stare or look away and pretend they don’t see them because they don’t understand or know how to react. These are all things that go through your mind. Usually the disabled person is very smart but maybe they can’t talk or move their body the way they want because the brain doesn’t tell their body what to do. In a child without disabilities the brain tells the body how to move and think but in a child with disabilities the brain doesn’t connect properly. So their body doesn’t work well. Usually these children want to be friends but don’t know how to express themselves. If you meet a person with a disability you should talk to them like you do to everyone else. They know that they are different from the rest of the children but still want to interact.
Take a deaf person for example: they are just like you but they can’t hear. You don’t yell at them because it doesn’t help. You must look at them when you speak and if you turn off your voice, whisper, it is easier for them to read your lips. Deaf people have a language of their own: it is called sign language. In sign language they use their hands to talk. It is very easy to learn and a fun project for the whole family. It can be like a secret language you use with your friends so no one else understands. Then if you do meet a deaf person you can talk to them.
If they are in a wheel-chair and can’t move their body or it moves by itself and they can’t control it, then don’t be afraid. Treat them like everyone else. You usually find that they are lots of fun and understand you but it takes some time for you to learn to understand them. You need to watch their face and eyes because they tell you a lot and soon you will know what they want. Because they know they are different they are very patient and try very hard to make friends. Having a dog to help them open doors and pick up things usually helps them meet people because the people are curious about the dog and approach the disabled person to find out more about the dog. It helps to break the ice.
These children usually go to special schools where there are other children with problems similar to their own but you may have a few in your school, or meet them at the park.
They don’t mind if you ask them questions about their disability and maybe their parents can help you get to know them and their problems a little better.
Some children have Down Syndrome. This is where their brain stops learning at a certain age; it is different for each child. They have a very distinctive look about their face so it is easy to pick them out. They are always loving and friendly but act like much younger children so you have to have patience with them. Some of them are extra-talented at things like chess or numbers or art but can’t tie their shoes for example. They don’t understand when a change is made in their life like moving to a new class with a new teacher or a friend moving away. They like things to stay the same. They get very excited about the simplest thing and playing with them makes them very happy. Sometimes they get a little rough because they don’t know how strong they are so you have to tell them nicely to be gentle.
Disabled children usually have to spend a lot of time in the hospital which makes it hard for them to stick to a routine and keep friends. Some have operations to try and fix the problem. The doctors and nurses are very nice and treat them well so they are not afraid.
Horseback riding under the supervision of a doctor or therapist helps them a lot because when you are in a wheelchair you don’t use your muscles and your insides need exercise to work properly. This is where the horse helps because it massages their insides and strengthens their muscles without them having to work. Usually they need someone to ride behind them to help hold up their head and body and do exercises. They like to go places that they can’t in their wheel-chair and, for once, to look down at everyone instead of up.
Most animals can help people but especially a person with a disability. Stroking a cat can help relax the muscles and ease pain. Also animals aren’t prejudiced so they don’t care what you look like or sound like. They also make great friends because you can tell them all your secrets and problems and they won’t tell anyone. It is good for all children to learn to take care of another being but especially for the disabled because someone always has to take care of them and it is a nice change to take care of something themselves.
You don’t have to be disabled to be different, your skin might be a different color than your school-mates or you might be fat or thin or short or tall for your age. You might be poor or rich, have one or two parents or maybe none and you are an orphan or foster child. These things all make it harder to mix in and make friends. So try to get to know some of these people. You may really like them or you may not but don’t let their appearance decide for you or you will miss out on some good friends.

Barquette

2009-10-22T10:27:00.002+02:00

When I was about four year old I had lots and lots of stuffed animals and one doll. Her name was Barquette. She was made of cloth and had elastic on her feet so that she could dance with you. As hard as I tried, I never loved Barquette as much as I loved my animals. I felt very bad about that but she got left out of a lot of tea parties and trips in the wagon. I never wanted to hurt their feeling so at night I would put my animals all in my big double bed but I would put Barquette in the closet so she couldn’t see the others in my bed. Lots of times there were so many that I had to sleep on the floor. One night my father came in to kiss me good night and found my sleeping on the floor. After thinking the problem over with me he thought the animals would be very sad if I had to sleep on the floor so we had to devise a plan. My father’s plan was that the animals took equal turns in the bed leaving room for me. That way no one’s feeling would be hurt and every one would get their turn in bed. I agreed with his plan and that is how I got to sleep back in my bed. I must say that there were so many that sometimes I didn’t always get the turns right. I had a few favorites and they seemed to get a little extra bed time than the others. My favorite was Chubby Cubby. He was a big, white, soft cuddly polar bear and about my height just a little fatter. I think he actually got a turn every night. When I wasn’t out in the barn with my sheep and foal, I was in with my stuffed animals.

My sister and I shared a wing of our giant house and we had a bathroom in the middle. The rooms were huge and beautiful. The house had about 20 rooms and 2,000 acres for us to play on and ride horses. This is when I got my first horse, Peaches. I also got my first lamb. My mother was at a friend’s house and a sheep had given birth to triplets and couldn’t care for them. These people had thousands of sheep so had no time for hand-raising. My mother volunteered that she had three children and would give one to each of us to raise. It wasn’t as much fun as you might think because in the cold and rain and dark before school we had to go out and bottle feed them then again after school and again before bed. I got the runt, a little girl and my brother and sister got two males. As they grew, my brother and sisters sheep went out to join the herd, but mine was so little and friendly that we kept her around the house. I even took her to school for show-and-tell one day.

Back to the stuffed animals. One night I had a friend spend the night so we decided to sleep in my sister’s room because she had two beds. Still asleep, in the middle of the night I went to the bathroom, still drowsy I climbed back into my bed and pushed what I thought were my animals over to make room for me when one sat up and said “what are you doing” I have never been so frightened in my life because I thought it was Barquette talking to me. My mind went wild with all the mean things I had done to her and about locking her in the closet at night. She kept saying it’s alright it’s just me but she never said who me was. My sister thought I had gone mad. I backed into a corner behind the dresses and screamed at the top of my lungs until my parents came from the other side of the house and turned on the lights It took them ages to convince me that it was my sister not my doll because by this time my imagination was going wild. They finally brought Barquette out of the closet to show me. I still never liked Barquette but from that night on she slept in my bed, it was at the foot of the bed but it was still the bed.

Smuggling Butter

2009-10-18T11:14:00.003+02:00

In 1966 my family moved to Estepona Spain because my father was traveling with the Royal Navy doing scientific experiments. His ship would dock in Gibraltar every three months, for a week, so my mother felt it would be a great learning experience for us to move to Spain and that way we could also be closer to my father when he came to shore. Estepona was a small fishing village with four or five villas scattered around the hills, belonging to English families. One such family was that of one of the great English train robbers, Ronnie Biggs. One day, Ronnie Biggs took us kids out on his yacht, the Christina, and showed us where he had stashed all his share of the money from the robbery. The wads of cash were right there under the deck inside the cabin!
There were two apartments on the beach of Estepona and the rest were mainly caña huts dotted around the beach where the fisherman lived. Most but not all of the small community of scattered villas in the hills were running from the law for one reason or another. There was one small church and a bar-store. We rented the two apartments on the beach. Smuggling was the way of life there. We used to love to travel on the ferry from Gibraltar to Algeciras just to watch the people smuggle, mainly butter and tobacco. In the middle of summer, people would be wearing layers of clothes and huge shoes and hats. They always put something in an easy place to find so that the Guardia Civil would confiscate it and let them on their way with the rest of the stash. In those days the Guardia patrol of the coast line had a three kilometer stretch for each Guardia. They were provided with no equipment: anything they wanted they had to buy themselves. As each Guardia walked his three kilometers he would put fishing lines out and reel them in on the return trip hoping to catch the next day’s meal. We used to watch from the balcony at night as a small boat came ashore and unloaded boxes of goods, trying to avoid the passing Guardia. The little boats came ashore from a larger ship that was further out at sea carrying the contraband. One night the little boat that docked near us had its timing all wrong and bumped into the Guardia. After a lot of yelling and finger-pointing the Guardia left them to unload their contraband but not without having received a beautiful new American flashlight with a red blinking light at one end. The Guardia was so thrilled with his flashlight and used to shine it everywhere. Being children we thought it would be fun to shine our flashlight back at him. It became an every night ritual as he would pass our house he would shine his light and we would blink ours back at him. My best and only friend at the time was a young girl who lived in one of the caña huts with eight brothers and sisters. She had a baby brother that she was to care for at all times which meant he came when we went out to play. She always carried him by his feet over her back and he just slept all day. My brother and I got our first paying job there. We got two donkeys and every day would go up into the mountains and load the donkey’s basket with rocks and bring them back down and dump them on the side of the road. We would repeat the procedure until nightfall. The job only lasted two weeks because we never got paid and they had no intention of paying us. The rocks were for a building company that wanted to build a road to what one day would become the city of Estepona. We still had great fun riding our donkeys all over the beach and to the bar-store. It was there that my mother lost the little faith she already had in the Catholic Church because the priest was also the school-teacher and he had a little house next to the church and school. A few years earlier the roof had blown off the school and so he refused to teach until he had a new school and the villagers were much too poor to build one. He also had the only TV on the whole coast, I think, and the children would all try to look through his windows at this box with picture and sound. If they wanted to watch the TV he charged them a ‘duro’ - five pesetas. That was about what a family made a day in those days. My mother was so mad that she actually wrote to the archbishop to complain about the lack of compassion of this priest. Nothing ever happened so the children continued without school. It was the first time I had ever seen a mother nurse. It was custom to feed the mother well and that way she could nourish her children even the older ones because other than that they had little more than fish and bread to eat and what ever they could scavenge from the mountains.

Mi Cortijo

2009-10-11T16:09:00.006+02:00

My parents had bought such a beautiful farm at the top of Mojacar, with spectacular views. After living in Mojacar for a while I knew I wanted to live on the hill as well. On an adjacent piece of property was an old converted pig sty. It had been fixed in traditional cortijo style. Small windows, rock and mud wall, bamboo ceilings and rock floors. It had been abandoned for about twelve years. After a lot of convincing, I talked the lady into selling it to me. It meant I had to work several jobs while fixing up the place, but I loved it and it adjoined my parents’ farm so the children could go from one place to the other with no traffic or dangers, just wild flowers and baby goats jumping in the grass. The children learned the old and the new at the same time, they learned how to make bread in an old dome clay oven outside and then run across the field and work on my father’s computer. They had the best of both worlds. It was perfect and always full of children as you can see in the picture To move in we first had to cut away about two trucks of spiky cactus to get to the front door. Once inside it had two floors one with kitchen, two bedrooms and a bath, down the steps and there was a living room and another bedroom and bath. The views were spectacular. It took a lot of cleaning to get ready to live in but was soon ready for occupancy. The house was completely surrounded by a wall. One morning we woke up to hear voices and see the ends of rifles all lined up against the wall. I went out to see what was happening, it turned out the Americans were doing military maneuvers with the Spanish army and they had to conquer The Cortijo de Maria. It looked like the right place on the map but I had never heard of our house as cortijo de Maria. It turned out they were right on the mark. We soon made friends and showed them around town on their time off. I t was a bit frightening in the beginning hearing American voices and seeing rifles. We left the cortijo in the traditional style because we liked it and we didn’t need any more convienences than it already had. We loved to collect wood and cook over the fireplace, mostly things grown on the farm, citrus, potatoes, onions and spinach. We did have a small fridge and stove in the kitchen. We had an era where the girls did their hay-surfing and then we started to collect animals. We seemed to start overflowing the cortijo, with children and animals, and decided to move into Lenox’s family home which was much bigger and had a swimming pool. Lenox’s childhood home also had lots of property which we soon filled with stables and paddocks, baby pens, aviaries. We have had many wonderful years in this big old house but it seems a bit empty with most of the children and animals gone. We have kept a few easy-to-keep animals and our son brings his friends over which helps to fill the void. This is still where we live to this very day. My brother now lives in my cortijo and it looks like something out of Better Homes and Gardens. I preferred the old look but it is much easier to clean now and a much more respectable house but I still think of all the memories we have from that little cortijo.

Negrita, Rubia and Benjamin

2009-10-10T12:27:00.004+02:00

I have talked a lot about Negrita, maybe because she lived well into her twenties. Most sheep lose their teeth at about the age of seven making it impossible for them to graze. One day while I was sitting at work a shepherd walked by with hundreds of sheep and lambs. I ran outside and asked if he would sell me one. He said he would be in the river bed about 5:00 pm. if I wanted one I would have to meet him there because they didn’t stop grazing. I met him in the river and picked out a cute black lamb, just as I was ready to put her in my car up came a cute little brown one. I decided I couldn’t separate them so I bought both. The brown one was called Rubia. They followed the children everywhere and even played at gently knocking them down, which was a great favorite with the kids. They came on picnics and walks with us. Negrita even took the two day hike over the mountains with Lenox, myself a Whippet and a Briard. It was one of the best trips of our life. We drank from the springs, picked oranges along the way, were given spoonfuls of honey by farmers and we slept in a tiny orchard at the bottom of a cliff where eagles nested just above our head. The hard part was at the end of the walk, when we made it over the mountains and had to convince the taxi-driver to take us and the three dogs back to Mojácar. We all pretended that Negrita was a dog.
After Negrita and Rubia were a few years old I took them to a shepherd to see if I could breed them. He called me a few short days later and said I had to come get them because they were too domesticated and wouldn’t socialize and the males wouldn’t go near them and they were starving. I remember because it was Amber’s birthday. He had a bunch of white babies and said the best thing would be to buy my very own stud so he could grow up with Negrita and Rubia. It made sense so... Happy Birthday Amber! She named him Benjamin. The sheep all wandered around the farm in a group with the other young animals. He was just as tame as the other lambs and got along fine with the lack of discipline. He was definitely Amber’s though because she couldn’t make a move without him by her side. He liked to play ‘knock the kids down’ too. It was funny at first but he later grew a big bone on the top of his head and as he became more and more possessive of Amber he started to hit her harder to the point I was getting worried. It is a sign of affection and learning to play in sheep but doesn’t transfer so well to children. Negrita and Rubia remained gentle. After a lot of tears we decided the best thing was to sell Bejamin as a stud. That seemed unheard of to the local shepherds because he didn’t act like a sheep and the herd would reject him. We searched long and hard and finally found an American couple who would be willing to take him in as a pet.
It all went well until one day we went to the stables and to our surprise, Rubia had had a baby lamb. Obviously Benjamin was the father. It was a boy and they named him Winky but we knew we couldn’t keep him because the same thing would happen as with Benjamin. It was very sad but when he was old enough we gave him to a nice English family, without small children where he played with their big dogs, bashing them about.I find sheep to be wonderful pets; they are loyal, they eat the weeds but never pull anything up by the roots so even if they nibble on a few of your plants it won’t hurt them. The reason they don’t pull thing up by the roots is so it will grow back for eating next year, It is Nature’s self-preservation. They stayed around the property and even used to come on rides with us, even for the longer ones. Negrita stayed glued to Casi my foal as I got them about the same time, together with Petite Suisse the calf they made an interesting threesome. Negrita refused to eat out of her dish instead she would half strangle herself to lean over and eat out of Casi’s trough. I was told by a shepherd that it was cruel to keep sheep in a confined space because they needed to graze to grow properly but we found they did even better by being in a large pen with the other animals and eat what the others ate, wandering the property grazing to their hearts content and getting exercise by coming on walks and rides with us.

De Narices

2009-10-08T11:40:00.002+02:00

Making a documentary of any kind is difficult. You need hours of filming just for a few minutes long documentary. Working with children and animals makes it that much more difficult because they never say or do as you expect. As a center for Animal Assisted Therapy, ANIMO trained dogs for different types of handicaps and gave classes in sign language and taught the importance animals can have on your mental and physical state.
ANIMO also had a small petting zoo with birds and sheep, tortoises and wild boar. We tried to have as wide a variety of farm and wild animals and plants, as well as the Riding for the Disabled which included hippotherapy, a medical form of riding taught by a physiotherapist to incorporate the movement of the horse to improve circulation, muscle tone and balance as well as many other benefits. The local school-children came to see farm and wild animals where they were taught about the animals’ natural habitat, feeding and mating. The children also learned about where their food came from like milk and eggs. Now that they all lived in town and not in the countryside where it would have been an everyday experience. The ANIMO center was accessible to all types of disabilities. ANIMO mainly offered hippotherapy to very severely physically disabled students. ANIMO had nine horses and four donkeys plus a host of other animals. We had a large turn-out pen where the animals that were hand-raised and used to each other could be turned out together. It was great fun for everyone but I think the blind group that came every year from Germany got the most benefit. I remember one blind boy feeling and smelling a sheep when he got to the neck and face he jumped in fright because it didn’t feel like the same animal. Even some of our younger animals got a bit confused as you can see in the picture of Mop-Mop trying to nurse on a gelding, she was kicked a few seconds later and got the message. It was the first time the blind group had ever been able to feel and smell animals that are normally behind fences. I always kept ducks with my horses, they even had little houses under the feed troughs. The advantage to ducks is that they sieve through the manure and eat the fly eggs while at the same time turn the manure into a fine dust, perfect for the garden. Theodore, our wild boar had moved in with the other boars, several months before a TV crew came to do a documentary on ANIMO. He didn’t move because of his temperament but rather because of his size and age, although he stayed as sweet and friendly as ever. The TV crew came and wanted to film how the animals helped the disabled or Animal Assisted Therapy. After a rather thorough tour they asked if Theodore could come back in with the others animals. It had been about six months since he had integrated with the other animals so I was a little dubious. I think the anchor was too because by this time Theodore was over 200 kilos and had huge tusks. Our spokesmen was a man who had done most of the administration for ANIMO, and has Cerebral Palsy. He was very calm as he hand-fed all the animals and described how each one played a part. When we let Theodore join the others it was a bit tense but then he just ran around and went kissing everyone - even the anchor girl. The cameraman was having the time of his life because every one of the animals from birds to boars came straight up to the camera and put their noses on the lens. That is why he said he must make a film after the documentary called De narices. Translated means ‘of noses’ but it has a street use which is ‘In Your Dreams Mate’.
Unfortunately they couldn’t tell us when or at what time the documentary was going to be on. I would have loved to have seen it. They also wouldn’t give us an edited copy because they said that every story they do, the people want a copy. Many other documentaries were made about ANIMO we even entered a competition for the best new project of the year. We had no money or equipment but the volunteers put a 12 minute movie together. When I went to Madrid to see the finalists, yes we made the finals, I was really embarrassed because all the others had been professionally made by TV crews and advertising companies with sound tracks and voice overs etc. No one had a home-made one, we even forgot to put on a title so they called it Montando al Caballo. Ours was just shots of the children in a hippotherapy class with the soundtrack to Queen in the background and my daughter making a few comments during the pauses. We won first place and received a video camera of our very own. The federation holding the annual competition said they never even knew that there were any projects like ours. It was the first in Spain. It is a shame that the town hall didn’t take any interest in the project because AAT is now big business and ANIMO, despite being closed down, is still one of the only centers registered nationally. We ran solely on free help from doctors, vets helpers etc. holding fundraisers from time to time to make ends meet. No one got paid. The students didn’t pay either and got free physiotherapy and medical information about their individual disability the whole while having a wonderful social day with other students and the animals.

Hospital Rabbit

2009-10-05T13:45:00.001+02:00

You really have to be over eighteen and speak Spanish to get the full jest of this story but it is still sweet if you don’t. When I was in hospital, for a long time, in Pamplona, with some unheard of virus, I couldn’t stand not having any animals around. Yes I had my teddy bear, Javi named after my doctor, but it wasn’t enough. I asked my surgeon if I could get a miniature rabbit. Well, word started to travel around the hospital even the janitors knew I wanted a rabbit. They said we would have to ask administration. After that all my medical team gathered in a consulting room where we discussed the matter at length. The infectious disease people had to put in their two cents and then the internal medicine, then ear, nose and throat then the ophthalmologist, then the nurses and of course the administration had the final word. It was definitely a first for the hospital. After deciding that whatever medical condition I might have, didn’t come from an animal, it was agreed. I could have the rabbit. Lenox and Amber went out that very day and bought the bunny and all its accessories. It was so tiny you could barely see it in the cage and they didn’t come any cuter. The rabbit had to make the rounds from reception to the janitorial staff.
Everyday on my husband’s arrival at the hospital you could hear shouts from everywhere. “How is your wife’s little bunny?” The bunny wasn’t really allowed to stay with me but he came to visit me in my husband’s pocket. Everyone knew but didn’t say anything. We even had to get permission from the no pets apartment owners where we were staying, between operations, during my lengthy treatment. One day my chief surgeon took my husband aside and said “you must come up with a name for the little rabbit because it will never do having the staff yelling at you how is your wife’s little bunny.” It translates to something rather rude in Spanish. All of the doctors wanted me to name it after them. Lenox calls it Bungus, I call it Bunns Rabbit but the hospital decided on Rafa. That was the name of my anesthesiologist that was by my side during every operation even if it was just to put me to sleep and he was always there when I woke up. He had such a special aura about him that you just loved him on sight. So according to my doctors he is called Rafa.
As he grew, we realized that Lenox and Amber had been had by the pet shop. It was not a miniature rabbit at all, but a full size baby that the pet shop was pawning off as a miniature. It didn’t matter because I was out of the hospital before it became apparent how big he was going to get. We still have him and everyone has their own name for him but he is definitely a favorite in this household.

Chachi the Donkey

2009-10-04T18:05:00.002+02:00

Chachi is a street word in Spanish used to mean cute, great, adorable, fantastic etc. and that is exactly what I named my first donkey. I found her on a trip to Morocco and couldn’t resist. Moroccan donkeys are miniature in stature but can carry a full load. She belonged to an English vet and lived out on his compound in an area known as California, because the terrain is so similar to that of California, USA. The vet also had a clinic in the medina to care for sick and hungry animals that belonged to the poor. He was completely sponsored by an English charity. Animals in too bad a state would be taken to his compound to live a long healthy life. I begged him to let me take a donkey back to my farm in Spain, ensuring of its good care. He had a policy: once an animal landed in his compound it never left. He did have one exception and that was a baby animal born on the compound. He would be willing to give me this particular donkey if I could get the necessary papers. Not an easy job I found out. I needed a vet certificate, not hard, and then permission from the ship company to bring her aboard, a stamp and passport from the department of agriculture and finally an OK from the douane, the customs. It took me three days to acquire the paperwork needed. Even that wasn’t the hard part; after checking and double checking with all the authorities. I then had to walk her about five miles from the compound to the port. She had never left the compound and was not pleased to do so now. I had Moroccans laughing at me and sometimes giving a gentle shove to help us along but it was a great adventure and gave us time to get to know one another. Lots of scruffy young children who speak all kinds of different languages and wanted to help (for a few dirhams). When I arrived at the douane, I stood in line with the cars and all my papers and of course the donkey. We definitely cheered up everyone’s day; it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. Crew members on the ship were waving baby-bottles, even a few of the douane brought along baby-bottles.
Being American I was not used to the system; I didn’t know about bribery. I should have had a fifty dollar note in my passport and we would have had no trouble. I was afraid to bribe a policeman. And knowing that I had RIGHT on my side I stood my ground and told them they had promised me the day before that all the papers were in order. But they had lied and I was not able to pass with my donkey. I had to finally give up and take Chachi back to the compound. This was difficult because my ship left in two hours and the only way I could achieve this was by convincing a taxi-driver to take me. Finally one nice man, laughing at my whole ordeal, decided he would be kind and take me and my donkey, then return me to the ship. It must have been a sight, a donkey sat in the back seat of a taxi whizzing through Tangiers.
I did try three other times over the years, to bring Chachi to Spain but every time it was always that missing paper, probably that fifty dollar note. I know she has a wonderful life on the compound and I sent contributions for many years to this man’s great work.

The Chicken Kitten

2009-09-30T09:56:00.001+02:00

When the girls were little they were always bringing animals home that they had found abandoned; of course I did too. Then on the way home from school, they saw a box making noises in the bushes, on investigating they found a litter of new born kittens. We kept them warm and fed them, the whole while looking for good homes for them. One day we noticed that one of the kittens was missing. It was a mystery, how could such a tiny creature get out of the box? We looked everywhere and were surprised when we found him sitting under a chicken who also happened to be sitting on a batch of duck eggs. This chicken was very maternal and since we had no cockerel she made due with other babies. As the ducklings started to hatch and follow the chicken, so did the kitten. The kitten would eat tomatoes and avocado skins and the leftovers that chickens eat. We tried to give him cat food but he wouldn’t have it. He never became tame. We could touch him but not pick him up. All his kitten brothers found good loving homes but the chicken kitten stayed with the chickens and ducks for over two years when he finally fell in love with a cat from the neighborhood. He left to make a home for his own new family. We would catch a glimpse of him from time to time in the bird-pen, he must have come to visit his mother and siblings and to show off his offspring. His female cat would never go in the pen she just sat on the roof of the garage and watched. Just another story of identity crisis amongst my animals and it proves the point that your real parents are the ones that care, nurture, love you no matter what and are there when you need them.

Shearing the Sheep

2009-09-25T16:56:00.005+02:00

Sheep shearing has long been a skillful craft. They even have international competitions. Usually shearing is done with electric shears but here in the south of Spain the shepherds use home-made scissors with very sharp points that I have never understood because it is so easy to puncture the skin with these things. Mind you, they are probably about as fast with these hand shears than any expert with electric ones. I sheared my own sheep with normal scissors and it took forever and my sheep looked like a poorly cut poodle, but the wool soon grew out again. A professional would not come for so few sheep so I was forced to do it myself. Each sheep had its own special trick to standing still while I labored away with my scissors. Negrita, the black sheep seen here in a very old picture on a picnic with Lenox, would only let me shear her. As a present for me a local shepherd was having his sheep done and thought he would give me a gift of shearing Negrita. After several hours and several men they gave up and said they had never come across an animal like this one. Lucía Amalita is the other sheep, while still in the baby phase, shown here watching TV with Freetxua. Every feed I would hold Lucia like a baby and bottle feed her, for way too many months - but that’s me: all the while singing her a little song I made up. When it came time to shear her she wouldn’t stand still so I started to sing her song to her and then she was ok. When she was half finished and I was exhausted my son and his friends said they would finish her. I told them they would have to sing her song or she would run away. The big tough boys just laughed at me, knowing that they out-weighed her ten to one. After a lot of screaming and laughing I heard one of them break into song and not long after appeared a well-shorn Lucia.

The Running of the Calves

2009-09-25T09:58:00.002+02:00

My birthday falls on San Fermín, the seventh of July, which is the day of the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Since there are no bulls in Mojácar we would celebrate every year with my calf Petite Suisse. The Gypsies, from the next village, would come with their musical instruments and sing and dance. Gypsies in Spain live in villages or towns and do not travel from place to place like other Gypsies. They are famous for their Flamenco dancing and music which Spain has adopted as its own. Friends from the area would gather in groups and make their own special paella. Everyone had their own secret ingredient, mine was California vegetarian. Everyone sang, danced and ate until very late: it was an all day event. At the end there would be a competition for the best paella, then we would let Petite Suisse loose and one by one, people would take turns with their red towels and try to get her to chase them. She usually stayed stuck to my side so I had to run too.
Our house was at the top of the mountain with spectacular views and unknown to us, it was also a ‘must see for the tourists’ according to the hotel in town. One year a group of people that no one seemed to know arrived and ate and drank, danced and chased my calf, all in all, they agreed, the best part of their holiday. We all kept asking each other who they had come with. No one knew them, it was then that we discovered they were trippers and thought this was something put on by the hotel.

House Guests

2009-09-23T16:17:00.003+02:00

Most people knock these beautiful nests down because the birds, swifts, have three or four families a season and always come back to nest where they were born, hence every year more than the year before. We love to watch them build their nest and watch the little ones grow and learn to fly and then see them and their new families the next year. When they leave here they fly all the way to Africa and then back to home in early spring. It is true, they make a terrible mess on the patio, walls and the beams but we feel it is well worth the work it takes to restore the house when they have gone, just to enjoy their company while they are here. The nests are made of mud, interlaced like a basket. We have a pool were they get their water but I don’t know where they find water to make the mixture in the rest of the desert. After they move out, sparrows and other birds take advantage of the ready made homes and sometimes even decorate them. We found one with feathers, grasses, rolling papers, plus bright and shiny objects, all dangling from horse hair. It was quite a sight. The swifts sit on the telephone wires or in trees because they are not comfortable on the ground, their body weight is almost too much for them to lift off again. They catch all of their food, like flies and mosquitoes, whilst in flight and they swoop and veer like expert pilots. They have all left now so we can repaint and clean while we wait for next spring.

Riding with Boars

2009-09-21T08:25:00.002+02:00

That's Theodore, our wild boar, as a youngster. He loved to participate in everything we did. Here he is having a riding lesson with Jessica. Theodore started life in the Pig's Bathroom but as he grew, moved in with his wife Rachel. In order to feed these hungry animals we depended a lot on an exquisite Italian restaurant that was so kind as to fill a garbage can full of left-overs every day. They were so careful to keep out any objects like plastic, cigarette butts or metal. The wild boar dined on pasta, fish, salad and lots of cheese and bread. After a while we had to stop with the Italian food because the vet said they were getting way to many carbohydrates. Theodore grew to over 200 kilos and was the size of my kitchen table but he remained very friendly even to the children who came to visit, whereas Rachel was only friendly to family and had to be kept in her pen when the other animals were turned loose to play together or socialize with visitors. Sometimes Theodore would just wander over to the house from the stables and lie on the patio in the sun along with the dogs and cats. The day our new next-door neighbors moved in they saw a sight that might have almost made them change their minds. The other neighbors and I were walking around with bananas, avocados and grapes, a wild boar's favorite food, calling out their names. They had both escaped from their pen with their four new babies and were roaming the neighborhood introducing their litter to everyone. It was quite a sight to see this boar family making the rounds.

Looking at the River but Thinking of the Sea

2009-09-18T09:41:00.003+02:00

This one is about Spain in the early 80’s and our three children, Jessica, Amber and Daniel. We live in what was once one of the most beautiful places on earth, Mojácar. It is a Moorish village set on a mountain overlooking the sea with a river-bed running alongside and down the valley from other beautiful little villages that are scattered about in the mountains. An archeological and historical treasure-mine. Our house sits between the river and the village, on top of faint remains of an old Phoenician city. At the back of the house we have Old Mojácar, a tall, flat-topped mountain where they say Mojácar used to be thousands of years back and, on its lower slopes, there is also the site of a Roman cemetery. Roman pottery and Moorish coins and turquoise we easily found everywhere, even our wild-boar, Theodore, used to encounter pieces when rooting through the dirt and put them in his bath for us to find. A walk down the river or along the beach after a storm and you could come away with a jar full of turquoise.
Many of the villagers from these mountain villages had never actually been to the beach or set their big toe into the sea. It was enough for them to just see it from afar and wonder. They were all working people that lived off the land and there is no vacation from animals and crops. Even though the main mode of transport was the donkey and the trip by donkey only took a few hours - I made it many times myself - most of them never showed enough curiosity to make the effort.
One day, while on a trip to Granada which is the big city nearby, we passed many rivers until we came to one that threw the children into a frenzy of excitement. This river had water in it. You may not find that so wonderful but for our children it was the first time they had seen water in a river. Up until then, they knew that a river was for galloping your horse full speed for miles or learning to drive in Papa’s old Lada, for sheep and goats to graze or even for throwing escombro or rubble in English. The very idea that water came from the mountains in the river and went to the sea was unfathomable. The river wasn’t the only first for the day: in the city of Granada they saw for the first time stoplights, rode up and down escalators and elevators in huge shops full of all their dreams. They were so excited about the escalator that it never even occurred to them that you could actually buy some of these wonderful items. We left without having to spend anything. About ten years later Mojácar put a stoplight on the beach: it was never turned on and it wasn’t at an intersection but the school children would take a field trip down to look at it each year. After that Granada trip, we started taking the children on more excursions and exposing them to the real world. We still worried about Jessica when she later went to America because of things like walking on sidewalks, unheard of in Spain, or stopping at crosswalks again something never done in Spain, or talking to strangers, which is a must in Spain. She managed to handle all of these obstacles with ease so I guess the trips paid off in the end.
Once Spain gets a handle on some new thing they go crazy. First it was safety railings on the freeway with reflectors – we reckoned that the Governor’s brother had the company that made them - then came the roundabouts, which here include ‘through lanes’, abrupt turns, various signs hidden by bushes and pedestrian routes (inevitably ignored by the local transients) which are splashed through the whole ensemble. Lenox and I wanted to do a coffee-table book of Spanish roundabouts. The best one we saw – in Guadix – had seventeen ways around and through it but Mojácar is now proud to have some of the most unusual and useless roundabouts and traffic feeds imaginable. Then the road-designers introduced the sleeping policemen or speed bumps; after a trip to town you need new shocks on your car to deal with the stress of all the bumps. It is all in the learning process and in the interest in modernization and the search for tourist dollars.

Casi una Yegua

2009-09-17T11:22:00.005+02:00

Casi, which means almost in Spanish, meaning she was ‘almost a mare but never quite’ - in my mind anyway - was one of the first members of my animal family when I came to Mojacar. Casi was a three week old foal that I bought on an installment plan along with her mother Oli.
Oli or Olivera, because she lived in an olive orchard, belonged to a farmer who just used her as a brood mare and to keep the weeds down around his trees.
We have a local tradition here called the ribbon race. In the ribbon race all the single men get on horse-back with a pencil in their hand and gallop at full speed up the street to try and grab the ribbon of the girl of their dreams. All eligible girls, hand embroider beautiful ribbons with their names and other ornate decorations. A ring is then attached and it is all rolled onto a wire that is hung across the street. The girls all turn out either in traditional Mojacar outfit or in the most glamorous flamenco dresses. The bachelors must show their manliness by galloping up the street and put their pencil through the ring on the ribbon. If they manage to snag a ribbon, the band plays, fireworks go off and the ribbon is placed on the bachelor by the girl along with a kiss and a present. In the old days it was kind if a Spanish Sadie Hawkins, because the boy won the hand of the girl whose ribbon he won. In reality there are one or two men that are great at this game and win most of the ribbons.
Back to Casi and Oli. I was told that Oli could not be ridden because many a man had tried to borrow her for the annual ribbon race and no one could even get a saddle or bridle on her let alone ride her. She was thirteen when I bought her. I went down with my western hackamore and jumped on bareback. No problems at all. I rode her home with Casi following where of course my father was waiting with one of his amusing remarks. Casi always seemed so petite to me, although she was in reality a good sixteen hands by the time she was five years old, and she came everywhere with me along with the calf Petite Suisse, and Negrita the lamb. We would walk in the mountains and take picnics. They never had halters or lead lines, we just talked and they seemed to understand. As the years went by and Casi grew, our girls wanted to start riding her but I was so over protective and never thought she was ready. I never wanted to put a bit in her mouth because I was afraid to damage her. One Christmas, when she was nine, my present to myself was to sit on her back. She was so pleased and seemed to say ‘Well it’s about time!’. From then on I rode her everywhere with no tack and just talking to her. When our girls, already national three-day-event champions, wanted to ride her I decided she should go to a trainer to learn a few aids and to wear a bridle and saddle: I didn’t want her to get mad at me. I rode her out to a stables where she immediately had a claustrophobia attack upon being put in a stall. Remember she had always roamed free on our farm. I was forbidden to go visit her because she went crazy when she would hear my voice. It made me so sad to think of her locked up but dad said she was probably worried about me being locked up in a similar fashion. After three weeks the trainer told me to take her away and sell her for meat and buy a proper horse. He was a great trainer and treated her well but she was so spoiled that he couldn’t even get her to take three steps forward. I rode her home and that is when the girls took over and turned her into the best all round horse. She could jump anything, even flying over the jumps in the paddock for her own pleasure; she learned classical and Spanish dressage; she was a great barrel racer, sorry Patsy, yes bareback, and the only horse in ANIMO that knew the difference when to listen to leg aids and when to ignore them. I continued to ride by just talking to her.

The Pig's Bathroom

2009-09-15T10:39:00.003+02:00

Ever since I have lived in Spain, I have been given many orphaned baby animals to raise. In this drawing are Mop-Mop the piglet and Arturo the baby donkey, each have their own interesting stories but the story of how the pig's bathroom came to be called just that, starts with Spanish plumbing.

In Spanish cortijos, if you were lucky enough to have indoor plumbing, it consisted of a toilet set over a hole in the floor and an open cement ditch that ran under the house to a pozo negro or black hole. After many years we finally discovered this original solution to waste disposal and decided to modernise by installing outdoor pipes and cutting off the ditches under the floor except for one interior bathroom that was unfortunately unreachable without taking out the bathroom, which, in the end, is what we did. We turned a huge marble bathroom into a half bath with sauna. Well, we had wanted the sauna but didn't have enough electricity so we ended up with a half bath and large cement floor with a drain in the middle. The birth of the 'Pig's Bathrom' came when a farmer handed me a day-old piglet to raise. She was pink and black and we called her Mop-Mop because that was the sound she made and you also had to follow her around the house with a mop mop. I turned the shower into a bed by filling it with straw and that is where she slept until she was old enough to join the larger animals. From that day until the present all baby animals are raised by starting out in the Pig's Bathroom, before graduating to the main house and associating with dogs and cats etc. The next step is to the bird sanctuary, which is a large fenced in area with housing and gardens. A safe and fun place for animals such as pigs and sheep to grow up before moving into the stables with adult animals, maybe even some of their own kind. Mop-Mop was just the first of a long line of animals to reside in the Pig's Bathroom. Before the birth of the Pig's Bathroom, the children would wake up to find a new born something-or-other in bed with them to stay warm until I could arrange appropriate food and lodging. On entering the house, Lenox would alway take a look at the door to the bathroom and if it had the latch on he would gasp "now what do we have"? They were wonderful times and even though we don't seem to be raising any babies lately it is still called the Pig's Bathroom.

Arturo, the baby donkey in the drawing, was given to me by a local T.V. station. We were at a horse auction and I saw a baby donkey but they wanted twenty-five thousand pesetas for him, which I didn't have. Someone else showed interest in the donkey but then I learned they wanted him for lunch so I began to cry. The T.V. crew was nearby and saw me. On hearing the sad tale of the donkey's future they said that they would buy him for me on the one condition than I named him Arturo. On asking why, they said it was the name of the local mayor that they hated because he was a jackass and they felt this a very appropriate donation to a worthy cause. It was also tax deductable because they gave him to ANIMO. Arturo lived in the petting zoo and later joined the forces of riding for the disabled and of course burro-baseball.

Station of Happiness

2009-09-13T16:25:00.002+02:00

The father of a great friend of ours, who had retired from farming, decided to give his beautiful, strong, healthy donkey to our small son, Daniel. Another farmer craftily convinced the old man to switch donkeys with his old one so he could still farm and since the donkey was going to a two-year-old he wouldn’t know the difference. The day finally came when the truck arrived in our drive and the donkey was unloaded. Daniel took one look at her, with love in his eyes, and said I am going to call her Station of Happiness. We have no idea where he got that name from but it didn’t seem to fit, in our eyes anyway, the donkey was thirty some years-old and a bag of bones that could barely walk. But Daniel loved her. After about a year of tons of food and loving care she became a very respectable example of a donkey. This is a picture of Daniel and Station of Happiness in a turn-out class at the Mojacar fiesta horse-show. He and Station are turned out in authentic agüero get-up. An agüero is a water-boy who brought water from the natural springs in the mountains in four clay water vessels carried in hand-made baskets made out of esparto-grass. The agüero would go door to door selling fresh water to the people in the village.
Needless to say Daniel and Station won the competition for many years.
Station of Happiness became a valuable member of ANIMO taking disabled students that for one reason or another needed the strength, height and pace of a donkey. She even played in our yearly Burro-baseball fundraising game. That is another story all together because it is at one of these events the Jessica met her husband Matt, a marine stationed in Rota, and fell madly in love. I will leave that story for Jessica to tell.

Family Traditions

2009-09-13T13:29:00.003+02:00

Traditions were very important in Spain. They still remain an important part of country life but have been mostly forgotten in the cities. The wearing of black is one of them. When someone dies the women wear black as a sign of mourning, the length of years required to stay in black depends on the closeness of the relation who died. If it is your husband then you are in black for life. So by the time a young girl reaches her twenties it is likely that she will be in black for the rest of her life because between two years for this uncle and five years for that sibling they all start adding up.
Another tradition is ‘La Matanza’. Every family under the law of Franco was entitled to their own ‘domingero’. A domingero is a small building and piece of land in the country with a place to keep your tools, feed for the animals and a kitchen big enough to entertain the whole family including granny and the cousins. It is here where you grow your vegetables and fatten your pig. The whole family contributes leftovers to fatten the pig and make sure it is eating the right kind of food to give the desired taste to the pork. The matanza happens once a year. It is a day that I try and stay inside because the whole procedure is rather gruesome. I am a vegetarian but I approve of this tradition because I feel that if you are going to eat meat you should know where it comes from and that is not a plastic wrapped package from the super-market. For the matanza the whole family unites for about twenty-four hours, eating and drinking the whole time. The men kill and prepare the pig. This means putting the pig on a huge wooden table, slitting the throat and draining the blood into a bucket to be used in the making of morcilla and the like. The sound is like something you have never heard before. Turre is a definite no-go place on the day of the matanza because all the tables are put in the street in front of the houses to wait for the pig. After they have bled the pig they take a blow-torch and burn off all the hair before hanging it from the ceiling in the living room so as to be able to cut it into pieces each to be used for a different delicacy. While this is being done the women start preparing the insides for things like sausages and sobreasada. Not one part of the pig goes to waste. The hams are hung for eating the next year. During this marathon no one sleeps because it is important to get all the parts of the pig used before it is damaged by the heat. The vet must be called to test the meat to make sure it is disease free. During this time big round loaves of bread are baked in a large dome-shaped clay oven, last year’s home-made wine, actually stomped by your own feet in a wooden vat, is brought out and the olive oil that you just got back from the olive press is used. The olive press is used by all the farmers. Each farmer is given a number of order where you are given a time and day, maybe even in the middle of the night, to bring your olives for pressing. This way you are assured to get olive oil only from your own olives. In exchange the olive press gets several liters of each person’s olive oil.
I don’t understand enough about Catholicism to understand this one but it is very impressive. One dark night on the first day of lent, the priest carries a sardine around all the streets in the town and the whole village follows behind him crying and wailing like the Moroccan women do. They all dress in black and carry candles. It is really very frightening the first time you see it. Then apparently they bury the sardine. It is a funeral. No one has been able to tell me the significance of this tradition.
Another is to hang a chicken from a wire in the plaza then the men are blindfolded and with a large stick try to hit the chicken. The one that kills the chicken gets to take it home for supper. This tradition started along time ago when food was scarce. It is sort of like a Mexican piñata without the candy. Many tourists complained and said it was disgusting but no one made them come and watch. This tradition has died out recently.
La Vieja is an interesting tradition. It is not an official holiday but no one is expected at school or work. The whole family, cousins and all, make a picnic and head for the hills or beach. The children take wooden crosses and make a paper doll over the top and fill the head with sweets. They call it ‘La Vieja’, the old lady. At some point during the afternoon all the children start throwing rocks at the vieja until she breaks open and then they eat the candies. I don’t know why they made it an old lady to throw rocks at. A great time is had by the whole family.
The Romeria is another family outing where everyone puts on their flamenco dresses and riding gear and either rides horses or rides in huge wagons all decorated with flowers like in a parade. The whole group follows a long route and ends up in a suitable destination where they eat a large paella. They stop at a few homesteads along the way and have refreshments.

The Lost Art of Hay Surfing

Every farm in southern Spain has something called an 'era' which is a flat dirt circle, I think called a threshing circle in English, where the hay would be put after being cut with a scythe. A wooden board with rows of knife-like wheels underneath was pulled by a donkey and driven with long-reins by the farmer. Weight must be applied to the board in order to cut the hay, hence the children. There are actually several different boards with different types of knifed wheels for each phase of cutting. It was a very exciting time for the children when the farmer called them to come and sit on the board while he went round and round. It takes several days to cut the hay into small pieces and release the grain from the stalk. It is a sticky job, in the heat you get covered in pieces of hay and it is a bit like a ride at an amusement park, bumping up and down it is a rough ride especially when the hay is in the center at the beginning, it gets to be a smoother ride as the hay gets spread around the circle. The board sometimes even flips over. No harm is done because you just fall into a huge pile of hay. You must watch your fingers though and can’t hold on to the board for risk if being cut by one of the blades. When the threshing is done you must wait for a windy day and with a naturally grown pitch-fork, you throw the hay in the air. These pitch-forks grow on a tree in the shape of a fork and after being whittled down a little make the perfect pitch-fork. On the windy day, and after hours of repeating this procedure of throwing the hay in the air, the cut hay is on one side of the era and the grain on the other, it is quite ingenious really, each to be stored and used throughout the year. I would like to have shown you a picture of the pitch-forks but ours burnt in the recent fire. We have an era on our property and across the street is an era that is shared by three houses: it is communal property and doesn’t belong to any one of the houses but to all three. It is things like this that make buying land in Spain difficult. For example a long time ago your grandfather may have traded a donkey for the large algarrobo tree on the corner of his property, the donkey is long since dead but the tree on your land now belongs to someone else.

Sidewalking

2009-09-13T13:14:00.004+02:00

Sidewalking: The object of sidewalking in hippotherapy is to give as little support as possible while maintaining the correct posture and helping the student complete the given exercise. The ankle, hip, shoulder and ear should always be in alignement to achieve maximum benifit. The sidewalkers must also have enough knowledge of horses to read the signs, such as ears back or tense muscles, so as to prevent an accident.
ANIMO has written permission to reproduce these pictures in order to promote hippotherapy. They may not be used by anyone other than ANIMO.

Charge Accounts

2009-09-04T18:01:00.000+02:00

To start this story I need to give you a little background on what life was like in Mojacar in the early 80’s. Food was bought every day from the market. Maria, the lady that sold fruit and vegetables, was illiterate and couldn’t count so she had three rocks one worth five pesetas one 25 pesetas and the third 50 pesetas so anything you bought had to weigh the same as her rocks. If you wanted two bananas she would give you seven for the same price because two bananas didn’t weigh the same as her rock. Everything worked on the honor system and most people paid when their crops came in. For example if you went to a bar you could just keep eating and drinking and when you finished the bar-keep would ask what you had had and charge accordingly: it was up to you. The accounting system for charges was for each family to have a jar and when you made a purchase a certain number of garbanzo beans were placed in your jar. When you came to pay they would count the beans and you would pay so much. On day in the shop at the fountain some chicken got loose and knocked over some jars and ate the garbanzos but no one panicked, the shop-keep just asked how much you thought you owed and you paid that much. Everyone was happy.
Every morning before nursery school I would take Ami to the shop to buy her snacks but we had to choose carefully because she was hyperactive and affected by food. We didn’t know if it was the coloring or the Es or sugar so we tried to go for the most natural foods. In the end it turned out that it was preservative in meats like salami and hot dogs that affected her not colorings. The lady in the shop was very curious because she had never heard of food causing hyperactivity. One day when I went to the shop the lady told me I had a bill of six thousand pesetas. When I asked for what, having never charged before she told me that Amber had brought her whole nursery school class to the shop and let them buy what they wanted and then she said to put it on my tab. I was furious and amused. How could this lady let Amber buy sweets when she saw every morning how hard it was to find something Amber could eat and, secondly, how could she open an account for a three year old with out even talking to me? Also where was the teacher, that the whole class could take an excursion to the shop? It was actually very safe for the children to wander in those days because on every corner was an abuela or tita or chacha who were always looking out for everyone.
Nowadays many children have food allergies or sensitivities but in those days it was not so well known. Amber would get so hyper that her breathing would accelerate and her pupils dilate and she was speeding around so fast she couldn’t concentrate but the worst part of it was the withdrawal. When the effect of the preservatives wore of she would sink into a deep depression. Since I had always worked with children with these kinds of problems I at least knew how to start eliminating foods to find the culprit, in her case preservatives. It turned out that Daniel had the same reaction, one bite of salami would send him flying for about eight hours but he never suffered from the withdrawal.
One night when we came home, Daniel was flying around the room and the babysitter beside herself, Amber burst into tears and said is that what I’m like when I eat salami? It was a big eye-opener for her. The babysitter said she had only given Daniel one bite of chorizo because she knew he wasn’t to have any but she didn’t believe that it was true. She found out the hard way. Both the children outgrew their reaction to preservatives by the age of eleven or twelve.
By the way I also had to go around the village and cancel all of Ami’s accounts.

Prunella

2009-09-01T19:15:00.003+02:00

Picture: Grandad with Chicken

This is a picture of Prunella our chicken (with Grandad). She got a bit singed and egg-bound thanks to the fire but is now back to full time gardening and egg laying. She is a wonderful pet and wanders free with the dogs and cats while we are outside but we put her in the aviary to protect her from neighborhood dogs at night. Until Prunella moved in we had never seen a Love Bird ground feed. Anything that fell on the floor was left but now that they share their quarters with Prunella they have started feeding off the ground. It is interesting to watch how one animal’s behavior can change that of another. Look at Grandad for example...

Fire, Bestia, Ecologists and Hunters

2009-09-01T16:48:00.006+02:00

Until not so long ago, wild fires were almost unheard of because there was very little brush or weeds to fuel a fire. All the horses and donkeys were tethered to eat around the farm and the sheep and goats free-ranged with a shepherd. The herds were allowed everywhere except for farmed land. They passed miles through the valleys in the winter and in the mountains in the summer. Now to save the remaining wild-life, the career ecologists won't let you clear the brush or make fire trails. They actually fine you for doing so. Well this last fire literally cooked their goose because now there is no more wild-life left to protect. To add to the destruction after the fire the local hunters went out into the bleak and empty landscape and shot every living thing that had lost its home or nest. Modern times are really taking a toll on this beautiful land.