Reflection's Horses
All of our horses play a unique and vital role in supporting personal growth and healing. Their intuitive nature helps us connect, build trust, and navigate our journey toward emotional and mental well-being.
Meet the Horses
Nimkiiwaankod
" Thundercloud "
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Minode'e Wijishimataw Dibiki Giizis
" Kind Mood Dancer"
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Gwakakwaadizi Saint
Also Known as " Luci "
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Go for the Clouds
" Willow"
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Cross Bar Lil Cash
" Cash "
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Nswi Wiidigkoondiwag
" 3 Sisters "
Why Horses Heal
Contrary to belief, there is a correlation between horses and people. By including horses in specially-designed experiential learning exercises, equine-assisted facilitators are able to observe the non-verbal communication of the horses and be a translator, as well as a guide to encourage the participant to attain the outcome of each exercise. This hands-on approach to learning has proven to greatly multiply the participant's retention and understanding of skills learned. Keep in mind that this is not a riding program but strictly handling and groundwork with horses.
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Horses are sensitive, aware of their surroundings and quick to react. They watch for the slightest movement and look for threatening body postures as they learn to communicate through body language and vocalization.
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The boundaries are clear and easy to understand in a horse's world. Horses look for strong leadership and are willing to follow after they find respect and trust. If we provide contradictory behaviour, they start to question and challenge our authority to lead by testing boundaries and leadership.
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In a horse’s world, teamwork is expected and respected. Horses respect fair consequences. Horses cannot lie or overthink a situation. They approach honestly to every interaction. Learning to listen to what horses have to say is powerful and can sometimes be the stimulant to individual change.
Horses react to stimuli and allow a skilled facilitator to use the horse as a guideline. By their intuitive nature, horses can provide facilitators with a window into the participant’s personality. Through the discovery of how sensitive horses are and how kind and forgiving they can be, we can guide participants to become better individuals by identifying specific horse behaviours.
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History of the Ojibwe Spirit Horse
The Ojibwe Spirit Horse, also known as the Lac La Croix Indigenous Pony, is a unique breed of horse in Canada.
Ojibwe Spirit Horses are said to have roamed the traditional lands of Turtle Island (North America) for thousands of years before other horse breeds were introduced by Europeans. Indigenous Peoples have enjoyed a harmonious spiritual and working relationship with Ojibwe Spirit Horses throughout their long-shared history.
In the early 1900s, thousands of Ojibwe Spirit Horses could be found in Indigenous communities across Ontario. However, colonizers viewed the horses as a nuisance for eating their crops and ruining their fields. Ojibwe Spirit Horses were hunted almost to extinction, and by the 1970s, there were just four mares left. These last four horses were deemed a health risk and ordered to be euthanized by the government.
A courageous group of Indigenous men rescued the horses under the cover of darkness and smuggled them over frozen lakes and across the border to a safe reserve in Minnesota. Eventually, they were bred with a Spanish Mustang stallion. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated breeders, the Ojibwe Spirit Horses' population has slowly begun to increase, numbering almost 200 today.
At Reflections Nanaandwejgejig Bezhigoogizhiik we have four Ojibwe Spirit Horses, Luci, Thundercloud, Kind Moon Dancer, and Three Sisters. We welcome donations that will assist in their daily care as well will support the development and delivery to mental health programming to our community members of Wikwemikoong.
