The healing heart of horses at Asterales

01/08/2025

I get a little upset when I see people abusing horses and ponies in the name of "therapy" (in whatever form that is - equine assisted therapy, equine assisted learning, equine mindfulness doesn't matter in this instance)

Horses bring everything that is good to sessions - the other week I spent 3 hours in session with someone and Celty helped to bring clarity, care, peacefulness, and quiet to the client - because of what horses bring - the ability to slow down the brain, the heart beat, breathing ....... all vital in this work.

So when I see photos on social media advertising whatever but, instead of one or two people with the horse, there are 10 or so adults leaning over a wee Shetland pony - it makes my blood boil (to the point I should probably go and let my horses lower my BP for me! :P :D )

Sure, it's a proven therapy, so now everyone thinks they can cash in on it - but here's the thing - if it's not done in the way it needs to be done - then it's not going to do sweet FA for you.

How many of those people do you even think got to feel the power of the horse??????????????

Anyway - here's my TikTok rant video ....!

Be careful where you go - there are lots of places doing this work, quietly, carefully, peacefully in a way that WILL bring you healing - find one of those - not one of the ones who are abusing the horses and you as a client

30/07/2025

Life has been fun and different these past few weeks, I took a bunch of children on a worldwide adventure all without leaving Co Roscommon - and the most popular place was the bog :)

Talking of bogs, I wrote a poem that has resulted in my being able to finally update my computer - yayyyyy :) Downside to that - all the photos and everything are on the old one! :|

But otherwise, we've just been having a normal time with enjoying client work and sitting watching the horses grazing in their summer fields :)

I got Sora to do a picture with the poem overlaid on it - it was after a giant wildfire here that took out so much of the bog and forestland .... :(

30/05/2025

Sharing one of the blogs on my website about Meitheal and Mental Health.

I hope that you enjoy the series :)

In May’s Mental Health Month, we turn our attention to a concept deeply rooted in Irish tradition but universal in its significance: Meitheal – the process of community and family worki…

18/05/2025

At the end of what has been a beautifully sunny mental health week in the middle of awareness month, helping everyone to feel lighter and get their Vitamin D - such a vital vitamin for us to be wholly healthy, I thought I'd share a poem I wrote the other day, dedicated to my best two therapy animals and the incredible work they do with people of all ages with a wide range of reasons why :)

The Andalusian and the Jersey
(a poem in two voices)

Morse:
I was bred to dance, to leap, to fly,
A ghost of silk beneath the sky.
A creature born from Spanish flame -
But heartache brought me here, unnamed.

Mrs Moo-moo:
I was prized for beauty, milk, and grace,
A buttercup soul with a velvet face.
But age crept in, and they let me go -
To gentler hands, to healing slow.

Morse:
She stood beside me, hurt and still,
I felt the weight, the quiet will.
So I became her rhythm, stride -
She rode out grief with me as guide.

Mrs Moo-moo:
They brushed me gently, fed me hay,
I watched the shadows drift away.
Not fast, not loud, but deep and true -
I mended hearts in quiet hue.

Together:
The child who wouldn’t speak now sings,
The boy who trembled gently clings.
No medals here, no grand parade -
Just sacred peace we softly made.

In hooves and breath, in dusk and dawn -
We held them close and pulled them on.
Activate to view larger image,

09/05/2025

For mental health month, I have been looking at the concept of Meitheal and how it can be used in the 4 main areas of mental illness found to be most common in Ireland.

I have been posting them on my blogs on my website (www.asterales.net) and would invite you to spend some time reading them and seeing how they can be brought to your lives.

13/04/2025

07/02/2025

I should post more often, but I don't!

But here's some thoughts from the horrendous misuse of the word "resilience" that I put up elsewhere and thought I'd share

WOW people really don't half talk crap

Like for real, take one useful psychotherapeutic term and people will turn it into something evil and twisted and toxic - removing the true definition of it and abusing the person they want to abuse - or, indeed, in this instance, an entire group of people

Not content with the utter BS of resilience only being formed in horrendous circumstances, when instead of relying on that we CAN AND SHOULD be building up people who have resilience when they need it, but learning from birth with support

But no, we have to blow it into something else and say only resilient people can survive the hell - and then we put everyone through hell to become resilient - or die trying

So what's the point of this post?

Well, it's the story of an awful lot of posts really a lot of posts which were destroyed in the hurricane that blew in 2 weeks ago and from which people still have no electricity over.

And yet, we, west of the Shannon are told that we're resilient and can deal with

2 weeks in many cases of no power - including to the poorest and most vulnerable of people - people who have no power to run the machines for their lifesaving medical devices and those sitting with dark, lonely hungry stress.

And what about community?

Well, there you go - on my road, from 4 houses, we're the only one who live here permanently and fully - having a stake in the survival of the road more than a cash cow to be abused for greed .... so it was down to us to communicate trees down and power lines and phone lines blah blah blah - whilst others will take the benefit from it of course - and not so much as a mug of tea or a friendly wave on a daily basis to make a community.

A community ONLY EXISTS where it is in communion with each other.

Thankfully yes, I've great neighbours on the other roads and the farmers who come along and own land the other side of me cleared the road out so we could get through - thank goodness. Yes, there's a community, but we are losing it fast with the spread of lack of encouragement or support for people - and the scourge of Airbnb and the ilk.

This photo - this was the top of the pile of trees that shut off our community for over a week whilst the official clearers got around to spending 2 days clearing the road yes, it really was that high - it was also incredibly wide - and so very, very dark

And resilience - no, communities must not be relied on to pick up on the failures of others and we, the people, must not be led down a path of toxic resilience - personally or socially.

We do not deserve to be made resilient through disaster - we do deserve to be taught to be strong through careful and considered consideration from an early age by a society that cares at ALL levels.

21/11/2024

Today's tiktok on why you being you can bring you a quiet place in the world where you don't have to fight!

And are at peace .....

And also short because it was outside in the snow with some of the therapy horses! :D

Check out Rachel at Asterales’s video.

10/11/2024

As ever on Rembrance day thoughts go to those of wars past and those living through wars present.

03/11/2024

For when you want to have something a little bit different ..... :)

Introducing Therapeutic Connection Sessions Life doesn’t pause, and sometimes, neither does the need for a little extra support. Traditional therapy can be invaluable, but for those moments when yo…

18/10/2024

It's maybe a bit long - but my series is out there to help those who have been told they can't that they can - and if they are even more lucky, they can incorporate their special interest too! :)

https://youtu.be/plFkC6BZqG4