The Animals That Heal Us

July was one of the most difficult months of my life.

Many of you who have followed my work as an equine-assisted life coach may remember the cover of Awakened Magazine, where my beloved horse Dodger and I stood together. It remains one of my favorite photographs because it captured far more than a picture—it captured a relationship built on trust, unconditional love, and countless lives healed together.

About a year before he passed, I experienced one of those rare Sundays with absolutely nothing on my calendar. The weather had begun to hint at autumn. The air was cool, the sky was clear, and I decided to saddle Dodger and simply ride.

There was no destination.

No clients. No lessons.

Just the two of us.

He was magnificent that day. Every stride felt effortless, every cue was answered before I even asked. When I dismounted, I wrapped my arms around his neck and simply stood there. We both seemed to understand how grateful we were for one another. There was a profound feeling of love flowing between us—a quiet conversation that needed no words.

I had no idea it would become one of our final memories together.

A year later, I came home after only three hours away and found Dodger lying on the ground. His face and body were rubbed raw from desperately trying to relieve unbearable pain. He was covered in sweat and struggling.

When I had left that afternoon, he had been happily grazing beside his best friend, Blue. There was fresh water, plenty of shade beneath the trees, and lush pasture. Everything had seemed perfectly normal.

Life can change in a single heartbeat.

Our veterinarian worked tirelessly for nearly three hours before recommending we transport him to the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The drive took nearly two hours. Despite medication to ease his pain, I could feel his fear with every mile.

The veterinary team welcomed him with extraordinary kindness and compassion. They immediately began every treatment possible. About an hour later, three veterinarians quietly returned with heartbreaking news.

Dodger had developed a strangulating lipoma around his lower intestine. It is a common illness that happens often with older horses and is very painful. Surgery was technically possible, but because of his age, the odds of survival were very poor. The greatest act of love I could offer him was to release him from his suffering.

No one prepares you for that decision.

They gently walked him into a quiet padded room and gave him Ketamine. He peacefully lay down on his side. I knelt beside him, rubbing his neck, kissing his face, and thanking him.

I thanked him for every trail we had ridden.

For every frightened client he had comforted.
For every child, veteran, and survivor he had helped heal.
For every lesson he had taught me without ever speaking a single word.

Then, through tears, I gave the veterinarian the nod.

A part of my soul left with him that night.

People often ask me whether losing a horse is different from losing a dog or a cat.

Every loss is heartbreaking. Every animal leaves an empty space that can never truly be filled.

But horses carry something ancient.

Their presence feels enormous. Their hearts seem to hold the Earth itself. When Dodger died, I didn’t simply lose my horse. It felt as though I had lost one half of myself. We had become two sides of the same coin.

For nearly a week, I cried until I had nothing left.

I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t look at a photograph without breaking down.

It felt less like losing an animal and more like losing one of my children.

As I struggled through my grief, I watched Blue grieve too.

He called for Dodger.
He stopped eating.
His eyes searched every pasture, waiting for his best friend to return.

Animals mourn.

They remember.

They love.

Watching Blue reminded me that grief is not uniquely human. Love belongs to every living creature.

As an equine-assisted life coach, one of the hardest conversations I have with clients is when they tell me they know it is time to let their beloved companion go, but they simply cannot make the decision.

Whenever possible, I encourage them to speak with a gifted animal communicator.

Not because someone else should make the decision for them, but because the experience often brings tremendous peace, clarity, and comfort. Whether you believe the communication comes through telepathy, intuition, spirit, or simply the profound bond we share with animals, I have witnessed it help many people through one of life’s most painful moments.

That night, before Dodger passed, I reached out to an animal communicator myself.

The message I received brought me comfort at a time when my heart had been completely shattered. Whether you view it as spiritual communication or simply as a beautiful reflection of the love we shared, I will always treasure these words.

“I am exhausted and a bit scared. I am in pain and want everything to stop hurting.

I am peaceful and ready to go.

I will be around all the time, even if I am not here physically.

Part of my purpose in this life was to experience true unconditional love. You’ve given that to me every second I have been with you.

I’ve seen so many versions of you and the way you’ve evolved, but I am especially proud of the one you are now.

Blue will be sad, but he will be fine.

You make life worth living.

You are the most important part of me.

Thank you for giving me a family.

You are the best mom, and you made it safe for me to love again.”

I still cry every time I read those words.

They didn’t erase my grief, but they softened it. They reminded me that love does not end simply because a body does.

Several weeks later, after my heart had begun to heal enough for me to breathe again, I found myself asking a different question.

Why do animals touch us so deeply?

I believe the answer is simple.

They remind us of who we once were.

Long before highways, machines, and technology, humanity lived in partnership with animals. We relied on them to warn us of storms, help us hunt, plow our fields, carry us across great distances, and teach us how to survive. They helped us understand the rhythms of nature and reminded us to trust our instincts.

Somewhere along the way, we traded instinct for convenience.

We insulated ourselves from the Earth.
We stopped paying attention.
We became disconnected—not only from the animal kingdom, but from Gaia herself.
Yet the animals never forgot.
They still live completely in the present moment.
They still trust intuition.
They still feel energy before words.

This is precisely why horses have become such extraordinary healing partners.

A horse doesn’t care about your résumé, your bank account, your appearance, or the mask you wear for the world.

A horse responds only to your authentic emotional state.

You cannot fool a horse.
If your heart is broken, they know.
If you are afraid, they know.
If you are carrying years of unhealed trauma, they know.

As prey animals, their survival has always depended upon reading energy with astonishing accuracy. Their hearts generate powerful electromagnetic fields, and many researchers believe those fields influence the nervous systems of those around them. When we quietly stand beside a horse, something extraordinary often happens.

We begin to regulate.
We begin to soften.
We begin to heal.

That is why I have witnessed abused children smile again.

Veterans release years of grief.
Women rediscover their confidence.
Men finally give themselves permission to cry.

Not because I healed them.

Because the horses showed them how.

Every animal teaches us something if we are willing to listen.
Dogs teach unconditional love.
Cats teach independence and healthy boundaries.
Birds remind us to sing.
Elephants demonstrate family, memory, and compassion.
Dolphins embody joy.
And horses… Horses teach us truth.

The great American mystic Edgar Cayce believed animals were never accidents of creation. They are souls with purpose, walking beside humanity as teachers and companions. I have come to believe the same.

Animals are not lesser beings.

They are fellow travelers.

Different bodies.

The same Divine spark.

One of the pioneers of modern animal communication, Penelope Smith, has spent decades teaching that animals communicate constantly through thoughts, feelings, images, and emotions. According to Penelope, the language has never disappeared.

We have simply forgotten how to hear it.

If humanity is truly awakening…

If we are remembering our connection with Gaia…

Then perhaps one of the greatest invitations before us is to remember our relationship with the animal kingdom.

The trees.
The flowers.
The birds.
The whales.
The horses.
The dogs curled beside our beds.
They are all Gaia’s children.
And so are we.

Somewhere along our journey, humanity forgot that we are not separate from nature—we are nature.

Horseman Buck Brannaman often speaks about how horses transformed a life marked by severe childhood abuse. Although many know him as a “Horse Whisperer,” those of us who work with horses understand something quite different.

We are not whispering to horses.
We are listening.

If this article has stirred something in your heart, I encourage you to continue exploring the extraordinary relationship between humans and animals. Two books I have found especially inspiring are Animal Wayshowers: The Lightworkers Ushering in 5D Consciousness by Tammy Billups and The Intercession of Spirits: Working with Animals, Angels and Ancestors by Ted Andrews. Each offers beautiful insight into the sacred purpose animals have in our lives and reminds us that the natural world is constantly speaking—if we are willing to become still enough to hear it.

The Native Americans understood this wisdom long before modern science began studying animal consciousness. Horses were not merely transportation.

They were family.

Many tribes welcomed them into their lodges and honored them as teachers, protectors, and spiritual partners.

They understood something many of us are only beginning to remember.

We belong to nature.
We are not separate from Gaia.
We are one of her children.
So, this is my invitation to you.

If you share your life with an animal, spend a little more time simply being with them.

Watch. Listen. Open your heart.
Notice how they respond to your emotions.
Notice how often they know what you need before you do.

If your heart feels called, consider working with a gifted animal communicator—not because you need proof, but because you may discover an entirely new way of experiencing the love that has been surrounding you all along.

Whether your companion has feathers, fur, scales, hooves, or paws, I believe they entered your life carrying a sacred purpose.

And if you have a horse and this article inspires you to want to get closer, reach out to me. I help horse owners learn how to develop a friendship with their horse. I help them open themselves enough to let that horse truly inside their owners, which is where they really want to be.

Honor them.
Learn from them.
Love them well.
Pay attention to what they came to teach you.

Because perhaps… they have been helping awaken us all along.

TAKE ACTION: If you feel called to experience the healing wisdom of horses or deepen the bond with your own equine companion, explore Gina Deleo Martell’s work through Fire Horse Spirit & Healing. Gina helps people build relationships with horses rooted in trust, authentic communication, and the profound connection that can bring healing to both human and animal.