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Donna or Prima Donna, is my 9 year old 15.2hh Irish sport horse mare. I've had her since a foal when I spotted her two weeks old tearing across a field, followed by her frantic mother, only to head- butt another resting foal to come up and play. She still loves to play and have fun. Boredom comes easy to her which is what got her in severe trouble in September 2009. It was a beautiful day and I donnaput her in the trailer to go meet friends for a ride out. After a great hack in the forest I set off home but pulled up to get a cup of tea. She had managed to untie her rope and decided for some reason that she would try to get herself under the front bar in the horse trailer. She got stuck behind her withers. I heard a kick, rushed out, opened the jockey door only to see her make a dive for it in an attempt to escape under. I managed to shut it. But now she was not only stuck but also in a twist.

Luckily a there was a man to hand who, with the help of a hammer, got the pin opened and released her. However, by the time we got the bar open, I have NO idea how long that took, 2-5 mins, she fell down the front ramp with her back legs totally disconnected from her front-like a wobbler. I knew she had damaged her spine severely. We got the vet quickly and gave her pain killers and something to calm her. We literally carried her back legs back into the trailer and drove back to her stable, about 15 mins. I was devastated.

The vet wanted to put her down but I said-NO I work on the central nervous system. 'I will do everything I can to save her' I said in desperation. With the help of a visiting friend who is also an acupuncturist as well as a Craniosacral Therapist, we did cranial work on her for 5 hours a day for the next week. The change was palpable as she was being treated. Her back was dipped about 3 inches, her ribcage was pushed forward and the hardest thing for me was that her brain did not register that there was a disconnect. So she wanted to do all the normal things and she could hardly stand. The first week was crucial as if she fell she could not have got up again. But she soldiered on and improved every day. Within a week I dared to walk her out of the stable. I was so afraid she would slip as she still had shoes on-there was no way to have her lift a leg without falling.

Day by day she improved. Her proprioception took some time to re-establish itself but she is a clever lady and she listened to every word I said-'Be careful Donna, Take your time Donna' Within 3 months I could let her on the field and I started to introduce a saddle and ride her soon after. It was not long before she could buck and throw herself about in her usual fun loving way. I’ve never been SO happy to see a horse buck. She was also treated with homeopathy and acupuncture. Five months later and you would NEVER know it had happened. But I treated her a little every day until all the trauma, panic to the nervous system and fascial and structural body was free. I am blessed. Blessed with owning her and blessed with being able to facilitate her own self-healing mechanisms. THANK YOU DONNA.

 

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