Back on Track ‘Horse Therapy’: Cate & Willow

As a military wife and mother of two, Cate Jones’ life is perpetually in flux. She shares the story of her rock, a special mare named Willow.

From Cate:

My goodness, I don’t even know where to start when it comes to things that my Willow has helped me through! My husband is in the military and that means picking up our lives, moving across the country every few years, and never knowing when he’s going to have to leave us behind. I deal with crippling anxiety over the constant changes. Mix that in with raising two children under two years old almost on my own and you pretty much have a recipe for disaster.

Luckily, though, I have Willow. I see her everyday, and I swear she knows when I’m on the verge of a panic attack or meltdown. Her normally grumpy self will turn sweet and mellow. She’ll allow me to sob on the floor of her stall without judgement. She’ll take me on a quiet hack through the woods. She knows exactly what I need better than any therapist I’ve been to.

Willow isn’t an easy horse, she’s much more than I should ever be able to handle, but she knows when it counts and she always rises to the occasion. It’s brought me down off the ‘ledge’ many times and she has never asked for anything in return.

We are currently facing another challenging point in my husband’s career and I know that Wills will be there to see me through. It’s the only thing making the oncoming transition look doable! She’s truly my best friend.

Here at Horse Nation, we believe that the best therapists are our own horses. We love sharing the stories of special equines — email yours to [email protected] to be featured in an upcoming edition of Back on Track “Horse Therapy.” Go Back on Track, and Go Riding!