Many people have never heard of Sebastian Horse Sanctuary – an extraordinary place situated high in the mountainous region near Kintamani. The sanctuary founded in 2009, currently serves as a rescue center for homeless, traumatized, damaged and unwanted horses. It was named after a special horse that Serena met and rescued in 1999.
“When I looked into Sebastian’s eyes, they were full of trauma and fear. He had a startling look that said his life was so unfair. His ears were all chopped out in a typical Sumba pony branding technique, probably done at birth. His legs (all four of them) were stiff with rheumatoid arthritis and his feet were severely infected with thrush. He had no trust in humans. To protect his fear he came across as very aggressive. If I touched his body anywhere he would instantly flinch and shiver, remembering that it was never a nice experience in his previous handling. He was a strong horse with a beautiful heart. I had the vet test his blood and internal organs to make sure that he was not suffering, and then I retired him immediately, releasing him on a hectare of grassland in west Bali with other horse friends. After seven years of living on good food and love, he began to trust us although we noticed that he still held sadness.
After Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) we decided he needed a job, so he occasionally took children for beginner riding lessons in the school. He proved to be a master at this, as he took great care in looking after his riders. If a child lost his balance, he’d stop and wait before they’d fall so that the rider could correct himself. Sebastian is the key, the founder of the horse sanctuary. After three more years his rheumatoid arthritis became so severe that he couldn’t move comfortably. He gently and blissfully left his body on the 31st of May 2009. His body has a place of honor in the heart of the sanctuary and his spirit is free and always with us. A beautiful black beauty with full flowing mane and a heart so big and strong and full of love – he’ll always be in our hearts,” said Serena.
Although the sanctuary was officially established in 2009, Serena a.k.a ‘the Horse Whisperer’ has been rescuing and training horses on Bali since 1998 and has been working with horses for 35 years in 7 different countries. Before Bali, she trained and rescued abused and ailing horses in Australia. Her unique and unconventional methods for helping horses embrace the philosophy that we need not harm horses with traditional methods of kicking or whipping. The key is the connection between horse and rider. The rider must connect with the horse’s energy by aligning with his solar plexus, thus, creating a direct channel from the horse to the rider and vice versa. Once this connection occurs, the horse will easily and willingly follow the rider’s commands. The rider and the horse become one, moving in unison with this ‘one-mindedness’ that is truly a magical experience.
“When I work with horses, I usually consult with the family, because they often share a magnetic field with each other. If the family is having serious problems, then the horse will often pick up on this and react to whatever’s going on. Having said that, many times when you rescue a horse, you don’t always know what’s been done to them.”
Serena takes different approaches to working with horses depending on whether a horse is dangerous and feisty, or more mild-mannered. If a horse is feisty, she waits until he’s calmed down and then gently touches him on the center of his forehead, also known as his third eye. Serena asserts that horses can read our energy all of the time. There’s a clear body language that one can use when working with horses which can greatly assist them with opening up and healing.
“I remember a horse called Stella who was sent to me for training. It appeared that she’d been physically abused and was quite traumatized. The first thing I had to teach her was to stand still. As I trained her, I saw the mental trauma which made her dangerous to ride,” said Serena.
Some of the techniques which Serena incorporates when working with horses include equine acupressure and massage. Horses are often very responsive to these healing methods which gently nurture and support their healing process.
As a young girl, Serena trained with the British Horse Society which takes a very different approach to training and riding horses, utilizing standard gear such as a bit, bridle, Martingales and spurs, which serve to restrict and control the horse, causing damage to his body and mind. Serena’s method greatly diverges from this, as she only uses a snaffle (a soft light bit) and a saddle for riding. When training, instead of a bit, a Cavason (a bitless head collar) is used.
After 1 – 3 months a soft bit is then incorporated depending on the damage that’s been done to the horse. When the horse is ready, a bitless bridle is then integrated into the training. According to Serena, if this method known as ‘The Magic Key’ is done correctly, it only takes 2-3 months to train a horse to a high standard compared to the average 2-3 years required using traditional methods and full gear.
In addition to her work with ‘The Sebastian Sanctuary’, Serena is passionate about helping abused ponies being used as work horses on the Gili islands. According to a 2010 report made by the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), the horses on all islands, but mainly Gili Trawangan which is the most populated, have been forced to work long hours without weight limits, aren’t provided with shelter from the sun during work hours, are provided salty water from the wells for drinking and are subjected to archaic and appalling therapies when ailing. The average life span of a horse on Gili Trawangan is 3 years. There is currently a petition to stop this abuse and plans to visit the Gilis again in August to monitor and introduce viable solutions.
For more information about how you can help The Sebastian Sanctuary or become involved with JAAN, please email: heavenforhorses33@yahoo.com or visit: www.jakartanimalaid.com
