Today, I’d like to discuss the concept of animal reincarnation which has fascinated me since my twenties.
The Basis for Belief:
Today, more people are coming to believe in reincarnation, which is a central premise of major Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, yet it is still another “leap of faith” to accept that animals can also be reincarnated. Notwithstanding that in some religions and cultures, animals and all sentient beings are placed on earth as divine entities and/or Gods. We can think of many of the Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism (cows and elephants, for example), or if we go back to early civilization, we can see the Egyptians worshipping and revering, not just animals, but often hybrid animal/human forms. The Incas also considered some animals, such as monkeys and dogs, to be holy. Other religions, however, tend to view animals as mere soulless beings placed on earth for the servitude and dominion of man. It is clear from most major religions, though, that there is an inextricable and deep connection between us human beings, animals, and the spiritual universe.
So, whatever your outlook on the place of animals in our society, the question remains – can animals, especially pets, reincarnate?
Personal Experience:
If there’s one thing that convinces us our pets or other animals have reincarnated its personal experience. Many of us experience an incredibly close, loving relationship with our pets. They are “family members,” to us, and when one dies, the grieving and the sense of complete loss/desolation is like losing a close family member. Deeper than that, though, is the linkage through which we are connected with all the animals on this earth that we share, and the entire universe, in general.
My experience of animal reincarnation relates to my horses, whom I loved with a deep passion. My second pony Red a 14.2 HH, fire- cracker chestnut showjumper, returned around 7 years later as Hooray Henry, a 16.2 HH palomino. Whilst Red and Henry were very different physically, their behavior was so similar that I just knew, on a profound, intuitive level that in essence, they were the same being. The story of why Red reincarnated as Henry and the lessons to be learned, feature in my No.1 Best-Selling International Metaphysical Crime Novel: ‘Spirit of Prophecy’, available on Amazon here: http://getbook.at/SpiritofP
Red
Red was an amazing competition pony, but he was really difficult to handle – he would kick and bite and he was very tricky to ride anywhere, except in the show ring. If I tried to take him out for a hack, I wouldn’t get far before he started reining-back – like a crab in reverse. Next, he’d rear up on his hind legs or go into bucking-bronco mode: objective being to get the rider off. With hindsight, of course, this was probably because he was ill. Often when horses misbehave, they aren’t simply being naughty, they’re in pain and trying to tell us something. Frequently, we tell them off or simply don’t listen closely enough, because we’re too busy, distracted, not living in the moment and aren’t paying attention.
One weekend, at University, UEA in Norwich, I had this really strong feeling (call), to return home immediately. I trusted the strong intuition and made the two-hundred odd mile trip back, although really, I had no idea why. I just knew that I needed to get back and trusted that it was something important. On the Sunday, my father let me have a lie-in in bed and he went to give the ponies their breakfast. However, before too long he rushed back home, banged on my bedroom door shouting: “Get up now. Red has gone down – he’s in a really bad way.”
The vet came out and I stayed with Red for hours out in the orchard, walking around in circles. Red was kicking, pawing, trying to lie down and roll. We had to try and keep him moving so he didn’t roll and twist the gut. It was heart-wrenching to see him like that, beside himself in agony. Eventually the vet came out again and advised, this time, that there was nothing more that he could do. He gave Red a sedative and told my father to call the knacker-man. I was too heartbroken to stay – something I really came to regret. I really shouldn’t have let the knacker-man [that’s what they were called in those days – now the humane slaughter consultant or something?] take him away; he should have been put to sleep, quietly, at home, in familiar surroundings, with people who loved him and cared about him. Decisions surrounding death are often highly emotionally charged, and I’d definitely made a mistake.
The similarities seven years later between Red and Hooray Henry, my next horse, became obvious to me in week one, on our very first hack, shortly after he arrived. Henry was bucking, rearing, and snorting and generally being highly unpredictable and downright dangerous. It is moments like these when a Velcro-bum comes in mighty handy! I was supposed to canter back along the bridle path where my dad had camera-on-tripod set up. No such luck, Henry exploded into a fit of extreme toddler-style tantrum. He became positively kamikaze. In the end I jumped off and did the unthinkable for an experienced rider – I let him loose and with that Henry galloped away in a cloud of dust.
‘What the heck, love?’ My Dad gasped, looking stunned.
My heart sank. ‘’It’s Red, he’s back and he’s back with a vengeance.”
He nodded. ‘’Righty, right then. We’d best go after them.’’
Hooray Henry
My dad was always pretty progressive I guess, he was totally organic-you-are-what you eat, talked to his plants and on his allotment, led the campaign to stop his friend Sweet Pea getting evicted for being a white witch.
I didn’t realize at the time what a long road would lie ahead, back to the original ending with Red – what happened with Henry was profoundly connected. By now I’d learned that such extreme behaviour could only point to some underlying physical problem and pain, so over the years I called out many vets and alternative practitioners trying to get to the bottom of Henry’s problems. Henry was finally diagnosed with kissing spine and arthritic degeneration in all feet, hocks, and knees. The vet said it would be kinder not to put him through another winter but to let-him-go, peacefully. At that moment Henry breathed a deep sigh of relief and rested his head on the vet’s shoulder, as if to say – at last, thank you.
What Does this all Mean for Us and our Animal Relationships:
Animals are here to assist humanity and they’ve undergone many silent sacrifices. Ultimately, any society must be judged on how it treats the most vulnerable – the old, the infirm and of course animals and all sentient beings – things are improving but there is still a way to go to express real compassion for other beings. I get that death is part of the endless regeneration cycle of life. If a person is suffering greatly it may be a blessed relief for them. That we should all live our lives asking ourselves this: “when the day comes and I’m on my death bed, did I share my gifts, did I share and be of service to others? Did I experience joy, purpose, passion, and self- love, whilst accomplishing my mission here? Can I move forward with few regrets?”
Red
I learnt a lot from Red and Henry. With Red I felt guilty, just as Juliet, [one of the heroines in my novel] has haunting dreams about her horse’s fate. I regret I wasn’t there with Red at the end, so he came back as Henry to give me the opportunity to create a different [improved] ending. Red taught me patience and perseverance. Where many previous owners had given up on him, I remained loyal and this was rewarded. Our bond was strong, so strong that he came back as Henry to rewrite the ending for me. What is ironic, I guess, is that at this stage of my life I’m an author and ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ is based on the story of a reincarnating Apache horse called Espiritus. In this way too, Red and Henry carry on into eternity, as the main theme of the book is based on what happened with them, except as my understanding of reincarnation has evolved, it’s deeper and more nuanced.
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- Animal Communication: Horse Whispers:
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- Power Animals: What Are They?
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The novel incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blogs, into a fast-paced, fictional thriller with a spiritual under-current: prepare to be swept away.
Horses are social animals living in large groups and they are also prey animals – so, young foals learn how to stand up soon after birth and how to run with the herd by following mom’s lead. Horses feel emotion without too much rationalizing. They understand us and scientists say that they pick up on our moods from our facial expressions and tone of voice, similar to dogs. Experienced riders know how to pay attention to their horses’ ears in order to help determine what their horse is thinking/feeling. Equally important in the equine vocabulary is tail position – as you can see from the diagram.
As you can see the hunched / clamped tail position very clearly indicates a tense / anxious, individual and to other horses, this signals submission. A flicking tail may simply be practically swatting flies away or if the swishing is vigorous, accompanied by lifting a hind leg and at the other end the teeth are bared, this indicates anger, feeling threatened and is intended to ward invaders away! Aggression in horses involves biting, kicking, rearing, and striking out with a foreleg, however, this is more common under domestic conditions where there is competition over resources – food / water / shelter. Generally, in wild herds, apart from a new stallion approaching the herd or a mare defending her foal, horses do not go out of their way to exert dominance, instead they try to avoid conflict, so when threatened by a stronger opponent a horse will depart, holding its head low with its tail tucked in. Horses interact with one another mainly on bilateral levels that include all members of the group and not according to a rank order. An incorrect belief that the person handling and training a horse must be in a top position of a dominance hierarchy [ i.e. an alpha position, being a leader] may have a negative effect on the horse, compromising its welfare and can trigger fear, resulting in avoidance behavior – particularly when the desire to dominate encourages and involves the application of punishment. To discover more about calm and consistent training principles which are infinitely preferable, and to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse-rider relationship please check out the 
The horses [a total of 23] were trained, using carrots, to approach a board on a fence. Then how to tell the difference between three symbols: ____ for [blanket on] and | for [blanket off] as well as a blank board for [no change]. The scientists also used hot and cold temperatures to help the horses differentiate.
The adoption of the horse was one of the single most important discoveries for early human societies. Horses and other animals were used to pull wheeled vehicles, chariots, carts, and wagons with horses increasingly being used for riding, in the Near East, from at least 2000BCE onwards. The relationship between man and horse, involving workers, farmers, kings, and enthusiasts has been evolving for centuries. However, horse meat is still eaten in around 22 countries and indeed beef eaters in the UK were horrified to learn that some of the beef in their food was, in fact, horse meat – Britain like the US generally has an aversion to this, indeed in the Wild-West, horses became a sort of mythological creature in American National consciousness. Horses, like cats and dogs, are considered as companions and pets but definitely not food. My novel Spirit of Prophecy features a painted American Apache horse called Espiritus, who reincarnates as Totem, a top event horse who was unwittingly exported for slaughter, whilst his owner Juliet Jermaine was away competing. In this extract Juliet is on a lunch date with the Irish hero, Tommy Rafferty. Juliet has just shared the guilt that she feels and describes how Totem’s tortured screams haunt her dreams:
The story of my horses, [Red and Henry] and me, is one about how I came to believe in Reincarnation and Karma and as noted earlier here, that became the central theme in my novel Spirit of Prophecy.
e “Wilhelm Scream” has become one of those almost mythical icons of Hollywood. It is a stock sound-effect that has been used in over 400 films and TV Series since it was first recorded in 1951, for the Western film, Distant Drums. It is frequently used when someone is shot, falls from a great height or is blown backward in an explosion. Examples of the Wilhelm Scream can be found in any numbers of blockbuster movies down through the ages, including the Indiana Jones franchise, many Disney movies and most notably, Star Wars. The name Wilhelm Scream comes from a character, Private Wilhelm, who uses it in a 1953 Western, The Charge at Feather River, when he is shot in the thigh by an arrow.
In the spirit of the Wilhelm Scream, De Wolfe Music, suppliers of sound-effects and music to Hollywood have decided to allow a previously unknown horse to achieve its own form of cinematic immortality. Partnering with Equilab (an app. and social network for equestrians) they ran a competition where users of the app. recorded a short snort, neigh, or snicker and submitted it for judging. This could all be done via the Equilab App. The closing date for entry of a horse’s wonderful “words” was September 1st, 2019, so it will be amazing to discover which horse’s vocabulary could be immortalized, forever, as part of Hollywood legend. Horses communicating indeed!
Redwings Horse Sanctuary care for over 1,500 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules every day at sites across the UK. The charity, which is 100% funded by donations, rescues equines from neglect or abuse and gives them a safe, “forever home” at the Sanctuary. The charity’s own highly skilled veterinary and behaviour teams provide the expert rehabilitation and specialist care its rescued residents need. Horses capable of living outside of the Sanctuary’s paddock fences are given the training to help them find loving, new homes, as part of Redwings’ rehoming scheme.
For Americans and something closer to home, consider the plight of the wild Mustangs. Google: Unwanted Horses of the West. Rescuing and repatriating them is going to be the central theme of my next novel, the sequel to Spirit of Prophecy when Olympic event rider Juliet Jermaine is moved to buy a ranch……………….
Finally, today, please do pop on over to the 
In the equestrian world, the three-day event is seen, by many, to be the pinnacle of equine supremacy. Why would be this be so? Simply put, the three-day event tests all of the innate skills of the horse and of horsemanship by combining three equine events into a challenging series of obstacles that tests not only speed, endurance and courage, but also accuracy and temperament. It perfectly encapsulates all that makes horses and horse competitions so enthralling to both the equine community and the general public.
The dressage could perhaps best be put in terms of human endeavour. In many ways it is similar to a ballet performance, but one that requires the horses to undertake a series of predetermined moves, within a specified, enclosed arena. This is the only subjective part of the three-day event and a judge or team of judges awards demerit points for horses and riders that do not perform exactly to the laid-out requirements. Judges will be looking for balance, rhythm, suppleness and most importantly perhaps, cooperation and affinity between horse and rider. The basic idea of dressage is to show that a horse is not only capable of strength, power and endurance, but also can perform in a graceful, relaxed and precise manner. Demerit points awarded in this discipline are then carried over to the cross-country and show-jumping phases of the three-day event. The key to winning, for horse and rider is to score the lowest number of points.
The cross-country is the most physical of the three events and truly tests horse’s and rider’s, speed, stamina, courage and endurance. Cross-country courses vary all over the world and are unique to the designers, but they all have one thing in common; they aim to offer the rider an opportunity to take risks or to play it safe. There is often more than one way of completing an obstacle in the various challenges set. Many cross-country courses are set in exceptionally beautiful countryside, which encourages spectators to flock to the event for a “family day out”. Two of the most prestigious and beautiful such sites in Britain are the annual events held at Badminton and Burleigh, both of which are considered “must wins” for a three-day eventer to say they are at the pinnacle of their sport. As with the dressage, cross-country is about trying to score zero points (that is, make no mistakes to incur demerits). The usual demerit points in the cross-country phase are, 20 points for a horse refusing a jump or running out of the obstacle area, without jumping the obstacle. In addition to this, the cross-country is a timed event and demerit points are added to the horse’s total if they fail to complete the course, in under the specified time, commonly, this is 0.4 of a penalty point per second over the optimum time.
