07/23/2025
In Celebration of Bandit
Bandit is the last of the original herd who started this journey of equine-assisted therapy with me 20 years ago.
He was one of my original teachers.
I learned much of what I know from the horses.
Bandit came into our lives when he was five years old, and Jessica was eleven years old.
They grew up together.
That first Summer, they ‘trail rode’ around Vernon (with a teenage cowgirl and her horse!).
Bandit loved to run, and so did Jessica – until she would lose control of the steering!
They went to Pony Club together in our rusty, old horse trailer.
Bandit loved going anywhere in the trailer.
He would whinny as soon as he saw the trailer.
He particularly loved being fussed about, wearing leg wraps and a blanket.
He was born in Lumby at Diane’s place.
His mother, Angel, was an Arab, and his father, a Tennessee Walker.
He arrived with contracted front legs, so was at first bottle fed.
No medical intervention was necessary.
He eventually stood up and later was an athlete.
It took me a long time to realize that this birth experience impacted his sense of personal boundaries.
Until Cara and I helped him strengthen his boundaries, he came up with his own solutions, as we all do.
He came back to himself by spending time alone.
He showed us how a sensitive soul can energetically cleanse by being outside in solitude.
The herd was regularly together at the top of the pasture, and Bandit would be far off at the bottom of the hill enjoying his alone time.
Bandit absolutely loved his food.
He took his time with his grain.
His eyes half closed as he ate, savouring each mouthful.
He sang at every hay feeding, an excited, joyful song.
As Bandit matured, he became more involved in our work, supporting people through equine-assisted therapy.
His style was to support on the outer edges of peoples’ energetic boundaries.
He particularly liked sensitive humans.
At some point, he let Zabrina know that one of his gifts was to support people with the healing of physical disease.
He was so sensitive, he would sometimes act out the energy he picked up from the humans.
One of his most recent teachings was the need for more containment of the trauma energy we are exposed to in our work.
Through meditation he taught me to ask all trauma energy that arrives here on the Land to be directed into a labradorite crystal, and from there into the Earth to be transformed.
To our astonishment, Bandit took over the leadership of the herd after Vienna transitioned to the Light.
He obviously had mastered boundaries enough to lead the small herd.
We joked that he was simply the ‘boss’ of the food.
However, I did watch him correct unacceptable herd behaviour now and then.
He always had a youthful, bachelor energy that did not seem to fit the leadership role.
Nevertheless, I remember mistaking him for Vienna.
Maybe he embodied her energy so as to be able to take on the leadership role.
Maybe Vienna was continuing her leadership through Bandit.
There is so much the horses do that we do not know about.
While he showed Zabrina the first large melanoma in his sheath quite a few years ago, it was still a shock when the cancer spread throughout his body.
If you did not pay attention to the symptoms, and the herd dynamics, it would be possible to fool yourself that he was fine.
He looked damn good, even dying.
Kaleb was his death doula, and took the role very seriously.
It is such an honour, and so very beautiful to watch the horses support a struggling herd member.
It seemed like Kaleb was holding him energetically, perhaps even taking on some of Bandit’s pain.
A client once came to me in a state of awe after being with Bandit.
She said: "He showed me his magnificent wings!”
He was our Pegasus, our unicorn, our carousal horse.
More of the air than of the Earth.
Now he is fully in his element.
