Horses are majestic creatures that reflect Yahweh’s power, beauty and grace. They can also reveal His tenderness, love and even His sense of humor. On Our Father’s Farm, we have a very special herd of four horses--two mares and two geldings. These horses have a unique and vital role in partnering with the Lord to reveal His nature to those who come to encounter Him. They are instrumental in unlocking hearts and bringing healing to broken lives.

Something as simple as feeling a horse’s breath, hugging their neck, or sitting on their back can unlock places that have been shut down because of pain. Once the door is unlocked, the Holy Spirit begins to communicate Truth about Himself through the horses.

So, what does a  Yahweh (God) encounter with horses look like? That is difficult to answer because it looks different for each individual. Here's a possible scenario: At the beginning of the session, we pray, consecrate the time to the Lord, and ask what’s on His Heart for the person. We invite him/her to choose a horse and often, unknowingly, their life stories have some obvious similarities with each other. A facilitator leads the session but ultimately, he/she hands the “reins” to the Holy Spirit.

It’s amazing how the horses move “on queue” to reinforce whatever the Lord is saying in the moment. Only the Lord can take credit for orchestrating that. One of my favorite examples of this was during an encounter where the receiving individual sat in a pen with Shadd-O, who was free to go where he pleased. Shadd-O kept his distance for over 30 minutes as if he knew it wasn’t safe to come over. In the process of waiting for him to come, the Lord revealed some issues related to fear and an invisible safety fence that this person had built to keep people from getting “too close”. With the Lord’s help, she dealt with the fear and dismantled the fence. The moment the fence came down, Shadd-O walked over and touched her with his nose!  

That's just one of many examples!

When hurting people don’t feel safe around humans, they may feel safe with a horse and are able to learn how to give and receive safe touch and affection. They begin to express their deepest feelings without the fear of rejection, feeling misunderstood, or hurt.

Recently, a child who was visiting from a war-torn country spent some time with Princess—our endearing but somewhat impatient pony. For a really long time, Princess allowed her to lean into her and hug her. It was remarkable to see the interaction between them. Even without words being exchanged, you could see the way the Lord was ministering to this child through this special pony. Afterward, she said, “When I sat on Princess, it was like something inside felt calm.” The Lord knew she needed to feel safe so that she could feel His peace; Princess helped the Lord communicate that truth. Just as Jesus (Yeshua) has called us to be his hands and feet, these horses are his hands and “hooves”.

It is a beautiful thing to watch the Lord partner with these horses to heal wounded hearts.