Healing Horse Whispers Series #3 - Ellen

Key Lessons from the Herd, Inspired by Danielle MacKinnon

(Ellen receiving Danielle’s vision of what the illness might mean for her—in the heart of Costa Rica)

Just a few weeks ago, Ellen embarked on what she believed would be one of the most transformative experiences of her life—a deeply spiritual and emotional retreat in the lush landscapes of Costa Rica at Tula Vida. The retreat, led by her revered teacher Danielle MacKinnon, was designed around the profound and often underappreciated connection between horses and the human soul. It promised inner revelations, emotional breakthroughs, and the kind of healing that only occurs when one opens themselves fully to the natural world.

Ellen in Costa Rica at Tula Vida

Ellen wasn’t new to the world of horses. In fact, she had long held a deep reverence for these majestic beings. As the founder of Alaya Retreat Centre in Barcelona, she had spent years integrating horses into her personal and professional journey, helping others rediscover themselves through these sentient animals. Yet this retreat was meant to be for her—a moment to pause, breathe, and learn from both her teacher and the horses in a completely new environment.

She had envisioned days filled with quiet reflection gazing at Costa Rica’s volcanoes, evenings of soulful conversations, and countless hours immersed in the presence of horses, listening, observing, and connecting. She arrived with an open heart, ready to receive the next level of spiritual evolution.

When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

But sometimes, life shifts the narrative in ways we can’t foresee. Midway through the retreat, Ellen began to experience an alarming pain in her back and left leg. What started as discomfort quickly spiralled into something severe. Within a few days, the pain was no longer tolerable and her left leg seemed paralyzed. She couldn’t walk without intense pain, and soon found herself confined to a wheelchair.

She made the difficult decision to cut her journey short—leaving Costa Rica three days ahead of schedule and flying back to Barcelona under physical and emotional duress. The return trip was gruelling. She arrived home exhausted, and disoriented—not only from the physical pain but also from the emotional whiplash of having her long-awaited retreat end in a hospital wheelchair.

For someone who guides others through healing journeys, it was a moment of vulnerability, humility, and raw honesty.

When the Healer herself needs Healing… where does she turn?

Battling a neurological condition with severe pain and uncertain prognosis, Ellen sought solace in the very bond she’s spent a lifetime nurturing—her beloved horses, Ginebra and Ooljee. These horses weren’t just companions. They were soul mirrors, grounding forces, and sacred reflections of her innermost self. In her darkest moments, she didn’t need words. She needed presence—and they were waiting.

Turning to the Horses for Healing

Once back in Barcelona, Ellen sought help from expert neurologists at Quirón Hospital. The doctors diagnosed her with a serious issue involving her spine and nerve compression, which might have to be operated on.  Medical intervention was critical, but Ellen knew that healing wasn't going to be purely physical. Her soul, too, had taken a hit. Ellen believes the universe sends us a message when these things occur.  The sudden loss of control and independence and the pain were deeply intertwined. In times like these, we often return to what grounds us. For Ellen, that meant returning to her horses.

At the Alaya Retreat Centre, the horses were waiting. Unchanged. Unjudging. Peaceful. Over the years, they had helped many visitors reconnect with their bodies, release emotional trauma, and rediscover their inner truth. And now, they were here for her.

This time, Ellen wasn’t the facilitator—she was the one in need.

The Medicine of Presence

Horses, by their very nature, live in the present moment. They don't worry about the future or ruminate on the past. They respond to energy, authenticity, and emotion. For Ellen, this was the medicine she needed most.

She began her days by simply being in the paddock in her wheelchair—no agenda, no expectations. Just breathing with the horses. Slowing down. Allowing their calm, steady presence to wash over her tense body and anxious mind. It was about being. The horses didn’t ask anything of her but often came to stand by her side, their healing nozzles resting on her head, shoulder or left arm. They simply stood next to her, looking her in the eye, going back to grazing, and re-approaching her, mostly just staying close enough to her wheelchair to let her know: “You’re not alone, but look at yourself.”

Breathing together became a practice. Ellen would match her inhales and exhales with the slow rhythm of their breath. She found that even on days when the pain was sharp and movement limited, she could reset her nervous system just by sharing space with them. In this silent communion, her body began to feel safer, more grounded, and less reactive.

Ginebra and Ooljee: The Sacred Bond

Ginebra and Ooljee, both her horses, had long shared a unique connection with her, but now, in her time of need, their presence took on an even deeper meaning.

Ginebra, the wise and steady mare of the group, would often position herself close to Ellen, quietly standing watch as if offering protective energy. Ooljee, on the other hand, brought a more playful, lighter presence—nuzzling Ellen gently, reminding her that joy and curiosity still had a place even in the midst of pain.

These two horses became her daily anchors. Their energy helped soothe her frayed nerves. Their gaze offered compassion without pity. Their movements reminded her that recovery doesn’t always mean rushing—it can mean slowing down and noticing each moment.

Silent Support and Deep Listening

One of the most extraordinary aspects of horses is their ability to sense pain—not just physical, but emotional. They respond to subtle changes in energy and can reflect back our internal state with remarkable clarity.

Ellen had noticed for years that horses adjusted their own behaviour in response to our inner world. It was as though they were saying: “Meet us in presence, and we’ll meet you in healing.”

This silent support became a cornerstone of Ellen’s recovery. There was no need to explain or justify her pain. There was no pressure to “get better” quickly. With the horses, there was only presence, patience, and pure connection.

Walking Together, Step by Step

As Ellen’s medical treatment progressed, there were days she could walk short distances again. Though her gait was uneven and slow, she found strength in walking alongside the horses. One step at a time. Matching their pace.

There was something sacred about this ritual. It reminded her that healing doesn’t always come in dramatic waves. Sometimes, it’s a quiet unfolding. Sometimes, progress means making it from the stable to the fence without collapsing in pain. Sometimes, the victory is just in trying.

Walking with the horses became a metaphor for her healing: slow, steady, uncertain at times, but deeply meaningful.

Surrendering to the Journey

Healing is never linear. Some days are filled with hope; others are shadowed by setbacks. But horses teach us that control is often an illusion—and that there is beauty in surrender.

Ellen began to reflect on how often she had pushed herself in the past.  Now, life was bringing her to a halt and inviting her into stillness, vulnerability, and receptivity. The roles had reversed. And in that reversal, there was grace.

With each passing day, she let go of timelines and “shoulds.” Instead, she focused on what was—the sensations in her body, the emotions rising and falling, the presence of her horses, and the guidance of her own inner voice.

A New Chapter: 

For centuries, we humans have misunderstood and abused horses—using them, controlling them, bending their will to suit our own. Taking them into our wars. But what if these majestic beings, far from being here for our service, are actually here for our awakening?

Horses are not ours to master—they are our teachers. Soulful, intuitive, and deeply connected to the unseen, they come into our lives not by chance, but with purpose. According to the wisdom of Danielle MacKinnon, animals enter our lives through soul contracts, divine agreements made before birth to help us remember who we truly are. Each interaction with a horse may be part of a larger tapestry, woven with threads of healing, growth, and spiritual evolution.

This retreat was not the one Ellen had planned. But it became the one her soul had called in.

Through physical limitation, she was forced to slow down—and in the stillness, she began to hear again. Not just her own breath, but the gentle whispers of her horses: Ginebra, with her quiet depth and strength; and Ooljee, a mirror for truth, always asking for presence. They did not pity her—they guided her.

In their eyes, she remembered her own soul mission. In their energy, she felt the sacred contract unfolding. They showed her what Danielle MacKinnon teaches so beautifully: that healing doesn't require fixing, striving, or proving. It requires allowing. It requires us to soften, to trust, and to be humble enough to receive the wisdom of those animals we've often overlooked. 

Ellen’s journey with her horses is only beginning. In the coming weeks, she will share more of what the horses are revealing: how each one carries a distinct medicine, how being truly present in nature can awaken the body’s innate intelligence, and how the timing of our lives—though often uncomfortable—is never wrong.

To anyone navigating their own healing path—whether of the body, the heart, or the soul:

"If you are able to find that quietness within, the horse will come forward with its wisdom—gently guiding you toward your soul’s true mission. Begin to listen. In their silent presence, they awaken what we might have forgotten and help us remember the deeper purpose we came here to fulfil. The horse already knows the path—and if you become still enough, they’ll help you to remember that deep down, so do you."

Watch this space as Ellen continues to walk the path towards progress. The journey continues—step by step, hoof by hoof—carried not in control, but in communion.

Ellen still continues to lead sessions of meditation with horses and also giving Reiki sessions from her wheelchair at Alaya Retreat Centre.

Private Small Group Meditation with Horses – €30 per person (minimum 6 people)

A peaceful, heart-opening experience held in nature’s embrace.

Individual Reiki with Horses – €80 per session

Receive gentle energy healing on a massage bed under the pine trees, surrounded by vineyards and the calm presence of our horses.

Click HERE to book.