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Co-Counsellors Dreamcatcher™ is a haven to many animals, some of whom were once homeless and hurting. These animals have found healing and a forever home at Dreamcatcher™ and now dedicate their days to helping the people who come to Dreamcatcher™. Each one of them has a story and special skills which make them excellent co-counselors in Animal-Assisted Therapy and Equine Facilitated Counselling. Together both animals and humans find hope and healing by learning to be themselves - no strings attached. These critters are our co-counselors and our friends. All of the Dreamcatcher™ animals have been specially chosen, screened and trained for the work that they do. They are an essential part of the Animal and Nature-Assisted Therapy program at Dreamcatcher™. |
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Rain
Rain is a purebred paint mare that has only half an ear. She was born in the midst of winter and was not found until her ears had already sustained terrible frostbite. Her legs had also frozen and as a result, her growth is stunted and she will likely suffer arthritis throughout her lifetime. Upon finding the half frozen new filly, the farmer and his family took her inside and raised her in their basement until she was strong and healthy enough to live outside in spring. Rain was loved and spoiled by the children who cared for her. Once placed with other horses, Rain had trouble fitting in due to her lack of ears. All of the horses she met thought that Rain was angry or bossy all the time (as horses who are angry or bossy, lay their ears flat back on their head). The family decided Rain needed another home. A kind lady named Cindy met Rain by chance and decided to take her home. Cindy tried to integrate Rain into her herd of horses. The horses rejected her and were unkind to her. As Rain was only a year old, and a kind soul by nature, she had no defense. Rain was misunderstood by all the horses she encountered. Shortly thereafter, Cindy heard about Dreamcatcher™ and donated "No Ears" to the program along with a llama named Mr. Spitzie whom she had also rescued. We renamed No Ears with Whispering Rain and introduced her to some children with disabilities who have loved her with all their hearts. When Rain came to Dreamcatcher™ she was the first horse on the property. This was to her advantage as all new horses who arrived seemed to accept her more readily just for who she was. Rain is currently third in the horse hierarchy. Because Rain was "raised" by humans, rather than a horse mom, she is very people oriented but also has a few quirks. Rain is very loving, gentle and loyal. She is a solid horse and can handle the excited fast movements of children without blinking an eye. She loves head hugs and getting yummy treats. Rain's therapeutic specialty is in teaching tolerance, patience and boundaries. She loves with all her heart and never discriminates. She steals people's hearts because she never gives up no matter how much she has been through. She is a lot like many of the people she helps and is truly cut out for this work. |
echo
Echo is a thoroughbred race horse. He was a second place winner at Northlands in Edmonton and it is said that he was worth $20,000. While racing, Echo injured his knee and needed surgery to get back on the track. Once healed, he got back on the track but refused to run. As a result, it is believed he was not treated well and then sold to a kind lady for one dollar. She in turn, sold him to Dreamcatcher™ who was able to purchase him with money donated in memory of a young girl named Hillary who died of cancer. Echo is Hillary's horse and when he first came to live here he was sad and stayed away from everyone, even the other horses. He needed some help to gain a healthy weight and some extra care for his crumbling hooves. Several years later it was discovered that Echo had cancer in his eye lid, which had to be removed. Today Echo is healthy and happy. In the herd, Echo is second in line in the hierarchy. He is like a “big brother” to the other animals and often plays games with Moonshine, the mini donkey and TeddyBear and Rocky, the mini horses. He takes care of the new arrivals, helping them feel safe and assisting them to find their place in the herd. On occasion he and Mr. Spitzie, the llama, will have disagreements about who gets to be the boss while the lead mare is out of sight. Echo also has a mischievous sense of humor and will often test the boundaries of what he can get away with, such as playfully nudging an unsuspecting handler sending them off balance, or untying his lead rope from the fence…no matter how well secured! Echo is kind and gentle. He seems to be a deep thinker and connects strongly with those he works with. Echo has a way of making people feel special. As a result, he is most often chosen as the horse people want to work with. This is surprising as he really did not seem to like people much when he first arrived. He has learned to trust at Dreamcatcher™ and now he is teaching this to others. Echo's therapeutic specialty is teaching kindness and gentleness to people who are generally aggressive or angry. He also excels at helping people follow direction and at teaching people who have been abused that it is ok to trust again. He has found his forever home here at Dreamcatcher™ and appears to thoroughly enjoy his new job. He is the first to greet anyone who walks up to the fence and he even calls to those he sees coming from a distance. Meeting Echo is truly a pleasure. |
ZEUS
Zeus is a Shire/Paint Draft horse with an incredible story and a caring personality. His previous owner is a retired Chief Information Officer with Alberta Children’s Services and in 2012, he led a ride with Zeus across Canada in support of victims of Child Sexual Exploitation. Zeus is truly a “gentle giant” and came to live with us at Dreamcatcher™ because his loving owner wanted him to have other horses to care for while he continued to help people in need. Zeus became Dreamcatcher’s™ healthy leader and protects the equine herd while he teaches people about healthy boundaries and relationships while providing healing, comfort and joy to all. |
ROMEO
Romeo, formerly Rupert, is a stunning Connemara, brought to Dreamcatcher™ by a wonderful family whose daughter jumped competitively with him. Eventually, as people grow up their interests change, and Romeo needed a new home. In Fall 2018, Dreamcatcher™ friends, family, and horses were still feeling sorrow after the loss of our lead mare Buttons in March of that year, but were looking for a new horse at the same time Romeo was looking for a new home. Romeo loves people and is one of the first to come over to you, especially if you have cookies! He is not afraid to show is affection, showering you with kisses and getting into your personal space. It was this love and adoration that prompted the name change to Romeo. |
ceilidh
Ceilidh (pronounced “Kay-leigh”) is a standard donkey. She was donated with her sister Daisy by Sue McIntosh of the Healing Hooves program and came to live at Dreamcatcher™ in 2006. Before coming to Dreamcatcher™, she and her sister worked with Sue helping children and youth with mental health issues. When Ceilidh was born, her mother refused to feed her or look after her. Ceilidh was fostered out to a loving family where she was bottle fed. Soon after, Daisy was born by Ceilidh's mother. It was assumed that Daisy would be treated the same as Ceilidh was but in fact, Daisy was treated well by her mother and was able to stay in her care as a young jenny. In the end, both Ceilidh and Daisy went to live at Sue's and then to Dreamcatcher™ where they both help people understand that life may sometimes seem unfair but it often works out for the best in the end. Ceilidh is very sweet and usually calm and laid back. She loves working with people and enjoys a good ear scratch. Her best friend was her sister Daisy and the two of them were joined at the hip. If separated from each other they would become very distressed and when they were reunited both would nuzzle and dance around together, sometimes braying gleefully. Ceilidh has an adopted brother, Mini Donkey Moonshine who usually follows her around. Moonshine likes to play and like any younger sibling can sometimes be a pain! Ceildih is tolerant and loving toward Moonshine but will put him in his place if needed. At some point in Ceildih’s life she over ate and foundered. This is evident by the large fat deposit in her neck which causes her neck to flop to the right side. Ceilidh did recover from her time of founder and hasn’t experienced it since, however her neck will always remain flopped to the side. Ceilidh LOVES treats! When she sees you at the treat barrel she will put on a singing show of ‘Eyawing’ and braying so loud that you have no choice but to feed her. She loves working with people and help them to overcome their fears, accept things the way they are and learn to be loving and kind. She also helps people increase their frustration tolerance and learn to be patient. She is great at helping people become good problem solvers. For more information on Ceilidh's sister Daisy, please visit the In Our Hearts tab. |
moonshine
We have had Moonshine since he was 6 months old. The lady who rescued Rain and Mr. Spitzie, Cindy, made Moonshine special for us. She breeds mini donkeys and had promised us a Jack as soon as he was weaned from his mother. Moonshine came to live with us in the summer of 2006. At first he refused to walk or go through gates when he was led on halter. Now, if he is wearing his halter, the only way he’ll walk is if he can hold the rope in his mouth and walk himself! He is truly a donkey! Moonshine follows us everywhere when he is not on lead and he is the first to run up and meet and greet new people. Moonshine loves to play and often can be found wreaking havoc in the pasture by chasing all the larger animals and smacking Echo, the race horse, with large sticks that he holds in his mouth to do so. Moonshine is the adopted little brother to standard donkeys Ceilidh and Daisy and he loves to follow his big sisters around. Moonshine is also friends with the miniature horse Gravy and Shetland Pony Teddy, but he seems to be particularly fond of Echo. He and Echo spend many hours playing and goofing around in the pasture. Moonshine is a delight to watch and to be with. Moonshine specializes in helping people feel welcome and comfortable, providing a wonderful sense of comic relief, teaching people to remember to play and have fun and helping people who have a fear of large animals to overcome their fear while building their self confidence. Moonshine is also very sensitive and has been known to stay with people who are weeping until they feel better. |
Ellie
This is one of our sheep Ellie! We got sweet Ellie from a very loving home in February 2020. At first she demonstrated the anxiety of being in a new place while trying to form relationships and fit in. Then she demonstrated how quickly we can form attachments and become loving when we are loved. She then allowed clients who were also anxious and trying to find their place to feel safe with her. Ellie helps clients by being calm and relaxed. |
Teddy
Teddy Bear, Teddy for short, is a Shetland Pony who was donated to us by a family with small children. Teddy used to give many pony rides to many children until one day he decided that he didn't want to do it anymore. He started to run in circles when the children were riding him and he became hard to catch. When we met Teddy, he didn't want to know us. He ran from us every time we tried to get near him. He wouldn't even come over if we had his favorite food. Teddy has trouble trusting people and thinks that we only want to be with him to ride on his back. We promised Teddy that we would never ride him and we never have and we never will. Even after several years of work, Teddy still has trouble trusting. He has improved greatly and will, once he knows you, come and take treats from your hand or out of a bucket. A lot of calm patience is required but once you get a halter on him he relaxes. Occasionally he will still have moments of panic and run in a circle. Teddy prefers calm, slow movements and sounds. In the herd, Teddy would stay by himself or with the senior horses. In the fall of 2013 we placed him with two new mini horses after the passing of his best friend Kenya. Teddy was always the last one into the corral for treats and sometimes you would have to throw the treats so he could get them. More recently, his friends Sally and Fitz have left, but Teddy has now become friends with Gravy, the mini horse. We love Teddy for who he is and we won't give up on him. We'll keep trying to help him to overcome his fear of people and eventually we'll convince him that he will never have to do another pony ride again. Teddy teaches patience, kindness and empathy. When working with him we are truly working FOR him. He also helps people understand that it is normal to lose trust when we are disrespected or harmed but that it is always possible to gain it back again with love and kindness. |
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emma
Emma arrived in December 2015 with her llama sister, Snow. She loves to greet visitors and will lift her head all the way back so you can give a really good neck scratch! Emma has been such a blessing as her calm, gentle nature makes it easy for people to approach her. In the winter of 2018/2019 she suffered a great loss, as her best friends Bilbo the Sheep and Snow the Llama passed away 5 months apart from each other. Despite her grief, she is still there for people and animals and is a great grounding presence for anyone having a difficult day or in need of help. In Spring 2020, Dreamcatcher™ accepted a yearling sheep Ellie. At first Emma was not sure what to make of this spry, young thing but Ellie soon won over her heart and now the two are inseparable. |
wanda
Wanda came to us in June 2016 with her half-brother Joey after he was abandoned by his mother. When she arrived, she had to live with the chickens for a few weeks as it is important to quarantine and new animals before introducing them to the herd. Wanda was lonely but now happily lives with her new step-sisters, Luna and Stardust and Emma the sheep. She is the Princess of the Pen and is the first to greet you when visiting. She loves neck scratches, but especially loves to have between her toes rubbed and will put her foot on your knee for her pedicure! Wanda loves to go walking with us and stops often to check out what she can eat along the way. When she is tired, she makes the cutest little noises and when she sleeps, she snores! Wanda is such a great goat, teaching assertiveness and respect to those that come to visit at her at Dreamcatcher™. |
Stardust & luna
Luna and Stardust came to Dreamcatcher™ in May 2018, and their past owner thought they might both be pregnant, but wasn’t entirely sure. Sure enough within 45 days they both delivered. Luna’s baby Jupiter arrived in July, but sadly Stardust’s baby, Starblanket, passed away due to complications during birth in June. Luna is a caring mother and a friendly, curious goat. She takes time to warm up to new people but once she does, she is so loving. Stardust is curious, friendly, and has a large personal space bubble. She is very timid and cautious, and takes quite a bit of time to get used to visitors. She likes to be around people but does not always like to be touched. Both Luna and Stardust are wonderful at teaching healthy boundaries and keeping oneself safe. |
Nova
Nova and Eclipse were born at the ranch to their mama Stardust on April 24th, 2019. They are the oldest of our baby goats that were born in 2019 here at Dreamcatcher™. For more information on Nova's sister Eclipse, please visit the In Our Hearts tab. |
Orion
Orion was born at the ranch to his mama Luna on May 6th, 2019. He is the middle child of our baby goats that were born in 2019 here at Dreamcatcher™. |
Sully & Ollie
Sully and Ollie were born at the ranch to their mama Wanda after the longest, most anticipated baby goat delivery in Dreamcatcher™ history. On May 29th, 2019, the hottest day of the year, we welcomed them and their sister Ruby to the Dreamcatcher™ program. For more information on their sister Ruby, please visit the In Our Hearts tab. |
So Many chickens
Some of the older Dreamcatcher™ chickens were bought from a local auction, but most of them were born and raised here in our coop! Our chickens specialize in teaching nurturing by messing up their coop regularly and supervising while our program participants learn to clean it. They also play hard to get when people try to catch them, thus instilling a well-earned sense of accomplishment and pride when they do finally accomplish this task! Helping people develop self-esteem and confidence is their therapeutic specialty. As for working with aggressive people, there are no better monitors for animal abuse then our chickens. You absolutely cannot abuse them without the whole world knowing it. All of our chickens are very friendly and love to meet new people. They are wonderful therapists and have helped many to overcome their life issues.
When babies are born, which they often are, the mother hens help children witness, first hand, what good child care is all about. The children often tell their stories while sitting quietly and observing the hens taking care of their babies. Sometimes a hen will abandon her chicks, which leads to conversations about feelings and identification with how the chicks might feel. Often, when this happens, another hen will ‘adopt’ the neglected chick and take care of her until her mother returns or until she can fend for herself if the mother does not return. This natural animal behavior elicits much conversation from our children and youth and there is no better place to have a heartfelt conversation than in the chicken coop on a warm Spring or Summer day while listening to the coo of the hens and watching them go about their lives.
When babies are born, which they often are, the mother hens help children witness, first hand, what good child care is all about. The children often tell their stories while sitting quietly and observing the hens taking care of their babies. Sometimes a hen will abandon her chicks, which leads to conversations about feelings and identification with how the chicks might feel. Often, when this happens, another hen will ‘adopt’ the neglected chick and take care of her until her mother returns or until she can fend for herself if the mother does not return. This natural animal behavior elicits much conversation from our children and youth and there is no better place to have a heartfelt conversation than in the chicken coop on a warm Spring or Summer day while listening to the coo of the hens and watching them go about their lives.
Want to meet our furry co-counsellors? Check out how to book a meet and greet with them below!