Welcome to HOOFPRINTS, the Medicine and Horses Blogspot

Students taking M&H are required to publish at least one blog entry for each week of the four week class. Blog entries will describe their experiences with the course and the horses; any encounters with patients, colleagues, and others that are relevant to what we have learned; and of course any thoughts, associations, and questions that come to mind. Maybe someone will write a poem. I'd really like that.

Tomorrow is our first class. I am always excited to meet the new batch of students--whether medical, corporate, or community. My belief is that there is a certain kismet to who shows up--both people and horses. It's as if each person is fated to meet a particular horse and vice versa. Virtually every one who participates in equine experiential learning has one special encounter with a horse that he or she will never forget. Often, no one in the class forgets the encounter, it is so powerful! I still remember Bixby, the first horse I ever worked with in equine assisted learning. That's a story for another day.

This quarter we opened the class up to healthcare professionals. Tomorrow we are expecting 3 medical students, a resident, a fellow, a nurse, and a cardiologist. In the words of the recently late Kurt Vonnegut, we are all in eachother's karrass.