By Lauren Keating
Hertha Lund was hospitalized nine years ago due to inflammation of her heart. However, it was the emotional burden of childhood trauma and her approach of constantly working as a professional—that contributed to the stress that triggered her chronic pneumonia and severe pericarditis.
With patients coding around her—and her health declining— she was sick and tired of being sick and came to terms that the end may be near. She didn't like it here in this existence anyway.
"You obviously sent me to the wrong place," she said in a talk to God.
She thought about all she loved; her husband, her pets, her horses.
And then she left her body.
Lund found herself in what she described as a white tube, surrounded by an all-encompassing golden light.
She ascended higher into the atmosphere, "I felt a sense of oneness, peace, and love that I never knew one could feel because it's more than we can comprehend in this human form down here," she said.
There was no time, no space.
Then a thought crept in. "I did not finish my reason for this life."
She then fell from high up there back into her body. It was so awful that she described the experience in her book, Alchemy of Resilience: My Rugged Path to Wholeness, as going into a dead elk carcass. Despite being boundless and free, she made a promise to God. So she took the initiative to get healthy.
"We know a lot about post-traumatic stress now," Lund said. "The body remembers."
Following her heart toward healing, there was medicine, psychology, homeopathy, and acupuncture along the road. Then she found what spoke most to her soul—Equine Gestalt.
"Transformational healing takes light and how to live in a vibration of love. Because without that we simply don't have the right vibration to transform. That's the basis of everything that I share
and teach at the retreat."
- Hertha Lund
Founded by psychotherapist Melissa Pierce, the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method® is a coaching method that combines the principles of Gestalt therapy, along using horses as active partners to help individuals work through emotional blockages.
"I love horses. That's what kept me alive," she said.
Lund grew up on a ranch in Montana that the family lost in the '80s due to the economy. "And my childhood was hell in some ways. But there was heaven too, because I loved being with my horses."
After working as a cow boss in Montana, a journalist in Philadelphia, and a lawyer in courtrooms and the halls of Congress, Lund transitioned from attending a retreat for her own healing to becoming a certified Equine Gestalt Practitioner, trained under Pierce. She is now the owner of Four Horses for Wholeness.
Horses and domesticated animals have been used as medical treatment since the second century (Granados & Agís, 2011). The trajectory of therapeutic uses for animals and horses in medicine is essential in understanding the concept of equine‐assisted therapy. Spending time around horses, whether grooming, riding, interacting or just being around them can
help reduce anxiety. Horses are said to be highly perceptive to human emotions. These thousand-pound animals have a large mass but a calming presence, bringing positive vibrations when sharing a space with us humans.
"When they stay calm, your nervous system naturally goes,
I can do that too," Lund said.
Four Horses for Wholeness offers coaching, workshops, and retreats. There are group or individual therapy options at the ranch, but the sessions are based on what the client needs in terms of acknowledging their trauma and expressing their feelings.
One client verbalized her story in a session, and Lund's Gypsy and Shire crossbred mare named Merlin stood behind her and put his head around her and held her. In that moment, the client said, there was a shift of consciousness and a release of her burdens. A simple, yet massive gesture.
Also at the ranch is Sage, a Palomino, a Gypsy/Quarter who loves to interact with people. Night Hawk is a stout horse who connects with those who live authentically, whereas the Thoroughbred/ Quarter horse, Ruby is sensitive and harnesses that power to heal. And then there is Monk, who is referred to as a "Fabio of horses." This Gypsy Vanner and Quarter Horse cross is as passionate as he is gentle.
Some clients simply need to talk to the horses, while others prefer to remain silent and allow the energy to shift, transforming negative experiences or feelings into transcendent moments together.
Some, like Lund, have even lain down with the horses, finding comfort in their presence during difficult times.
The idea is to face the trauma and to change the perception so a client no longer has to experience life through that lens. The horses are there to be a support animal. However, critics may say this therapy might not be best for those who haven't worked through their trauma at all and there may be negative mental health effects from going back to the trauma.
Those interested in Equine Gestalt must consult a highly trained professional like Lund who can assess how much work a client is capable of. Some clients are turned away after an initial screening if not the right candidate, and Lund will not work with those working through grief work until at least a year or two after their loss.
But Four Horses for Wholeness horse therapy isn't just for those working through PTSD, trauma, loss, depression, and anxiety. It is also recommended for those looking to feel more connected to nature and to work on their wholeness and holistic health.
"I think all of our souls are directed for a path," Lund said. "But we need to bring in the light, the love into our being. And that's the part that starts making the changes for the healing."
This can be done with spiritual practices like prayer and meditation. For some, it may be surrounding themselves with these gentle giants who radiate serenity and tranquility.
"Transformational healing takes light and how to live in a vibration of love," Lund said. "Because without that we simply don't have the right vibration to transform. That's the basis of everything that I share and teach at the retreat."
Clients have reported lower heart rates, improvement in mental health, and even physical health.
"I think all of our souls are directed for a path," Lund said. "But we need to bring in the light, the love into our being. And that's the part that starts making the changes for the healing."
This can be done with spiritual practices like prayer and meditation. For some, it may be surrounding themselves with these gentle giants who radiate serenity and tranquility.
"Transformational healing takes light and how to live in a vibration of love," Lund said. "Because without that we simply don't have the right vibration to transform. That's the basis of everything that I share and teach at the retreat."
Clients have reported lower heart rates, improvement in mental health, and even physical health.
There is something magical about being blessed to be around the spirit of horses. Those looking for adventure, nature, healing, and health can visit:
Four Horses for Wholeness
149 Grande Road, Martinsdale, MT.
To learn more visit: 4horsesforwholeness.com
Four Horses for Wholeness retreat dates:
July 10 -13, 2025
Mother Hunger Retreat for Women
July 31 - August 3, 2025
Path to Wholeness Retreat for Women
September 11-14, 2025
Mother Hunger Retreat for Women
September 25-28, 2025
Path to Wholeness Retreat for Women
