Every morning in the hills above Malibu, Alice Champlin rides her horse, communing with nature and figuring out the best way to spread the message about horses and how to save them. Many people may not know about the dire problem of abused and neglected horses, but Champlin, a 20-year resident of Malibu, has devoted herself to saving horses, educating the public about their many wonders, and telling positive stories about horses and the people who love them.
Chaplin first rescued a Paint mare, “Daphne,” about six years ago during the economic downturn when she found that many people could not afford the upkeep of their animals, which were sometimes sent off to slaughter in other countries.
After finding that riding and taking care of Daphne lowered her stress and blood pressure, Champlin decided to spread the word about how horses can enrich lives and even heal.
“Horses demand that you are present and it’s very hard to be preoccupied with yourself when you are around them,” Champlin shared. “And if you are good to them, chances are they will be good to you.”
Champlin started an online monthly magazine called Equine Addiction, Inc. Each edition features stories about horses that have been rescued or purchased and had their lives turned around. A recent story in the magazine is about the Saratoga War Horse in New York — a nonprofit organization that helps veterans who are struggling with PTSD.
“The work being done there is amazing — they’re saving horses and soldiers at the same time,” Champlin shared.
One recent contributor, a teenage girl, wrote about low self-esteem and depression, and how horse therapy helped pull her out of what she described as a “deep, dark chasm.” According to the young writer, her horse doesn’t judge her and she is able to be free and open and comfortable.
“Horses help young people build character and self-worth,” Champlin shared. “There’s nothing like going to the barn and hearing the welcoming whinny of a good friend who has been waiting all day just for you.”
And one needs not be wealthy to experience the joy of horses. Yes, owning a horse is expensive, but Champlin explains that there are many ways people can interact with horses, including volunteering at stables, working at rescues, helping rehabilitate horses and earning credits to ride.
One nonprofit in Moorpark, Stepping Stones, is seeking financial support and volunteers. Malibu Mom Sharon Hetrick wrote an article about the group for Equine Addiction, Inc. last year. With Stepping Stones, children and adults put in countless hours caring for horses and helping some of the animals regain their trust in people. From mucking the pasture to feeding, washing, brushing and exercising the horses, volunteers of all ages create bonds and learn the fundamentals of horsemanship.
“They do great work with inner-city kids, too, who not only can learn about horses, but be in nature,” Champlin said.
Recently, the magazine featured a story about two best friends who purchased a horse together because neither could afford one on their own. Their contract: no matter what, the horse comes first.
Besides the health benefits of horses, Champlin shared one environmental benefit: she and a posse of riders pick up pieces of trash on horseback from local Malibu trails.
One can often find Champlin, a “sort of horse-whisperer,” calming some unruly horses and coaching them into kindness and self-assuredness.
“A gal asked me to look at her horse,” Champlin explained. “He hanked [her] arm so badly, he tore her rotator cuff … Her family had been pressuring her to give him up.”
Champlin worked one-on-one with the young bay gelding, walking him and eventually putting him in a turnout. After doing this a few times, the horse met her at a fence and it was then that she knew he was ready to connect.
“After four weeks, the horse could walk in an arena, calmly, in a straight line, keep his head level with his body — no head tossing — and even bend in the corners, and he even learned how to stop,” Champlin shared. After five months, he now has the new title of “family horse” and is no longer a problem horse. “What turned this horse around was time. I put time into him. A lot at first, and then, gradually, less and less.”
Champlin explained that she also works with a lot of high-powered executives and professional women who “need some down time.”One of Champlin’s clients, Linda Vogel, is an actress and small business owner, as well as a single, working mom who appreciates horseback riding and being out in nature. She describes the whole experience as therapeutic.
Champlin reiterates: one doesn’t have to own a horse to be around them. She encourages all to let the positive energy horses bring come into your life, whether you rent, lease, volunteer, purchase, rescue or just take a riding lesson, get out and get “horsing.”
Read more about Champlin and her work at equineaddiction.net.
