Lauren Bode nuzzles her olive-skinned face into Quarter Mile Hustler's cinnamon mane, channelling the horse's thoughts.
"He wants to know if he's for sale," Bode, a self-described telepathic animal communicator, says easily. Her eyes are closed as she strokes the male horse. The heels of her tan cowboy boots dig into the dirt at Saturn Stables in St. Catharines Saturday afternoon.
"No never," says Hustler's owner, Suzanne Collicutt of Fenwick.
Bode presses her face next to the horse's again, relaying the message.
Bode, who lives in Aurora, says she can speak with horses, cats, and dogs telepathically. The former zookeeper says she reads their minds, and they read hers. She says she's had the gift since her childhood days in Guyana.
On Saturday, she visited the local stable and chatted with 10 horses. The chats pay off. Rates for Bode's sought-after services can run as high as $200 an hour.
Quarter Mile Hustler, an 18-year-old registered quarterhorse, has had a busy career, wrangling wayward racing horses at Fort Erie Race Track for years.
He's slowed down recently after taking a bad step at the track and cracking a bone in his left front leg.
Bode says she can sense the horse's discomfort, particularly on his left side.
Hustler stands perfectly still, looking calm as Bode gently brushes tufts of hair from his belly.
"He's had stomach problems," she says, a TV crew from Woodbine Entertainment filming her as she speaks.
Yes, turns out he's had some ulcer issues as of late, Collicutt, 47, says.
Dislike for a new stable mate has caused his stomach to churn, Collicutt says after the brief reading.
There's other things, Bode says. He likes peppermints. He enjoys working at the track.
He wants to know if Collicutt kept a photo of him, a particularly nice shot that is Hustler's favourite.
Collicutt is caught off guard.
"We've taken a lot of photos of him," Collicutt says thoughtfully.
"This is his favourite photo. He wants his favourite photo," Bode says.
Collicutt says afterward that she wanted the reading done on Quarter Mile Hustler because he's a smart boy.
Of her four horses, Collicutt figured he'd have the "most to say."
"Of all the horses that I know, he's always had a unique personality. I've always been interested to know what thoughts go in his head."
Animals work hard and carefully time their actions, Bode says before reading Quarter Mile Hustler's thoughts.
She says she can tell if an animal is in pain and help an owner pinpoint where it hurts. Bode, co-author of Animal Talk 101, can also detect if an animal is miffed or upset.
Often, humans don't give them enough credit, she says.
"We tend to trivialize animals."
mbeech@stcatharinesstandard.ca
