The White Shires were a project of
Stable Environment Equine Rehabilitation (S.E.E.R.)
established by Mary Lou Kaler in 1999
becoming a federally recognized 501C3 in 2017.
The Mission
To give horses in desperate situations a new lease on life.
To provide a horse experience to people who would benefit from it and otherwise not be able to afford it.
To promote the belief that a horse is of value for its being, nature, or "Medicine" as opposed to the popular belief that a horse’s value is equal to its ability to perform physically.
“The mission has been a way of life for me for a long, long time, even as a child.”
Home, 1968
Meet Mary Lou
Mary Lou Kaler has been around horses all her life. She and her horses arrived in East Hampton in 1987.
Mary Lou opened Cove Hollow Stable in ‘93, and in ‘99 the rescue of two Clydesdales birthed Stable Environment Equine Rehabilitation (S.E.E.R.), a 501(c)(3). She also trained Lisa De Kooning’s driving ponies for many years. In 2015 she rescued 4 now-famous Shire horses by compassionately working with their owner for over a year.
She gave up the last of her horses in 2019, ending 51 consecutive years of hands-on ownership.
She joined the CTREE team in 2020.
—As appeared on CTREE
“I was very fortunate as a child to have an abundance of horses and freedom. The first 19 years as an owner caretaker were spent on my family’s farmland located in the suburbs of Long Island NY. My youth was spent riding to and from parks and beaches, pleasure riding. Backyard horses are commonplace in the suburbs. Having relocated to East Hampton with two horses in 1987, I have witnessed the steady decline of Pleasure Horses here. I attribute this to second homeowners choosing the services of Boarding Stables, which are all strictly sport horse facilities here. The riding of Sport Horses is contained within an arena. Pleasure riding or carriage driving is about going places, taking in the scenery, and relaxing for both the horses and the people. I consider it a moving meditation. Long before animal therapy was commonplace I realized the value of sharing my horses with others, even if only for a few moments during a ride through a neighborhood.
During the 90's I became a student of a Medicine Woman and dedicated myself to the healing of the "Two Leggeds" through the way of the Horse Nation. When I created Stable Environment Equine Rehabilitation in 1999 Promoting Horse Medicine, sharing it with people free of charge, and rehabilitating horses and humans became the Mission.
Although it has been through great personal sacrifice, keeping the family of Four White Shire Horses here in East Hampton instead of sending them off to a rescue farm has brought me, the public, and the horses a lot of joy. They have such a majestic presence that they cause people to stop what they are doing just to approach the fence and be in their energy. People are taking time out and connecting to the Spirit because of these Noble beings. I am honored to be their caretaker.”
Located at 93 Merchant’s Path
Studies conducted by the Institute of HeartMath provide a clue to explain the bidirectional "healing" that happens when we are near horses. According to researchers, the heart has a larger electromagnetic field and a higher level of intelligence than the brain: A magnetometer can measure the heart's energy field radiating up to 8 to 10 feet around the human body. While this is certainly significant it is perhaps more impressive that the electromagnetic field projected by the horse's heart is five times larger than the human one (imagine a sphere-shaped field that surrounds you).
“The horse's electromagnetic field is stronger than ours and can directly influence our heart rhythm!”
Horses are likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent" heart rhythm (heart rate pattern) which explains why we may "feel better" when we are around them. Studies have found that a coherent heart pattern or HRV is a robust measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy--that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adjust to stressful situations very efficiently. Oftentimes, we only need to be in a horse’s presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace. Research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters that serve as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension, and anxiety, improved social functioning; and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience, and self-efficacy.
Tales of Mary Lou
The origin of the Shire breed is lost in the mists of antiquity, as is the case with many breeds, but we do have a pretty fair notion from whence he cometh.
Sir Walter Gilbey, an early authority on the breed, had this to say in the introduction to Volume 1 of the studbook.
"The Shire horse is the purest survival of an early type which medieval writers spoke of as the 'Great Horse.' If this horse did not originate in England, this country at a very early date acquired a widespread reputation for producing it. Indeed, the English 'Great Horse' seems to have been a native development of that British 'War Horse' whose strength, courage, and aptitude for discipline are spoken of in high terms by the -chroniclers of the Roman legions at their first landing upon these shores." There are good reasons to believe that modern Shire horses originated in the English Great Horse. It seems to be true that the most powerful animals now existing in England, for the advance of agriculture and commerce, (i.e., the arts of peace) are the direct descendants of the horse which, when Julius Caesar arrived here, attracted his attention for its efficiency in the assistance which it rendered to our forefathers in the pursuits of war."
The band of 4 Shires, having enjoyed 3 years of feasting and freedom has now become two pairs.
I have kept the two I feel are more likely to adjust to cross-country adventures under saddle, quietly pulling historic carriages in parades as well as participating in mobile therapeutic and educational programs. Their comrades will respond well to the more disciplined routine of English Equitation, with a fair amount of loafing and grass.