Grand Prairie

Horses' Healing Power Help With Parkinson's Tremors, Man Says

Equine massage therapist finds healing in his work

NBCUniversal, Inc.

The racehorses at Lone Star Park are used to life in the fast lane. Helping them stay there is Frank "Pancho" Silva's job.

"The horses love me and I love them," Silva said.

Silva is an equine massage therapist.

"Focus on the muscle that's tight," Silva said as he ran his hands down a horse's back. "His back is real sore right there."

Silva has been around horses his whole life, but a diagnosis 14 years ago made him believe he would never ride off into the sunset.

"I was diagnosed with Parkinson's," Silva said. "Progressively, I got to a point where I couldn't even dress myself. I couldn't feed myself. My wife would have to feed me. I was shaking so bad, I couldn't do anything."

Silva said his faith in the divine and the equine saved him.

"God had other plans," Silva said. "When you massage a horse, it makes it release endorphins, and endorphins, what they do is they heal the body."

He said the horses feel his engery, and they in turn, give energy to him. "I just put my hands," Silva said. "God does all the healing."

Silva said when he lays hands on a horse, his Parkinson's tremors stop.

"There have been times I don't feel like doing nothing and I get around these horses and they make me feel better," Silva said.

It is a symbiotic relationship.

"Horses don't have no negativity. All they transmit is love and power," Silva said. "Horses are a lot like humans. All they need is love."

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