Not many people know how many times horses are rehomed in their lifetime. Every horse deserves a forever home, yet most will be bought and sold an average of seven times during their lifetime. This constant upheaval can lead to emotional distress, neglect, or even a tragic end in the slaughter pipeline. On episode 027 of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, host Cheryl Moss speaks with Lidia Kuleshnyk, founder of AponaHealing.com, about how we can break this cycle and restore dignity, stability, and healing for horses and the humans who care for them.
Healing the Wounds of Separation
With over 30 years of experience in wellness and advocacy, Lidia, also known as Lady Apona, has dedicated her life to healing what she calls “the great separation” between humans and nature. She believes this disconnection is the root cause of suffering, both for animals and for people. “We’ve treated horses like objects,” she explains, “instead of the divine spiritual beings they are.”
From Exploitation to Reverence
Lidia highlights the tragic history of PMU farms, where pregnant mares are confined and used for urine extraction to produce hormone replacement drugs. Though not an expert in the field, she draws a powerful parallel: when human health came into question, these farms began to decline. “The horses were only valued when it affected humans,” she says, “which reveals a deeper issue in our collective values.”
A Prayer for Healing: Ho’oponopono and Horses
Lidia incorporates the Hawaiian forgiveness practice, Ho’oponopono, into her work with horses. With phrases like “I’m sorry” and “I love you,” she shares this healing energy with the animals at her sanctuary. “When I say ‘I’m sorry’ to my horses for the suffering of their kind, they respond with presence and recognition,” she says. “It’s sacred. It’s transformational.”
The L.O.V.E. Method: A Path to Deeper Connection
Lidia developed the L.O.V.E. Method, Listen, Observe, Validate, Empower, as a simple yet profound tool for reconnecting with ourselves, animals, and others. “When you listen with your heart and release expectations, the animal will meet you where you are,” she explains. “That’s where true connection begins.”
Creating Equine Land Trusts and Forever Sanctuaries
A major focus of Lidia’s work is building forever home sanctuaries to prevent horses from being endlessly rehomed or sent to slaughter. She envisions equine land trusts that offer long-term
stability, community stewardship, and a sacred space for animals to live in peace. “It’s not that we don’t have enough homes,” she says. “It’s that we haven’t committed to creating them.”
Retreats That Heal Humans and Honor Animals
At her Apona Healing sanctuary, Lidia hosts equine-assisted retreats and coaching programs that help people reconnect with their intuition, process grief, manage stress, and heal chronic illness. Participants spend time in stillness with horses, engage in energy healing, and explore inner transformation through nature and reflection.
The Seven Steps to Co-Creation and Rescue
Lidia shares the seven spiritual steps that helped her rescue her first horse from slaughter, steps that now guide her clients in aligning with their intuition and purpose. These include listening for spiritual messages, honoring your emotions, embracing faith, and taking aligned action. “We’re all receiving the call,” she says. “We just need to trust it and respond.”
A Vision for the Future
Now in her 60s, Lidia continues to expand her coaching programs and advocacy efforts. Her vision is to see more sanctuaries established, more horses safe, and more humans awakened to their power to heal. “Horses come in love,” she says. “They’ve been waiting for us to catch up.”
Learn More and Get Involved
To explore Lidia’s equine retreats, coaching programs, or support her sanctuary, visit AponaHealing.com. You can also learn more about her land trust vision at aponahhealing.com/ranch.
About Lidia Kuleshnyk, Founder of Apona Healing
As a Renaissance Woman, High Performance Coach, Horse and Animal Advocate and Founder of AponaHealing.com, Lidia Kuleshnyk, aka Lady Apona, brings together 30 years of passion, expertise and wisdom in holistic healing, into 4 pathways for every stage of personal development, to help you heal, grow and evolve and live a Centered, Connected and Conscious Life.
Honouring life, of all sentient beings, is one of the fundamental pillars of Lidia’s life and work. Lidia has been vegan for 45 years, as a result of her chronic illnesses in her youth and as a result of witnessing the horrors of both the animals in slaughterhouses and of how her father suffered as a result of working in slaughterhouses. Lidia believes that creating forever home sanctuaries for animals in need is part of the solution to honouring the lives of our sentient, spiritual brothers and sisters, as humanity expands consciousness and evolves into a new Paradigm of Light. Lidia’s “Equine Land Trusts” is a sanctuary concept that she would one day like to develop in collaboration with other dedicated vegans.
Lidia became involved in holistic healing and healing with horses through her own incredible journey, 50 years ago, when at the age of 10, Lidia developed a deep relationship with nature, animals and horses. This connection helped Lidia heal the chronic health conditions she was born with. Horses and animals have always come to Lidia in dreams as Pillars of Light, and she has developed a beautiful lasting connection with the Divinity of Horses, which is the title of her chapter in a best-selling book by Soulful Valley publishing called “Evolving On Purpose: Co-Creating With The Divine”.
Lidia is featured in the new motivational film by Dr. Joe Vitale, Zero Limits, discussing the power of healing with horses. Simply standing in silence, stillness and presence with horses can create the power to change lives in the moment and create a lasting connection of inner strength and peace.
Lidia offers Equine-Assisted Therapy and Equine Healing Retreats at her Apona Healing Ranch in Ontario Canada, a forever home sanctuary for horses in need and who are rescued from slaughter.
Lidia is a proud recipient of the Ranath Media Lifetime Achievement Award 2025, Global Super Minds Award by Expert Profile Magazine, Global Women Leaders Award by Passion Vista Magazine and is featured in the Who’s Who Of The Industries by Unified Brainz Group as well as in the Zero Limits Movie with Dr. Joe Vitale.
Learn more and connect with Lidia: www.AponaHealing.com
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books, Gabriel, 
Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
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