Meet UKIP’s Resident Horse Whisperer
Peter Neilson, a UKIP candidate standing for election in the Scottish Borders, is also one of the country’s most sought after horse whisperers.
Neislon, 75, who is currently running for election in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, a constituency in the Scottish Borders, has been a registered “healer” with “The Healing Foundation” since 1998. Before then, he was the Joint Master of the Duke of Buccleuch’s Hunt for 15 years. When working Neilson goes by the name White Horse of the Cherokee Nation.
Neilson’s success is the result of a supernatural ability to communicate with the horses and his work became the subject of a 2012 documentary, “The View From Here.”
“Any physical problems that the animal has have to be dealt with by the vet. But any mental and emotional problems have to be dealt with by somebody like myself,” he said in a phone interview.
Neilson has a variety of different methods through which he can transmit messages to the horse’s brain and soul. According to his website, this allows Neilson to search the animal’s past life trauma and heal it. He can even communicate with the animals via telephone, email or a lock of their mane.
“I would say 85 if not 90% of the horses I never see,” he said. “I have dealt with horses as far from America or Australia.” Neilson works with 100 horses a year on average and receives a small charge for each. He waits for the owners to seek him out and ask for help. “They’ve got to come to me,” he said. “I found out very early on that when you hear of a horse that’s in trouble and you get in touch to offer that help that doesn’t work. They have got to come to you.”
Neilson has authored several autobiographical books on the subject. His first, “Nod’s Whispers,” follows his discovery that he and his horse had travelled across Ancient China in another life — part of the British army during the Peninsula wars. This realization helped him to understand Nod’s current trauma and heal him in real life. Nielson describes it as “very much like the Black Beauty story”.
A second book, “Alexander the Great’s Horseman’s Spiritual Journey,” documents Neilson’s relationship with a horse that had also served Ancient Greek King in another life — and helped Neilson to remember that he too had once been a horseman for the leader.
Another of his past lives names was White Horse of the Cherokee Nation, which is the name he lists on his website. “We all have past lives,” Neilson said. “I’ve had thousands and thousands.”
Neilson’s talents are not limited to horses. The healer can communicate with creatures all over the world.
In the aftermath of the 2005 Tsunami disaster, Neilson received a telepathic message from the elephants in the affected region, explaining that Mother Nature was trying to restore the natural balance.
“Dear Sisters and Brothers, the Earth, our Mother, wishes you to know that she is sad for the loss of human lives, but She is also sending out a call to humans to remember their connection to Her and to all beings who inhabit Her planet.”
Neilson, who has been a member of UKIP for 20 years, is a former chairman for UKIP Scotland. He has previously stood for the party in three general, two Scottish and and two European elections. He has never managed to reach 5% of the vote, which means he has had to forfeit his £500 deposit. He has high hopes for this year’s election. “I would be chuffed to bits if it’s the first time I save my deposit,” he said in a phone interview.
Neilson, who had retired as a candidate, only announced his decision to run in this election on March 21st. In posts to his Twitter and Facebook accounts a few weeks ago, Neilson wrote, “well here is a surprise I am going to stand as a candidate in this constituency for UKIP in the general election.”
Since then, he has not spoken out any further on social media about his campaign, but he told Voting4Virgins that he’s standing for democracy and against Europe.
“I’m standing for the fact that the political establishment has allowed our democracy to be destroyed by putting us into the European Union, which is an extremely undemocratic institution,” he said.
Kenryck Lloyd-Jones, the Labour candidate in the constituency, said on the phone that he learned about Neilson’s unusual hobby via his campaign leaflet, which listed his email address as “whisperinghorses”. “Stranger things have happened!” said Lloyd-Jones, laughing. “I’m more concerned about his political opinion. He stands against the EU and I disagree with that. I hope he listens to his constituents as much as he listens to horses!”
Pauline Stewart, the Scottish Green Party candidate running against Neilson, referred to his “harmless hobby healing animals” in an email. “It’s no secret,” she wrote. “Peter has spoken openly about it at our hustings.” She added that as long as candidates’ hobbies weren’t against UK laws, she doesn’t think it should stop them from working in politics. “I am more concerned about the types of policies UKIP advocate and the fact that more than a few of their members are openly racist,” she wrote.
Neilson will be standing against the current MP, Michael Moore, as well as Calum Kerr (SNP), John Lamont (Conservative), Kenryck Lloyd-Jones (Labour), Pauline Stewart (Scottish Green) and Jesse Rae (independent). Rae, who is a Scottish singer and composer who achieved fame in the 1980s for his pop hits “Inside Out” and “Over the Sea,” said this to us on Twitter:
Whether it’s a vote for Neilson or not, make sure you have your say this Thursday — and remember the do’s and dont’s of the polling booth (HINT: selfies can get you six months in jail).
If you’re at a loss of who to support, take our quiz and find out which party leader you’d be friends with.
