BRUTUS - It doesn't take a veterinarian to know there are a lot of differences between humans and animals.

But Loraine Molina believes there is one key difference between us and them, and it involves emotion.

“An animal's behavior mimics how they feel. Animals are very emotional,” Molina said. “Humans have trained themselves not to be emotional.”

Molina is a self-proclaimed psychic who does readings for both humans and animals. She is in Brutus for the weekend as one of the many vendors at the Cayuga County Fair.

Based out of Syracuse, Molina said Friday that this is the first time she has been to the Cayuga County Fair. But she said it makes sense, as there are a large number of both people and animals in one place to offer her services.

Just Thursday, she offered an interpretation for what was troubling a horse named Tassy, who had been acting up recently. Outspoken and willing to share a skill she said she “inherited,” Molina said she has been able to communicate with animals on a different level since she was very young.

“Animals are extremely picturesque,” said Molina, who has worked with dogs, cats, horses, birds and their owners, alike. “They speak in pictures, and in feelings. They are ultra sensitive.”

She discussed her work from her vendor tent on the fairgrounds. The sky was full of clouds and a cool breeze occasionally blew fliers off her table.

With less-than-ideal weather, the fairgrounds were not exactly teeming with people. The whirring and buzzing of mechanical rides could be heard from the tent, but only small groups of children were standing in line to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl and jump down the inflatable slide.

But the wet weather also helped bring Molina and Tassy together, as the 4-H horse show scheduled for Thursday received heavy rain. Molina said someone at the fair told Tassy's owner, Chrystal Barrigar, to talk to her.

The horse recently had a rough show, said Barrigar, 31, of Jordan.

“I kind of did it for fun, just as kind of a joke,” she said. “We though, why not try to find out what (Tassy's) problem is.”

A crowd gathered inside the horse barn as Molina worked with the animal. She would stroke the hair on the horse's neck, sometimes talking and stopping, as if listening to Tassy respond to her.

Tassy doesn't like the dark, and she has been dealing with pain in her shoulders and head, Molina said. She also said later she believes the horse is unhappy because she knows she could be sold to another owner.

Barrigar said she's a skeptic, and some of the things Molina said were “bizarre.” But some of it made sense, too, she said. They just did work on the horse's barn that made it much darker than it used to be. She also already suspected the horse could be dealing with some pain, and had called a veterinarian to check it out.

“We're still very skeptical,” Barrigar said. “But not skeptical enough for others not to say ”Bring her to the barn, we want our horses read, too.' “

Molina said she understands people are skeptical about her claims to be able to communicate with animals. Everyone is allowed to have their opinion, she said.

“I just say I understand, but here is some information that I'm giving you as a gift,” Molina said. “It's not my job to prove what I am. I am just what I am.”

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at

253-5311 ext. 282 or

christopher.caskey@lee.net