Why Horses?
When people are around horses, they learn to recognize and listen to their own bodies, transform previously unchallenged beliefs and behavioral patterns, and establish a more positive framework for the future. Working with horses allows people to connect to themselves and those around them in new and profound ways. It's all about relationship. Working with horses has also been shown to have many physiological and emotional benefits, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (i.e., 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 confidence.
The healing presence of horses and their intuitive responses help people connect to their deepest truths through a supportive and nonjudgmental experience.
- TRUST/CONNECTION
Horses' unconditional acceptance helps clients who might have been abused and isolated build trust and feel a sense of connection with themselves and others. Horses will only react to the client's behavior and emotions with no threat of bias or judgement.
- EMOTIONAL AWARENESS and SELF REGULATION
Horses have needed to have quick reactions to survive as prey animals, so they react very quickly to nuances in our behavior. With this they reflect back our behavior and emotions and begin to act in ways that feel familiar to other relationships or dynamics in our lives. This gives us a chance to gain emotional awareness and work through those relationships and issues. This in turn can help us learn self-regulation.
- INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
As a sophisticated herd animal, horses immediately begin building relationships with people as members of their herd. Through working with horses, people recognize their patterns of interacting with others and although they may have difficulty relating to other people, they establish close bonds with horses. In addition, learning to understand horse behavior can help people learn the way their behavior impacts others.
Exercises as simple as haltering, leading and grooming teach people how to approach others with respect and awareness.
- CONFIDENCE & SELF-ESTEEM
Horses are large animals, and their strength can bring up unmet needs, fears, and feelings of inadequacy or lack of control. Working alongside a horse in spite of those fears empowers people and creates confidence to address other intimidating and challenging situations in life.
Life stories begin unfolding symbolically in a safe and supportive setting.
- HEALTHIER BOUNDARIES
Without any words at all, horses make clear when someone has crossed their boundaries. Lessons may be as simple as how much physical space the horse needs to feel comfortable. Trying to control or dominate will not work with a horse. Likewise, a detached or passive approach can make it difficult to lead a horse.
- MANAGING STRESS/ TRAUMA
Horses can open the door to revisioning past traumatic events by offering a safe base. If something feels too painful to speak of, it can feel a bit easier for clients to externalize the content by processing using the horse’s experience in the moment.
Did you Know?
- The human hearts electromagnetic field can extend up to 10 feet from the body.
- A horse's electromagnetic field projects up to 5 x more than a human.
- A horse's electromagnetic field can directly influence heart rhythm increasing coherence.
- A coherent heart pattern correlates positive emotional states like calm and joy.