Equine Assisted Processes

The equine assisted activities require in-the-moment interaction, which provide participants with the opportunity to apply everyday life skills, in the moment.

Horses in combination with a scientific mental health approach becomes the catalyst to raise self-awareness and promote personal growth

Equine assisted psychotherapy is done with a mental health specialist and horse behavior specialist, who sets up ground activities, involving horses in combination with a scientific mental health approach. This combination is used as a catalyst to promote personal growth, raise self-awareness and assist self-reflection. Equine assisted learning works on the same principles, but focuses more on personal growth.

The equine assisted process is intense, and effectively develops non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative thinking, problem-solving, leadership, confidence, taking responsibility, relationship skills and above all else, being authentic.

Horses are used for very specific reasons

• Horses sense & respond to participants’ intentions, emotions & thoughts, which are conveyed subconsciously, through body language.
• As prey animals, horses’ “flight” instincts, become instant mirrors & non-judgmental feedback mechanisms for humans. When participants change their belief system, horses respond differently.
• Activities with the horses are highly interactive & provide “in the moment” learning experiences, which can be difficult to acquire in a more traditional setting.
• Connecting with & directing a thousand-pound animal, in spite of fears & uncertainty, while standing on the ground, gives an incredible boost to participants’ confidence

The horses serve as a catalyst to greater awareness of ineffective habits and the choice to become more consistent and congruent in everyday life experiences.

When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge…

• This experience is structured to bring about effective action, improved behavioural patterns and personal growth for the individual, as well as understanding of others around you.
• The activities are designed to create metaphors representing ‘real life’ & the horses mirror the effectiveness of patterns, providing opportunities to become aware of actions, especially when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life.
• Interaction with the horses create natural opportunities to overcome uncertainty and develop confidence, which support participants to learn more effective behaviours & gain personal power & respect.
• By observing & experiencing the horse’s response to their interactions, participants learn how to communicate more effectively & become more consistent & congruent in their actions.
• The observations create self-awareness, which increase the depth of the participants’ emotional intelligence.
• Participants experience life-changing breakthroughs, when interaction with the horses, reveals their blind spots.

Why utilise this opportunity?

• It’s a unique non-judgemental outside perspective, almost like when another person can see what’s going on, on your back, while you would need 2 mirrors to see the same.
• It’s the process of assessing existing thoughts & emotions, observing behavioural patterns and discerning hidden saboteurs.
• It provides greater focus & awareness of choice, through the process of becoming aware of the way you currently interpret the world around you.
• It’s a thought provoking & creative process, which can inspire you to maximise your personal potential and to improve quality of life.
• It provides the opportunity to identify & interpret feedback as a way of finding what is blocking you from your goals.
• It’s a process of empowerment, where the feedback can direct your energies to solutions, with the understanding that there is a positive intention behind every behaviour & that there is no such thing as failure, but only feedback.

How do I know the facilitator is an expert?

The facilitator:

• must be able to hold the space for the client to experience the horse as the catalyst.
• must be able to make micro observations and give it back in a clear way, without interfering with the process.
• must be able to read between the lines and provide structure, without transference.
• must be able to expands people’s awareness through powerful, thought-provoking questions.
• MUST do continuous inner work on themselves!

Horses cannot lie, and they respond with extremely well-developed mirror neurons, while interacting with people.

Horses become instant mirrors and non-judgemental bio-feedback mechanisms for humans

We use horses for very specific reasons

• Horses sense & respond to participants’ intentions, emotions & thoughts, which are conveyed subconsciously, through body language.
• As prey animals, horses’ “flight” instincts, become instant mirrors & non-judgmental feedback mechanisms for humans. When participants change their belief system, horses respond differently.
• Activities with these horses are highly interactive & provide “in the moment” learning experiences, which can be difficult to acquire in a more traditional setting.
• Connecting with & directing a thousand-pound animal, in spite of fears & uncertainty, while standing on the ground, gives an incredible boost to participants’ confidence
• In an era of immediate gratification, horses require participants to engage in physical, emotional and mental work to be successful, a valuable characteristic in all aspects of life.

About the herd

• As the horse behaviour specialist, you need to know your herd of horses & have a real sense of the default responses of each horse in different situations…
• Horses used in this setting, must be healthy –physically, emotionally & mentally- as this work centres on the natural responses of horses. Dead-broke/bomb-proof horses are not good choices, as their natural instincts have been deliberately squelched.
• Horses need to be balanced and well-adjusted in their herd and are not trained to do this work. The horses’ backgrounds and emotional health are very important in this setting.
• The horses must have choices in the sessions, in order for them to offer honest feedback cleanly & without interference, as they are seen as partners in this work.
• The most important qualities in selecting appropriate horses are horses solid in mind, body & spirit, with their natural instincts intact. A varied herd to choose from is best with a variety of sizes, colours, breeds & personalities.
• How horses are cared for outside of sessions, impacts their fitness for this work. Horses will be less stressed, when they are turned out in herds & cared for as naturally as possible.

The scientific and energetic explanations of the power of the equine assisted process is still difficult to explain to the public and it is the one of the director’s missions to demystify the field of quantum physics and energy medicine in the form of schematic books.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning develops…

• Communication
• Personal discovery
• Group dynamics
• Creativity
• Assertiveness
• Flexibility
• Crisis management
• Conflict resolution
• Team building
• Leadership development
• Promotes self-awareness and reflection
• Increases self-esteem and confidence
• Promotes communication skills, especially non-verbal communication
• Helps with identifying strengths
• Improves relationships
• Gives a sense of responsibility to self and others
• Develops self-discipline
• Increases problem-solving skills
• Promotes assertiveness
• Develops trust and respect
• Helps with focusing and working under pressure
• Promotes leadership and teamwork skills
• Gives opportunities for fun and humor