Why use horses?
Like us, horses are social beings, with well defined roles and rules within their herds. Also, like us, they would rather be with their peers than isolated and alone. However, unlike humans, horses are non-judgmental, they have no hidden agendas, prejudices, or even expectations.
They are not influenced by our appearance, our past, or our current life situation. Horses allow us the freedom to be ourselves, experience ourselves and our environment – and experiment – without judgment.
Horses are “in the moment”. They respond to any given situation honestly, effectively and immediately— providing the client with instant, honest feedback about their behaviour & choices when with them. The horses also hold people accountable for who they are in that relationship, at that point in time.
As in human relationships, equine relationships require trust, respect, effective communication & cooperation. They are “experts” in reading non-verbal communication and body language, and human emotions.
Horses possess an innate ability to “mirror” what is happening for the client, and therefore respond very differently to each client—depending on the issues the client presents with—which again allows for immediate and accurate feedback for the client.
Then it is up to the “human” part of the team to facilitate activities which assist the client to experience, observe and contemplate the changes they require to make a positive impact on their life.
All of this means that working with horses in this way provides enormous opportunities for metaphorical learning, an effective method when working with even the most challenging of individuals or groups.
