Horses and Healing
What is it about horses and healing trauma experiences in life. Well, I think it’s important, first to talk about how to define healing. I’ve always struggled with defining healing for myself, but watching horses time and time again provide compassion to people, I have learned what it means to me and can testify to the power of self-compassion. The next part is how do we come to a place of self-compassion and how do we know that we have been able to provide ourselves compassion. Well, that’s the process of “healing”. It is a journey, definitely not a destination. I believe that personal work is something that we all deserve to commit to for ourselves and our own well-being. Will we ever change the traumatic events that have happened in life, unfortunately no, and we can change the way we think about those events and with compassion for self, respond differently when we are triggered or charged.
This is where horses come in at least in my experience. Horses have been the biggest support for me in my own journey to find more compassion for myself. Equine Therapy is becoming more and more popular and people are starting to find success with the support of a trained trauma therapist and horses. I am a Certified Equine Gestalt Coach and Counselling Therapist and have been supporting people since 2012 and am honored day after day to work beside horses. Gestalt means to become whole meaning that we help clients finish places that are unfinished within them. When we get an opportunity to say or express what we never were able to allows our body to release those things that have been locked away which begins to allow for shifts within us. Horses compliment this modality so well because of their natural way of being. They are sensitive beings that move through the energy of trauma almost every day. They are always living in the moment and respond to each event when it comes up. This means that for humans as predators, horses must bring us into the present moment to become aware of what is happening in our bodies. That is when horses can connect to us and feel safe with us. They point out where trauma is stuck within us and allow a trained person to support the client to process through those places.
I’ve seen my horses show up so many different ways and always they seem to know what is necessary for the client to find their deep truths in a safe space. As we process those deep truths self-compassion is the end result. Horses don’t have words like we do, yet somehow they manage to listen to us, usually better than we even listen to ourselves. When we take the time to honor their way of communication, and pay attention to what they are trying to tell us, the lessons horses can teach us about ourselves are invaluable. Pairing this with the support of a trained professional, can lead us down the most incredible, sometimes surprising, pathways toward the journey of healing. They can behave in ways that seem to be perfectly acceptable to people and I’ve laughed many times thinking about what would happen if I did the same things to clients that my horses have done – I’m sure it would not be acceptable but from horses there is a moment to reflect on the ways horses show up and communicate with us. This brings huge revelations for people and the experience of it seems to allow for integration which can be extremely powerful. Horses also hold no judgement and see us for who we truly are when a lot of time we don’t see ourselves in the same way. They have so much to teach us about relationship, communication, healthy boundaries and community. They provide safety, connection and acceptance better than we as humans have the capacity for.
I’ve heard clients say things like – “I’ve never felt so seen, I never thought I could trust again, This is the first time I’ve felt safe in my entire life, The comfort and compassion I feel right now is very foreign to me”. When these things are in place, healing is possible for all of us.
If you are curious about this modality, please email me at angie@equineenrichment.com and come experience the horses and listen to their wisdom. You do not need to have any horse experience to benefit from this kind of therapy.
Written by Angie Payne, Equine Therapist
Equine Enrichment
Equine Enrichment provides a place to come for refuge in the beauty and healing power of a horse. Angie and the healing team at Equine Enrichment are eager to meet you so that you can embark on your journey of self-discovery. A wise man once said: “On the other side of fear is freedom” and we are ready to facilitate your search for inner freedom. We do not ride the horses during healing sessions and you need not know anything about horses. All that is required is an openness to experience whatever the horses has to offer during your process!