Intuitive and gentle, horses can help boost our confidence, ease anxiety and depression, and teach us how to be more focused and mindful. Tap into their mental and physical powers through these special equine therapy programs.
Picture yourself standing quietly next to a horse. You’re feeling peaceful, focused, and centered in a way you’ve never experienced before. You also have a deep sense of connection to, and appreciation for, the magnificent creature at your side.
That’s just one remarkable moment in the practice of equine therapy, a relatively new therapeutic modality that is becoming increasingly popular across the country and around the world. Although it might sound slightly mystical, equine therapy has science-backed mind and body benefits.
Spending time with horses can regulate the nervous system, lower blood pressure, reduce depression, ease stress, and help build mental strength, several studies have found. Equine therapy is sometimes prescribed for patients with special needs and conditions like cerebral palsy and autism. Horses can also help people dealing with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and those recovering from substance abuse, among other issues. But equine therapy can also be beneficial for anyone who is looking to feel more confident, connected, and self-aware.
"Olive oil has a lipid profile similar to that of skin, allowing it to absorb easily and deliver its many protective nutrients."
—Cassandra Ogier, founder, The ReflectiveHorse program, ‘AWA’Y Malibu
Nature and Nurture
Horses and humans have had a special bond for centuries. Many cultures around the world have recognized their calming, healing powers, and now the rest of us are catching up.Horses can be especially good at breaking through the emotional barriers humans put up.
“They are intuitive, sensitive beings. They pickup on everything in their environment, including emotions and intentions because as prey animals ,they need to be able to do that for their survival,” says Cassandra Ogier, who leads equine-guided empowerment sessions at ‘AWA’Y Malibu, a resort in California. “For example, if we’re feeling anxious, but we’re trying to act like we’re confident, a horse is going to know that we’re not being honest,” she explains. “To get horses to trust us, we have to be open and let our guard down.”
Even more impressive, horses can help us get a handle on our negative thoughts and emotions and turn them into something affirming and powerful. No wonder then that a growing number of resorts are offering equine programs. Here are four places where you can experience the healing power of a horse for yourself.
Learning Empathy and Respect
At Salamander Middleburg, a five-star luxury resort and spa located on 340 acres in the heart of horse country in Middleburg, Virginia, learning to connect and communicate with horses can help a person realize how powerful their energy is, says Equestrian Manager Ashley Farrell, who leads the Equine Communication program at the resort’s Equestrian Center.
After an opening presentation, participants in the Equine Communication program get into the arena and work with a horse to practice non-verbal communication. Using intentional energy, they may ask the horse to walk alongside them or send them around the arena in a trot or a canter, for example. By partnering with the horse, people discover the importance of leadership based on respect and empathy.
But the lessons also go deeper. Participants experience an authentic connection with another being, something they may have never felt before, which can be very emotional, Farrell says. They become more tuned into themselves and discover a greater awareness of what they’re truly capable of.
The program closes with time for participants to reflect on their experiences. Then Farrell thanks the horse for sharing their acceptance, patience, and authenticity during the session. Each participant leaves with a photo of their equine parter, the gift of a lucky horseshoe, and “if I’ve done my job, a new perspective on the importance of being a present, mindful, and empathetic leader,” Farrell says.
The Positive Power of Body Language
Getting a horse to trust you is incredibly rewarding, says Trina Delisser, director of the Equestrian Centre at Half Moon, a storied luxury resort that sits along a two-mile stretch of pristine coastline in Montego Bay, Jamaica. For someone who has low self-confidence or is dealing with any sort of trauma, it can be especially powerful, she adds. Through the Equestrian Centre’s Positive Empowerment program, participants learn to bond with horses and become more confident and self aware.
The program fosters cooperation, respect, and partnership between animal and person, Delisser says. “By learning to gain the horse’s trust, people can let go of a lot of baggage they may be carrying.” After an introductory session in which they learn what to expect, and under Delisser’s guidance, participants in the Positive Empowerment program step into a corral with a horse and use body language to try get the horse to respond. “First they have to get the attention of the horse,” Delisser explains.
“Then they have to achieve the respect of the horse.” As they work together, the horse and person begin to bond. “When you see signs of the horse relaxing and putting their head down and listening and looking at you, then you walk slowly over to them and see if you have then gained their trust,” Delisser says. “Once the horse trusts you, he or she will follow you around.”
The result is both moving and empowering, Delisser says. “It really builds a person’s confidence when they realize their body language can say so much.”
Healing Through Sounds and Energy
At The Way of the Horse, a not-for-profit program to enhance personal growth and emotional well being in Lincolnshire, England, horses and the healing sounds of singing bowls come together to create a unique, deeply calming experience for women. Participants in the intimate one-day sessions, led by founder Dina Shale, sit in a round pen, while horses stand or roam freely around them, responding to the energy of the singing bowls.
The Sound frequencies of the bowls are designed to balance participants’ minds and emotions, creating a calming energy, while the horses provide connection and a sense of wellbeing. Participants experience grounding and mindfulness, which can help them build mental resilience, reduce stress, and improve mood. The result is that the body can release what itno longer needs, according to Shale
“By learning to gain the horse’s trust, people can let go of a lot of baggage they may be carrying.”
—Trina Delisser, director of the Equestrian Centre, Half Moon
Rediscovering the Self
At ‘AWA’Y Malibu, a 13-acre holistic and regenerative ranch in the Santa Monica mountains, EquineGuided Empowerment sessions help guests learn to rediscover themselves. “Horses bring us into the present moment by the fact that they are large animals and they can be unpredictable,” says Cassandra Ogier, founder of The Reflective Horse program, who leads the session at ‘AWA’Y. “We need to be grounded, focused, and relaxed when we’re with them. Participants in the program end up getting back to their center, slowing down, and being present.”
Before each session, participants fill out a form explaining what they are hoping to get from the program. “Somebody might say, ‘This is something that has been coming up for me in my relationships with my family, my spouse, my children. I’m having a challenge with boundaries or putting myself first,’” Ogier says. “Or maybe it’s something more specific like an eating disorder or anxiety.” Then, during the session, which is tailored and personalized, participants spend time interacting with ‘AWA’Y’s three free-roaming horses and reconnecting with themselves.
“The horses bring participants into a kind of meditative space,” Ogier says. “They give people the chance to let down their guards and to find an embodied sense of self. For instance, someone might say, ‘I’ve really found my relaxation. I’ve been able to fully take a breath, to get out of the loop of anxiety.’ A lot of what people have built up tends to get dismantled in the experience because they are being fully present. There’s an organic process of the horses pointing us to what is true, honest, and authentic.”
At the end, almost across the board, participants feel like they’ve created space for themselves ,according to Ogier. “They say, I can go back to my life with more space, more room to be able to deal with things. I’ve got this.”
