Why Horses?

Those familiar with horses have long recognized and understood the powerful ways horses influence people. Documented research shows positive physical and psychological results from humans interacting with horses including:

• Reduced blood pressure and heart rate

• Lower levels of stress

• Decreased feelings of tension, anxiety, anger and hostility

• Increased levels of beta-endorphins, and beneficial feelings of self-esteem, empowerment, patience and trust.

Since horses are so large and powerful, interacting with them creates an opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. Achieving the cooperation of a horse in completing tasks gives a person confidence that they can accomplish other difficult tasks in life.

Because horses are prey animals and must evade predators to survive, horses have evolved to be extremely sensitive to their environment, observing and reacting to our body language and other nonverbal cues.

They are keenly aware of their surroundings and the emotions and actions of their herd, and will respond instinctively, providing immediate feedback to the participants and facilitators. Some clients will complain, “The horse is stubborn. The horse doesn’t like me”, etc., but the lesson to be learned is that if they change themselves, the horses respond differently.