Building Confidence
Through contact with horses, Personal Equine Assisted Learning is a transformative experience that increases self-confidence. How does this work? The horses' innate social and biological structure ensures that we are congruent when we interact with them, meaning we need to be open about our feelings. We can be happy, excited, sad or angry, and as long as we are acting in congruence with how we feel, the horses will accept us. It is when we pretend to be happy when inside we are raging that the horses will avoid us, start to act up, or move away. As a coach, I can see the second a rider pivots their attention away from their horse - because the horse shows this in their movements. By learning to NOTICE how we feel and act, and ACKNOWLEDGE what our horse is mirroring to us, this becomes a great source of empowerment and greatly aids in confidence-building, awareness, and personal development.
Increased Self-Awareness
As a prey animal, horses are constantly aware of the most minute changes in the environment - from the things they see, smell, sense, feel and know. Their eyes are designed to catch the smallest movement. Their ears catch the softest sounds. They feel a mosquito land instantly. They can hear our heartbeats from 5 to 10 feet away. They can read our moods, our body language, and our emotions instantly. In this way, they provide us with instant biofeedback about how we are feeling, what we are thinking, where our attention lies, and our emotional congruence. By being our instantaneous mirror, they can teach us to make corrective changes in the moment.
Stress Reduction
Engaging in Personal Equine Assisted Learning offers a therapeutic approach to stress management by allowing participants to spend time with horses in a serene and natural setting. Riding has a repetitive motion, which adds calm and relaxation to our nervous systems. Grooming is tactile, provides moderate exercise which releases toxic stress hormones, and is relaxing while also creating a bond between the horse and rider. The peaceful surroundings all work together to provide a calming effect. These immersive activities provide a special, tranquil environment that reduces stress, encourages relaxation, and gives people a break from the stresses of everyday life. By focusing on the moment, on our horse partner, on what we are doing, thinking, saying, feeling and communicating with our horse, we leave behind the "human doing" and return to a natural state of "human being". The horse is already there, just waiting for us to step into our authentic selves.