Equine assisted human development in Wiltshire, South Cotswolds.
Connecting with the horse
By spending time with the horse and experiencing things together, the client begins to ‘feel felt’ by the horse.
In turn this discovery provides the client with the tools to deal with new situations in their lives and live in the here and now, just like horses.
The aim is to align our thoughts and feelings, so they match our body language. Learning to build an effective and congruent connection with others.
Sessions
A typical session requires no physical contact with the horse, but you may need to direct it and ask things of it, with or without a lead line. Unlike humans a horse will not do things just to please you, or if it thinks you are being incongruent.
As a human, just being in this situation will require a different way of thinking. By participating in specially designed EFHD activities clients can expand their awareness of thier feelings, reactions and what triggers them.
Experiential learning is essential to developing these new skills, and by physically taking part in the equine activity makes the learning much more effective.
Dealing with past trauma
Because of past trauma, people will often listen more when the horse reveals something about themselves rather than if it came from another human. Because of their size, they can be intimidating initially which makes the feel of accomplishment more for filling ones you have completed an exercise.
Horses are herd animals and have a natural desire for company. They have their own personalities, which can be used to highlight clients’ feelings and emotions. Horses can help reveal repetitive patterns and behaviours and because the client is actually experiencing this in person with the horse it has more effect and can change neural pathways.
This journey of self-discovery can lead the client to exploring more about themselves and how they can use what they have learnt in other aspects of their lives. Horses help uncover these self-limiting beliefs so we can live a more open life.