Horses are sensitive creatures by nature and so in tuned that they can feel a fly barely land on their coat and swish them off. Because they rarely use vocals to communicate, they go by body language, touch, observation and scent. They are masters in this and probably will let you know what is going on with with you before you do. For example, lets say a client comes to session feeling angry about how they are being treated at the job and is yelling and waving their arms about. Do you think the horse wants to hang out with an angry client? Probably not! I mean would you like to hang out with someone who is shouting, stomping around and spewing phrases we would rather not hear? My guess is that would not be your first choice. Horses "mirror" our behavior by showing us, (lets take the angry client for example) that this person is not safe to be around, so the horse maybe at the farthest corner of the paddock. This emotion is then processed with the clinician and what does the client think is going on with the horse. The clinician explores how often this happens with the client and how does it effect their family and professional life. As the person is able to understand their triggers and how their behavior effects others, a magical moment happens as the person becomes calmer the horses begin to feel calmer and more approachable. The client learns in order for people to want to be near them and listen and work with them, they need to manage their emotions and take accountability for them and not just blow-up and think it is okay. Phase two can begin by working through the assigned grounded exercise with the horse. Establishing a trusting relationship with the horse will help develop emotional regulation, communication, empowerment and increase overall healthy coping mechanisms.
