Like humans, horses are social animals. They have defined roles within their hers, have distinct personalities, attitudes and moods. They can be timid or grumpy, playful and silly. They have a hierarchical structure similar to that of our families or workplace. Like people, they set boundaries with one another.
The horses offer honest and truthful feedback, in the moment. The horses’ behaviour challenges participants to reflect upon their own attitudes, emotions, body language and highlight any incongruences in non verbal message a person send.
If a person is feeling angry, a horse might choose to move away from the individual creating space to remain safe. The horses’ response gives the participant (and the treatment team) information that brings awareness of current patterns and motivates change to new ones.
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of people ”
