Horses hear what is not spoken
A different learning approach but an effective one
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Living in herds horses have similar social dynamics to our human interactions and can teach us many relevant and powerful interpersonal skills. They communicate this information in a gentle and empowering way, which allows it to be more readily received by participants.
This alternative educational approach works because horses are so finely attuned to our emotions they will clearly and honestly reflect back to us what we are projecting to them through our emotions and behaviours, which tells us a lot about ourselves.
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During the interactions mentors will provide support and teaching points helping to explore the insights and, encourage participants to try new and different approaches, mentors are strengths focussed with challenges seen as opportunities to learn and grow.
The horse is further empowering because they provide strong confirmation when new skills have been learned allowing participants to see immediately the affect, and power it gives them, by changing their actions and attitudes.
Horses are the Masters of non-verbal communication
Much human communication is non-verbal, tone, facial expressions, eye contact, gestures posture and body language. Horses are the masters at effectivity communicating nonverbally and can give us the key to developing this skill to our advantage.
Research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses including:
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Lowered blood pressure
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Lowered heart rate
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Increased level of beta-endorphins that serve as pain suppressors
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Decreased stress levels
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Reduced feelings of anger
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Reduced feelings of hostility
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Reduced tension
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Reduced anxiety
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Improved social function,
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Increased feeling of empowerment
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Increased feeling of trust
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Increased patience
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Increased self-efficacy
Institute of HeartMath
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Horses are completely non-judgmental. They don't care what you are wearing, what you look like, where you have been or what you know. They offer unconditional acceptance and trust and respond to you in the here and now, which is why they are such good teachers.
How much weight can a horse carry?
They can carry the weight of broken hearts, broken homes, and broken bodies. Countless tears sometimes comb their tangled manes. Moments when parents and friends cannot be there to help and hold a person, horses embrace and empower.
They carry physical, mental, and emotional handicaps. They carry hopes and dreams; and they will carry the stress from your day when you can't carry it anymore. They carry mistakes, they carry joy, they carry the good and they carry the bad. They carry drugs and addictions
They will carry you to success when all you have felt is failure. They will carry you, never knowing the weight of your burdens and triumphs.
If you let them, they will carry you through life, and life is hard, life is heavy.
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But a horse will make you feel weightless under it all.