Equine Consumers` Guide 2013

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Equine Consumers’ Guide 2013
|
CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Horses as
Healers
By Margaret Evans
“The greatest gift you have
to offer the world
is that of your own
self transformation.” ~Lao Tzu
A horse’s open honesty has the
ability to influence people in
powerful and profound ways.
PHOTO: REINS OF H.O.P.E.
A group of teachers enjoying a leadership workshop at
Spirit Gate Farms in Victoria, BC, have the task of moving a
loose horse. One man takes an aggressive lead as he focuses
on a young Arabian mare called Grace. The two women in
the group are uncomfortable about the man’s approach but
say little and follow his lead.
They apply pressure to Grace’s back to get her to move.
The horse braces, refusing to budge. By now the man is
flustered, the women are not feeling emotionally safe, and
group unity is failing.
“I suggested to them that they take a few moments
to stand together and notice their bodily reactions, their
breathing, and pay attention to their thoughts,” said Michelle
Atterby, director and founder of Spirit Gate Farms. “How
could they come together and support each other first before
proceeding with the task? We often move from thought
to action and forget to align or sync up our body sensation
and feelings with our intentions. We move from head to
action and horses do not understand this language. The most
important step is the somatic experience, connecting with
one another, and making a request not a demand.”
The group begins to soften attitudes and attune with each
other. They create a group intention, a unified field of focus,
moving forward from a place of inspiration. They allow
nothing threatening or assertive. Their intent is only quiet
alignment. And as they approach Grace, she willingly moves
forward in the intended direction.
The man is astounded. He falls silent, tears welling in
his eyes. All his adult life he has pushed to make things
happen. Grace has shown him the difference between the
assertiveness of demand and the emotions of request. At his
core, he is both humbled and grateful.
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PHOTO: RICHARD KINSEY FOR REFUGE SERVICES
RIGHT: A huge range of people are being helped by horses, from
bullied children, to individuals suffering with addiction or depression,
to veteran soldiers coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.
PHOTO, ABOVE & BELOW: ANDRE LECLIPTEUX, HORSE SPIRIT CONNECTIONS
ABOVE: Horses can
teach us the importance
of good communication
and respect. “When
I respected her
boundaries, Aria let me
come right in and share
a very special moment,”
recalls this Horse Spirit
Connections client.
RIGHT: This couple
discovered that horses
could help bring them
closer together. “When
we were in harmony,
Lady willingly walked
with us. [She] supported
us as we explored our
relationship; it was
really magical!”
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In a facility in Utah, a client unfamiliar with horses stands
in the arena. A gelding approaches. He starts to nip at her
arm. It is unusual behaviour as the horse does not have a habit
of nipping at people, but the client allows it and the horse
continues to nip. Later, she would explain to her counsellor
that the horse nipped at her because he liked her. It is a
revealing, illuminating moment. She has come to the therapy
session as a victim of domestic violence. She clings to the
unhealthy belief that the nipping behaviour of the horse and
the violence she experiences at home are parallels of aggressive
behaviour that mean that she is liked by others.
“Our horse provided her an opportunity to start changing
her belief systems about relationships and to start standing up
for herself as he escalated his nipping,” said Lynn Thomas, cofounder and executive director of Equine Assisted Growth and
Learning Association (EAGALA). “(He) did not stop until she
decided she was tired of that treatment and wanted it to stop.
(She) changed her behaviours so that he did stop.”
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Utah, EAGALA
has grown exponentially. It has 3,500 members in 41
countries and territories throughout North, Central, and
South America, across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, parts
Equine Consumers’ Guide 2013
|
of Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Today, people are communicating with horses in ways
never imagined a decade or so ago. In the process, they
are learning valuable lessons about their own deep-seated
behaviours, fears, addictions, phobias, and challenging
mental states. For decades, horses have been used in
therapeutic riding and hippotherapy. But more recently
horses have been engaged in equine assisted psychotherapy,
a therapeutic practice in which clients gain insight into
their troubled or challenged lives through a biofeedback
process. It has proven to be remarkably successful.
The programs utilize a mental health professional,
an equine specialist, and a horse working with a client.
No riding is involved; this is therapeutic work on the
ground in which the horse’s response to a set of actions, or
experiences, is interpreted metaphorically or as parallels
during the process of analyzing the feedback.
The concept is based on the idea that, rather than faceto-face talk as in conventional clinical sessions, clients gain
more beneficial insights into their mental or emotional state
when they can experiment, problem-solve, take risks, or use
creativity to find solutions. The equine specialist reads the
reactions of the horse while the mental health professional
coaches the client with interpretive analysis. Sessions are
held in a secure arena setting and the horse is loose, and
usually without a halter.
But why horses? Because their size, strength, power,
and open honesty place clients in a position where they
must draw on emotions from within, develop confidence,
face their fears, set goals, and achieve a desired outcome.
Horses are social, complex animals with individual
CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
THE MANE EVENT
AD TO COME
RIGHT: Horses can
increase our selfawareness of the
ways we interact with
and relate to others.
This EAGALA client is
working to move two
horses representing
family members to
their goal.
personalities, behaviours, and responses to any given set of
conditions. Each outcome is unique. Rather than a horse
being selected for a client, a client may choose the horse he
or she wants to work with.
“Many times as a professional, we will think we know
which horse is ‘perfect’ for a client but they choose a
different one that does end up being perfect,” said Thomas.
“I have learned that the horses and clients know what is
going to work best for their process, and, as the treatment
team, we have to be open to watching and listening so we
don’t block the power of the process.”
That philosophy also works well at Horse Spirit
Connections in Tottenham, Ontario. The facility was
founded by Wendy Golding and her husband Andre
Leclipteux. Their work helping people with horses was
featured on Global TV Toronto in the fall 2012. The
segment was chosen as one of the top eight shows in Susan
Hay’s Making A Difference series.
“Horses have an advanced ability to communicate,” said
Golding. “(They) can take you straight to the heart of the matter,
to the things we don’t acknowledge even to ourselves. They are
masters at guiding us to overcome blocks and limiting patterns
of behaviour to regain control of our own lives.”
There is a huge range of people being helped by horses.
There are children with obesity and eating disorders, at-
PHOTO COURTESY OF EAGALA
PHOTO COURTESY OF EAGALA
BELOW: Horses tend
to mirror our emotions
and body language.
One of the greatest
lessons clients learn is
that when they change
their own mindset or
approach, the horses
respond very differently.
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Equine Consumers’ Guide 2013
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risk street youth, children being bullied or who are bullies,
and children who are traumatized by physical and sexual
abuse. There are young people and adults with all kinds of
addictions, anxiety disorders, depression and other mood
disorders, schizophrenia, and stress from family or working
relationships, and there are military service people dealing
with post-traumatic stress disorder following the horrors
of combat abroad.
“We have had great success working with veterans over
the last three years,” said Randy Hamelin, who is a professor
at St. Clair College in Chatham, Ontario, a professional
counsellor, owner of Country Sunset Stables in Woodslee,
and a certified EAGALA member. “They come in with
their shoulders up, high stress, high anxiety and, within five
minutes of working with a horse, you see their non-verbal
(attitude) change, their posture relax, and they are deep
breathing and coming together as a group and as individuals.”
Hamelin’s horses have helped the soldiers work through
their emotional triggers. They work both indoors and
outdoors, in sand, mud, heat, and cold – all the conditions
that some veterans avoid for fear of relapse or of triggering
buried, fearful memories. But the therapy sessions help
them think outside the box, find strength with other group
members, and achieve peace with the horse.
“A great example is when we were working on feelings,”
recalled Hamelin. “One of our members labeled a horse ‘happy’
and thought that, if he brought a carrot to the session, the
horse would do what he wanted. The horse did do what he
wanted (but) when it came time for us to circle up and process
the activity as a group, happiness bit him in the butt because
he forgot that he had a carrot in his pocket. He had an “Aha”
moment and said he had been missing happiness, and it took
happiness to bite him in the butt to realize it!”
Hamelin said that horses have the power to influence
people in incredible ways, including developing
relationships, training, horsemanship instruction, and
caring. These influences translate into human benefits
such as work ethic, responsibility, assertiveness,
communication, and healthy relationships.
Horses, like humans, are social animals with distinct
personalities and moods. These similarities offer
opportunities for metaphoric learning.
“Because the horses mirror the behaviours of individuals,
each horse behaves differently with every session,” said
Hamelin. “We often allow our clients to choose which horse
they would like to work with. We feel that each horse comes
with a history, just as our clients do. The clients form their
own perceptions on what each horse is to them.”
The benefit of working with horses can have impact
very quickly.
“I have always witnessed a client experiencing deeper
insight and an expansion of awareness with just a single
session,” said Atterby. “The mirroring is profound; the
feedback is honest and without judgment. The experience
is somatic and there is no denying what the body feels. The
environment is safe and contained, and the horses always
have something to teach.”
At Empowered by Horses in Abbotsford, BC, girls are
empowered to lead lives with courage and compassion.
CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
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RIGHT: Round pen
exercises can help
develop self-esteem
and leadership skills,
as this Horse Spirit
Connections client
discovered. “When I
asked Paris to come
in and she did, I felt a
strength in me I’d never
felt before.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF RANDY HAMELIN, COUNTRY SUNSET STABLES
PHOTO: ANDRE LECLIPTEUX, HORSE SPIRIT CONNECTIONS\
BELOW: To help this
young girl build a sense
of self, Certified EAGALA
facilitator Randy
Hamelin encourages
her to paint the horse
with pictures she feels
represent herself. Once
she is finished, the
horse is bathed and
she walks it around the
farm to dry. Then she is
to write a journal entry
about her experience.
“Research shows an extremely high number of young
people are subjected to bullying, so we were moved to create
a program that would empower and build resilience in teen
girls,” said Carla Webb, a former 13-year member of the
Vancouver City Police, who spent considerable time working
the beat in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. After
witnessing the devastating effects of drug addiction on young
people, she was determined to find a solution that not only
focused on prevention and education but empowered youth.
At her Anam Cara Farm and Learning Centre, Webb
works with Sharolyn Wandzura to use the herd dynamics
of horses as an inspirational and effective model for learning
heart-centered leadership. Both women are life coaches
and studied Equine Guided Development at Chiron’s Way
in Maple Ridge, BC. They also took training through the
Natural Connections Learning Center in Minnesota.
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Equine Consumers’ Guide 2013
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“Our signature program is called ‘Bold and Brilliant,’”
said Webb. “During the five-month program, we offer
four phone coaching sessions to parents followed by an
intensive weekend for the girls. The Bold and Brilliant
weekend includes education and practice in setting
clear boundaries, communicating effectively, creative
problem-solving while working with the horses, and role
playing with each other. The final piece of the program is
comprised of three monthly half-day sessions at the farm.”
Follow-up monitoring continues as the girls assimilate
their new skills into daily life and there is always help for
any difficulties the changes bring about.
“This is when we see the magic of growth and
transformation in each girl,” she said. “This type of work
with horses in nature can be so healing and life changing
for so many people. We are fortunate to offer private
sessions as well as respond to requests for custom programs
with other groups. We have facilitated fantastic family
camps and summer horse camps and, yes, boys come too.”
The human/horse therapy process also works on the
soul level in regions of the subconscious that individuals
are barely aware of. At Horse Spirit Connections, both
Golding and Leclipteux are Epona approved instructors
and certified shamanic coaches. Epona Equestrian Services
is a leader in the field of equine facilitated experiential
learning, founded in 1997 by author Linda Kohanov (Tao
of Equus, Between the Worlds, and Way of the Horse) and
Golding trained with Kohanov seven years ago.
“The marriage of partnering with the horses and our
shamanic training provides opportunities for spiritual
healing at a deep level,” said Golding. “The experiences
with the horses focus on what is happening in the present
moment and allow for an experiential moment where they
can take the learning into a body knowing.”
CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
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604-462-9182
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PHOTO COURTESY OF RANDY HAMELIN, COUNTRY SUNSET STABLES
PHOTO COURTESY OF EAGALA
RIGHT: This married
couple was asked to
move the horse to a
specific destination.
After some struggling,
they found a unique
resource which worked
for them and the horse.
During the course of
this exercise,
the hula hoop
became for them a
symbol of the strength
in their marriage.
ABOVE: These children
are moving the pony
from one area of the
arena to another while
remaining attached
to one another and
the pony. This activity,
called “The Blob,” builds
teamwork, relationships,
problemsolving skills,
confidence, and helps
with frustration
and anger.
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She said that horses read the slightest gestures of body
language and are able to sense both conscious and subconscious
energy states. She emphasized that it is always the inner state
that horses respond to. Without judgment, they read and
mirror what is inside, bringing to light one’s authentic self.
“One of the first horse experiences (participants) have is
what we call ‘Meet the Herd,’” she said. “We observe which
horse shows interest in a particular person and which horse
a person is attracted to. We have 12 wise teachers with
different personalities and skills. It is always amazing to us
as we watch how the horse/human relationship unfolds
and what is revealed.”
She told the story of a mother who was having issues
with her parental role and responsibilities. She chose Lady
to work with. As it was, Lady was the only mare in the barn
that had had a foal and was a model mother. In another case,
a woman had relationship issues and she chose to work with
Thor, a large male horse that allowed her to face feminine/
masculine aspects she had been struggling with.
As much as clients struggle with inner demons and
emotions, the industry itself faces its own growth challenges.
“The biggest challenge we see in this industry is awareness,
Equine Consumers’ Guide 2013
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recognition, and acceptance of this new healing modality for
developing human potential,” said Golding. “(But) I have seen
much more acceptance in the last couple of years.”
Equine assisted psychotherapy and equine facilitated
wellness are new and emerging fields of therapy. To guide
this growth industry, the National Association for Equine
Facilitated Wellness (NAEFW) has been formed in Canada.
Its mission statement is: “Fostering knowledge, growth,
ongoing education, accountability, and support for people
working in a respectful partnership with horses in healing
and learning environments.”
The organization offers a training program and a
certification process for those wanting to enter the field. It
incorporates a range of counseling, experiential learning,
education, and personal development approaches by
bringing horses and humans together.
A high priority for practitioners is that the profession of
equine therapy is understood by the public in the context
of aiding individuals seeking treatment for specific mental,
emotional, or psychological issues in a safe, controlled
environment. But one of the frustrating challenges of an
emerging health industry is that misguided or uninformed
individuals jump on the bandwagon with false claims that a
new therapy can cure social ills. The downside of these claims
circulating the Internet is that misinformation risks being
spread in the wider media context. Education and public
awareness of the clear values of equine therapy are high
priorities among all professionals engaged in the industry.
Funding and operational maintenance are also issues to
be addressed.
“The biggest challenges are the logistics of providing
the services – having the facilities and horses in place and
the revenues to keep up the extra expenses this entails
as compared to other mental health approaches,” said
Thomas. “The benefits justify the costs so it is imperative
that programs have the funding support of their operations
as well as the cost of providing the services to the clients.
The other challenge is to continue to bring awareness to
the public, mental health communities, and funders.”
The use of horses to facilitate the healing of mental
issues is, undoubtedly, a growth industry. Horses are
traditionally used for competition and recreation but
equine assisted psychotherapy broadens a new component
for human development.
“Learning and healing are taking on new meaning,”
said Atterby. “We live in a world of continuous change and
innovation, and no longer can we rely upon the traditional
practices of rational learning and healing focused primarily
in the mind. Each one of us experiences the world in our
own unique way and we must have a variety of options
to offer people in support of integrating the mind, heart,
and body as a path to wholeness. I believe horses offer
one unique approach, whether it is learning new skills
in a corporate environment or supporting someone
recovering from trauma. The practice of expanding
personal awareness is ever evolving and has the power to
profoundly bring our attention to the present moment.
This is exactly how horses live their lives.”
CANADA’S HORSE INDUSTRY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS