You may have seen the following joke cross-stitched on a pillow, “Horse people are stable people.” While literally you will spend time in a stable if you have horses, on a psychological level, there is more truth to this statement than probably realized.
In 2011 Beetz, A., et al published Basic neurological and psychological mechanisms underlying therapeutic effect of Equine Assisted Activities (EAA/T). The premise of their findings was that equine activities are successful because they help humans relax and that long term therapy with horses help us to better cope with stress by aiding in the development of skills which minimize stress responses. With the stress associated in today’s lifestyles comes a wagon load of health risks; examples include heart attacks, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, rising suicide rates, inability to get a good night’s sleep, and the rampant medicating prescribed to help us all deal with these struggles. A simple yet effective prognosis may be as easy as a trip to the barn.
Granted, we at EPH are not Ph.D. level psychoanalysts and rely on the expertise of other better trained professionals for the nuts and bolts of the true effectiveness of developing relationships with horses. However, the topic has come up on many occasions, most recently last week, on how differently abled individuals have benefitted from working around horses. Parents and caregivers have expressed their witnessing a positive, soothing change in the people they bring to the horses. It is not couth in academic circles to merely make unsubstantiated statements concerning such behavioral changes in people and give credit to the horses; but, risking a reader’s metaphorical eyeroll, anyone who has seen this just knows it works. Previous articles have described the horse’s unique communication skills, tolerances of unskilled riders, and no-nonsense approach to living an honest and unapologetic life. Perhaps this is proof that they are the organic, non-medicated, fuzzy, loving, understanding, compassionate and non-judgmental relief we humans can rely on for living a better life.
If having a direct conversation with a superb listener is a goal, go visit with a horse. If physical activity is lacking in your life and you need to work some muscles you forgot you have, spend an afternoon cleaning stalls or moving hay. If you’d like to spend quality time with like-minded people and perhaps help someone improve their life, volunteer at a horse rescue or therapeutic riding center. If simply getting some natural vitamin D and being away from the soul-destroying devices of electronic screens sounds appealing, head out to the pasture and get a necessary reset for your psyche. The horses are certain you’ll be glad you did.