A Mutually Beneficial Approach
It has long been understood that just being around horses can be hugely beneficial for a person's mental health and well-being, and research is now starting to support this. Some of the benefit comes from being in nature, being in touch with our senses and in a wonderful space away from every day stresses. Some of it comes from inviting ourselves to just be, something that the horses are very good at and can show us how to do if we pay attention. Horses are sentient, emotionally sensitive and intelligent animals. If we are able to watch them, their interactions with each other in the herd, and their responses to us, they can offer us a rich source of feedback and information about ourselves and how we relate in the world. They are also sociable and non-judgemental, and for many people they offer a safe and rewarding relationship, free of the complications of many human to human interactions. |