Horses have been partnering with humans for centuries, and they are one of the only prey animals to have connected with us in such a profound way. The human/horse partnership has evolved over time from transportation & agriculture to sport and recreation. Dating back to the Classical Era, the ancient Greeks and Romans wrote about the relationship between horses and humans as beneficial and healing.

Horses are social animals that live in groups or “herds”; within the herd, horses have defined roles. As prey animals their survival depends on their ability to use their instincts to sense underlying energetic and emotional currents in their environment. Horses are fully present in the moment, and do not think about the past or future. They are completely congruent and authentic with what they experience. They do not hide or mask their feelings and our masks/personas do not fool them.

Horses’ incredible ability to interpret the body language and emotions of the animals around them not only makes them successful herd animals but enables them to be interpreters of our underlying, true feelings. Due to these characteristics horses are uniquely able to mirror back their direct experience of us without judgment or bias. Since they are fully present and without agenda or judgment, they invite us to be the same, and this is where the deepest and most effective work transpires.