What is wellness through horsemanship or Equine Assisted alternative Therapy?
Our programs focus on being a good horse person and the ethos, values and structure that this provides. Through being with the horse, grooming the horse, putting the partnership with the horse first and other beneficial activities, clients are supported and guided in learning more about themselves, working through difficulties, and improving communication and relationship skills. There is a growing body of evidence that supports that equine assisted mental health sessions have been effective in treating individuals with personal and psychological concerns. There is no need to talk if you don’t want to. The horses will mirror their client but the focus will be on them. This provides empathy and dealing with the topic whilst using the horse instead of focusing on the client - our programs are successful and complement traditional therapies. We often work with medical professionals to support clients in our outdoor office surrounded by nature.
horses are not motorbikes
Slow down. Listen. Notice. Connect. Without expectations.
We value our herd of horses as the master teachers that they are. Horses innately will reciprocate the level you approach them from. You are not “in charge”, it is a partnership. Yes horses love to follow but only a leader who shows qualities that will keep them safe and who will be their emotional anchor. Learn to look at experiences for what they give you not what they took from you and your world will change. Accepting what the horses reflect back to you is following connection as a journey and accepting as well as learning from experience allows you to alter your perception. Nothing is a problem when you are not in “wishing for something else” mode.
Warwick Schiller quote: “people try to ignore basic life principles when dealing with horses. I told this story at a clinic recently…. A man sees a pretty girl walking down the street. He says hello, she ignores him. He starts to follow her, she walks faster away from him. He calls out to her, she starts running. He starts running after her, she runs faster. He tries to kiss her, she kicks him. He emails me asking how to get her to stop kicking him. It’s the same with horses, ignoring the subtle cues and you will ask me how to fix the escalation.”
We aim to be our horses’ safe place, to have fun with them but also to support and empower them to be successful at every turn. Join us on a journey of self discovery and this ability to be accurate, be self aware, an emotional anchor, have humility, accept the journey, be compassionate and so much more will translate to your human experience.
Listening to when a horse says “yes” and when they say “no”
They will ask for your boundaries and will ask you to listen to theirs. This is a healthy mutual relationship. Listening to your horse… the process IS the point. Why listen and hear them whisper? Because it is far more interesting to do so. It may go against your agenda or inconvenience you… it’s often not easier, or necessarily enjoyable but it takes you to the core of your beliefs, your triggers, your blind spots, your saboteurs… it empowers you to be your best version.
What is natural horsemanship?
Natural horsemanship is a collective term for a variety of horse training techniques which have seen rapid growth in popularity since the 1980s. The techniques vary in their precise tenets but generally share principles of "a kinder and gentler cowboy" to develop a rapport with horses, using methods said to be derived from observation of the natural behaviour of free-roaming horses and rejecting abusive training methods.
What is liberty play?
As the name suggests, liberty horse training involves considerable freedom for the horse–he’s free of any tack (true liberty work doesn’t even incorporate a lunge line), and you can’t use your leg, the bit, or a whip to control him. Liberty horse training simply can’t be successful without a bond between you and the horse–he has to respect and trust you enough to listen to your commands when he could simply trot away or stop to graze. Learn how to play with a horse with subtle body language and read theirs as well. Liberty training makes it so you and your horse have to work as a team. Imagine turning your shoulder and walking faster and having the horse pick up a trot right next to you without a whip, without a halter and without a rope.
What should I bring?
Please wear closed in shoes, bring bug spray and water IF coming for a ridden assessment you will need to wear riding trousers, riding boots and a helmet.
Do you need to have horse experience?
No experience is required what so ever for our wellness through horsemanship programs. As clients won’t actually be riding the horse, no skill or previous experience is required. We also go at the client’s pace.
Can I use my NDIS funding?
Yes. NDIS options are available for self or plan managed NDIS funding participants. Self-managing your NDIS funding gives you control, independence and flexibility in arranging and paying for your supports. To obtain NDIS funding for equine assisted alternative therapy, it will need to pass the “reasonable and necessary” test. This means the request must be related to your disability, it must be good value for money and likely to be of benefit to you as well as connected to one of your NDIS goals. We do require payment up front due to being a boutique establishment or an agreement with your plan manager as our horses only work once per day and are reserved for you therefore you claim using our paid invoices and receipts or an agreement is set up with your plan managers on the amount of sessions and dates agreed in advance. We understand that your funding is limited and if you would like to spend some of your budget with us, we are honoured to support your goals. We work on a weekly schedule with the horses and plan 3 monthly in advance and they will be reserved for you on your day - we are more than happy to accommodate reschedules but not refunds.
why build a relationship with a horse?
The level of emotional balance and congruency found within us is what creates the level of leadership horses need in order to cooperate in willing partnerships – feeling calm, emotionally safe and secure.
what to expect from a wellness through horsemanship / equine assisted alternative therapy session?
At your assessment, you will meet the horses and one will choose to play with you. Do not worry, we have never had not a single horse come forwards though often there are a few volunteers. Sometimes, a horse will also call out as they decide straight away that they are ready to play with YOU.
Will I continue with the same horse every session?
We find that often your journey will start with the same horse and then it may develop to other members of the herd. This will happen organically and with your and the horse’s consent.
Why horses?
As herd animals, horses orientate themselves towards relationships and connections, they can provide unique bonding experiences with clients. Which can lead to a safe and trusting therapeutic environment. Horses are highly sensitive beings that rely on non-verbal communication to meet their needs. Because of this, horses are highly attuned to each person’s individual non-verbal communication, energy, tension, relaxation, approach, feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
This allows them to give unique feedback to clients and gives the opportunity for discovery of self-awareness, choice and responses. Horses are constantly living in the moment and model wonderful behaviour of emotional regulation and stress release.
Some of the science:
Recent studies conducted by the Institute of HeartMath provide a clue to explain the bidirectional “healing” that happens when we are near horses. According to researchers, the heart has a larger electromagnetic field and higher level of intelligence than the brain: A magnetometer can measure the heart’s energy field radiating up to 8 to 10 feet around the human body. While this is certainly significant it is perhaps more impressive that the electromagnetic field projected by the horse’s heart is five times larger than the human one (imagine a sphere-shaped field that completely surrounds you). The horse’s electromagnetic field is also stronger than ours and can actually directly influence our own heart rhythm!
Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a “coherent” heart rhythm (heart rate pattern) which explains why we may “feel better” when we are around them. . . studies have found that a coherent heart pattern or HRV is a robust measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy – that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adjust to stressful situations very efficiently. Often times, we only need to be in a horse’s presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters that serve as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning; and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy.
Horses have an extremely strong heart rhythm or heart energy field. Equine assisted therapies have conducted studies, using HeartMath, showing horses assisting in healing humans. This occurs when a horse’s heart rhythm is strong enough to influence, like a magnet, the human’s heart rhythm, thus aid in regulating, calming, neurochemistry within the brain.
Horses and mindfulness
For many equestrians, methodically cleaning stalls transcends into an act of unintentional meditation. Your mind clears and you can focus only on the job at hand which in turn has calming effects. However, the power of spending time around horses goes far beyond the meditative value of chores.
The practice of mindfulness enhances clarity, deepening our understanding of [the] self and others while opening the capacity to make a positive difference in the world around us. The benefits of mindfulness are seemingly endless and continue to grow as research increases.
Because horses live entirely in the present, they are a living study of mindfulness. Their acute ability to be in the moment allows them to pick up on our subtle body language cues and emotions. Horses often mirror our feelings and if we are displaying stress, nervousness, or strong emotions, they tend to display the same. This equine unbiased feedback gives us the ability to see ourselves better and challenge us to steady ourselves.
Many people discover that they are able to show more patience and fully listen to their horse’s needs once they have discovered the power of living in the moment and paying attention to the world around them.
Equine-assisted and equine-facilitated therapies focus on the shared consciousness of horse and rider or handler to expand awareness and establish a calm and relaxed feeling of safety. Equine-guided therapies that focus on the mindfulness movement and connection with horses have proven to be effective in recovering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, addiction, and many more mental health challenges.
what format will the session take?
This completely depends on the person and horse. We are here to support YOU. We are totally flexible to work within your boundaries and what you need. We do have our own boundaries with regards to who gets on which horse due to their needs being a consideration for this type of connection.
Why are only the minis available to beginners to ride?
For adults and teenagers (we do have beginner options for children under 31kg) our horses are so far in their training and connection journey that they expect a lot from their riders. Through our groundwork and liberty play, we set our boundaries and refine our body language, to then take this into the saddle. By using biomechanics, subtle body language, breath work and refined dressage foundations - we develop a relationship under saddle which requires clear and concise communication between horse, rider and facilitator in order to achieve maximum success. It is the most amazing feeling to achieve this connection and we are honoured to share it with the few that join our boutique community.
Why do our horses only work once per day?
We want to put life before work for our whole team. We want everyone to enjoy themselves and provide a horsey sanctuary away from the stresses of daily life. This is the same for our horses. They each have a schedule, their needs met as well as their own individual goals. They know their regulars, know what time they arrive and look forward to seeing them. Their paddock time is sacred and they have their herd relationships which we make sure are as harmonious as possible. Therefore they only work once per day for their work balance - this means that rescheduling or cancelling needs empathy for them and their schedule.
Wet weather
We continue operating in wet weather and use our stables. We recommend wearing a waterproof coat and gumboots. IF we or our surrounding roads flood or there is a notification that it is unsafe to be on the roads, we will contact you and reschedule your session so as to keep you safe. If you decided not to come because it is raining, we will charge for that session.
Why do you have no feeding signs up around the border fenceline?
We thank all our clients and neighbours for helping us keep our herd safe - we are very very blessed with the community that surrounds us.
We do not hand feed the horses in the paddocks because
1. this causes fights where one or several may get hurt causing vet bills or rug bills
2. they have exceedingly specific diets and therefore treats are reserved for their client (some cannot have apples or lucerne hay or licorice or only 1 carrot per day)
3. hand feeding treats encourages biting especially if given through a fence
4. we don’t believe in feeding someone’s child or pet over their fence as you don’t know their dietary requirements
5. Encouraging a horse to approach their boundary fence isn’t to be encouraged. We have boundary fences (6ft, barbwire, electric) to keep the herd safe AND the community - a herd of horses (or even 1 horse - they move fast and dangerously when in flight or fight mode) on the road would be stressful and dangerous to everyone - cars, pedestrians, horses, etc. Next time you consider approaching an animal over their boundary fence - think about what you are teaching them and is this in their best interest? Put your own ego and needs aside and think of them. If you are concerned for them - contact their owner - you will most probably find that they are just as concerned if not more so than you.
6. people have ignored our signs and caused $$$ of vet bills, upset and night shifts caring for the horses that were affected so we now have cameras and signs up so that we can forward these costs to those that decide to go ahead and harm the horses by feeding them - other inappropriate behaviours observed have been shaking the fences, climbing the fences, shouting at the horses, trying to spook the horses throwing things at the horses to make them run… the list goes on - luckily these incidents have slowly become a rare occurrence which the herd are thankful for. Our community and neighbours have helped us cull this behaviour and we are forever grateful for their help in helping us provide a safe environment for our herd of healers.