We all make resolutions, and sadly, many of us will never realize these often lofty goals. And what do we do then? We wonder why. First, why did we make the resolution in the first place, and if we are the introspective type, what is it about us that prevented us from reaching our target? But to answer these questions, we’d probably have to have a window into our unconscious. And really, we may just not have the time or patience for psychoanalysis. But maybe, just maybe, we can learn something about ourselves through time spent with a horse. So, in honor of resolutions, here are five reasons to try equine assisted therapy.
1. Horses are novel. For the majority of people, meeting a horse is an entirely new experience. While we may have some idea how self-exploration will go, we really have no idea how we will react, or more importantly, how the horse will react to us. This is the perfect environment then in which to learn about the self.
2. Horses are physiological. While people often miss nonverbal cues about others, and we even can be unaware of what we are presenting outwardly in a nonverbal way, horses miss nothing that is nonverbal. And without saying a word themselves, horses can us the truth about ourselves.
3. Horses are powerful. Want to feel more powerful? Well, try directing a 1200 pound animal. And then consider that this animal has a reaction time less than half of ours.
4. Horses are non-threatening. For all their massive power, horses do not carry the same preconceived ideas about the way people should look, act and feel. Instead, they just accept people as they are, because that is all they know.
5. You might discover something new. For some people, equine therapy is an introduction into a lifelong love of horses. I fact, some clients go on to purchase their own horses!