Where are you right now? Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Are you here, or are your thoughts somewhere else? Did you notice your surroundings on your way to your current location or the eye color of the last person you interacted with? How present are you now?  As you’re reading this, are you doing anything else besides just reading this?

Being present may seem like a simple thing, and it can be, but we regularly overlook this powerful and often elusive state of being. In our busy, modern world our minds are frequently somewhere other than where our bodies are.  We are so used to being in this state of split-presence, that it can become challenging to be present, even when we want to be.

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While we humans struggle with being present, a horse’s instinctual wisdom enables them to be fully present in the moment — relaxed enough to graze, drink and play, while trusting that should the need arise, their survival instincts will kick in and enable them to move at any moment. Once the threat has ended, they might snort, take big exhales and literally shake their bodies all over as a reset. They let go of the (now past) threat, then go back to grazing and just being in the present moment.

As a veteran returning from Afghanistan, Hannah* sought out Equine Therapy to address her Post Traumatic Stress and help her integrate back into civilian life.  She was having a hard time managing her anxiety and was just starting to practice the skill of being present in stressful situations.

Hannah was drawn to a horse she named “Obbie” who was also […]

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Horses are amazingly resilient and very forgiving.  Watch a herd for any period of time and you’ll see that just like any other social group they have their share of skirmishes and disagreements, yet they quickly let it go, re-connect as a herd, and move on with the business at hand.

In contrast, for us humans, letting go and moving forward can be extremely challenging. Whether we have experienced a bruised ego or a serious physical or emotional violation, learning how to let go of resentment and anger is essential for our physical and emotional well-being.

Virtually everyone has experienced being hurt by the words or actions of another.  Maybe you were bullied at school, had a colleague sabotage a work project, or your spouse betrayed you.  When we have been hurt […]

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Horses are amazing teachers about accepting reality, staying in the present moment, and moving forward.

Mark* came to Stand InBalance after a painful divorce that left him bitter, lonely, and lost.  He was immediately drawn to a horse that he thought would be “easy” to work with.  As the session unfolded, Mark found himself struggling to get the horse to like him and partner with him in the activities.  As Mark became more frustrated and resentful he realized that the horse reminded him of “Nancy,” his ex-wife.  The more frustrated he became the more difficult the interaction.  After 30 minutes, Mark and “Nancy” found a nice, cooperative, rhythm together.  However, this was quickly undone as “Nancy” started pulling him off course toward another horse in the arena.  […]

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Horses are consummate teachers of authenticity. Through their genuine interactions with each other, horses maintain the cooperation, teamwork, and loyalty that ensure the cohesion and prosperity of the herd.  As prey animals with finely tuned senses, equines are experts at sensing in-congruence in their environment and they are powerful messengers that mirror back their direct experience of us humans — without judgment or bias.

When the horse Jenny* (31 y.o.) had chosen to work with dramatically backed away from her as she announced that she was “feeling really good”, he was making was a clear statement about her lack of authenticity.  When Jenny finally acknowledged that she had been “putting on a happy face” for decades and that underneath she felt scared and uncertain about […]

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