The Freedom of Forgiveness

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.

Success StoriesIn 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 […]

Why Equines

thundering hooves

The horse “flies across the landscape with thundering hooves as if to run out of its own skin for the love of freedom.” (The Book of Symbols)

Equines* have an evolutionary history dating back 50 million years, and ancient cave paintings indicate that these magnificent beings have been important to humans ever since the Stone Age. Through our travels, wars, adventures, and conquests, they have been alongside us each step of the way.  Today, they not only partner with us in sport and recreation, they are also our partners in emotional growth and healing. In fact, horses and donkeys have a great deal to teach us about modern living and how we can become our best selves.

Equine Assisted Healing for Trauma

Equine Assisted Healing for TraumaEmotional and psychological trauma is caused by an extraordinarily stressful event that leaves one feeling vulnerable and helpless.  It can result from combat trauma, or a single incident such as a car accident or assault, or it can be insidious and complex – building up over the course of time.

Most people are aware of severely traumatic experiences such as child abuse, sexual assault, war, or domestic violence.  However, trauma can also result from incidents such as loss of a pet, a fall, surgery, ongoing social stigma, a relationship breakup, or loss of a job.  Regardless of the type, trauma violates one’s sense of Self and safety in the world.  This traumatic breach of emotional and/or physical safety overwhelms an individual’s coping abilities and results in […]

The Power of Perspective

The Power of PerspectiveAlex (35), was considering going home for the holidays for the first time in several years.  Her biggest concern was how difficult it was to be around her father.  Early on in her sessions at Stand InBalance she’d identified one of the horses as being just like her father: “a mean, self-centered bully.” She often wanted to connect with this horse but ended up being tense and angry around him.  She stated, “I can not accomplish anything with that horse, I’m sick of him!”

After a few weeks, the therapist asked Alex to pause and observe the horses in the arena. She encouraged Alex to center herself in the present moment and shift her perspective of each horse to see if she noticed anything new or became aware of another […]

Leadership and the Way of the Horse: The Call to Leadership

“Sooner or later something seems to call us onto a particular path….This is what I must do, this is what I’ve got to have. This is who I am.” ~ James Hillman

leadershipThere are many forms, styles and manifestations of leaders and leadership. From the home to the boardroom, from co-workers to family members, each system requires a certain type of leader, and each individual has their own unique way of harnessing and utilizing their inner leadership qualities.  This article addresses the inner leader; the leader that resides in each of us.  Often it is lying dormant and seizes us when we least expect it, sending out a call – a moment, or a chapter in one’s life that instigates the leader within to awaken and answer the call to leadership.

In The […]