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 a little anxious about the world around him. She recognized his anxiety right away when his ears pinned back as she tried to approach him. His head was held high and he looked frightened. In response, Hannah stepped back and gave him some space. We asked Hannah to check in with how she was feeling right in that moment. Hannah replied, “Nervous. I don’t want to be kicked or bit, but I also don’t want him to be scared of me either.”
Even after taking deep breaths and walking away herself, Obbie still wouldn’t let Hannah come close. After some time, we asked Hannah to take a break to check in with what was happening. Hannah shared that she was getting frustrated. She felt that she wasn’t asking a lot. She just wanted to connect up with Obbie but he wasn’t letting her. She noticed that the more she wanted to connect and was unsuccessful, the angrier she became.
As we discussed how the dynamics playing out with Obbie showed up for her in relation to others, Hannah noted: “Every time someone wants to get close to me, I start thinking about the past and how uncertain my life is or where it’s going. I guess I am always pushing people away. I’m afraid to connect.” Obbie then let out a big horse exhale and a shake. We suggested that Hannah do the same.
After Hannah, “shook it off”, we asked her to try a new tactic. “Let’s start with where our own feet are and just forget about Obbie for a minute.” We all shut our eyes and took in some deep breaths. We spent some time just getting present – noticing where any tension might be in our bodies, noticing what sounds were in our environment, and just bringing our attention to the here and now. We asked Hannah to keep this practice of “getting present” up, until she felt her thoughts about past & future quiet down and felt more relaxed and focused on this moment. After several more breaths, Hannah signaled that she felt better. When we opened our eyes, Obbie was standing right next to her, head low, soft gaze. Hannah took another breath and put her hand on his neck for a pet.
*all names and identifying information have been changed.
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