H O R S E A N D H E A LT H
TEXT: SHELLEY WOLHUTER
ATTUNEMENT THE SECRET TO A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
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he concept of attunement is making waves in horsemanship and therapeutic communities, and for good reason. Based on psychological theory, attunement has been described by UCLA professor of psychology, Dr Dan Siegel, as the sense of ‘being seen’ and ‘feeling heard’. In other words, attunement can be thought of as the sense of feeling understood. Attunement is often used as a predictor of relationship success, both romantic and platonic. A person that does not feel seen, heard and understood in a relationship will likely not be willing to stick around.
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ATTUNEMENT IN HORSES So, what does this have to do with horses? Everything! Everyone knows that horses want to be around other horses. We see it daily when a horse that is separated from his friends begins to panic, only to return to complete relaxation the moment he is reunited with his companions. Some horses have been trained to cope well on their own; however, give these horses a choice, and they will likely choose friends over solitude. You might be wondering what it is about their friends that is so comforting? Is it not merely about ‘safety in numbers’? Nope, it goes deeper than that. HQ|156C
