Health & Wellness - Equine Therapy

EQUINE THERAPY

Resident Submission by Jen Stockett

I have been in a lot of therapy. I sat on couches and told stories and left many sessions feeling worse than when I walked in. Telling the stories was important, but I also needed something more.

I’d had my horse for a while when I signed up for a “Horsemanship” class. Things were going fine until the instructor said something to the effect of, “Show that horse whose boss.” I’m a human, so I can’t literally melt, but in every other way, I melted. My mind swirled, I cried, and left the class early. I knew I couldn’t move forward in my horsemanship until I did some personal work. I looked up therapists covered by my insurance. I happened upon a therapist who had a PhD in psychology, and used horses as a way to facilitate healing. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect combination.

I started one of my beginning sessions by telling a story. As I talked to the therapist, I also walked their horse, Daisy, a beautiful Arabian. She was a gentle, calm,therapy horse. My story was about a time when I had been too afraid to tell my comrades what I really wanted. As I talked, Daisy pushed my back with her nose, over and over again. (She has never done this before with anyone, nor has she since.) As I talked about my past, and she kept nudging me, I finally realized the similarity of the situation to the story I was telling. In frustration, I exclaimed, “I’m so tired of being pushed around! There has to be a better way!”

That is when Daisy walked around me, put her head on my chest, and I cried long and hard. Daisy stayed there while I sobbed into her forehead. When I was done, I felt lighter. Daisy then took her position at my shoulder and didn’t push me anymore; she just walked beside me as my partner. Talk about an animal’s sixth sense.

Since that day, I have had many amazing therapy sessions with horses. I have also learned from my own horse. Most people who go to equine-assisted psychotherapy don’t have any previous experience with horses.. It isn’t needed. I feel lucky to have found this therapist and her horses. My life is better because of their help.