5 benefits of Equine Assisted Learning

1) Horses can match and lower a human's heart rate

• Horses engage in heart coupling. What is that? Why does that mean anything? Heart coupling is the ability for a horse to sync their heart rate to a human's. This can often make the person feel calmer and ease anxiety.

• Horses are able to hear a human's heart rate from 4 feet away! So even if someone is a bit hesitant to get too close at first, the horse can already sense how the human is feeling and how fast their heart rate is. Then, after spending some time together, the horse becomes calmer and falls into a peaceful state, often bringing their human companion to that space as well.

• “I’ve often said there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” -Winston Churchill

2) Horses are HONEST

• Those long locked away emotions can be sensed by a horse, even when we may not acknowledge them ourselves. With an "I'm fine" and a smile, most other people are convinced, but not a horse. Sometimes it seems that a horse knows us better than we know ourselves.

• Horses respond to your actions. They weigh well over 1,000 pounds in most cases. Can you imagine trying to push an animal like that around? No. Because they don't let you. They respond to respect, because they give respect. They respond to being treated the same way they treat us- with kindness and love.

• Building trust with such a sensitive animals gives you the strength in knowing that if you can conquer earning a horse's trust, you can conquer the world.

3) TRUST

• In most cases of depression, anxiety, and childhood trauma, there is some form of loss of trust in someone whom was always supposed to be there. Something that was always supposed to be there. Trust... How can you be respected, confident, or believe in yourself if you do not trust in yourself or those around you?

• Many struggle with a lifelong attachment to please others instead of being there for themselves. Please yourself. Trust yourself. When you trust yourself, you know if you are doing something, it will be done right. Or maybe it won't, but you can trust and know in yourself that you did your best. You can trust in yourself to ask for help when needed because you know that it won't be a wrong or embarrassing question.

• If you are able to build a relationship with and learn to trust a 1,000 pound animal that could very well kill you, don't you think building a relationship with another human wouldn't really be that bad?

4) Horses don't judge

• Can you remember the last time you had a conversation with a person and you never thought about it again after? "Did I sound that stupid when I said it outloud?" "Do they even like me? Their tone of voice seemed to change too often" "What if I stuttered too much?" A horse doesn't care. A horse is there to be listening ears and a warming hug. They will never talk back. They will love back. A horse will listen to your sorrows and seemingly nuzzle into your chest to let you know that you're not alone. Your tears will dry into their soft hair and they will metaphorically pick you up by lifting their head. The day is done and it is time to move on to better things, for a better day.

5) What else?

• Confidence

• Trust

• Self esteem

• Improve communication

• Self worth

• Respect and establish limits and boundaries