As any horse lover will tell you, spending time with horses is good for the soul. In fact, Winston Churchill once said, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.” In recent years, studies and anecdotal evidence has shown that horses have more than just a calming effect on humans. In fact, equine-assisted therapies have become more mainstream in a number of applications, including addiction treatment, mental health treatment, and education of children on the autism spectrum.
Since 2013, The Equus Effect in Sharon, CT, has been providing Experiential Learning with Horses (ELH) programs to veterans and others in life transitions with the tools they need to build healthy relationships at home and in their communities through purposeful engagement with horses. Participants are able to enhance their self-awareness, resilience, and effective communication skills. Learning takes place through action in real time.
Jane Strong, SEP, ESMHL, and David Sonatore, LCSW, the co-founders and directors of the program, both had fathers who were veterans of World War II. Using their knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the trauma of combat, they built a didactic program that is unique and powerful — that integrates mental health teachings and experiential learning with horses. See Jane and David in the following video.
Kelly Hitt, the Communications Director for The Equus Effect, explains, “Our equine partners demonstrate the value of using finesse versus force, and cooperation versus control. The four-session curriculum is designed to teach the principles of natural horsemanship as a way to help participants gain the trust, respect, and willingness to collaborate from those with whom they live and work. We all have a lot to learn about being present in what’s happening right now from our horses – especially those who have never had the time or tools available to unwind and renew their reserves of emotional and mental energy.”
The program combines classroom time with hands-on horse time that gives life-changing insight and information around managing their emotions. A lot of the learning compares the emotions of the veterans with the instincts of horses; the topics of fight, flight, and freeze are frequently discussed.
We can all learn about our emotions by paying close attention to the behavior of horses. Horses live in the present, they can react to the world around them, but then they go back to grazing. Unlike us, they do not ruminate on problems and they don’t tell stories. Horses are not thinking about past or future events, they are concerned with the here and now. The Equus Effect focuses on showing participants that they can learn to use emotions the same way horses do: as information to help them stay alive, set healthy boundaries, and support one another in times of need.
Each week on the bucolic farm, participants focus on connecting with both themselves and with the horses. Using hands on touch and guided, reflective grooming, the veterans are able to become attuned to the horse’s calming energy. They are able to observe how their energy changes the horse’s behavior, either putting the horse on high alert or allowing them to relax into the environment.
From learning the basics of horsemanship and grooming, to leading — and eventually joining up with the horses in the round pen utilizing natural horsemanship training, The Equus Effect works on collaborating with horses and establishing trusting relationships. As a part of the program, participants bring the horses down to the agility course and begin to work over the obstacles. With logs, small jumps, and water crossings, it quickly becomes apparent that the only way to have the horses traverse the obstacles is through quiet understanding, not force or dominance.
Throughout the weekly sessions, participants are able to return home to practice their new skills. This makes the program particularly effective and compounds the teachings of the week before. A graduate of the program and a marine veteran explains just how powerful the program can be, “The day Apache made a connection with me and chose to follow me on his own, demonstrated that he trusted me. It helped me realize that I could trust myself… because if a horse chooses to disregard his own hypervigilance, and trusts, that means that I can do the same.”
Currently, The Equus Effect has five horses at the training facility at the Sharon farm where facilitator training takes place, as well as year-round programming. And, farms across the tri-state area are hosting the program. Through their instructor training programs, The Equus Effect is expanding the reach with their proprietary program nationwide, so that veterans and others all over the country can experience the healing power of horses.
The program at The Equus Effect is rapidly expanding, in addition to their flagship veteran population, they are also developing programs which are tailored to first responders, front-line medical workers in the COVID-19 crisis, students, cancer survivors, and more.
To learn more about their vision for the future and learn more about programming opportunities, we encourage you to visit TheEquusEffect.org.