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Horses are no longer only for transportation, sports or companionship.

Horses are authentic coaches. Their direct and non-judgmental approach allows participants to identify unproductive behaviors and their strengths.

Horses operate the way a mirror does, reflecting back everything we need to understand about ourselves. Sometimes the mirror shines on our strengths and success, and other times it exposes our fears and weaknesses.

The Path of the Horse

Stormy May

The Path of the Horse is the documentary Stormy made while she was searching for ways to understand horses and work with them without using pain, coercion or force. Visit ourhorses.org for more information.

As prey animals, horses have an instinctual fear of danger and can read the intentions of another from a great distance. This survival skill allows them to accurately tell what we are really feeling – even if we are not yet aware of it. Thus, horses act as a mirror to what is going on in our lives, giving instant, honest feedback which is a catalyst to our learning.

Due to their sheer size and physical presence, the horse can provoke different reactions and emotions from us depending on our life experiences. This creates a natural opportunity to examine the power dynamics that exist within our relationships.

Horses are naturally curious, social creatures who do not worry about ego, looks or qualifications and have no ulterior motives. They stay in the present moment and provide unconditional acceptance, a major factor in the learning and development process.

The benefits of partnering with horses are many

They are non-judgmental

Horses have no preconceived ideas about who we are, our job title, the clothes we wear or the car we drive. They only care about how safe they feel.

They give an immediate response

As prey animals, horses are extremely sensitive and provide immediate feedback about the way we communicate and interact with the world around us.

They respond to non-verbal communication

According to Albert Mehrabian’s famous assessment of human interactions – 93% of all communication is non-verbal. Working with horses provides an ideal opportunity to learn how to communicate via our body language and our tone of voice.

They reward your efforts

Establishing rapport with the horse to create a relationship of mutual trust is not about showmanship and dominance.

Clear communication about ground rules and boundaries allows the horse to follow through with complete trust and respect.