ANYONE WHO SHARES THEIR LIFE WITH AN EQUINE and has some self-awareness recognises that this special relationship is nothing short of a life-long personal development program. Actually, even those who don’t recognise it are enrolled on just the same course, but often find themselves stuck at the ‘recognising their issues stage.’ They get angry, controlling, coercive, terrified, abusive, timid, bound up in technicalities, and may even walk away from their greatest teacher. Their armoury is one of blame, of non-responsibility – it’s just ‘the horse that has a problem’!

Now of course horses DO have problems, which may stem from mistreatment, pain, and lack of understanding or training – even past lives. But more often than not what are often deemed problems are clear equine communications, truly (sometimes painfully) honest feedback for their handlers. Horses have the ability to zero in on our issues, our weak spots, pretences, and ineffective behaviours. They will tell us time and time again just what they think about our false selves, encouraging us to go within and act from a place of truth and authenticity. They yearn for heart stuff, not head stuff, and when they get it something magical occurs.

Even before I was able to comprehend and articulate just what was going on I knew there was something about my own relationships with my horsy friends that enabled me to grow and to find the incredible peace that comes from being. But none of that, for me at least, came without the tough bits. Indeed it can still be tough at times, but I am now able to thank my friends for their honest feedback and to look at what is going on inside of me. I remember rides when time seemed to stand still when all my senses were heightened, where my face wore a constant huge smile and my heart sang. I also remember times, mounted and not, when tears would suddenly flow, sometimes of joy, sometimes of sorrow – always healing. Then there were the occasions of anger, fear, frustration, and confusion when I would wonder what the heck I was doing spending time with horses anyway! Non-horsy friends would wonder at times at my total involvement in these special relationships.

I spent some years volunteering for the Riding For The Disabled Association and would marvel at the humbleness of these noble creatures, their understanding, and gentleness. So much bigger and faster than even able-bodied humans, they would adjust their way of going to suit whoever was on board. Children and adults with uncontrollable jerky movements, those who made unusual sounds, even screams, those who seemed switched off from the world around them, all would be looked after and touched by their magical mounts. There was the time one small grey pony stopped dead in her tracks and refused to be moved on by her handler. She showed no anger; in fact, she looked like she may have been falling asleep! The handler and her helper turned all their attention to the rider, thinking they may have to get him off immediately – just as he began to convulse. Did that pony know? Then there was the occasion when a young boy who hadn’t uttered a single word in four years sat upon a beautiful chestnut mare; she was an ex-jumping pony and though solid as a rock, was kept for the more able bodied riders. She walked sedately round the school a couple of times then broke into a very gentle jog – her young rider tried to stop her and when he couldn’t, started to laugh and then called out in a very loud voice ‘Stop!’ And she did.

When I trained as a TTeam (Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method) Practitioner I witnessed a strange phenomenon – on around day two or three of each training people would suddenly become very emotional, or even spaced out. Issues that had been there for years, even those unconscious ones, started bubbling to the surface and demanding attention. Tteam work involves helping horses to release trauma and pain at a cellular level; it also involves blending with horses in a sort of dance in order to complete groundwork tasks. It is about working with, not on, horses and it sometimes takes people to a level of awareness (or consciousness if you like) never before reached. In doing so it creates a blending and a bonding that allows pain (emotional and physical) to be released. Some fascinating research has been done, measuring equine and human brainwave patterns during Ttouch sessions and it would appear a kind of mirroring takes place. Is that why emotions become released? – Or is something even more profound taking place?

My work as a healer and intuitive has led me time and time again to situations where I have witnessed truly miraculous happenings. There have been times when I have been giving healing to a horse and its person has almost fallen asleep, become very spaced-out, burst into floods of tears, had sudden memory recall, even on occasions fainted, or been physically sick (why Do they call me back?). Am I channeling healing to the horse and the horse channeling healing to his or her person, or is this also some kind of mirroring affect? Then there have been instances where I find myself explaining to the person what I receive telepathically from their horse and – you’ve guessed it – it fits with them, too. There is relief when I have explained to someone that their behaviour towards their horse friend simply won’t glean the relationship they obviously so sorely want. It’s almost a permission to get out of their head and into their heart and ‘come out’ with the fact that they had felt it was wrong, but they were surrounded by so-called experts whose views they had been afraid either to challenge or to ignore. And that often has a knock-on affect, too.

So what is it that draws so many back time and time again, to muck out in the dark on either side of a busy working day, to knock ice of water buckets when their hands and fingers are hurting, to get scared (even terrified) from time to time, to have no money left for anything else, to risk partnership breakdowns over their other ‘woman or man’, to get soaked to the skin, frozen to the bone, eaten by horse flies and assorted other nasties, to lay awake at night (sometimes in the stable or field!) when their horse friend is unwell and to generally smell horsy! It is a passion – and, I believe, deep down inside recognition of one of the greatest teachers, healers, and guides you can ever possibly find.

Just over a year ago, I became involved in some groundbreaking work in the UK, work bringing together people from corporate environments and horses. Horses are herd animals and minute-by-minute they look for and negotiate leadership within their herds. Put them together with humans and a lesson in leadership follows. Why? Because they will simply not respond to or interact with the old control and command paradigm. Like people the world over, they seek authenticity, clarity, compassion, understanding, energy and partnership… and of course love. And when business leaders start accessing those inner qualities the magic occurs, both in the horse arena and back in the business environment. Horses don’t give a hoot about titles or earning capacity; people are just people to them – another sentient being.

As in the Riding for The Disabled group, the TTeam trainings, the healing and communication sessions, as well as in mine and thousands of others’ experiences who share our lives with an equine friend or friends, incredible realisations, awakenings, learnings, insights and emotional releases happen with Chief Executives, Directors, and Senior Managers, too. A title does not automatically release someone from conditioned behaviours that no longer serve them – at work or at home. We use the horse as a metaphor, set a task, and wait. People are placed right outside their comfort zones. Behaviour patterns emerge and it is then the facilitator’s job to coach them through to a breakthrough – to a heart-centred empowering place from where the dance begins.

These ‘ah-ha’ moments when the connection truly occurs create a ripple effect throughout the arena. Even those observing find themselves moved beyond words, sometimes to tears. When asked to describe what exactly is going on for them, even hardened, cynical execs find themselves placing a hand over their heart or their solar plexus when attempting to articulate what changed. Internal shifts take place during these interactions that can take a couple of days to process – and this can all be initiated in less than 20 minutes with a horse! Horse professionals, business coaches, and leaders all have their ‘take’ on what is actually going on here – and why, or how. And all are valid. Though there may be a slight difference in those theories, one thing is always agreed upon, that something is happening at a level deeper than our eyes can see or our minds interpret.

I am now working on establishing this breakthrough work as an adjunct to other therapies in the UK. I don’t want to see it kept just for those who can afford it. My vision is to establish a Centre where people can visit, for the day, week, or longer, where the underprivileged and the ill, those in therapy and in need of counseling, criminals and those heading that way, families, and couples, anyone needing help can come and experience the magic of equine. It shall be a centre for inner leadership, healing, learning, guidance – and fun.