It may come as a surprise to some that the vast majority of my clients are non-horsey people.  But they are empathic animal lovers and are, in part, drawn to this work because they recognize and honour the sentience in all animals.

 

So a natural question I get asked is, does this work have a negative impact on the horses?  Do they get weighed down by my emotional baggage that I’m releasing in a session?  How do they stay healthy and grounded through their work?

 

These are important questions to ask and have answered, so I thought I would share them with our larger community.

 

The first pillar of this work (at least within the trainings I have done) is the horse is always given a choice.

 

Horses engage with the world on an energetic level.  As a prey animal they are highly atuned to the subtle energies in their environment, including you!  They know, sometimes better than you do, what is ready to be explored.  And they know whether or not their particular natural gifts and strengths will be most supportive to you at this time.

 

I honour this by guiding my clients through a “Meet the Herd” process to discover who their equine guide will be for the current session.  This process invites a natural process of mutual choosing.

 

The majority of our sessions are conducted with the horse at liberty (meaning no restraints).

 

With the exception of a very few specialty processes, the horse is at liberty and free to move around, express herself, and engage or not engage, during the session.   We let the space guide her movements and use this as a mirror to deepen the client experience.  When not at liberty, a handler is present to observe and be the voice for the horse during the session.  Again, this guides the unfolding of the session.

 

I plan our work schedule around daily pasture time.

 

The key to keeping happy, healthy and grounded horses is allowing them to be a horse; to run and play, rest, graze and interact as a herd.  This provides them with the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing they need.

 

We all know the importance of self-care!  My horses also have an ongoing self-care plan.

 

In addition to the basics of veterinary and farrier (hoof) care, my horses receive:

  • High quality feed and supplements tailored to meet their unique needs
  • Massage
  • Craniosacral
  • Laser therapy
  • Reiki
  • Homeopathy
  • Huna
  • And our ‘ace in the back pocket’ is our tremendously gifted animal communicator.

 

Horses, typically, are very grounded animals.  They live closely connected to the earth and are adept at clearing their own energy when given regular access to pasture and their herd mates.  But occasionally they need a helping hand and if I sense they’re in need I will give them a little extra clearing by smudging with sage or with Reiki.

 

There have also been occasions where I have removed a horse from the line up for an extended rest period.  This can be for several months or even years, depending on the needs of the particular horse.

 

My priority is always on the health and wellbeing of my horses.  She is my trusted colleague, my respected co-facilitator, and keeping her happy, healthy and interested in our work is key.

 

 

Krista is a certified Equine Assisted Learning facilitator and Coach, working alongside her wise herd of horses transforming the lives of those who seek a deeper connection to the wisdom of their Soul.

Join us on a Soul Journey .  Or if you would like to sample our work before investing in our Soul Journey package, you can check out our introductory workshop Connecting with Horses.

Or connect with us at 604-807-2255 or info@wisteriaacres.com .  We would love to hear from you!