Horses are large, powerful, living creatures who naturally intimidate some people. Working with horses provides an opportunity for these people to overcome their fear and develop confidence. Accomplishing a task with a horse, in spite of those fears creates confidence and provides for wonderful metaphors when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life.

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For people to learn, they must experience an emotional response. Something as simple as being in the company of a horse will provoke such a response in all of us.It may be love or fear, but it's never ambivalence.

At EQUUS, we use that emotional response to help people open the door to learning about themselves and how they interact with others.

Horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them. Haven't you heard someone say, "He knows you're afraid", when talking about a horse? They're exactly right - a horse does know when you are afraid... and when you are angry... and when you are sad. The horse behaves accordingly; sometimes by tossing his head, sometimes by running away and sometimes by quietly standing nearby, offering a shoulder to lean on.
When a person understands that his behavior is reflected by the horse, he can also see the results brought about by a change in that behavior. The client receives immediate confirmation that his actions have a direct effect on others and that can be a powerful incentive to change.