*written for Horse Tales Magazine
  permission given to reproduce here

 

 

 

Last month I told you about my Cowboy. Now I'm going to tell you what his new career is. He is a people specialist in the bold new field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. This new job of his is hard to explain so I am going to make up a story to give you an idea of what Cowboy is going to do. 10am - Standing in the arena is a slim young man. The sun in the arena is in long slanted rays, filled with sparkling bits of dust. A lead rope and unbuckled halter are thrown in the dirt. A psychotherapist and her equine specialist stand in the shadows. Cowboy stands in the middle of the arena, the strips of sunlight making him seem large and very far away. His head is held high and his body seems frozen in time. Every muscle is tense as he stands about 20 feet away from the young man. The assignment is simple, put the halter on Cowboy. The task is enormous. In order to touch Cowboy he cannot be angry, and this is a very angry young man. He is angry because he is here, he is angry because his parents don't trust him, he is angry because he has to do something very stupid and people might laugh at him. Finally he is angry because the horse hates him. He knows this because every time he grabs that halter and head towards Cowboy , Cowboy turns away. Cowboy's job this hour is to become a instant physical display of the young man's feelings. The equine specialists job is to correctly translate Cowboys reactions. The psychotherapist can then help the young man confront the anger and take the first step towards managing it. There are no lies possible in this arena, Cowboy only reads the language of the body. 12 am.- A little blonde girl, hair hanging over her face , shuffles in. The sunlight now bakes the roof of the barn. The dust is even to tired to swirl and forms a layer above the ground , like a semi invisible second floor. Her history is beyond what anyone else in the room can imagine. She is here because her parents have spent hours, days and months trying to repair the damage. The body is healed, the mind fearful and walled up like a Edger Allen Poe tale. Trust is a word she is not old enough to understand, human touch she barely tolerates. Cowboys job is harder this time . He has to give trust. He has to read past all the fear and pain swirling around the family and stand still. As everyone stands in the shade , talking back and forth about how to hold a curry comb and basic safety rules, there is a soft puff of air on back of the little girls neck. She cries and spins, then freezes , eyes wide, heart pounding . There is a huge brown head eye to eye with her. The humans stand motionless, seconds that seem like hours pass tick. tick, tick. A small hand slowly reaches out, one little finger traces the star on his forehead. A soft little voice " Mom he likes me". As she continues to trace the pattern on his head , her other hand wraps around her mothers finger. Tears stream down her fathers face. It has been almost a year since she reached for anything. One simple step for a gelding, a crack in the wall for a child. "Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is an emerging field in which horses are used as a tool for emotional growth and learning. Horses are very much like humans in that they are social animals. They have defined roles within their herds. They would rather be with their peers. They have distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. An approach that seems to work with one horse, does not necessarily work with another. At times, they seem stubborn and defiant. They like to have fun. In other words, horses provide vast opportunities for metaphorical learning. Using metaphors, in discussion or activity, is an effective technique when working with even the most challenging individuals or groups. Most importantly, horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them. Many people will complain, "The horse is stubborn. The horse doesn't like me," etc. But the lesson to be learned is that if they change themselves, the horses respond differently. Horses are honest, which makes them especially powerful messengers". Eagala Website www.eagala.org   *written by Michelle Marie, Owner of Fa Ranch, Specializing in Equine Reproduction Services, Shipping and Receiving Fresh Cooled and Frozen Semen, 5600 Meacham Street Carson City NV 775-887-7417 www.faranch.com