Equine Assisted Learning

My Why/ how I got here

Following breaking my neck on our honeymoon (legend has it “he bucked me off…!” (not my husband)), I’ve been on quite the journey. I realised that horses were here to teach me and us something. I studied meditation for a year then craniosacral therapy for 2 years. In parallel I hung out with some lovely local horses down the road and groomed and fed them for a year. Then mustered the courage to begin leasing from the group of 4 horses easing into riding twice a week. My favourite was and still is a bareback walk. Then come 2025 I completed an Equine Assisted Learning certification where we partner with horses to help heal humans. It felt a very appropriate and aligned study journey to undertake and like the final connection with my healing of me and my journey reconnecting with horses. I also adopted 2 +1 wild horses this year - a wild Northland bush pony called Dancer via the Wild Horse Project and a Kaimanawa adopted from the April 2025 muster. She arrived in foal and so that’s how I’m now a grandmother before the age of 40… just!

Horses have taught me, healed and held me in ways I can’t describe and couldn’t imagine and I’d love to share their grounding, presencing powers with you.

Equine Assisted Learning - what is it and what can it support

Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) is where we partner with the horses to help reveal answers to our inner world questions, challenges and truths. Sessions are varied and could involve observing horses, caring for/ grooming them, taking them for a walk/ basic horsemanship, and specific learning activities. When combined with some of my other modalities such as somatic embodiment and Compassionate Inquiry, more can be revealed.

Horses are highly sensitive to human emotion, non-judgmental, honest mirrors (they react to what is, not what we say), present-moment animals - no ego, no agenda. This makes them the perfect therapeutic partner.

EAL helps with a variety of areas, such as improving emotional awareness, building communication skills, enhancing trust and empathy, and boosting self confidence. It’s often used for personal development, team building, and even therapeutic interventions for various mental health challenges. It’s pretty versatile and be adapted for different needs.