Thought of the day: OK, it’s more like a bunch of half-formed thoughts that have been rattling around in the back of my brain for months, and periodically popping up and coming close to something I can articulate. I have another blog article on a different subject mostly written, but this one decided it needed to come out now! The thought is this: One person’s wellness shouldn’t come at the expense of another’s. Now my stating this doesn’t make it right or true, but it what I believe.
But what does that mean with horses? To me that means that one person shouldn’t be using another person (or horse) to make themselves feel better, at the detriment to that other person’s (or horse’s) well being. I feel this is important in the field of horses and wellness – whether it be therapeutic riding, equine assisted learning, or any other iteration of horses participating in the wellness field in specific programs or modalities, but also in our day-to-day relationships with our own personal horses.
How many of us can relate to statements such as “If I’m having a bad day, I just go to the barn, and my horse makes me feel better.” Or “My horse will listen to me when no one else will”. How many of us have been broken hearted teenagers (or adults), sobbing into our horse’s mane after a breakup? Memes with taglines such as “my therapist has a long mane and a heart of gold” or “nothing compares to the therapy a horse can give” are widely shared on social media. Clearly, it a common experience among horse-lovers that even if we can’t explain exactly why, horses make us feel better. There has long been plenty of anecdotal evidence to support this phenomenon, and now more than ever there are studies and scientific evidence to support the long-held view of horses as healers. The question then becomes “what is the cost, if any, on the horse’s well-being?”
First there is the question of consent. Do our horses really agree to us coming into their space after a stressful day of work, dumping our emotional baggage on them, and then leaving again? How can we tell? Do they feel better or worse after such an interaction? Likely our horse is giving us subtle (or not so subtle) signs of whether they are cool with the energy we are bringing into the barn, but it is up to us to read those signs. And not only to read to signs, but to avoid taking them personally, and instead use it as a chance to assess what we are bringing with us in that moment. I’m sure many of us have had the disheartening experience of going out to our horse’s paddock to catch them and having them turn and walk (or run!) away. Rather than reacting with frustration or anger in this situation, it is a good chance to pause and evaluate. Maybe check in with ourself in that moment. Is there something in our day, or our personal life that is causing tension? Are we bringing that tension with us into the paddock? We might not even notice it, but our horses sure do. Ann Baldwin, PhD, and Professor Ellen Gehrke, PhD, with The Heartmath Institute began some very interesting research back in 2014, that among other things, looked at determining if horses could sense the emotional states of nearby humans. What they found was that the horses did seem to respond, with their heart rate variability matching up either with a more erratic rate when the human was thinking anxious thoughts, or a steadier rate when the human was thinking appreciative thoughts. These studies were conducted without any physical contact between horse and human, just standing or sitting in proximity, and thinking about certain things. It makes sense then, that our horses might be affected by whatever emotional state we bring with us to the barn.
Imagine a scenario where you have a friend who is always extremely negative. The type that, if they were a cartoon, they would have a little raincloud following them around everywhere they go. Even if you really love this friend, you might find it difficult to spend too much time with them, as you often seem to leave the interaction with a little bit of their raincloud trying to follow you home. You might find yourself purposely avoiding meeting up with this friend very often. Horses don’t have that luxury. If we bring our little raincloud with us to the barn, often the most they can do is walk away from us in the paddock. Chances are though, that we won’t leave it at that. We will likely end up catching them eventually (and maybe now in an even worse mood after chasing them around for 15 minutes getting more and more frustrated). Now they are under our little raincloud whether they like it or not, and we still expect them to participate in the ride, or whatever activity we had planned, and possibly even with the added pressure of expecting them to make us feel better. And many times, they will! Many horses have a generous and caring nature, and will take that on, forgive our grumpiness or shortness with them, and still somehow manage to show us enough kindness and patience that we do end up feeling more grounded and relaxed after spending time with them. But what is the emotional toll on them? Did they have to go into a state of shutdown or freeze to put up with us?
There is a lot of talk these days around the term “emotional labour”, referring to the unseen, often unappreciated cognitive or emotional work that is done, sometimes in unbalanced amounts, by both parties in a relationship. I would argue that we often don’t recognize the emotional labour our horse is putting into our relationship with them, particularly if we aren’t putting as much effort into listening to them as we are into telling them what to do or are prioritizing our own needs and goals ahead of their own. Humans speak of the negative impacts of too heavy a load of emotional labour, such as increased burnout, anxiety, and stress. Does it not stand to reason that our horses might experience similar fallout from not having their emotional needs met in a relationship?
And that’s just looking at the emotional piece of the relationship between human and horse while they are together. If the horse is needing to decompress after their time with us, are we making sure they have adequate access to friends, forage, and freedom (within the limits of our individual situations) to let their systems reset by engaging in natural behaviors? Or are we locking them in a stall with limited movement, access to other horses, or forage, so that they are also denied their natural behaviors, which not only facilitate emotional and mental well-being, but also physical well-being. An example of our wellness coming at the expense of theirs in a physical way might be something as seemingly innocuous as an ill-fitting saddle. We might finish our ride feeling strong, flexible, and filled with endorphins, while they finish the ride feeling sore, tight, and stressed.
None of us is perfect. We aren’t robots. We all have good days and bad days, and we are all learning as we go, as we fumble our way through this thing called life. I am certainly not suggesting that unless we are perfect, it is too hard on our horses and we are causing more harm than good. I am also not suggesting that we must always be happy and perfectly calm to be able to work with our horses. Emotions of all kinds are a part of the human (and the equine) experience, and they do all have a place. What I hope for is that we can put as much importance on self awareness, as we do on our riding or horsemanship goals. Not so that we can be some sort of Zen masters, but so that we can be aware of how we are feeling, and thus how that may be presenting to our horse. That congruence between what we feel on the inside, and what we are showing on the outside is something that helps horses trust us and feel safe. In addition, bringing that same awareness to our horse, so that we can be good partners and be attuned to their needs and emotional states as well as our own. Sometimes it is just the smallest shift of perspective that can make a world of difference. Sometimes we just need to feel seen, and heard, and it is the same for our horses.
Bringing awareness into our own interactions with our horses seems like a small thing, but I think it is quite multifaceted, and something that will always be changeable as we, ourselves shift and grow. It is something that we can each work on in our own way and in our own time, with many possible approaches that could be combined or changed over time, just as any relationship evolves over time. This leads me to a bigger question though. That of horses in the wellness industry.
Horses participating in wellness programs is something that has grown exponentially over the last few decades. It began (at least in western culture) with more traditional therapeutic riding programs which date back to post WWI, when horses were used to help wounded veterans with their physical rehabilitation. In those days, horses were seen more as livestock or tools to be used, and just as they had been used on the battlefields to help win the war, so were they used for these rehabilitation programs, with plenty of emphasis on what they could do for the benefit of the humans, and likely not as much thought given to how it might affect their own well-being. From these militaristic origins, the physical benefits of riding were then used for people with physical needs such as cerebral palsy, mobility challenges and more, and then expanded to other diversities such as autism, ADHD, developmental delays, and more. Over the years the horse’s welfare piece evolved alongside the scope of the programs. Most primarily to accommodate the horse’s physical needs. Better fitting tack, rider weight guides, and updated feeding, veterinary, and training practices meant more of the horses’ physical needs were being looked after, in order to help them do their jobs. As with the horse industry at large though, most management practices developed around convenience to the humans, and what we thought horses wanted, then what they perhaps needed. With practices such as individual stabling and limited turnout being common. By and large, horses were still viewed primarily as a tool in the wellness process of the clientele, which is not to say that the humans riding and working with them didn’t love them, but that the horses’ needs were secondary to the needs of the clients. The role of the horse as a sentient being and partner in the wellness process is relatively recent when compared with the length of time horses have been involved in these types of programs.
More recently, unmounted programs specifically targeted to learning, emotional or mental health needs have sprung up, due to increased awareness of horse’s ability to help humans heal, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. These programs go by as many different names as there are variations in approach, from Equine Facilitated Wellness, Equine Therapy, Equine Assisted Learning, and many variations of those names. Along with these programs comes a new consideration: Is the horse’s emotional and mental well-being being negatively affected by the work they are doing with humans? I cannot answer that question conclusively, and I certainly cannot attest to each of the many programs and approaches and types of work that utilize the healing nature of the horse. While there are governing bodies that look at regulating the care, training and management at a basic level, such as the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada, there is yet nothing that oversees the emotional or mental welfare of the horses in these programs. This means that it is up to each individual certifying body or program, and each individual stable or coach offering services to be asking these questions and judging for themselves if the emotional well-being of the horses is being affected negatively or not.
So how do we know which services or programs to support if we want to ensure that the ethics around horse welfare align with our own? The wellness services that horses participate in are important, and so needed. How do we make sure that they are sustainable for our equine friends, while still helping those humans who need these services the most? If we are choosing a program for ourselves or our family members, how can we know if the horses are content doing the work, and are actively choosing to participate, or if they are being forced, or used in a way that negatively affects them?
I think it is up to each individual to support organizations and programs that are a good fit for them personally. If horse welfare, both physical and emotional are important to you, here are a few things to look at, and questions to ask when looking into participating, supporting or certifying with any particular program, organization, or individual coach or facilitator:
Core Ethics – Do they have a list of ethics or guiding principles that includes points about horse welfare, both physical and mental/emotional? This might be posted online, in the facility somewhere, or available upon request.
Verbiage Used – Does the wording on their website, socials, or promotional materials allude to the use of horses as tools, not really mention the horses at all, or speak in a way that shows respect for the horses and their autonomy in the wellness process? What about when you speak with a representative in person? Do they use language that is respectful of the horse, or do they speak down to them, or about them?
Herd Management – Are the horses in the program kept in a way that allows for the “3 F’s” of friends, forage, and freedom, meaning group turnout or access/view to engage with other horses, a primarily forage-based diet that allows for grazing or grazing-like behaviors, and ample turnout/free time. Are they knowledgeable on up-to-date nutrition, lameness, and other veterinary information, and are working with the advice of a veterinary and farrier team?
Equine health information has come a long way in recent years. For example, the prevalence of ulcers in ridden horses is now mostly a widely-known fact, so they should be able to demonstrate knowledge around ulcer prevention and treatment of the herd.
Horse Condition – Do the horses in the program appear healthy (good weight and muscle tone, shiny coat, bright eyes, alert etc), sound (not limping, overly stiff etc), and happy – this one can be harder to tell. Do the horses seem alert and engaged with each other or with you, or are they hiding at the back of their stall or paddock? Do they seem calm and relaxed, or are they exhibiting stress behaviors such as pacing, cribbing, weaving, kicking walls, or zoning out. If you have a chance to observe them doing their work, do they seem like they are actively showing up and engaged in the process, or calm and relaxed, or do they seem shut down, stressed or cranky?
Demonstrate Knowledge of Horse Behaviour - If you have a chance to observe them with a horse, do they appear to be listening and responding to communication that the horse is giving them, or do they use tropes, excuses, or anthropomorphism such as “he’s always cranky” or “she just needs to get over it”, or “he’s trying to annoy me.” If you have a question around a certain behaviour a horse is exhibiting, do they have a knowledgeable and fair explanation, (or alternatively admit if they aren’t sure, none of us have an answer 100% of the time!).
Transparency – are all the above easy to find out via their written or online materials, visiting a facility, or speaking with a representative, or do they seem like they are trying to withhold information?
Feel – How do you feel when you enter the barn, arrive at the facility, observe a session, or speak with a representative? Our gut sense has evolved to keep us safe, and we can usually use it as a pretty reliable source of information if we practice listening to ourselves and trusting what we feel. If what you feel doesn’t match the answers you’ve been given to any of the above questions, it’s either time to ask more questions or to find something different.
There are many wonderful wellness programs out there that beautifully merge helping humans with prioritizing the horse’s needs, it is just a matter of finding one that works for you.
Well, this article got a lot longer than I intended, and kind of went off on a few tangents, but the take-home message, and the food for thought really boils down to one living being’s wellness not coming at the expense of another, whether that is in our personal relationships with our horses, or in the Equine Wellness Industry. I would love to hear your thoughts or reflections on the subject!
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