Horses are powerful teachers; they serve as a mirror to the inner workings of the human nervous system. Much like neurofeedback and biofeedback, horses can help you develop an understanding of when your body is dysregulated and then challenge you to move towards a more regulated state. The nervous system of a horse craves being in a calm, cool, collected state that is shared with the entire herd. It serves as a survival mechanism; when one horse moves out of a calm, cool, collected state and into a more alert, survival state, the entire herd feels the shift and, as a whole, they become on guard. Horses are so sensitive to these states that they even tune into our nervous systems. If you are feeling anxious and “out of control” when working with horses, they will mirror this back by not responding to any requests and attempts for engagement. If you are feeling calm, cool, collected, the horse will mirror this back by becoming a willing participant in working with you. Through this awareness and real-life application of being regulated and “in control” of your nervous system, you are empowered to make similar changes in day-to-day life.
Horse Guided Programs
Why Horses?
Horses build the template for Safe Connection
Many times, through our life experiences and stress, we shut down. This involves our dorsal vagal complex and is part of immobilization and the “freeze” state. In this state, interest in socialization diminishes and can even feel threatening. On the other hand, horses are social creatures and rely on their herd for survival. Horses, therefore, are amazing teachers of safe connection. They facilitate social reengagement in a safe, comfortable, fun, yet effective manner. Relating to horses, who are sensitive creatures that deeply tune in to you, activates the ventral vagal complex that is a part of safety, connection, and mobilization. Even when miscommunication or challenges arise, as you work through them with your horse and instructor, your nervous system receives resolution that it may not have in previous, challenging situations.
What does this Program look like?
Neurotherapy of Colorado Springs provides expert psychotherapeutic tools that allow your experience to be incredibly informative and healing. We work with the Mustang Ambassador Program (MAP) who train and protect wild mustangs. Each horse you’re paired with has a unique story. You learn them just as much as they learn you. MAP has a team of highly experienced equine instructors to help safely guide you through your experience.
What to Expect:
- Equine assisted learning with our highly experienced instructors
- Horsemanship taught through groundwork and riding.
- HeartMath® techniques and technologies and psychotherapeutic tools facilitated by our HeartMath® Certified Mentor and psychotherapist
- Evidence based techniques.
- State of the art technology
- Real life application
- Time for discussion
Horses help to reinforce Neurotherapy
Our horse guided programs are a fantastic way of learning real-life applications of implementing the many things you learn during neurotherapy. We also cannot address everything in the setting of our clinic and being outside of a therapeutic setting and in the “real world” allows us to go even deeper. Our clinic incorporates a highly focused and productive environment which is beneficial to building new neural pathways. Horses often reveal deep-seeded emotions that creep up in your day-to-day life when you feel out of control or unsure. By unearthing these feelings, with the support of our team, you have the opportunity to resolve them in a safe and powerful way. Your nervous system will experience a new way of processing these deep-seeded emotions and have a template for different responses that can be utilized in future scenarios. We call this somatic reexperiencing. There is no threat of “messing up” and you have the freedom to really learn from your emotions. The awareness, confidence, and trust that is built in this process is why we are so passionate about horses as a mode of healing.