Straight from the horse’s mouth

It’s said that the expression ‘straight from the horses’ mouth’ originates from the idea that if you wanted to know how a horse might run in a race -you’d be best to talk to the horse- not to a man in a pub. Over time, the expression has grown to mean a reliable or trustworthy source. Horses are straightforward. In their own way they tell you how it is. 

Horses give honest feedback.  They don’t care about your background or where you went to school. It’s rumoured that Queen Elizabeth loved horses, precisely because they treated her no differently to anyone else. To connect with them, it’s important for clients to be in contact with their own feelings and body language.  Carol O’Connor wrote. ‘A horse’s natural instincts cannot be deceived. The horse, through their senses, knows the true self even when well disguised, for we all in some small inconspicuous manner display our true feelings’.

Horses feel an emotion, express it and they let it go-  ‘getting back to grazing’.  As such they have no preconceptions or prejudices when they meet people. They meet each individual with an unconditional level of acceptance, something that some of our clients rarely experience.  ‘Horses allow us to unite unconditionally with another living being ’[ O’Connor, 2006]. This enables clients to truly open themselves to the experience and to take off the mask and reveal their true selves.

The horse also facilitates self-awareness. The horse will respond to you in reaction to your actions. This self-awareness is particularly helpful in building social and emotional learning. It’s literally feedback  ‘straight from the horse’s mouth.’

If you want to learn more about equine therapy please call Annie on 0411 549562 or e mail her on annie@hamerequine.com