The Equine Advantage: How Horses Enhance Psychosocial Education

Horses are prey animals with a strong instinct for self-preservation. They are attuned to their environment and the behaviors of those around them as a survival mechanism. They can pick up on the subtlest of cues such as body language, tone of voice, emotional state, and energy levels. They will often reflect our inner emotional state, enabling us to “try on” new ways of being in a safe and nonconfrontational way. This is the essence of experiential learning and one of the many reasons why horses are considered valuable partners in psychosocial development.