Horses are very sensitive, so they quickly realize when we are using our breath to communicate with them and respond accordingly. They are always in the moment, aware of the slightest change of breath, energy, and movement.
When you practice meditation with horses, you are learning how to control and be aware of your breath, which helps you quiet your mind and the busy thoughts racing through it. When you do this and arrive at a point where you are fully present in the moment – not thinking about what you’re going to cook for dinner later – you start to participate actively in what is happening right now. Horses not only feel this in you but need it. This meditative space is where you can hear your horse – and your own inner voice – and begin to forge a deeper bond with him.
Horses are highly intuitive and have the ability to be fully present in their bodies and their environment. They give us the perfect example to follow and to focus on. They are great at “being” instead of “doing.” Horses act as natural conduits to connection, and they can teach us the skills we need to handle many challenges in life. Benefits of this practice include perseverance, patience, discipline, empathy, forgiveness, leadership, acceptance, and creativity.
Those familiar with horses have long recognized and understood the powerful ways horses influence people. Documented research shows positive physical and psychological results from humans interacting with horses including reduced blood pressure and heart rate; lower levels of stress; decreased feelings of tension, anxiety, anger, and hostility; as well as increased levels of beta-endorphins, and beneficial feelings of self-esteem, empowerment, patience, and trust.
