Healing Trauma in Horses

(N.B. This post has been modified from the original version.)

I have been deeply reflecting on what active role humans have to play in helping horses heal. I feel pulled to this particular aspect of the horse-human dynamic and sense that therein somehow lies my soul purpose in this lifetime. I have been questioning whether I am wandering astray in wanting to further explore psychological trauma in horses or perhaps allowing myself to be distracted from simple presence in the moment with my horses.

Why do I feel this is an important issue? Because equus caballus has, and continues to, pay a high price for their association with our species. I feel a deep grief about this and feel called to somehow give back to the horse. I personally do not see myself as a therapist for horses, nor do I see horses as therapists for people. I do, however, feel that both species can support and facilitate healing in the other. It is the mutuality of this interspecies journey that is so powerful. I chose to start a small horse and donkey rescue so that women and horses could walk together along the path to healing, thus the name of my program, "Healing with Horses".

In response to my post, "Reflections on Rudy's Journey", Lynne wrote: "Remember, you offer love for this being and friendship for this individual first and foremost." I wholeheartedly agree. Without love and the purest of intent for the wellbeing of our equine friends nothing else we do has any real meaning. Simply holding the sacred space of possibility for a deeply traumatized horse is incredibly powerful. Beyond this, I wonder, what else can we do to help horses heal?

In response to this question, Margrit Coates commented, "In my work as an interspecies healer, I come across horses that are much loved. Yet they still do not have inner peace and hold on to the shock of trauma. That can result in emotional or physical issues. Love can create a bond and a communication channel...but a soul to soul connection is what makes the differance to a horse. In my experience spiritual healing* is the gateway to a soul connection. It takes our expression of what we think is love onto a higher plane, raising it to the unconditional level that the horse needs, so that he or she can let go of their turmoil." I very much look forward to her "Healing for Horses" workshop here in July. Perhaps this will provide some guidance on my path. (*aka Energy Healing)

I feel one particularly important aspect of this issue is educating "owners" about the signs of trauma in the horse. By recognizing that a horse's behaviour may be the result of past trauma, the owner can focus on helping the horse heal, rather than "remedial" training. There are many deeply traumatized horses out there who face bleak futures because of the longterm effects of what has been done to them. Many of these horses are disciplined or put into harsh training programs, ensuring the horse stays in a robotically obedient dissociative state. Or worse, they are sent to slaughter for being "dangerous" or "difficult". I think if we don't recognize the manifestations of trauma in horses we cannot approach them in the most helpful way, nor can we recognize when something we are doing with a horse is traumatizing. The popularity of practices such as "join up" is evidence that many well-intentioned horse "owners" are not able to differentiate between deep connection with the horse and dissociative obedience. I suspect on some level many do recognize it, but block those feelings out because they don't know what else to do.

On page 94-95 of "Empowered Horses" Imke describes her work with "Shane and The Tire". Starting on page 96 ("The Meaning of Little Things") she goes into more detail. At the top of pg 98 she states "he just cannot bring himself to step into the tire. That disppoints him, he shows some mild stress- it is a kind of inner withdrawal that, in typical pony fashion, makes him look rather sleepy. He shuts off."

Subtle indications of shutting off are so important to recognize in any horse, yet so very few people are aware of this. Shane is showing what is likely a very normal response to being "over-faced" by a request from a human. Withdrawal inward and shutting off help him to cope with a situation that he can no longer handle. This normal behaviour can become problematic if the horse is frequently stressed beyond his ability to cope and ends up spending a lot of time shut off. It is my sense that this is a common response of horses to overwhelming stress. If "fight or flight" is not an option, dissociation is the only choice left. That is why it is also such a common defence mechanism used by traumatized children.

A comment on Stormy's blog questioned whether Lisa should move Comet around with a stick as per Carolyn Resnick's Water Hole Ritual #4 ("herding from behind"). Lisa, however, describes a horse who is primarily in a dissociative state. Horses such as Comet first need help to slowly "awaken" and spend more and more time fully aware and present. We do not do this by herding him around, round penning him or anything else that is going to over activate his sympathetic nervous system. The tendency to dissociate is typically associated with difficulties regulating physiological arousal. When not dissociated, the individual is often in a state of hypervigilance. Stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system will then typically result in the horse either "exploding" into "flight or flight" or, alternatively, dissociating. These are both neural pathways we do not want to continue reinforcing. Rather, we need to slowly build trust with such a horse. Of utmost importance is ensuring that he truly feels safe with us. (Carolyn Resnick also views this as necessary before you ever move on from Water Hole Ritual #1.)

There is a book by Dr. G.A Bradshaw, "Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach us about Humanity", which explores PTSD in elephants and the ways in which people are trying to rehabilitate them "using the same principles psychologists apply in treating humans who have survived trauma." As is often the case in our relationship with the more-than-human world, our similarities in this regard probably far outweigh any significant differences.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I invite any comments you may have.