Horses
are inspiring animals of beauty and grace, but do they have another role in
man's
life?
In the
past, horses were used for sports as well as work animals, ,serving their
owners. They were not considered having any kind of awareness or consciousness.
Today ,
in the Western world, when horses are only used for sports and leisure and
rarely as work animals, a new therapeutic discipline is being
developed: healing with horses
Following
the publications of gifted coaches called "Horse Whisperers" and the
inclusion of therapeutic riding in HMOs, we now have a different perspective on
this special animal, living alongside man for thousands of years, yet not
really understood until now.
Horses
are wild rather than domesticated animal, owning a wild and free spirit nature. In the wild, horses are other animals'
prey, thus they need a good survival mechanism. Therefore they have developed very sharp senses. that help them scan their surroundings for predators or other
potential hazards.
Wild
horses live in herds, having complex relationships among the herd members. They are all subjects of the
leader - known as the alpha mare, on whom The herd's survival depends.
Horses
are mammals and therefore have a wide range of emotions such as sadness, joy,
affection, as well as different moods, depending on the changing environment
around them.
One can
create a trusting and loving bond with
horses as long they are treated
adequatelyHorses can read people's emotions like an open book. If they trust
someone, they will follow them willingly with using any harness or rope and without having physical
contact at all. They are very sensitive and fond of people's affectionate
caresses and play with them.
Horses bring
great joy to human beings simply by
their gentle and noble presence. But one must keep strict safety rules around
them, always remembering that this is an easily frightened animal, being a prey
in the wild. Therefore, one shouldn't stand
behind them Their "Fight or Flight" instincts are very strong and still
active even after thousands of years alongside human beings.
Further,
horses have wonderful proven capabilities to heal and cure people's body and
soul.
