Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) sessions create a natural learning environment, in partnership with horses to promote personal development, well-being and the development of life skills. They support new ways to communicate, learn and grow. As prey animals horses are extremely aware of their surroundings. Their reactions to us provide immediate feedback to how we are feeling; what we are doing and how it is affecting them. They sense our emotions and mirror them back to us. They are the perfect mirrors to explore how our actions or reactions affect them, (and others in our lives). This is what makes them the perfect partners for these activities. They are the teachers.

EAL sessions can help develop or re-affirm beneficial life skills such as:

• increasing self-esteem and self-confidence
• developing a better sense of self-awareness
• patience
• trust
• strategies for coping with frustrations from unexpected events
• re-evaluating your approach when something doesn’t go as planned
• personal boundary setting
• relationship issues
• personal reflection
• self-healing
• team building
• improved mental well-being
• creating better awareness of non-verbal communication
• opportunities for creativity, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking
• Adjusting to life events, like grief, job loss, divorce, traumatic events.

Sessions include activities to complete with a horse, that will let a client have fun while:

• challenging their decision-making abilities;
• communication, leadership and teamwork styles;
• their creativity in finding solutions to scenarios and;
• their ability to read the body language of what a horse is telling them.

Just being in the presence of a horse and making a genuine connection can reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and trauma. Making a connection with a horse can be really easy since they accept us as we are and don’t judge us or have unreasonable expectations of us.

As a certified Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Personal Development Coach, I partner with horses to assist clients with identifying and exploring solutions to many life issues.