?I Was Terrified?: Ex Paratrooper Guides Equestrian Community on a Heartfelt Mental Health Journey

A horse is not simply a companion who supports his master, it’s a being that penetrates deep into the mind of its rider. Having interactions with horses, be it through riding, grooming or even simply being in the same space, promotes a mutually therapeutic interplay that profits each of them. There?s nothing more relaxing than providing care for these magnificent creatures, as it is a good way to help people deal with the stresses of daily living, promote emotional balance and instill awareness in individuals. Likewise, horses are intelligent animals with strong instincts about human emotions that respond to mutual trust by giving them inner peace and safety.

Among many stories illustrating the deep positive effect of equine therapy on mental health, there is one story whispering about the power of one human?horse connection. Recently, Horse Back UK revealed the story of a rehabilitated ex-paratrooper who recovered his physical health due to the healing effect of his relationship with the horse.

A tale of human-horse equestrian connection

On 16th November, Horseback UK shared a post on X, with the caption, “One horse, one man – and their mental health recovery journey together. Watch as this former paratrooper shares his mental health recovery journey through his bond with one of our horses. Together, we can overcome anything”.

The video featured a man expressing, “I was terrified of dealing with a big animal like kids, thinking it might hurt me. But it’s a big animal that needed me to be confident. The horses have shown me to slow down, that I don’t have to attack everything. Things can get done slowly, confidently, and that you can be confident, firm, and stable without being hard, fast, and aggressive”.

From this, it is apparent that the man was initially afraid at first to handle this animal, but through his relation, he learnt about the necessity of confidence without aggressiveness. The event made him know that if something had to be done, it must be through a steady process filled with sureness and not speed and pressure.

Harnessing equine emotions

EAT (Equine Assisted Therapy) uses the emotional sensitivity of horses to assist in therapy as well as facilitate learning. It was also effective on the emotional side for Selena Gomez and Chrissy Teigen. These horses act as mirrors of human emotions. EAT is a course that has been designed in such a way that it makes use of horses as they respond to one?s behaviour. The horses? reactions are interpreted by trained professionals who can help people self-actualize and change their minds.

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The method harnesses the horses? capacity to mimic human emotions, which makes them the best teachers in a therapeutic session. EAT is beginning to be useful in dealing with emotional problems and improving emotional skills. This benefits all groups of people, even individuals diagnosed with autism and working people.

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