Have you ever hugged a horse? Most people who have, or who have laid their head on a horse's shoulder or buried their face in a horse's mane, will report that the scent, the essence, the presence of the horse is almost magical. Years ago, my nephew, who was 4 at the time, laid his head on my horse's shoulder, looked up, and said "Horses smell so warm and friendly!" What an observation that was from one so young.
It is small wonder that Equine Assisted Therapy(EAT) is the topic of numerous studies, exploring how effective it is for people suffering with PTSD, with substance use disorders, with anxiety, with mental health issues, how it affects children on the autism spectrum and so much more! The ability of horses to communicate solely with body language is also being explored; horses communicate this way with one another, but also with humans who interact with them. How might this nonverbal communication be applied to person to person interactions?
In my next few blog posts I will touch on some results and discussions from studies related to EAT, and incorporate some anecdotal evidence from my own life.
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