WEBVTT - Can Horses Help Humans Heal?

0:00:01.920 --> 0:00:06.440
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey

0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:11.320
<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff. Lauren bol Obam here ever, wonder how, of course,

0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:14.920
<v Speaker 1>could help you pope with grief, trauma, and emotional pain.

0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:20.160
<v Speaker 1>It turns out that horses may possess an evolutionary advantage

0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:22.720
<v Speaker 1>that enables them to pick up on our most subtle

0:00:22.720 --> 0:00:26.520
<v Speaker 1>emotions while at the same time not being judgmental and

0:00:26.720 --> 0:00:30.600
<v Speaker 1>even uncovering emotional blind spots. That means that they may

0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:33.640
<v Speaker 1>be an ideal tool for teaching people how to deal

0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:37.560
<v Speaker 1>with everything from a life ending diagnosis and physical death

0:00:37.560 --> 0:00:40.920
<v Speaker 1>of a loved one to miscarriage, divorce, and much more.

0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:45.120
<v Speaker 1>For the article this episode is based on, Has to Work,

0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:48.880
<v Speaker 1>spoke via email with Gail Carruthers, an equine guided learning

0:00:48.920 --> 0:00:52.680
<v Speaker 1>teacher who founded and owns sky Blue Acres Farm in

0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:56.800
<v Speaker 1>Pustl in Ontario, Canada, where she operates a non clinical

0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:01.440
<v Speaker 1>equine learning center called the Equine Intelligence Agency that helps

0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:06.479
<v Speaker 1>clients manage grief and major life losses. She said, as

0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:10.360
<v Speaker 1>a prey animal, horses don't rely on vocalization to communicate

0:01:10.520 --> 0:01:13.560
<v Speaker 1>because using sound would give away their position to a predator.

0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:18.080
<v Speaker 1>Horses instead have developed a sophisticated silent method of communication

0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:22.040
<v Speaker 1>that's built upon sensing energy by using their body language, stance,

0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:25.200
<v Speaker 1>and position. A mere twitch of an ear, rise of

0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:27.360
<v Speaker 1>a shoulder, or shift in the hips is enough to

0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:31.479
<v Speaker 1>convey life sustaining information to the entire herd simply by

0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:35.080
<v Speaker 1>being able to detect the ripple of energy. House to

0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.600
<v Speaker 1>Works also spoke by email with Lissa Corcoran, founder and

0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:42.760
<v Speaker 1>executive director of the Atlanta based Flying Change Equine Therapy,

0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:46.679
<v Speaker 1>which also helps clients process grief and loss. She said,

0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:50.280
<v Speaker 1>I think equine therapy is especially effective as it pertains

0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.520
<v Speaker 1>to grief and loss because grief is a relational experience.

0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.920
<v Speaker 1>We are missing a communication with someone we love, so

0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.840
<v Speaker 1>a new relationship with a horse can soothe that ache.

0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:05.320
<v Speaker 1>Equine learning or therapy offers people the chance to interact

0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:08.640
<v Speaker 1>with horses via exercises such as coaxing them to come,

0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:11.680
<v Speaker 1>picking up and cleaning their feet, or walking them through

0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:15.520
<v Speaker 1>an obstacle. Course and equine therapist observes how a person

0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.680
<v Speaker 1>interacts with the horse, then helps shed light on issues

0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:22.320
<v Speaker 1>that might need to be worked through. The Caruther's adds

0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:25.760
<v Speaker 1>that many unrecognized emotions that might have been ignored or

0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:29.320
<v Speaker 1>even forgotten from past situations can become prominent when a

0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:34.880
<v Speaker 1>person passes away. She said, While the loved one was alive, resentment, anger,

0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:37.920
<v Speaker 1>and the inability to forgive could have been managed, but

0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:41.640
<v Speaker 1>once a person passes away, the opportunity to find resolution

0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:45.000
<v Speaker 1>is over, and people can feel profound guilt and or

0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:50.680
<v Speaker 1>anger from past unresolved situations. Horses can feel this energy,

0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.960
<v Speaker 1>mirror it back, and provide a safe container for the

0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:57.600
<v Speaker 1>grieving individual to release the emotion. The release can be

0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:00.720
<v Speaker 1>a simple acknowledgment of that anger or in a response

0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:04.359
<v Speaker 1>of forgiveness as the anger is expressed and mourning can

0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:09.440
<v Speaker 1>start to heal the emotional pain. Working with animals and

0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:12.720
<v Speaker 1>getting fresh air and exercise are all generally considered to

0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:17.000
<v Speaker 1>be good for us, but is equine therapy scientifically proven.

0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:22.600
<v Speaker 1>Dr Hallie She'd, a licensed professional counselor and founder of

0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:27.160
<v Speaker 1>Texas based Equine Connection Counseling, explains on her organization's website

0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:31.000
<v Speaker 1>that a horse's mirror neurons might provide an answer as

0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:34.040
<v Speaker 1>to how the animal can reflect a client's in our

0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:37.920
<v Speaker 1>world back to them. Mirror neurons are type of brain

0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:41.760
<v Speaker 1>cell that some researchers think help humans and other animals.

0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:46.880
<v Speaker 1>Recognize and empathize with emotions in other living things. She

0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:50.760
<v Speaker 1>wrote that some people believe that horses have substantially more

0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:54.520
<v Speaker 1>mirror neurons than humans, which could make them experts at

0:03:54.600 --> 0:04:01.480
<v Speaker 1>understanding nonverbal communication. Also, while horses have a similar limbic system,

0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:04.880
<v Speaker 1>the region of the brain responsible for feelings and emotions

0:04:04.920 --> 0:04:08.800
<v Speaker 1>as humans do, horses also have a smaller neo cortex,

0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:11.720
<v Speaker 1>that's the area of the brain responsible for thinking and

0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:18.440
<v Speaker 1>analytical thought. This limited analytical capacity, paired with refined nonverbal communication,

0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:23.120
<v Speaker 1>maybe part of what endears horses to people. Horses react

0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:25.960
<v Speaker 1>to us but render no judgment, and we have their

0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:30.919
<v Speaker 1>undivided attention when we're in their presence. Corchoran said, we

0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:34.080
<v Speaker 1>have seen clients of all ages and backgrounds motivated by

0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:37.400
<v Speaker 1>the guidance, acceptance, and love of a horse to grow

0:04:37.480 --> 0:04:43.320
<v Speaker 1>into happier, healthier, more peaceful, and more loving people. Of course,

0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:46.359
<v Speaker 1>there are lots of different therapies and types of intervention

0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.200
<v Speaker 1>out there, and every person who seeks treatment will have

0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:54.360
<v Speaker 1>different needs, goals, and responses. But as an experiential psychotherapy,

0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:58.800
<v Speaker 1>ecoined therapy has sometimes assisted in cases where traditional modes

0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:01.839
<v Speaker 1>of therapy like talk therapy seemed to come up short.

0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:06.599
<v Speaker 1>It offers a different experience by bringing people outdoors into

0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:09.839
<v Speaker 1>a non threatening and inviting atmosphere and offering them a

0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:13.600
<v Speaker 1>chance to use all their senses while learning and processing

0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:18.280
<v Speaker 1>through emotional challenges. It can also be more expensive than

0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.640
<v Speaker 1>traditional therapies and may not be covered by insurance benefits.

0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.960
<v Speaker 1>If you have insurance, you should contact your insurance provider

0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:32.800
<v Speaker 1>to discuss the details in advance. As with any therapy,

0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:36.280
<v Speaker 1>today's episode is based on the article courses have an

0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.479
<v Speaker 1>Extraordinary ability to help Humans on how stuff Works dot Com,

0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:42.320
<v Speaker 1>written by Wendy Bowman. Brain Sufface production of I Heart

0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:44.480
<v Speaker 1>Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com and

0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:47.479
<v Speaker 1>is produced by Tyler Klein. Four more podcasts from my

0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.520
<v Speaker 1>heart Radio visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or

0:05:50.520 --> 0:06:00.240
<v Speaker 1>wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Two