You’ve likely heard that dogs are man’s best friend, but horses may be the most emotionally intelligent animals on the planet. Their ability to read, understand, and empathize with human emotions is unparalleled in the animal kingdom.
As prey animals, horses have evolved a keen awareness of subtle cues and moods in their environment. This article will go over how they accurately detect the emotional states of other horses and people.
Peyo: The miracle horse
Peyo is a 14-year-old therapy horse with a gift for comforting those who most need it. Working as a therapy animal in France, Peyo is known for sensing who needs his help and bringing them joy in unexpected ways.
Peyo’s owner, a horse breeder, discovered Peyo’s talent for empathy and compassion at a young age. She saw how Peyo would gently approach those who seemed sad or upset. His kind, caring demeanor was therapeutic, lifting people’s spirits and brightening their days.
Through interactions with Peyo, people find solace, comfort, and connection. Peyo’s remarkable capacity for empathy has earned him the title of “miracle horse.” He brings light to dark places and gives people a reason to smile again.
What is equine therapy?
Equine therapy, or horse therapy, refers to experiential mental health treatment involving interactions between patients and horses. Participants engage in supervised activities with horses, like grooming, walking, or riding. The horses can sense a person’s emotional state through these interactions and respond accordingly. This helps participants gain insight into their feelings, behaviors, and relationships.
Benefits of equine therapy
Equine therapy, or equine-assisted therapy, delivers many benefits for physical and mental well-being. These benefits include:
1. Non-judgmental and unbiased
Horses do not pass moral judgment on humans or criticize them for expressing emotions. They accept you as you are in that moment and meet you where you are emotionally.
This non-judgmental quality allows horses to be powerful partners for emotional healing and learning. Their sensitivity and responsiveness help you understand and accept your inner experiences. Interacting with these perceptive yet unbiased animals can be profoundly validating and help build confidence from within.
2. Feedback and mirroring
As social animals, horses constantly observe each other for emotional comfort and discomfort cues. They apply this same perceptiveness to humans, closely monitoring your body language, facial expressions, and vocal tones.
When you are tense, anxious, or agitated, horses tend to become tense in response. They may move away from you, pin their ears back, swish their tails, or even buck. However, when calm and relaxed, they often relax in turn. They may lick their lips, lower their head, and half-close their eyes.
3. Distress tolerance
Horses have a remarkable ability to sense human emotions and connect with people on a deep level. Their solid emotional intelligence allows them to pick up on distress and provide comfort.
The simple act of being around horses can have a soothing effect on humans. Their gentle, non-judgemental nature helps put people at ease. Interacting with and riding them has been found to decrease stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and elevate mood. Time with them may help cultivate patience and ease anxiety for those struggling with distress tolerance.
4. Impulse control
Impulse control is often developed through training. Horses are taught to respond to their riders’ or handlers’ specific cues and commands. They learn that certain behaviors result in rewards, such as treats or relief from pressure, while other behaviors lead to discomfort or inconvenience.
Interacting with horses teaches you to pause, observe, and evaluate before acting. This skill helps control impulses and learn to think before reacting to emotional situations.
5. PTSD and ADHD
Horses have been shown to help humans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Equine-assisted therapy uses horses to help people with PTSD rebuild trust and confidence. Working with them can help reduce PTSD symptoms like emotional numbing, avoidance of situations that trigger memories of the traumatic event, and hyperarousal.
Caring for horses requires patience, responsibility, and focus — skills that benefit children with ADHD. Interacting with them helps kids improve emotional regulation and hyperactivity. Grooming, feeding, and riding horses help them cultivate a calming routine and rhythm.
The enduring significance of horses
Whether through intuitive communication, mirroring your body language, or simply offering their quiet presence, horses can be a source of healing and nurturing for the human spirit. So the next time you feel stressed, anxious, or need empathy, consider spending quality time with a horse. Their sensitivity and compassion may surprise you and help lift your mood.
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