healing trauma

Healing trauma is quite possible, and can be part of our everyday life with horses. More correctly called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it involves a dysfunction of the central nervous system. This happens as a result of a traumatic experience of any kind. Although it sounds complicated, it is a fairly common predicament in the horse world. PTSD affects both horses and humans.

In their natural environment horses have the resources to recover from traumatic experiences. We often take horses away from these resources, however, which weakens their ability to bounce back. We also impose traumatic experiences on them. Such as insisting they go alone into strange environments, and be ridden and trained in forceful ways. Even the way we misunderstand their behaviour can be deeply stressful for them. 

On the human side, many people are introduced to horses without enough care and attention to their safety. Whether this is in or out of the saddle, it often leads to accidents which result in PTSD. Such a trauma might affect someone for their entire life.

It is therefore highly beneficial for our relationship to understand more about healing trauma. This includes what it is, how it expresses itself and what we can do about it. Part of this is to realise that healing trauma is part of a loving relationship. It is part of our mutual, horse human awakening. We don’t need to judge ourselves or each other for our journey. The mistakes are always springboards to a more illuminated place. This is why healing trauma is so fulfilling. It is a shared process of letting go of resistances and limitations.