Click on the photos below to learn more about these rehabilitation stories
Humans Saving Horses
Since 2016, we have had the privilege of rescuing horses that were going to go to slaughter, or were malnourished, or came from some very difficult backgrounds. While most of the horse’s stories can be found in their profiles, there are three larger rehabilitation stories that deserve their own pages.
Horses Saving Humans
According to Psychology Today those who participate in equine activities such as: grooming, feeding and other forms of care, have reduced levels of stress and lower blood pressure.
In addition, the Huffington Post states that “the fastest and most accurate way to discover who you are and what your presenting to the world is revealed from interacting with a horse”
Horses and humans contain something called mirror neuron cells. These cells are tied to the emotions of empathy and imitation (encyclopedia britannica).
So what does this have to do with horses?
With the use of these cells, horses can ‘sense’ what a person is feeling, and as a result, shift their actions to help that feeling either grow or diminish.
Example: you had a rough day at school – maybe you did not do perfectly on a test. You come to the barn in a bit of a bad mood. Your horse will sense that you are not doing as well and try to change their behavior to allow you some relief from that feeling.
Example 2: You have some level of anxiety when talking to people. When you come out to the barn you are not forced to talk with anyone but your horse. Because they can’t talk back it allows for that anxious feeling to diminish. In short, when you are around horses you feel a sense of relief from those feelings.