What is Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning?

Horses and humans have a relationship dating back thousands of years. Historically, horses have carried our burdens, carried us into battle, and even carried explorers to new worlds. With the relentless advancement of technology, however, our reliance on the horse has decreased significantly. Yet, there is still a special bond between humans and horses. We are developing a relationship with the horse that goes far beyond the age old principle of domination and control by a more highly evolved species; It is a relationship based on love, trust, and mutual respect. In fact, the partnerships evolving between humans and horses are truly magical and amazing to see.

The field of Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning (EFEL) is firmly grounded in these principles, but goes even further to expand the boundaries of the human-horse relationship. Not only can we have a beautiful partnership with our horses, we can also learn from them as well. The natural horsemanship movement has made great strides in understanding and communicating with the horse, using the horse’s own language. As a result, horses are stepping forward to guide and teach us about what it means to live a full and thriving life.

In its natural environment, the horse is a prey animal. Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, giving them an almost 360 degree wide angle view of a potentially dangerous world. They are naturally nomadic. Their lives and their ability to thrive depend upon their relationships, cooperation, and responsiveness to both one another and the world around them. In other words, the horse embodies the Yin elements in an otherwise very Yang world. In contrast, modern humans are encouraged to develop and rely upon their more Yang attributes. We are often taught from an early age to be goal oriented, competitive, and focused. We exalt the intellect and our ability to reason. To successfully interact with horses, we need to access the often lesser developed Yin part of ourselves. By developing our Yin characteristics, we are striving to bring more balance into our own lives and, ultimately, into the world.

Also recognized in EFEL work is the horse’s innate ability to mirror and respond to the repressed emotions (energy) of their human handlers. You may be familiar with the expression that a horse can “smell the fear” of its handler. To horses, emotion is simply information. Being prey animals, horses maintain a highly developed ability to sense and respond to subtle changes in stance, muscle tension, breathing and the general arousal level of both predators and other horses as well. Emotion then, functions as a tangible energetic force, like a sound or smell that travels through the air, invisible yet and full of information and power. Emotion emanates from each and every one of us and can be picked up by others in our general vicinity at a physical level. However, the interaction between horse and handler can be even more subtle and complex yet. Horses will often mirror the precise emotion being suppressed and then calm down the moment the handler simply acknowledges that feeling in himself, even if the emotion is still there. The moment we become attuned to our authentic feelings, often just making it conscious, the horse will exhibit some visible release of tension or anxiety, like licking and chewing their lips. In this way, a horse will make split-second behavioral modifications based on positive or negative changes in its handler’s behavior and emotional states.

Participants in an EFEL workshop will be given tools to help them discover the truly authentic, perhaps even unfamiliar, aspects of themselves. They will also learn to explore the information behind their emotions. Activities with the horses are typically done dismounted, and are safe for human and horse alike. The horses are respected members of an authentic community and enjoy interacting with people on this level. Every human-horse interaction is unique, so be prepared for a uniquely rewarding experience.

You are invited to come and experience the magic of a Wind Horse Awareness adventure in Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning.