Equus Effect: healing with horses

SHARON — Every day, approximately 20 United States military veterans take their own lives. It was an awareness of this statistic that led Jane Strong and David Sonatore to found the Equus Effect, an equine experiential learning and coaching facility in Sharon, in 2012. Since then, over 1800 veterans, first responders, and others who live or work in high-stress environments have moved through the Equus Effect’s curriculum, acquiring — through contact with horses — the tools to improve communication and compassion, and to navigate the challenges, subtleties, and nuanced relationships of civilian life.

On Saturday, Sept. 7, supporters of the Equus Effect gathered under its round pen’s rainy eaves to learn and observe just why horses are uniquely suited to this restorative work.

“A relationship with a horse is based purely on trust,” said Strong, lead program facilitator and a former competitive rider, “they ask us to engage all our senses and be totally present.” The horse, a prey animal, is profoundly attuned to the emotional and nervous energy of its surroundings as a matter of survival; it is also expressive, honest, and unselfconscious.

When in conversation with a human, a horse asks for the same in return. Approaching a horse, one’s outward and inner aspects must be congruent in order not to unnerve the animal. “You can’t hide behind a mask,” said Strong, explaining that this need for transparency helps people overcome the fear and stigma that cause emotional repression.

Further, work with horses engages the entire body, revealing where trauma might appear stuck. “Our limbic systems work outside time,” said Strong, locating the primitive, lower-order parts of the brain responsible for emotional processing. “So there’s no ‘talking you out’ of trauma.” Instead, work with horses helps those “stuck” with trauma to “move through it and release it through action.”

Huddled around the pen, attendees of the Fall Event were walked through some of these actions and their benefits by program facilitators, alongside horses Dutch, Tango, Lance, and Babe.

Using only body language — such as posture, purposeful eye contact, and controlled breathing — facilitators asked horses to back up, move forward, and walk circles. With patience, and applying the principle of “minimum essential pressure,” horses were coaxed into collaboration with the facilitators, showcasing the massive mammals’ capacity for empathy, partnership, and quiet understanding. In addition to their emotional grounding effect, these exercises help participants build tools for the maintenance of fair, trust-based relationships with other people.

“The connection is deep, almost spiritual,” said 2022 program participant Peter Gworek, a military veteran. “The horses teach you how to manage your energy, connect with your inner self, and be calm.” Also a 2022 alum, veteran Melodie Wilson said that when one is handling a horse, “you can’t think of anything else — you slow down, learn to be more understanding.”

Ultimately, understanding — of oneself and of others — is the key to bridging the divide that Strong says exists between veterans and civilians. Working within that gap are horses, our companions of nearly 6,000 years, who Sonatore points out “might just save the life of someone you one day need to save yours.”

Right, David Sonatore (on stage, left), Jane Strong (stage, right), and veteran and first responder program graduates, wearing sashes.Sava Marinkovic