Equine Psychotherapy - #067 The Horse’s Advocate Podcast

I talked with Bonny Barry of Equine Reflections (EquineReflections.org), a non-profit horse therapy center in Folsom, Louisiana. They offer these programs:

• Horses For Healing
• Professional Development Retreats
• Whoa to Bullying, Giddy Up To Kindness
• Horsemanship Empowerment
• Saddle Up for Success

Bonny's honesty about her journey into this field will move you whether or not you are a victim of abuse. Her stories of patients, unable to speak, connecting with the horses and then expressing thoughts locked up in their silent consciousness will shake you. Knowing that the horses used in her program are also from abuse magnifies the significance of her work.

The use of horses to connect with broken minds is well known. I use Bonny's stories to help listeners understand the effortless effectiveness of the special connection between horses and humans. It shows that communication is a two-way street. You are not here to help the horse; the horse is not here to help you. However, people and horses can heal by being in the moment with a horse and allowing for what follows.

Equine Reflections is one of many centers located throughout the world. All horse owners of every breed and sport are encouraged to get to know local therapy centers and support them through volunteering or financial support. Many operate on limited budgets, and maintaining horses, farms, barns and offices is expensive. Volunteers are always needed, and you can also attend fundraisers for therapy centers. Anything helps.

Below are links to several organizations to consider. 

• EAL Academy - ealacademy.com
• Arenas For Change - arenasforchange.com
• Horses For Mental Health - horsesformentalhealth.org
• Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association - eagala.com
• PATH International - pathintl.org
• HeartMath Institute - heartmath.org (search for "horse" or "equine")

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TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website to learn about horses, horse barns and farms. There is a membership side of the website where horse owners can attend live meetings to ask questions and get a deeper understanding of things they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message, helping to spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses.

HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Make an appointment in FL.

HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training.

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