Learning Body Awareness Through Horses

Written By Sarah Cowans

Horses are amazing teachers of self-awareness and the importance of listening to our body. Without the ability to speak, horses rely on non-verbal communication and their overall survival depends on body awareness. At any given time, a horse needs to be aware of their body so they are balanced enough to flee, and safe to rest. This constant awareness means horses live in their body fully.

The moment a horse feels stress in their environment, they listen and respond. Sometimes we are that stress, especially when our internal state is tense or distracted. Horses will respond to what they feel from us, and this is where learning from horses becomes learning about ourselves. They show us the tension we didn’t realize we were carrying, and how stress and tension interfere with clear communication, intentions and boundaries.

Horses are so attuned that they can feel the tiniest changes, but unlike us, they don’t ignore bodily sensations, they act on them. If something feels off, they move. If something hurts, they adjust. For us, we often ignore the signals until it’s too late. Horses teach us to see bodily sensations as information or cues, without judgement, that something needs adjusted (more rest, needed boundaries, etc.). Horses show us the value of listening to the body before it starts to shouts.

The body awareness learned through working with horses can easily be transferred to our everyday lives. They teach us to increase intentional self-awareness by taking the time to:

  • notice your breath in stressful moments

  • soften your shoulders when still

  • recognize tension before reacting

Horses show us that body awareness isn’t about control, it’s about listening. In learning about horses, we learn to listen to ourselves first, rather than judging. Instead of criticizing yourself for feeling overwhelmed or tired, we learn to ask, “what does my body need right now?”.

Sarah Cowans

Sarah Cowans is a clinical social worker/psychotherapist with 14+ years of clinical experience. Sarah graduated with her Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree from Wilfred Laurier University and has worked in a variety of settings, mostly recently private counselling practice and within the school board working with children and teens. Sarah received her certification in equine assisted psychotherapy in 2021, after deciding to combine her two passions; horses and mental health. Sarah works from a trauma responsive and client-centered approach drawing from various research-proven approaches such as, but not limited to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Perinatal Mental Health practices and much more. Sarah’s areas of practice and clinical focus include maternal and women’s mental health, parenting, children and youth mental health, stress, anxiety, depression, grief and trauma.

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Learning to Rest the Way Horses Do