Can We, as a Collective, Shift the Paradigm to See Horses as Partners for Healing Rather Than Tools for Labor and Sport?
Horses have always been there for us. They have stood by humanity’s side, playing pivotal roles in agriculture, transportation, construction, and even war. These incredible partners have been indispensable to our progress. Yet, for far too long, we have regarded horses merely as tools—instruments to be used rather than the advanced healers that they are.
Businesses offering equine therapeutic modalities are gaining popularity, allowing participants to engage with horses in therapeutic and educational settings. And now, as we transition into an era of higher consciousness, let’s reevaluate the role horses play in our lives. They possess an innate ability to clear energetic blockages, heal past traumas, and assist in the profound emotional healing that humanity so desperately needs. For those who have struggled with traditional talk therapy, healing with horses offers an alternative—one that doesn’t require rehashing every detail of one’s past but instead allows for a deep, unspoken connection that facilitates healing in a profoundly different way.
I witnessed the transformative power of horses firsthand during my time at Horse Spirit Healing Retreat in Costa Rica. There, I experienced the true essence of horses as healers, as they guided me to confront and release fears and emotional blocks that I had long carried. This experience inspired me to launch our three-night Horse Healing retreats at Starr Horse Retreats in Minden, Nevada. Here, the horses are the heart and soul of the healing process, treated with the respect and reverence they deserve.
Our 3-night retreat allows participants to work closely with the shamanic abilities of horses to rewrite their narratives and clear stuck emotions. In addition to equine interaction we offer yoga, sweat lodge, sound healing, cacao ceremony, and flower bath.
At Starr Horse Retreats, we do not use the metal bits in the horses’ mouths when we ride, believing that authentic communication with a horse does not require painful metal in their delicate mouths. We honor the Four F’s of ethical horse care: a horse’s right to freedom, forage, friends, and fitness. Many horses spend their entire lives, alone in a confinement without the ability to get exercise or forage for their own food. At Starr Horse Retreats our herd of 17 horses roam free on 30 acres. We use tree-less saddles for long rides, meaning they do not have the fiberglass, or wooden frames built into the saddle, but for short rides, we ride bareback.
At Starr Horse Retreats, we are committed to fostering a shift in the relationship between horses and humans. In addition to our Horse Healing Retreats, we offer a four-week positive reinforcement certification program called Whole Horse Whole Human, taught by Ari Krause of Haven Horsemanship. During this immersive program students learn to work with and train horses using positive reinforcement, following LIMA principals (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive). Our methods incentivize a horse to want to do what we want, rather than coercing them with fear, or pain. This program not only teaches students how to train horses but also teaches them how to navigate their own emotions, and to enhance teamwork and leadership. With mindfulness and wellness modalities added we take a holistic approach to horse handling to strengthen the relationship between horses and humans by healing the human and honoring the horse.
It is our hope that we at Starr Horse Retreats will plant the seeds for change and help advance the thinking and move beyond outdated notions of horses as beasts of burden, mere instruments for feeding egos in competitive sports, or sources of income for equine businesses. Instead, I ask: Can we rethink how we engage with horses and recognize them as advanced healers and partners in our healing journeys?
Starr Horse Retreats is a venue for healing retreats, training, and equine-assisted education using positive reinforcement (R+) ridership techniques. We work with horses advocating for their needs and care, and we work with humans through the horses. We understand that healing humanity heals the earth.
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