What Horses Did For My Mental Health

by Meagan Good, MA, LPC; Founder of Take Heart

May 1, 2024

May is Mental Health Awareness month. To continue this conversation of the importance of mental health, I want to share some of the ways HORSES have improved my mental health. And ways they can help you with yours, too! 

So, read through as I answer “What have horses done for my mental health?”

Horses taught me it’s okay to cry. Their willingness to support us on their strong shoulders taught me that emotion is okay, and my feelings are valid. They also developed in me an ability to hold space for others’ emotions. They held me when nobody else understood.
 
Horses taught me to lead. Over 25 years of fascination with horse herds has given me the opportunity to observe different kinds of leadership, good and bad. I learned that the best leaders are those who serve those they lead, providing for and protecting them from hard things outside the herd.
 
Horses gave me courage to set big goals. I learned how to break down big goals into smaller objectives, creating a pathway to success and accepting that a slow process or “baby steps” is still progress.
 
Horses developed my intuition and taught me to trust myself and what I am discerning in a situation. I am perceptive of nonverbal communication and have learned to sense the underlying things happening. This helps me listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit, too, because it taught me to listen quietly to what I am feeling.

Horses have taught me to manage my anger and not take things so personally. When miscommunication happens (and it will happen frequently between horse and human), frustration is a common feeling that follows. Horses taught me to be patient and consider the dynamics before reacting to a situation. They taught me how to be in control of my emotions and body language, and how that impacts the environment around me.
 
Horses taught me to have healthy relationships. Boundaries and clear communication go a long way in developing trusting relationships, with horses and humans alike. They also taught me to not accept mistreatment or manipulation. 
 
Horses gave me a true confidence to be myself. Authenticity and vulnerability are always rewarded in the herd. They taught me to express and release what I’m feeling inside, rather than holding it in. 
 
Horses taught me to slow down, and that it’s okay to rest. I am enough – I am a human being, not a human doing.
 
Horses taught me the importance of play. Horses play to connect, they play to heal, they play to learn. We also approach life so differently through a lens of playfulness. 
 
I wouldn’t be who I am today, without horses. God has used them to develop me in ways that wouldn’t have otherwise happened.

As you can see- horses have taught me so much and have had a huge impact on the person that I am today. They can do this for you, too! If you give them a chance- they will speak to you in ways that no one else can. God will use them in your life in a way that is personal to you. 

There is no shame in wanting to improve your mental health. In fact- it is the bravest thing you can do.

So, reach out to us. Let our counselors and our horses help you on your mental health journey. You won’t regret it.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are offering a special 25% discount off your first session for new clients! New clients- Schedule your first session this month and receive 25% off that session!

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