In an increasingly fast-paced and digital world, many people find themselves yearning for a deeper connection with themselves and the natural world. Sue Court, a dedicated Equine-Assisted Therapy practitioner, has spent years working with her clients and watching their interactions with horses. Her extensive notes and insights have culminated in a book, "Soul Connection With Horses," that sheds light on the spiritual connections we can forge with these animals.
Equine-Assisted Therapy has been gaining popularity as a holistic approach to mental and emotional wellbeing. Having practised equine-assisted therapy for over a decade, Sue noticed a remarkable pattern among her clients who would express how their interactions with horses had profoundly affected them at a deeper level of consciousness.
Sue discusses using horses in therapy sessions to help clients explore their issues, with the client taking the horse for a walk and interpreting the horse's behaviour as a reflection of their own thoughts and emotions. She highlights the importance of understanding the client's perspective and how they interpret the horse's actions, as the client may misinterpret the horse's behaviour based on their own thoughts and feelings.
Sue explains that horses respond to our genuine emotions. This doesn’t happen by magic; it's because their sense of smell is incredibly sharp, about 40 times more sensitive than ours. They can detect the chemical reactions happening inside our bodies, like adrenaline.
She uses the example of a client, who may appear confident, entering a pen with a horse, believing they know what they're doing. They approach the horse with the intention of creating a friendly connection, but the horse retreats, in response, the client may assume, "This unfamiliar horse doesn't like me."
However, if you dig a little deeper through a thoughtful conversation, it may become apparent that this seemingly self-assured client is, in fact, grappling with inner fear and anxiety - often stemming from recent stressful experiences. These emotions trigger chemical reactions within the body, which the perceptive horses can detect, influencing their behaviour.
One trait of horses, which Sue mentions, is their ability to live in the present moment. Horses do not dwell on past events or worry about the future, they react to their immediate environment and circumstances. Sue suggests that by connecting with the present, we can experience life more fully, similar to how other mammals do. She emphasises the value of not constantly thinking about the next task or being preoccupied with thoughts.
In the context of the book and her work, Sue uses the concept of spirit and soul outside of organised religion, instead exploring the concept of spirituality as a connection to self and an appreciation of the natural world. She delves into the importance of belonging to a group or tribe and how exclusion can negatively impact our wellbeing emphasising that therapy can help people rediscover their self-worth.
Sue's book, "Soul Connection with Horses: Healing the mind and awakening the spirit through Equine Assisted practices," provides helpful information to support individuals to heal their minds and awaken their spirits through different practices, focusing on personal psychology and soul development.
The book is being published through O-Books in the UK and USA and will be available through Amazon and other book shops within a couple of months. Sue will also have a small number of copies to sell personally, so if you’re interested in purchasing the book, you can contact Sue at: