The Stable Mind: Finding Calm with Horses

I have suffered with anxiety all my life, it has always been present in some form or another. The one thing that has helped has been spending time with animals. I was lucky enough as a child to have a number of animals which seemed to help ground me.

Horses were my favourite animal of all and I asked for toys that had horses in them, the riders or accessories would often be put aside and I would just want to focus on the horse. When we went on holiday as a family to Blackpool, I wanted to spend all my time on donkey rides on the beach.

In 2019, I found the opportunity to become involved in horses as a hobby. Initally this starting with some horse management and then learning to ride. Six years later and it is the primary hobby for me, because my husband is also involved we enjoy describing it as our 'mid-life crisis'.

What I cannot overstate is how good our horses have been for me and my mental health journey. One of the most remarkable aspects of spending time with horses is their ability to sense emotions without judgment. I often describe them as emotional mirrors. Horses teach us the need to regulate our emotions, if your anxious or fustrated, they will not only pick up on it, but reflect it back in their non-verbal body language.

Horses need clear communication, consistency, kindness, and patience. Building a bond of trust and mutual respect can only be done by living in the moment with them. Whether you are just spending time in the same field, grooming them or working with them either in hand/riding their is an understanding on both human and horse being compassionate towards themselves and others.

On the difficult days, simply being around our horses is enough to shift my mood. I do not have to achieve anything, just being in their presence reminds me to enjoy the little things and to respect the positive interactions I can have with them. They do not offer any judgement, just quiet companionship and will allow me to put my arms around their neck if contact is needed.

Horses in general have been invaluable to improving my mental health, even on days when things do not go to plan, I have never regretted it, or owning my own horses. They provide me with comfort, stability, and a sense of purpose. I feel truly blessed being able to live my dream of spending time around them.

Me & Athena