Lucinda McAlpine is a big believer in the words of Winston Churchill "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." But it also began to dawn on her that there was something particularly special about her own horses and the powerful effect they had on anyone who met them, whether they were involved with horses or not. After inviting a few people who had hit a low point in their lives to spend time with her and her horses at Bowhayes Farm in Devon, and witnessing how revitilised they were afterwards, she came up with the idea of De-Stressage; horses helping humans to help themselves.
Just over fifteen years ago Lucinda McAlpine was at the top of her game, competing internationally as a dressage rider, when she decided that she wanted to give it all up to provide her horses with a more natural lifestyle. So she removed their shoes, stopped clipping their coats and turned them out to live in small herds, never to see the inside of a stable again. She also also likes to free-school her horses but when she rides it's in the classical style.
It's this lifestyle which Lucinda thinks makes her horses so therapeutic.
" They are tame horses who act as they would in nature. They are stress free and still in tune with themselves which is why they are so effective. Unlike a lot of horses used in therapy who are rescues and left damaged in some way, I have bred my horses to be 'clear'.
So what is it that horses can do for humans?
"Being around horses get's you back in touch with nature," says Lucinda, "and they bring you into the now. They act like a mirror and show you who you are in the moment. When you've lost your perspective they can give you clarity and help you discover a new direction. With my horses I want to offer that mirror and provide a calm place where you can assess yourself and start again."
This is why Lucinda believes that her horses can help anyone who has got a bit 'stuck' in their lives, whose habitual behaviour has caused unhappiness and ill health. She also think her horses could help artists, such as musicians who've spent too long in the studio, to get their creative mojo back.
Lucinda is quick to stress that there are no therapists around trying to get you to address your problems. "You're not being examined or judged. What we do here isn't human driven, it's horse driven. I just provide people with the opportunity to learn from my horses by interacting with them in a safe, nurturing environment."
"Neither horses or humans are forced to do anything. My horses aren't enclosed in a small space such as a round pen where they have to deal with a person and their problems. They are free to make choices. We often start at the field gate to begin with and then progress from there. We just go with the flow. The client may even end up riding if they want to but how far they go is up to them and the horses of course."
"If horses don't like a person's energy then they won't come near them. Everyone likes to be liked don't they so this can often be a wake-up call. What I've found particularly interesting is that most people get drawn to one particular horse and that horse in some way will be just like them. My job is to act as translator for the horse and their story usually resonates deeply with the person who has chosen them. From this they start to gain greater clarity about who they really are. Also the act of achieving harmony with an animal can be phenomenally powerful."
From personal experience just witnessing the amazing bond that Lucinda has with her horses is quite wonderful to see and becoming part of that energy can be very moving and change your perspective on life.
So if you want time to reflect, become re-energised and move on in your life, let the horses do the talking with a dose of De-Stressage.
If you want to discuss the subject of horses helping humans or share your story then join our group Horse Therapy For Humans.
Return to www.troton.com
Source: http://blog.trotontv.com/2011/09/de-stressage.html
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