Horses are tranquil animals and over their evolution of millions of years, they have survived and thrived by living in a constant state of awareness, which are attributes one Australian war veteran believes can help humans get over their own personal trauma.
That being in the moment and noticing what is happening in their environment makes them ideal critters, according to an organization in Australia, to help people become more self-aware about themselves.
Path of the Horse, a charity, aims to assist people of all ages seek better mental health and well-being.
We help people become more self-aware about themselves which will enable them to make clearer choices about their lives. Through bringing about ‘awareness’, we work on ways to help heal, manage, build resilience, enjoy better relationships, and maintain better mental health. We welcome people just the way they are along with all their feelings and emotions.
The charity uses horses to help support veterans, emergency service personnel and their families and others. to better manage conditions such as PTSD, anxiety and depression. They’re also open to help young people discover coping mechanisms and assist them to understand their feelings and make aware choices and work with people with Autism, battling addictions, self-harm, grief and many other conditions.
Owner Dean Mighell, a veteran who served in Australia’s special operations command during the 1980s, said he started equine therapy because he wanted to combine his love of horses and his desire to help veterans.
“Sometimes it’s about finding peace and calm, for a lot of our servicemen and women who have been subjected to some pretty abnormal events in their life,” he said.
After his army career, Mighell moved to Trentham, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria, home to just 1,180.
Mighell said it’s the perfect spot, surrounded by bush and contented horses.
According to Mighell, horses model good behaviours for humans to follow by listening and walking in their paths.
They always notice what is happening in their environment, what is happening with their feelings and their bodies.
Horses have an amazing ability to release stress and a truly unique capacity to share their empathy with humans. They never judge, they are completely honest and are our much-loved assistants in the healing process. They are great listeners too.
