The Equus Effect: Healing with Horses
Every day, approximately 20 United States military veterans take their own lives. It was an awareness of this statistic that led Jane Strong and David Sonatore to found the Equus Effect, an equine experiential learning and coaching facility in Sharon, in 2012. Since then, over 1800 veterans, first responders, and others who live or work in high-stress environments have moved through the Equus Effect’s curriculum, acquiring — through contact with horses — the tools to improve communication and compassion, and to navigate the challenges, subtleties, and nuanced relationships of civilian life.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, supporters of the Equus Effect gathered under its round pen’s rainy eaves to learn and observe just why horses are uniquely suited to this restorative work.
“A relationship with a horse is based purely on trust,” said Strong, lead program facilitator and a former competitive rider, “they ask us to engage all our senses and be totally present.” The horse, a prey animal, is profoundly attuned to the emotional and nervous energy of its surroundings as a matter of survival; it is also expressive, honest, and unselfconscious.
