The Equus Effect™ is a non-profit organization that provides practical tools for mental and emotional well-being to men and women who live and work in high stress environments — through purposeful engagement with horses — at no cost to them.
ground-based horsemanship skills ~ no horse experience necessary
Who We Serve
Military, veterans, first responders, dispatchers, emergency workers, corrections officers — our guardians — and the families who support them.
How It Works
All guardians experience rigorous professional training to recognize danger and deal with it to keep us safe. In the process — they learn to override their bodies’ natural responses to fear, vulnerability, sadness and other natural emotions that support survival and social interactions. Neurobiologists know that cumulative stress — without adequate time to recover is costly to the nervous system.
They also know that this undischarged adrenaline and cortisol often leaves people stuck on ‘high’ — anxiety, anger, impatience, poor listening skills. Or stuck on ‘low’ — sadness, depression, numbness, loss of hope. Most spend time in both if they don’t learn how to recognize and process what remains in the brain and body.
This is not only true for people who put themselves in harm’s way.
It is true for all of us.
It’s not what’s wrong with you, it’s what happens to you.
To learn more or sign up for a program in 2025:
If you’d like to get involved with the programs offered to guardians at NO COST, here’s how:
If you’re a guardian, contact David Wagman at (914) 839-0846 or DavidW@TheEquusEffect.org. He will answer your questions or connect you with others on the Liaison List. If you know a guardian who’s struggling, call (914) 839-0846.We have developed a non-medical approach that meets guardians wherever they are and offers experiential activities and practices intended to help folks move through places that are still ‘stuck’. We also provide practical tools to better meet the challenges of daily life.
The Equus Effect Program staff and horses provide these tools so that anyone can build the capacity for better communication skills, healthier boundaries and more understanding for those with whom they live and work.
Rather than expending energy on ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, we teach folks how to really show up in the present moment.
Our flagship program offers guardians the opportunity to work with horses and skilled facilitators to build self-awareness, observe how they come across to others and most importantly — learn how to unwind and renew their energy.
We teach guardians how to use …
Finesse vs. Force > Cooperation vs. Control > Minimum Essential Pressure
The Bottom Line
Learning new skills through hands-on experience with horses build our capacity to be better partners, parents and co-workers.
I thought I was coming out to learn something about horses. Now I understand more about how I come across and how to change that for the better in almost any situation. EH – Firefighter
This was an amazing combination of learning, doing and practicing skills with the horses that actually apply directly to my life on the job. JS – Veteran
When I got home from the first session, my wife said that she felt like she was getting the guy she married back again. I had no idea what my job had done to me over time. MF – Law Enforcement
Program Elements
- Ground-based Horsemanship Skills
- Emotional Agility Presentation
- Body-based Tools to handle triggers and challenging situations
- Feedback and Discussions over a healthy community meal
- Time and Space to reflect and renew
We agree with the researchers, pioneers and practitioners who understand that resolving trauma is much more effective when clients tap into their own resourcefulness and include the body, heart and mind.
Sources & Resources
- Horsemanship Skills – Buck Brannaman, Warwick Schiller
- Self Awareness, Emotional Agility – Linda Kohanov, Karla McLaren
- Body-Based Awareness and Tools – Somatic Experiencing Training Institute, Dr. Peter Levine
- Resonance & Attunement – Bessel van der Kolk, Ph.D
These pioneers and professionals also know that positive change comes from taking deliberate, positive action – rather than talking about one’s life.
GETTING THERE FASTER
We know that this combination of direct experience and practical tools works because nearly all of the 2,000 men and women graduates from our 16-hour curriculum say that our program is not only engaging, challenging and enlightening, but easy to apply to relationships at home and work right away.
Benefits
PRACTICAL TOOLS TO RESPOND VS. REACT
My counselor kept telling me about meditation, breathing and mindfulness. It didn’t hit home at all until I came here and saw the impact in real time with the horses. You can do this quickly, standing up and actually see what happens. I took it home to my family the first day. Now, we talk things through and give each other space. It’s amazing. RB – Afghanistan Veteran
SELF AWARENESS
I had no idea how I was coming across to anyone … just that I couldn’t seem to connect — and frankly, I didn’t care. Now I understand how much better it feels to look at people without that hard stare and invite them in, like I did with the horses. TR – Vietnam Veteran
TOOLS FOR TRANSITION
This is the transition from war to peace I never got. RG – Iraq Veteran
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
I’m making better decisions at work and I’m not bringing it home. I had no idea how much energy I was spending on things that were over and done. MC – Law Enforcement
My husband and I painted a room together and we didn’t kill each other. Now, that’s a miracle. AM – First Responder
Why Horses
GO BACK TO GRAZING
If we can use emotions the way horses do — as information to stay alive, set healthy boundaries and respond appropriately in the moment to any situation then ‘go back to grazing’ by processing insights and moving on — life will get more dynamic and alive.
PRESENCE
Aside from the learning that comes from experience, horses don’t go over things from the past or worry about the future. Their lives depend on spending energy where it is needed — to avoid threats and to recognize opportunities — without the toll of regret or worry.
In fact, the only thing that really worries a horse is being alone.
As large non-predatory animals who never forget that if they make a mistake, they’re dinner …
- Horses are keenly aware of their environments and who is in ‘their field’.
- They respond willingly and positively when they sense we are emotionally honest with them, ‘have their backs’ and appreciate their attunement to potential danger.
- When we use minimum essential pressure to engage AND set healthy boundaries with them, we also cultivate the key elements of healthy, authentic relationships with people.
Knowing how horses operate, learning how to ‘read’ them and developing mutual trust is a powerful tool to accelerate our ability to manage emotions AND handle personal and professional situations more effectively.
CHALLENGE MEETS OPPORTUNITY
As professionals, guardians know how to use lightning-fast reactions when needed, but have trouble settling down when more thoughtful responses are in order in their personal lives.
Our 16-hour curriculum offers plenty of opportunities to shift out of habitual patterns.
Guardian Liaisons
DAVID WAGMAN
Senior Patrolman
Greenburg, NY (ret.)
Peer Chief, Peer Support Division
Guardian Revival
Lead coordinator for Guardian Participants & Volunteers
STEVE SEID
Army Combat Veteran
Vietnam
NIKKI BLASS
EMT
2nd Lieutenant, Sharon, CT
FD & Ambulance
EDDIE CHOO
USMC Combat Veteran
Vietnam
Federal Agent (ret.)
Police Investigator (ret.)
ANNMARIE SPICIARICH
Sergeant, City of Poughkeepsie Police Dept (ret.)
Peer Leader
Guardian Revival
Guardian Mentor Program
Once guardians have completed our four-session curriculum, we offer a Level I Certificate in Natural Horsemanship. Those who have prior experience with horses and can demonstrate that they are capable of keeping participants safe throughout the various challenges entailed in our program are then eligible to become mentors.
Our aim is to build an authentic, intentional community where guardians can meet each other on a level playing field where they can BE better together…not just DO better on their own.
“The Journey Begins”
— Our first video in 2013 —
Ring Light Productions: Austin Albert / Dan Calbick
Are you interested in helping us?
The Equus Effect™ is a registered 501(c)(3) corporation. All contributions are 100% tax deductible.
DIRECTIONS
IMPORTANT!
Navigation apps do not work to our street address!!!
SET GPS to Sharon Town Beach, Mudge Pond Rd., Sharon, CT.
Drum Road is a Y-intersection directly across from entrance to the beach.
The facility is about 3/4 mile on the left.
Park in front of the red barn on the left or on the far side of the red cottage on the left.
NOTE: Please do not park or turn around in driveways on the right side of the road.
The Equus Effect
Address
37 Drum Road, Sharon, CT 06069
For general information:
Kelly Hitt
Communications &
Outreach Director
Kelly@TheEquusEffect.org
(203) 613-1107
Jane Strong, SEP, IFS Trained
Executive Director
Co-founder, Lead Facilitator
(860) 364-9985
David Sonatore, LCSW
Program Director
Co-founder, Lead Facilitator
(347) 439-1777