Equine Dynamics

Tommy in therapy mode.

This young lady had previously been scared of him, but when she needed him he was there to listen to her worries, and offer soft, whiskery cuddles. Just what a girl needs 💕
Sue Ricketts

Twilight and Tommy dont look like they are doing much in the arena today. But they are.
They are doing exactly what was needed at that time.

Teaching a client thats its ok to pause, and stop when things get too much.

Amazing work from Tommy, Twilight and Sue Ricketts today.

So important for our equine partners, they give us so much. Care and welfare is top notch at Equine Dynamics.

One thing I think we need to talk about more in equine-assisted work is what happens for the horse AFTER the session. 🐴

Not in a“they absorbed the trauma” way.

But in a very real nervous-system, behaviour, and welfare-based way.

Horses are incredible beings. They are constantly scanning body language, tension, unpredictability, movement, tone, breathing patterns, and environmental changes around them.

During sessions, many horses are exposed to:
• heightened emotion
• dysregulation
• sudden movement or noise
• inconsistent energy
• crying
• frustration
• hypervigilance
• multiple handlers or clients across the day

Even very experienced horses can become mentally fatigued.

That does not mean they are “bad / not for use "therapy" horses”.
It means they are living beings participating in emotionally demanding environments.

As facilitators, part of ethical practice is learning to observe not just obvious stress signals, but subtle cumulative ones too.

Things like:
• increased tension through the face or jaw
• frequent yawning or licking
• walking away more than usual
• becoming shut down or overly compliant
• irritability with herd mates afterwards
• increased startle responses
• changes in appetite or engagement
• difficulty settling
• repetitive behaviours
• tension during catching or tacking up

Sometimes what a horse needs after sessions is not more work, training, or stimulation.

They need decompression.

That might look like:
🌿 turnout and free movement
🌿 access to herd mates
🌿 quiet hay time
🌿 mutual grooming opportunities
🌿 rolling and natural behaviours
🌿 lower stimulation
🌿 consistent routines
🌿 pauses between clients
🌿 facilitators regulating themselves before the next session

Good equine-assisted practice should include emotional and physical welfare planning for the horse, not just the client.

Because welfare is not just about food, rugs, and saddle fit.

It is also about respecting the horse’s emotional bandwidth, choice, communication, and recovery. 🤍

So true!

You can learn every theory.
Do every CPD.
Print every workbook.
Have the branding. The lingo. The fancy trauma-informed buzzwords. 🐴📚

But if you haven’t spent any time looking at your own reactions, your own triggers, your own need to rescue, fix, avoid, control, please know… clients will feel that eventually.

And so will the horses.

This work asks a lot of people emotionally. Especially in equine-facilitated spaces where there is very little room to hide behind a script. Horses are brilliantly inconvenient like that. They notice tension. Inconsistency. Shutdown. Performance. The young people do too.

Sometimes the hardest part of becoming a facilitator is realising:
you are not just learning how to support other people.

You are learning how to sit with yourself.

How to stay regulated when someone is dysregulated.
How to tolerate silence without rushing to fill it.
How to cope with not being liked by every client.
How to repair after getting something wrong.
How to notice when your own story is quietly climbing into the session and taking the lead. 🪞

That does not mean facilitators need to be perfectly healed. I don’t think humans work like that anyway.

But I do think there is a difference between:
“I have insight into myself and I’m willing to reflect”
and
“I am unconsciously asking clients to carry parts of me I haven’t dealt with.”

This work can be beautiful.
But it can also stir up grief, shame, insecurity, saviourism, ego, old wounds, comparison, burnout, all sorts.

The practitioners who tend to create the safest spaces are not usually the ones pretending to have it all together.

They are the ones willing to stay curious about themselves too. 🌿

Another review from one of our amazing Grounded Hooves Recovery Group, Intake 1 participants. Thank you C.H!

Please share! See flyer in comments section.

Our Grounded Hooves Equine Therapy Group has now wrapped up for this round, and what an incredible eight weeks it has been. This group showed up with courage, humour, honesty, and a willingness to grow — and the shifts we witnessed have been nothing short of inspiring.

Each week brought new insights, deeper connection, and plenty of moments where the horses helped illuminate boundaries, communication, trust, and self‑awareness in ways only they can. There has been laughter, tears, breakthroughs, and a whole lot of gentle support between participants.

We’re so proud of the work our participants have achieved — the way they leaned into the process, supported one another, and allowed the herd to walk alongside them in their healing.

Below are some of the reflections shared by our amazing participants.

Our next ACC Sensitive Claims Group will run in Spring, and we’ll share details closer to the time. If you’re interested in joining a future group, feel free to reach out — we’d love to connect.

Susan and Leanne - Grounded Hooves

Today I receieved this beautiful painting of Tommy from a very special client. Savanna has been coming since the end of last year, and has made a lovely partnership with Tommy, while building life and horsemanship skills. She calls Tommy her BFF and talks to him in the same way. Thank you Savanna and Auntie for your kindness, thoughtfulness and support.

It was so nice to introduce Archie to you today as well, he responded to your calm kindness and he made friends very quickly. A huge thank you to you both 🌟💕😊

Tommy will be proudly displayed in the stable so all our clients can enjoy him!

Over the past few months things have been wonderfully busy here at Equine Dynamics, and we wanted to share a little update on what’s been happening behind the scenes (and in the arena).

Susan and I have been busy running Equine Assisted Therapy sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, with session times at 9.30am, 12.00pm and 2.30pm.

Our Grounded Hooves ACC Funded Equine Therapy Group is also underway on Tuesday mornings from 9.30–12.30, which means we currently have just one private therapy spot available at 2.30pm on Tuesdays until the group wraps up. Our next group will begin in Spring, when the weather is kinder and we can avoid those winter cancellations.

While Equine Assisted Learning has been a little quieter lately, we still have three wonderful clients working through a modified EAL programme focused on horsemanship skills, to build confidence, connection, and practical horse knowledge.

We’re also excited to share that in October, Susan and I will be heading to Wellington for a week to complete EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association) training. We’re really looking forward to deepening our skills and expanding the services we can offer our community.

And of course… the horses are thriving.
Tommy continues to charm everyone with his soft, sensitive nature.
Dazzle remains the steady favourite for her calm presence and honest feedback.
And Twilight, as always, wins hearts with her cuteness — with just the right amount of cheeky.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our sessions, groups, and journey lately. We feel incredibly grateful to do this work and to share it with such a supportive community.