CISA Pet Ambassador Program
A notch above the rest
student Bailey’s job interview for a riding instructor position proved to be successful. Not only did she get the job, but it was on that day she met her best friend.
During the job interview, Bailey toured the facility. As they came upon a quarter horse with a white stripe on his face, four white legs and a notch on his left ear, Bailey’s world stopped and all she could focus on was this beautiful quarter horse named Joey. Bailey and Joey locked eyes and she knew that one day this horse would one day be hers.
A few weeks into her new job, Bailey noticed that no one was working with Joey and after getting permission, she began taking Joey out. Their connection deepened and a month into their partnership, Bailey got the courage to ask the owner how much she’d sell him for.
To her shock, the owner said, “For you, $1000.” Bailey jumped at the chance and on that day, Joey became hers!
The duo has been through a lot in their three years together. Including four moves in two states, but knowing they are there for each other is all they need to feel stable (pun intended).
Follow Joey and Bailey on Instagram at Baileypirtle411
Emotional connection to horses
Commentary by Lecturer in preveterinary medicine Julie Murphree
Ever wonder how those instant connections (similar to Bailey's experience with just a" look" from Joey) are made? Or even how a horse can help you cope with grief, trauma and emotional pain? It turns out horses possess an evolutionary advantage that enables them to pick up on our most subtle emotions. They even appear to have the ability to uncover our emotional blind spots. At the same time, as all equine enthusiasts recognize, horses are not judgmental. This means they are the ideal tool for teaching people how to deal with everything from a life-ending diagnosis and physical death of a loved one to miscarriage, divorce and much more.
Practitioners in the growing field of Equine Assisted Therapy have observed horses reflecting back to a client an uncanny and accurate reflection of their inner emotional map, as well as the ability to zero in on emotional states that neither the client nor a trained facilitator had previously detected. Equine Assisted therapy is currently used to treat mental health issues like anxiety and depression, promote psychological healing, emotional well-being and personal growth, and process grief. Hippotherapy — another type of equine therapy focusing on physical, motor, and cognitive goals — is used to help those with autism, cerebral palsy, dementia, and many other conditions.
What is the scientific basis behind Equine therapy?
As a prey animal, horses don't rely on vocalization to communicate because using sound would give away their position to a predator. Instead, horses have developed a sophisticated silent method of communication built upon sensing the energy (or chi) by using their body language, stance and position. A mere twitch of an ear, rise of a shoulder or a shift in the hips is enough to convey life-sustaining information to the entire herd simply by being able to detect the ripple of energy.
Current research has shown that a horse's mirror neurons might provide further evidence of their ability to reflect our inner world back to us so accurately. Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that helps recognize and empathize with emotions in other living things. This enables us to feel sad when we see someone cry, embarrassed when we see someone humiliated or happy when we see someone smile and laugh.
Some researchers believe that horses have substantially more mirror neurons than humans, which makes them experts at understanding nonverbal communication.
The result? Horses are astute in reading the energy in their environment, and human emotions are just another source of energy to be noticed and responded to. While Joey could read the energy that Bailey was emitting, both felt that eminent connection. Fortunately, Bailey responded to that "unspoken voice" and their lifelong bond was formed.
Here's to you, Joey, as our ambassador for social connectedness--- and to you, Bailey, as together you and Joey triumph over fear or sadness and ride off into the glowing desert sunset together!