THE EAHAE E-BOOK

​PREFACE

By Alyssa Aubrey, HorseDream USA

“A horse is such a thing of beauty; none will tire of looking at him” Xenophon

Since the beginning of recorded time, horses have danced through our art, shared our mythology, and shaped our history. Together, humans and horses have waged war, tilled soil, explored new lands, and engaged in great contests. Kings and commoners, heroes and villains, saints and sorcerers have all ridden into history on the back of the horse. Equines bring us as close as we will ever come to flying on our own.

These powerful beings are at once mysterious yet knowable, wild but manageable. Horses evoke in us a fierce love, and a unique relationship that, once discovered, never dims with age nor fades with time. 

And yet, for as long as horses have been in our consciousness, they remain a mystery – perhaps, because no other creature in our lives holds the sweet paradox quite like the horse.

Less than a century ago horses were in an integral part of our everyday lives.  Horses plowed the farm fields, carried our ancestors to school, delivered our groceries and medicines. Indeed, the contributions that horses have made to humanity are unequaled by any other animal.

Today we listen to horses not only to train them, but to train ourselves: to learn from their exquisite perfectly returned silence whether we are in alignment with our true nature, or if the stories we tell ourselves hold us hostage, preventing realization of our enormous and untested potential.

The modern horse has become teachers, healers, coaches, mentors and mediators.  In the last two decades, we have witnessed an unprecedented and dramatic increase of programs involving horses in educational, wellness and leadership modalities.

The size, presence and power of a horse is naturally intimidating to many people.  Accomplishing a task involving the horse, in spite of fear, creates confidence and provides for some wonderful metaphors when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life. Participants can rebuild trust easily with a horse, which may have seemed impossible to do with other people.
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At the heart of horse- assisted leadership programs, we may reclaim meaning and purpose in our personal lives; cooperation, connection and excellence within our professional pursuits.  Through the horse’s kinesthetic wisdom, honesty, dignity, majesty, presence and power, we encourage the best parts of ourselves, find peace, feel connection and respect for one another, and the planet we inhabit.