Contact Therapy

The Importance and Role of Horses in Our Lives

Subjective Experience in the Context of Scientific Knowledge

What you are about to read may sound almost fairy-tale-like to some. I know how difficult it can be to grasp descriptions of the deep connection between a human and a horse. And yet - or perhaps precisely because of this - I feel the need to add some context to this sharing. Scientific research and professional practice both confirm what I have had the opportunity to perceive and experience: the presence of a horse has a profound psychological, physiological, and social impact on a person. And although the following text is very personal and the effect I describe is deeply subjective, it is neither rare nor coincidental and certainly should not be overlooked.

As I’ve written before, the role of horses has changed over time, just as human society itself has evolved. Their meaning in our lives continues to transform. Nowadays, horses are often spoken of as spiritual guides. It sounds beautiful, but sometimes too abstract. For me, however, it is completely tangible. Two horses have come into my life who guide me—not through the obligations of care or a fixed schedule, but through an inner sense of direction and support in decision-making, in presence, and in both difficult and beautiful moments.

 Thanks to Baroušek, I began to focus on hippotherapy – because of his strong personality and his refusal to be used in traditional sports. And also because I have always tried to perceive and listen. In the past more unconsciously, today more consciously.

Today, life has brought me another guide – Merlin. At just five years old, he has the ability to connect with people in a way that fascinates and moves me. Especially when it comes to individuals with specific needs or pain. I have approached him with deep respect from the very beginning – his personality is grand, dignified, and wise.

It was through Merlin that I began to take a deeper interest in contact therapy – a way of working with a horse that is not based on riding, but on being. Just being. Scientific findings in the field of animal-assisted therapy (e.g., Bachi, 2013; McKinney et al., 2015) confirm that the mere proximity of a horse – its breath, heartbeat, presence – has the ability to regulate the human stress response, reduce cortisol, support the parasympathetic nervous system, and thus promote healing of both body and soul.

And that is exactly what I witness. When Merlin is working, it’s as if he switches into a healing mode. He shows me physically what to do – where to place my hands, how to be with him and with the client. I turn off my mind; reasoning has no place here. I step into a space where something different is happening, something more subtle. We are in the process, and when the whole team is present (for example Verča, Laura, and me), the connection deepens. Each of us becomes an instrument, contributing to a shared symphony.

In such moments, a transformation takes place - not only in the client. All participants experience healing. This is also confirmed by the practice of equine-assisted psychotherapy (see, for example, the works of Karol, 2007, or Shambo et al., 2008), which describe how interaction with a horse can facilitate deep insight, self-reflection, and inner release.

I had the opportunity to experience contact therapy in hospital settings as well - for instance, in palliative care or with children through collaboration with Caballinus, z.s. When the mare Hoogy lowers her head over a child connected to medical equipment and seemingly unresponsive, and gently closes her eyes, something shifts. Scientific studies (e.g., Dell et al., 2008) suggest that the presence of an animal can induce changes in brain waves - a transition into the alpha phase, which is associated with calm, relaxation, and openness to change.

And then comes the moment when the soul of the child and the horse meet. When something happens that cannot be described in words. I have similar experiences with Merlin – with adults, on a chaise lounge, in a state of deep relaxation, where something flows through the body and consciousness, bringing us answers and healing.

Maybe it all sounds like fantasy. And perhaps it is time to accept that even fantasy can be a bridge to understanding what we once could not measure. The collective consciousness is changing, people’s sensitivity is increasing – and suddenly it becomes possible to hear what the horse is saying. Not through words, but through connection, presence, vibration, energy. And it is precisely that energy – as confirmed by newer approaches in somatic psychotherapy – that can be the key to deep healing.

The Power of Experience and the Meaning of Humility

I know this text is not a traditional study. It is not measurable, nor is it objective in the conventional sense. But I know the experience is real—both for me and for the people who shared it. And I know that science today can already confirm much of it, or at least acknowledge it as a relevant field of interest. So please—let us not dismiss what cannot be easily explained. Let us observe, perceive, and allow ourselves to be guided. Perhaps even by a horse.