by Zoe Moraitis, EGCM, Mindful Harmony Coaching, LLC
Introduction: This is a comparative analysis between horses and adolescents within the context of the TBAH Equine Gestalt Coaching Method
Significance: Identifying parallels that exist between horses and adolescent clients goes a long way to inform the efficacy of the EGC Method in regard to this population and supports the further healing of adolescents through this method.
Purpose: The purpose of this capstone was to understand and share the commonalities between horses and adolescent clientele to utilize this awareness to create therapeutic rapport/bonding.
Setting and Participants: Observations made of the similarities between horses and adolescents occurred within the Mindful Harmony Coaching program located at three different barns in Colorado over the last two years each with at least one equine partner. The adolescents highlighted were aged 8-17 with a variety of backgrounds from at-risk youth to those with average home life.
Capstone Description/Process: My observations were made over two years while working with adolescent clients using the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method. Through co-active questions, I guided clients to learn how to understand the horses. I presented questions that helped them realize the similarities between themselves and the horses. Each horse partner was chosen based on the compatibility of various factors, including the horse’s background, the client’s background, and the horse’s personality. I considered whether the horse’s personality mirrored the client’s presentation to me or would facilitate a clearer understanding of the horse’s nature.
While observing my clients, I allowed them to observe their equine partners in different settings: one horse in a round pen, two horses at liberty in an arena, and a herd of horses in their living space. The questions I asked encouraged the adolescents to notice the horses’ actions and how those actions related to their own experiences.
Capstone Results/Impact: What I learned is that adolescents and horses share many similarities, and by understanding horses, adolescents are better able to understand and develop compassion for themselves. Adolescents identified with behaviors such as a horse isolating itself from the rest of the herd, overreacting to responses from other herd members, and using strong body language that sometimes communicated ineffectively. When the isolated horse rejoined the herd, it was usually welcomed back with kindness. Similarly, the adolescents began to make new friends at school. As they became aware of the various forms of communication—recognizing which approaches were successful and which were not—they started to reflect inward. Instead of overreacting when their attempts to communicate with parents or teachers were unsuccessful on the first try, they explored different strategies to effectively convey their thoughts rather than resorting to yelling or other counterproductive reactions.
Capstone Evaluation: Observations and anecdotal information were collected in a systematic way that adhered to the industry standards for qualitative data collection and analysis.
Future Directions: Moving forward, I will continue to support adolescents on their journeys of healing as they work toward self-awareness, self-compassion, and confidence. I will guide their interactions with horses using the EGC Method, which is grounded in the belief that clients hold their answers within. My role is to support and guide them through experiences and co-active questioning to uncover those answers. Additionally, I will remain attuned to how adolescents relate to my equine partners and use these observations to better support them.
Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge the Gestaltist who supported me as a teenager, the coaches and staff at Touched by a Horse, and my mentor Melisa Pearce who took a chance on a young adult who was eager to learn how to help people as she had been helped.
References:
Hoobyar, T., Dotz, T. (2013). NLP The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming. HarperCollins Publishing
Kimsey-House, H., Kimsey-House, K., Sandal, P., Whitworth, L., Phillips A. (2019). Co-Active Coaching. Nicholas Brealey Publishing
Kirby, Heather. (2013). Wild At Heart. Merry Dissonance Press, LLC
Oaklander, V. (2007). Windows to Our Children. Gestalt Journal Press
Pearce, M. (2019). What the Heck is Gestalt? Elizabeth, CO, Touched by a Horse, Inc