Anti-oppressive practice is a commitment to identifying and levelling the power dynamics which create and perpetuate prejudices and inequalities. It’s also a commitment to lifelong learning – to meet each one of my clients with an open mind and heart and the knowing that they are the experts of their lived experience. Anti-oppressive practice extends beyond anti-discrimination and inclusion; it actively promotes client empowerment through collaboration and seeks to dismantle the systemic barriers that limit minoritised communities. Discover how this manifests for clients, therapists and horses in equine facilitated therapy.

A regulated nervous system is one that’s agile and adaptive, able to enter into stress states yet doesn’t dwell there unnecessarily, and readily returns to calm, grounded openness. Those are qualities most of us aspire to have yet are not always easy to develop. Our cultural norms – and some forms of therapy – place emphasis on expanding our capacity to self-regulate, a notion which can imply we need to rely upon ourselves in times of duress. However, self-regulation is a skill that develops not by ourselves, but in the presence of others. Let’s explore the science behind co-regulation, the role it plays in building resilience and of course, how we can find help amongst the herd.

Awe is an feeling unique in its complexity, evoking states across the emotional spectrum as it connects us to both the beauty and fragility of existence. So what is the role of this emotion that can be at once both awful and awesome, and how can its properties support healing?

You’ve likely heard of mindfulness, but how about heartfulness? Read about the science behind this embodied practice and how, through their huge hearts, horses can support us to enter the healing state of heart coherence.

With infinite ways to communicate and numerous systematic methods we can use to interact with our horses, I choose to use positive reinforcement. As a Windrose Horses client, this is primarily how I’ll teach you to work with the herd. But what is R+?