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The Maui Horse Whisperer Experience


Mother Horse with FoalA "Horse Whisperer" is accurately a very astute horse listener. The term "whisperer" refers to the soft, gentle way the energy (i.e. communication) flows. John Rarey, one of the first modern day horse tamers, wrote in 1850, "A good horseman should never be fearful or angry in the presence of horses." In her 1998 Equis Magazine articles "Secrets of the Horse Tamers", Emily Kilby writes, "...the man who would take up taming, he must have the delicacy of touch and feeling of a woman, the eye of an eagle, the courage of a lion, and the hang-on pluck of a bulldog." Throughout recorded history, similar and even loftier language has been used to describe people who are successful with horses. It's all true! Just like Robert Redford displayed in the movie "The Horse Whisperer", thoughtfulness, gentleness and sensitivity, perceptiveness, confidence and quiet strength must all be in place in order to have a truly successful relationship with horses. It takes the same qualities and awareness for us to have successful and rewarding relationships with each other.

Horses are great teachers. To work with and effectively communicate with horses, one must be calm and centered. Clearly, the same can be said for communication between human beings. Besides dramatically reducing the stress levels in ones body, being calm and centered opens the channel for intuition to speak. Intuition is the voice of the heart, the higher self, our "sixth sense." With intuitive communication, one can be assured the exchange will be peaceful, honest and successful. Horses are always intuitive and they can awaken that quality in us.

As we learn the language of the horse and begin to communicate with them, they help us see into ourselves at deeper and deeper levels. Horses can help us face our fears, learn about love, develop intuition, reveal self-defeating patterns and connect with our spiritual depth. And horses are always willing to assist us in our growth. The question is— are we willing to open and learn from our equine friends? For myself and many others, the answer is definitely "Yes!"

Across the country and around the world equine facilitated programs are proving the healing, informative and nurturing power of on-the-ground and in-the-saddle work with horses. There are programs for equine facilitated mental health development: mental illnesses from schizophrenia, to autism, to Attention Deficit Disorder are being treated with dramatically positive results. Spas such as the world class Miraval in Tucson are using horses in their stress reduction program. For many years, therapeutic horsemanship has been a great blessing for large numbers of physically challenged individuals. National organizations such as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) and the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA) have been created to train practitioners and support related programs nationally. Fortune 500 companies are having their upper management take leadership training programs at horse ranches in Colorado, Arizona and California.

These effective programs are springing up throughout the country because we have begun to "listen" to what these wonderful animals are "telling" us about who we are as individuals and as human beings in relationship with the world around us. In part, we share "the spirit" of the horse. The qualities we celebrate in humans are the same qualities we attribute to horses: loyalty, courage, integrity, heroism and honesty.

The mission of The Maui Horse Whisperer Experience™ is the skillful use of the human-equine relationship to develop mindfulness, self-awareness and understanding toward the goal of enhancing the lives of those who participate in these fun, unique and extraordinary programs. Several programs have been developed for varied participants and applications. No matter who the specific program is designed for, we guarantee that every Maui Horse Whisperer Experience will be filled with beauty, insight, fun, laughter and growth. Simply put, our mission is to enhance the lives of all our participants, including the horses.

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