Blue Horse Equine Therapy was named after a poem, “Blue Horses,” by Mary Oliver. Her poem imagines the experience of stepping into a painting by Franz Marc that is filled with blue horses. The moment Oliver describes is beautiful and transformative- as horses are. I chose the name for my equine therapy practice in honor of Mary Oliver, Fanz Marc, and the healing power of horses. The color blue has an additional meaning- for example, the Blue Buddha is the medicine buddha acknowledging that the mind and our ruminations can be the source of suffering. The Blue Horse is our medicine horse who reminds us of our own embodiment through which we can find both transformation and healing. 

Equine assisted learning and therapeutic experiences (EAL-TE) are non-riding sessions that involve working with horses to better understand yourself. Horses are extraordinarily sensitive animals. First and foremost, they are prey animals, which means they are a type of animal that is typically hunted or killed by other animals for food. Horses are very aware of their surroundings and the energy that is around them. To survive, they need to be able to quickly read the environment for safety or threat. They are highly attuned to everything around them. Despite being prey animals (and for some of these equine helpers- being rescues), they play, love to interact and learn, love, roll in the mud, and are able to regularly settle their hearts and bodies to enjoy life. They have so much to teach us.

• Your equine helpers (the horses) 
• An equine specialist (a horse trainer with extensive experience training and working with horses) and mental health professional (a psychologist trained in equine therapy and licensed to treat mental health issues).

I am a certified equine therapist (Eagala, ARCH, and Eponicity trained) and psychologist, horse rescue volunteer and member of the Board of Directors (Phoenix Rising Rescue) and wild horse advocate.

I offer an equine therapy and education program in Western New York to support individuals:

• working to better understand their own nervous system, personal trauma, self-regulation, and ability to connect to others and themselves,
  for whom traditional therapy does not feel like a good fit or would like to supplement traditional therapy with equine work.
• Part of your experience will be giving back to the horse that is doing such good work as your equine helper (the horse). You will learn how to be safe around your equine helpers, take care of the equine helpers (even clean out a stall), the rules of the barn, how to groom an equine helper, and even a little equine massage.

Sessions are 60 to 90 minutes each (you can also book group session and workshops). You will need to arrive 15 minutes before your session ready to go. The first session will be an intake, complete paperwork, and you will get a chance to meet some horses and your team. Note, you will need to complete the intake application before your first session is scheduled.

Most people do anywhere from 4 to 10 sessions, depending on their goals. You can also do more. In some cases, we may be able to work through your health insurance in meeting your treatment goals. In typical sessions, you will complete a check in, engage with the horses, and then close by processing your experience. You can enhance your experience by journaling between sessions.

$150 for individual 60 minute sessions

$225 for individual 90 minute sessions

$500 for group 60 minute sessions (between 4-6 people)

$740 for group 90 minute sessions (between 4-6 people)

$1,500 for half-day, group workshops (4 to 8 people)

Sessions are offered in Clarence, NY on Monday mornings. If you are interested in being considered for this program, please complete the application below to be placed on the wait list.