My Own Road to Understanding and Healing Trauma in Horses

Trauma is a topic very close to my heart. After more than 35 years of rescuing horses, I have lived through countless stories of healing, rebuilding, and rediscovering truth — both theirs, and my own.

Every horse arrives with different angles of trauma: emotional wounds, physical pain, mental shutdown, or fear-based behaviours. Each one brings a unique journey of “unravelling” the mental, emotional, and physical tangle that trauma creates.
Because in my experience, trauma is never isolated.
It affects the whole being.

The Power of a Natural Herd Environment

What I have witnessed again and again is this:
Healing becomes possible when horses can live like horses.
A 24/7 herd environment — with freedom of movement, choice, natural social structure, and clear herd rules — sets the stage for trauma recovery. The herd teaches boundaries, safety, belonging, and emotional regulation far better than any human ever could.

My Promise to Every Rescue

I have always been different in one regard:
Every horse I rescued was promised a home for life and a place within the herd.
This allowed me to witness every stage of trauma recovery — not just the first months, but sometimes years or even decades of deep healing.
Each horse became an incredible teacher, offering many ups and downs, countless breakthroughs, and “eureka moments” that shaped who I am today.

Empathy, Love, and Emotional Intelligence

My ingredients for helping horses heal have always been simple and unchanging:
Empathy, love, and emotional attunement.
Living with my herd seven days a week for decades has taught me more than any book or clinic ever could. Horses have sharpened my observation skills, expanded my awareness, and deepened my understanding of communication on the emotional and energetic level.

My Own Early Years with Horses

As a child, my love for animals was intense and ever-present.
I treated animals as equals long before I even knew this was unusual.
Six years of weekly riding lessons in conventional riding schools showed me what didn’t resonate. Spending time with semi-wild horses on a neighbouring farm taught me my first real lessons in body language — often the hard way!
I always searched for a more natural path, one where horses had a voice.

Learning from the Horsemen Who Inspired Me

Over the years, like so many horse lovers, I explored various natural horsemanship approaches.
I met Pat Parelli at the German Equitana in the late 80s when I was just 18 — before his big success. His message lit a spark in me: partnership, mutual respect, and true understanding.

Later, I explored the work of Clinton Anderson, attended clinics with Mark Rashid, and joined Tristan Tucker as a lifetime member. All of them had something valuable to say.

But my truest teachers were always the horses themselves.

Their guidance often differed from what the programmes taught. Partnership and harmony were always the heart of my work, not forcing horses through a method for the sake of results.

Freedom of Choice — The Core of My Philosophy

When you stop controlling and start suggesting,
when you share responsibility,
when you offer leadership while allowing the horse’s input —
something profound happens:

Horses become willing partners.
They enjoy and look forward to your company.
They respect you as part of the herd.
They help you heal your heart.
 
Groundwork: The Lifeline of Communication

Groundwork has always been the foundation of my approach.
Yes, I have spent thousands of hours in the saddle and many years devoted to carriage driving — a great passion of mine. But groundwork is where true communication begins.
It keeps horses safe, connected, and understood — including some of my Renegades who could no longer be ridden due to injuries or age but still needed purposeful engagement.

How My Horses Helped Me Heal

Over the years, I realised something unexpected:
As I helped my horses heal their trauma,
they were helping me heal mine.
They held space for me when my own nervous system was overwhelmed.
They taught me when to soften, when to breathe, when to let go.
They mirrored parts of me I wasn’t ready to see — until I was.
They showed me how healing is a slow, compassionate unfolding.
And they taught me that trauma and healing live side by side.
What I learned from them became the foundation of everything I teach today.

A Closing From My Heart

It is my greatest pleasure to pass on my knowledge to anyone willing to listen.
My mission is to empower people to build truly meaningful, harmonious relationships with their horses — relationships based on understanding, respect, and emotional connection.

At the same time, horses benefit profoundly when humans learn to listen to them.
They gain a more fulfilled life, a voice, and a place where they are seen as equals, not tools.
This is the gift we can offer them… and the gift they offer us in return.

With much love,
Iris x