Written and photographed by Noor Nagi
Eleven people quietly entered Little Bit’s shaded round pen, each with different hopes—some seeking comfort, while others, a regulated pulse and peace of mind. Cancer Lifeline frequently helps thousands of cancer patients gain stability and receive emotional support and information through support groups, exercise, nutrition and meditation classes, as well as general presentations and workshops online and in person. This session, however, would prove to be unlike any other.
The crisp morning’s air allowed for a relaxing atmosphere as everyone took a seat in the many foldout chairs spread at one end of the round pen. Today’s Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL), Pat, with a warm smile, gently beckoned everyone into introductions: asking participants for their name and prior equine exposure. As expected, some people had never touched a horse before, while others, frequented riding. Buzzes of cross chatter erupted—people eager to get to know one another and share their stories. Cancer Lifeline’s programs are meticulously tailored to the unique struggles faced by individuals living with cancer and their families; today, there was a significant sense of anticipation. Everyone was eager to see how horses might play a role in their session.
Pat began, her voice steady as she addressed the group. “Millions of years ago, horses formed into what we call ‘social herds’ to survive in the wild.” Eyes darted around with curiosity as she explained how these intelligent creatures form relationships with one another and assume roles within their groups. Over time, they have developed extremely heightened senses.
Then, just as the round pen was beginning to quiet down, Pat said the unexpected: “Did you know that horses can pick up on human energy and emotions?” Giggles of disbelief erupted from both sides of the chair line-up, but Pat’s smile didn’t waver; she was serious.
“It’s true,” Nancy, a volunteer, chimed in. “They can even sense your heartbeat from meters away!” Pat gave a firm nod and began to explain how horses are “looking for” things when they encounter another animal. They assess your heartbeat, posture, breathing, and eye contact in order to determine whether or not you have good intentions. If someone has staggered breathing, an aggressive or uncertain posture, or holds intensive eye contact with a horse, it can misinterpret your behavior as scary or threatening. On the flip side, if you stand up with confidence and approach with relaxed breathing and where they can see you, the horse will likely interpret this as friendliness.
As Pat finished up her talk on the temperament of horses, a faint, rhythmic clip-clop sound could be heard in the distance. Shortly after, both Nancy and Tina emerged through the gate of the round pen holding two beautiful horses, clouds of dust blowing beneath their hooves. Lou, a tawny brown roan, tended to be on the cautious and reserved side, while Rosie Pony, a flaxen gold horse, was very extroverted and more eager to see new faces. Pat made note that horses demonstrate ease and comfort by doing one of three things: releasing tension through licking and chewing, lowering their head, and cocking one of their hind legs (the equivalent of a human adjusting their weight to one side).
A pre-teen girl with prior riding experience eagerly volunteered to approach one of the horses first. She, as instructed, gently approached Rosie Pony and gave her the “horse handshake;” this is essentially putting the back of your closed hand out in front of their nostrils. The girl then walked around Rosie Pony’s head while maintaining eye contact, later coming in closer to give her a scratch on her neck. Rosie Pony visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh and allowing her lip to quiver and ears to separate.
“It looks like she has a new friend!” Pat said to the girl with a chuckle, before turning to the group seated in the chairs. “Now, who wants to come up and meet Lou?” A teenage boy hesitated for a moment before slowly raising his hand. Nervous, but determined, he edged closer to the horse, only for Lou to suddenly shift away, causing the boy to jump back in surprise. Noticing the boy’s discomfort, Pat gently instructed him to relax, take a step back, and breathe in deeply. As he exhaled, Lou let out a large sigh of his own. In that moment, they were both perfectly in sync. The boy’s eyes widened in amazement, as if asking, “Did you see that?” Pat simply nodded, basking in the quiet moment of connection.
Once more, he extended his closed hand out towards Lou, standing up much straighter than before. To his surprise, Lou relaxed his hind leg and sniffed his hand. “Do you see that?” Pat mused, “He’s licking and chewing and relaxing. This means he is comfortable with you being a part of his herd.” With newfound courage, the teenage boy stroked Lou down his neck, receiving a positive snort from Lou.
When the final participant, a woman in her late 50s, came closer to approach the horses, Pat turned around to address the group once more. “Horses feel your energy and respond when you stand close to them. I want you,” she pointed at the woman, “to put your hand by Rosie Pony’s ribcage. Feel her breathing; you’ll notice her breath may begin to fall in sync with yours and your heartbeat with hers.”
The woman nodded gently, smiling at Rosie Pony, “I feel her chest heaving gently. I feel calm; we both do.”
Horses have different general energy levels in the same way that humans have different personality types. A few of the types can include stoic, outgoing, and hesitant horses. Their personality attributes influence which roles horses assume in the herd. For example, a hesitant horse might play the role of a sentry, or “lookout horse,” that keeps watch for predators, while the outgoing horses might search for food. Over time, in order to survive in the wild, horses adapted to be able to feel electromagnetic energy emitted from life forms at far greater distances than humans. As a result, they can scare easily when they sense that a presence nearby could be dangerous. This ability makes horses incredibly empathetic creatures that can easily pick up on your body language and emotions. Hence, often being able to influence our heartbeat and breathing.
With an hour left in the session, some chattering bubbled up from around the pen. Questions like, “What exercise could possibly be next?” and “We aren’t going to learn how to ride a horse in an hour,” emerged quietly. It was only until Tina and Nancy held up two leader ropes that everyone understood what the next activity would be: learning how to lead a horse around the pen using a lead rope.
“This activity rests on your ability to show the horses both kindness and leadership.” Pat stepped next to Lou’s giant face. The instructions were straightforward: you never just pull the lead rope to get the horses to move; gently motion in the direction would like to go instead, and the horse will move on with you. “See,” Pat began, “Lou weighs 865 pounds. If you pull on his lead rope to try and move him forward with force, he will pull back harder and win.” She gave Lou a gentle tug forward, leaning forward like she was pulling a cart. Lou didn’t budge and gave her an annoyed huff.
“You have to lead with confidence and verbal commands. Walk on!” She commanded Lou while pretending to take a step forward. Lou happily complied and began to move forward at a steady pace. While walking, Pat gingerly tugged on the lead rope, slowed her own pace, and used her body language to slow Lou’s walk. Finally, to stop, Pat bent her knees and said, “Whoa,” and Lou came to a halt, officially ending the demonstration and beginning the formation of a line to lead the horses.
When the clock hit noon, Pat gave everyone time to reflect on the session. She beckoned the question, “Has anything changed about you in these two hours?” The pre-teen girl swung her legs back and forth on the tall foldout chair while enthusiastically extending her arm outwards. Pat gave her a nod, and she stood up to begin speaking. “I felt a lot calmer around the horses.” She tilted her small head up to the sky in deep thought, “I feel like I had to be calm for them to accept me, and so we learned to kind-of coexist and be super peaceful together.”
A woman, from the other end of the row of foldout chairs, vigorously nodded her head in agreement before chiming in. “Yeah like, I had a headache right at the start of the session, and it’s gone now. The experience was very therapeutic; horses are therapeutic.” Most, if not all the participants, hummed or nodded up and down in response to the last statement. According to Nicole, the Program Manager at Cancer Lifeline, “Equine-Assisted Learning offers cancer patients and their families a unique blend of emotional support and physical healing in such a powerful way and in an uplifting environment. The gentle presence of horses fosters a sense of calm and encourages a therapeutic connection that relieves stress and builds bonds between both people and horses.”
Little Bit is thankful that participants working with Cancer Lifeline were able to gain a sense of comfort amidst such challenging times.
Does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) consider cancer a disability?
Cancer can often be considered a disability because of the changes caused by cancer and cancer treatment. These changes may involve the immune system, cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, brain and nervous system, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive systems. These changes can affect physical and mental wellness.
Source: Americans With Disabilities Act: Information for Cancer Patients | American Cancer Society
