Whether you are an executive leading a team of people or a student struggling to balance work and play, Juno may hold the secrets to your success. At the Juno Project, horses lead you to discover your true self and more.
Here, Catherine Howley shares a success story from her work at the Juno Project, which incorporates horses into the coaching process to strengthen a person’s insight into who they are and how they appear to others – and how they can move on and create goals to become the person they want to be.
You can read more about Catherine, the Juno Project and Equine Assisted Coaching elsewhere in the H.E.A.R.T. Centre and Knowledge Hub.
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Isobel was living in the womens refuge with her three children. She gave us no information, but her support worker indicated that she had suffered from physical and mental abuse for over 10 years.
Isobel was slightly built and about 27 years old. She was unresponsive to our greetings and stayed close to her support worker who spoke for her.
We continued to speak directly to Isobel and her support worker continued to answer for her.
We outlined the options available of either working out of the barn, grooming and feeding the ponies or horses and the other option was to work in the arena on focused coaching. Isobel chose barn activity. We delegated a piece of work to the support worker which took her within Isobels view but out of earshot. We spoke with Isobel as though she would respond in conversation (although she did not) and made no reference to her silence. We explained the personalities, traits and likes of each of the ponies and invited her and them to meet. Isobel was frozen to the spot.
Talullah (Lula) is a small grey Welsh Mountain pony who had experienced some abuse during her lifetime to the point where when she arrived at our stables, she ran into the corner of her stable, pointing to the wall, shaking and scared. She stayed there for three months, only moving for food. I sat on a stool inside the stable but facing the door, as regularly as possible, until after three months she came up behind me and sniffed my hair. I was overjoyed and eventually she put her nose onto my shoulder and began to rest there while I spoke or sang to her. We hand bonded or “joined up” in equine terms. She is most definitely “my” pony and will not allow anyone else to catch her. Once she is caught however, in most cases, she is happy to be brushed by most people.
Lula and her “bloke” Teddy were walking freely in the yard where I was standing with Isobel. I continued to speak to her as though she were conversing with me and I told her Lulaʼs story. She made no comment. The two ponies walked and explored as they did every day, hovering at the closed barn door where the food was kept!! Eventually they became bored with their prowling and Teddy chose to graze on the few blades of grass which crept up through the flagstones. Lula stood and watched Isobel. I stood quietly with my eyes cast down and made no movement for that would have engaged Lula.
Lula moved slowly towards Isobel and I quietly assured her that she was in no danger of harm. Lula continued to move towards Isobel and stopped just a foot in front of her. She stretched her neck forwards and Isobel remained immobile. Lula took another half a step and sniffed Isobel. The sniffing took about a minute until Lula confidently moved next to Isobel and nuzzled her lower arm. I continued to reassure quietly and Isobel remained isolated.
Lula fully examined Isobel and then remarkably rested her head upon Isobel moving as close to her as she could – and stayed there – pony and young woman in full and silent contact. Isobel began to cry. I remained silent and still. Lula sniffed and nuzzled. Eventually Isobel raised her hand and stroked Lula on the front of her face, which she loved. “Join up” had been achieved.
Isobel did not talk during that session or the next but when I suggested she work with Teddy on the third session she firmly and gently refused saying that she preferred Lula – this had been my intention for it would be several more sessions later before Isobel felt that she was empowered enough to work with a different pony. She observed how Lula “managed” the bossy and strong willed Teddy by gently steering him or refusing him and she listened to our story of Lula and through tears and love began to share her experiences.
Isobel did not remain reliant upon Lula and worked with the much larger horses in the arena during her time with us. She observed their behaviour and reflected upon her own life and the similarities in what she had experienced. She attended to the new behaviours she was observing in the horses and their interactions and chose the ones she found to be most useful for changing her life. She explored the options which were available to her and continued to use the metaphors the horses presented to move into the area of parenting. She determined the behaviours she had experienced in her life which had been harmful to her and eliminated them from her way of being with her children.
We began life coaching and goal setting out of the barn classroom and in time Isobel moved on to training sessions in community settings and into a home of her own with her family. She still visits us and is happy to share the developments in her life. She is one of our strongest advocates and signposts others to what she calls “pony love sessions”. RESULT!!
