Midnight's Promise Healing Connections

01/31/2022

I believe that deep down, all horses seek peace and connection.
We don’t know exactly what happened to Walberga before she came to the rescue but her behavior revealed a deep distrust of people and defensiveness to being approached or touched. She would pin her ears habitually and threaten worse, I didn’t let participants work with Walberga at first as I was concerned for their safety!
I worked with Walberga myself, demonstrating for participants how to move through triggers and resistance to help her feel more calm and safe, hoping that one day she might realize she could actually enjoy being touched. Each week brought steady improvement.
Due to a run of bad weather and other obstacles we had several weeks that our group did not meet. Finally today we were able to return and Walberga was waiting for us at the gate. She seemed genuinely happy that we were there and we were amazed at how easy she was to work with. Walberga has a special friend who started coming to MP to bring her daughter, but soon joined us in working with the horses. I showed her some touch techniques that I felt would be helpful and soon look over to see a sight that had my heart absolutely melting! Walberga was snuggling her friend in the most loving way, clearly at that moment any defensiveness and hostility had been replaced with trust and affection.
Success in a program like this doesn’t come from grandiose accomplishments, it comes in the small moments of transformation and shared happiness. We are still working on Walberga’s triggers, they didn’t magically evaporate at once, it is a process not a quick fix.
That is what this program is about, learning the process and how we can use it in all situation so it gets easier each time life seems to pin its ears and threatens to bite. How can we stay calm, move through, and create peace for ourselves and those around us?
These horses are amazing teachers and give us many opportunities to practice. When a horse like Walberga gives you a snuggle you know have done something right 😊

11/18/2021

Healing Connections provides opportunities to spend time with horses in a calm, supportive and encouraging environment. Led by PATH certified equine specialist Stacey Carter of Heart Centered Horsemanship, participants are guided in interacting with horses in mutually beneficial relationships. Contact [email protected] if you or someone you know would like to participate.

Horses are extremely sensitive to human emotions and are able to pick up on our subtlest feelings to help us uncover emotional blind spots.

09/27/2021

Time spent with a beloved friend can heal the heart. Knowing that you have helped that friend may be the thing that carries you through the dark times.

We are a couple of weeks into our restart after setbacks from Covid, changes in format, and the upcoming relocation of the facility. Though nothing is ever perfect, sometimes you just have to start somewhere. We have a small group that is learning basic horsemanship and healing techniques for horses each week. In partnership with Heart Centered Horsemanship participants are guided in creating safe and joyful relationships with their equine friends. Our goal is simple, love and laughter, which is easy enough to attain in the company of horses.

We are very grateful to all who have contributed to this program. It is a blessing to witness the beauty of horses and humans enjoying each other's company and learning valuable lessons in the process. We look forward to sharing updates and if you or someone you know would benefit from participating in this program please contact us for more information.

09/01/2021

We are currently accepting participants for our Healing Connections program, send a message if you would like more information.

"Recent studies conducted by the Institute of HeartMath provide a clue to explain the bidirectional "healing" that happens when we are near horses. According to researchers, the heart has a larger electromagnetic field and higher level of intelligence than the brain: A magnetometer can measure the heart's energy field radiating up to 8 to 10 feet around the human body. While this is certainly significant it is perhaps more impressive that the electromagnetic field projected by the horse's heart is five times larger than the human one (imagine a sphere-shaped field that completely surrounds you). The horse's electromagnetic field is also stronger than ours and can actually directly influence our own heart rhythm!
Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent" heart rhythm (heart rate pattern) which explains why we may "feel better" when we are around them. . . .studies have found that a coherent heart pattern or HRV is a robust measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy--that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adjust to stressful situations very efficiently. Often times, we only need to be in a horses presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters that serve as pain surppressors), decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning; and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy."

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06/27/2020

I miss our groups at Midnight’s Promise and look forward to getting starting again in July. We are currently seeking mental health professionals who are interested in partnering to provide equine assisted therapy to their clients. Fees for PATH certified equine specialist and facility are covered through our fundraising efforts, so there is no additional charge to bring clients to the farm. Potential partners can message me here or at [email protected]

03/18/2020

For those of you following the progress of Winifred, today we had a wonderful moment. She is feeling safe enough to take treats from my hand and even followed me a few steps! Sometimes the little things are pretty huge ❤️

03/18/2020

03/17/2020

Today warmed my heart, Gus and Journey are clearly loving these classes ❤️

03/16/2020

We will be meeting today from 4:30-6, hope to see you there!