The Healing Hooves Blog
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(Horse) Play in a Pandemic
Who has the time or energy to play right now? Our animals do, and they can help us out! We revisit here the importance of play – especially in the midst of a worldwide pandemic when play may be being squeezed out
Three Steps a Day
Join me in my commitment to talking three simple steps a day which will hopefully make life a little brighter during this difficult time. As always I’ll be turning to our animals as role models, guides and for some inspiration for putting this commitment into practice!
Holding On
How do we hold on to those we love when we can’t be with them? This story explores themes of loss, missing, and frustration through a gentle story featuring the ponies of Healing Hooves. It is grounded in a six stage model for attachment developed by Dr. Gordon Neufeld and provides a great way to make space for the sadness of loss while holding on to those we love in deep and powerful ways.
Super Thor: Preview of our New Therapeutic Children’s Story
Sneak preview of our newest therapeutic story! Thor is sad when he can’t go out to eat spring grass with the bigger horses. But when Teddy calls him a crybaby, Thor decides he can be tough, like he thinks his ‘superhero’ name requires. Join Thor and his friends as they learn what being a superhero really means.
Horse Play – Part Two
This final article in our “Why Horses’ series continues the discussion on play, exploring two key benefits play can provide for our emotional health and well being, and three ways animals can help us find more true play in our lives and in the lives of those we care about.
Horse Play: part one!
As humans, and especially as adults, we may have lost sight of what ‘true’ play is and why it matters. Fortunately our animals remember. This two part article explores what we mean by true play, how it benefits us, and how our animals can help us find our way back to play.
The Perfect Pony
Sneak peek at one of our most popular therapeutic stories! Pickle tries very hard to be a perfect pony but it never works out as he plans. Learn how Pickle, with some help from his four legged friends, discovers that he does not need to be perfect to be loved, and to belong.
The Empty Water Trough
Sneak preview of our brand new Therapeutic story! Teased by another pony, Pickle questions why he often gets in such a pickle about things that feel scary. Is there something wrong with him? When the day arrives that the water trough he relies on is empty, Pickle panics. Join the ponies of Healing Hooves as they learn important life lessons about what to do – and perhaps not do – with big and scary feelings.
The Stories behind the Stories
Introducing a simple and effective way to help those you care about benefit from the human animal bond. Our new blog series explores how, why and when to select, read and draw upon therapeutic stories – either as a parent or grandparent with your own kids, or as part of a teaching or therapeutic practice.
Keep your Equine Therapists, and Practice, Thriving in Winter Weather
Keeping an equine therapy practice running year round can be quite an endeavor when you live in Canada, but it is possible. Learn what you need to think about to keep your animals – and your practice – healthy during cold weather.