During the excersice with the horse I didn’t realize what I felt, and had not taken it very seriously... that night I woke in tears. It was like something had opend up inside me and I didn’t know what ... with the following sessions I realized that I was freeing myself from something; What? I don’t know... but my life changed, my stance towards other people changed, everything changed. A year after the change I still feel the change in me – like something in me softented and sweetented, everyone tells me that now I am laughing for the first time.

I had heard about the method from some coworkers abroad and I searched for it in Greece – I found Hippolysis. When I started it seemed like a simple stroll in nature... At some point I found myself in the middle of a crisis at work, the kind that in the past would have kept me awake searching for solutions. I was surprised by my reaction. It was like I felt the horses breath in me and everything became simple, the solutions appeared in my mind like I was downloading a file, I was calm and almost enjoyed the challenge. Then I realised what they had told me at Hippolysis: ‘we have the answers and solutions in us, we are just disconnected from ourselves. The horse ‘pushes’ us to reconnect with the wisdom that lies within us’.

I never got angry in my life, I was always concern with how others become angry. When I got very seriously ill a friend brought me to equine assisted therapy. I could not believe that it would help me, but the drowning man pulls his own hair. The horse in two minutes that I had spent with it began kicking and running... it seemed funny to me looking at it...I started screaming, all of a sudden 30 years of suppressed anger poured out of me...my life like a movie, a series of responsibilities and duties passed in front of me. I understood that being afraid to be angry I was not protecting myself. The horses helped me get over my illness but most of all they taught me how to protect myself and how to realise and respect my needs. I always remember the lesson they thought me with gratitude.

I was drowning in neverending duties and stress and the sorrow that came hand in hand with guilt. I was dragged to Hippolysis by a friend he had to pressure me into coming because I did not know what equine assisted therapy was and didnt believe that it would have any effect. After few sessions I started to see life differently. Did the pressure I was under change? No! Did I change? Yes definately! In what way I didn’t understand. Was I pulled out of the hole of despare by the horses? Did they reestablish my priorities? Did they ‘teach’ me alternate ways of action? Whatever the horses did I wish them well – My life became easier!

The horses stood across from me and acted out my emotions. I understood that when I am afraid – I get angry, when i don’t know – I get angry, when I am ashamed – I get angry. Now I understand and can distinguish my feelings. I am not always angry. Only horses ‘speak’ so loud and clear that you can’t not hear them.

As a couple the horses helped us understand our miscomunication, to soften with one another, to rediscover fun in our relationship. Now when we have difficulties we remember the excersices and know that it is up to us to find our solutions. We fell in love with the horses. We never expected that they could understant humans so well.

I lived in constant panic, my son is hyperactive and my husband and I are always exhausted. We worked with the horses as a family. Our son showed a great ability in the excersises and also created his own activites for the family. After 4 sessions we had come closer together. We learned to laugh instead of yell, to ask and to give him responsibilites, we were calm. Our son is lively but no longer angry and we are happy to be with him.

When I walked into my class the next day after my first session with ‘my horse – teacher’ I couldn’t belive myself. I was patient, laughing, and felt the children closer to me. I dont know what the horse ‘tought’ me, but I see the change in me and I am happy.

For me, it was one of the most revealing self-awareness experiences I have ever sensed. I feel that horses will help me see clear in to my self. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.