Courses for riding therapists

Mia offers courses in documented horse behaviour to riding therapists from the When Horses Choose training programme. She also trains horses for the purpose of equine therapy.

In connection with the equine therapy programme, all riding therapists are required to complete 20 hours of training in natural horsemanship and horse behaviour. Mia is recognised by the Danish Equine Therapy Association.

Recommendation from Team Nordahl

People with mental disorders, psychiatric diagnoses, addictions, depression, anxiety, ADHD, personality disorders, eating disorders, autism, low self-esteem etc. can experience an overall imbalance in their emotional wellbeing. They feel inadequate in different situations e.g. social, private and professional. They often feel lonely and isolated or believe that they are in some way different.

Emotional relationships can be complicated and are often filled with expectations, prejudices, fixed ideas and attachments. Some people have suffered such deep emotional scarring – that has debilitated them to such an extent – that they view this as a mental disorder in its own right.

With Mia’s When Horses Choose Horsemanship programme, you learn to control the horse by giving it clear signals using your body language. This means that the horse understands, follows and accepts you as its leader. By doing exercises from the ground, the horse learns to trust you. The method is based on the horse’s natural herd behaviour and free choice, rather than on coercion. When the horse has chosen to cooperate with you, there are no limits to what it can do!

You cannot control or restrain a horse by force. It is therefore essential that there is cooperation and clarity in body language and communication between horse and human. The keywords are: calm, patience, understanding, kindness, consistency and leadership.

Of course, some people are afraid of horses. But, despite their fear, people still find that they are fascinated by them. Because the When Horses Choose method is based on gaining control of the horse from the ground, this reduces the individual’s anxiety and creates a personal victory. These personal victories make a significant contribution to building self-confidence and self-esteem.

The physical bond between horse and human will have a positive effect at an emotional level, so that the individual feels ‘at one with the horse’. This includes being able to let go of any fears and reservations and being emotionally connected with another being. The When Horses Choose method completely supports this process.

Horses can help bring emotions to the surface. The beautiful big eyes, the soft muzzle or the massive body can produce feelings of pleasure or anxiety. In either case, it is an emotional reaction and an emotional connection. To create this contact and build relationships at Team Nordahl, we use the When Horses Choose Horsemanship programme, which was developed by Mia.