Girls Softball Team Bonding Day with the Horses

Our work with the horses in this half-day event with 17 high school softball team members, was to raise their awareness of the impact their emotions and internal dialogue have on their self-esteem and athletic performance.

Each participant-led a horse through an obstacle course, while noticing the feelings and stories that emerged when the horse resisted following them. After walking the course, each girl shared their experience with their teammates.

We then practiced breathing and grounding exercises that effectively keep our awareness and consciousness in our body, amidst powerful emotions and negative internal dialogue.

"Conscious breathing has been helpful when I am stressed out - it helps me calm down. It has also been helpful when I am playing."

"I was shocked to see that when someone was thinking negative thoughts, the horse stopped!"

Horses reflect the energy, emotions, and stories we are holding in our heads and bodies. Since horses have a very underdeveloped neocortex, they don't makeup stories in response to their feelings like humans do. They feel and act on those feelings in the same moment and immediately let go and move on to the next moment. They teach us how to live in the present.

"It was AMAZING! I loved leading the horses through the obstacle course!"

We had a fun, team bonding day together. These young women were visibly more relaxed and inspired by their experiences as they interacted with the horses, dogs, and Shrek the Donkey.