Hoof to Heart EFL

02/07/2024

Look at this handsome fellow (and Zephyr) 😁

15/04/2024

The website is now up and running

Growth and Empowerment through Equine Facilitated Learning Book a free consultation What is Equine Facilitated Learning? Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) is a experiential learning method that utilizes the amazing, innate qualities of horses to promote personal growth, healing and learning.Unlike t...

09/04/2024

Had an amazing day today over by Exeter seeing how Leigh Rundle from Equafinity runs her EFL program with her beautiful Unicorns ❤️

19/03/2024

Starting a business can be a daunting journey - I know this first hand. It's filled with uncertainty and doubt. Where do I start? What's the destination? Why am I traveling this path? How do I navigate it? Can I succeed? The truth is, I don't have all the answers, and perhaps I never will. But you know what? That's perfectly okay!

When I set aside those doubts and stresses and reflect on the journey so far, I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I have enjoyed it. I'm passionate about learning, and embarking on a business venture, like any new endeavor, offers abundant opportunities for growth. Given my introspective nature, I've found this journey particularly fulfilling. In assisting others and working with the Equidae, all the while maintaining my own sacred space, introspection becomes inevitable; there's no hiding from it.

Also, an added bonus is that because I need to convey my thoughts and feelings to you, I need to relearn how to write 😁.

I've always loved design, and marketing my business has reignited this creative passion within me. Just the act of choosing the images for these posts has been enjoyable, and much of it comes down to what feels right. Admittedly, I struggle with perfectionism - if it's not perfect, it's not worth doing, making starting a business very challenging. The first hurdle is usually the hardest. For me, that was choosing a name. After days of frustration, it finally came to me. What is the essence of what we're about? To support people in connecting to their authentic selves, aided by the wisdom and teaching of the herd. Once I reconnected with that truth, the name 'Hoof to Heart' instantly clicked.

After the name, designing a logo is relatively easy. It may not be 'perfect,' but it conveys what I want, which is the most important thing, and I can always change it later 😉. I'm also in the process of designing my website, which has its own massive learning curve but is a fun and exciting project.

So that's the journey so far. A month ago, it was nothing but the shadow of an idea in the back of my mind, intangible and fleeting. Sometimes I think of it like a seed, containing my dreams, hopes, and aspirations. All it needs is the right space and nourishment to sprout and take root, and one day, I hope, it'll become a mighty tree providing shelter and harbour for all who need it. 🐎❤️

12/03/2024

Feel free to message me on WhatsApp 🐎

11/03/2024

I'm on Instagram! Follow to help support the page, Instagram will be where I post photos and videos 😁

11/03/2024

So you're probably wondering what is EFL, why do we use horses and how can it help you?

EFL is an authentic learning experience centred around you, a horse or donkey and a practitioner like myself. It can be a very structured experience where you go through specific exercises designed around the outcome you want to achieve, or it could be as simple as spending time in nature with the company of a horse.

We use horses for a number of reasons and I'll take you through just a couple in this post. The first is symbology, Ferrari is a well known example of this. For me they symbolise Strength, Leadership, Family, Freedom, Grace, Nobility and Wisdom to name just a few. Take a moment to reflect on what they symbolise for you.

They are masters at communication which can be surprising to some because they don't speak.. but they do! They are constantly talking to each other and to us, all we need to do is learn the language. Every flick of the ear, every swish of the tail is a message being conveyed to the world. Why is that useful for us? Most experts agree that 70% to 93% of all communication between humans is NON verbal, how amazing is that? We've all had those gut feelings about someone or been able to tell how people are feeling without them having to tell us. The problem is society teaches us to lie or to ignore these signs and feelings and that can negatively affect our relationships. Horses are masters at authentic communication and they can help us relearn these vital skills.

The last reason that I'll cover here is that horses are hardwired to recognise emotion and can mirror those emotions back at us. They do this because they have evolved as social prey animals, a skill that has helped keep them safe from predators and helps with the complex social dynamics of the herd. This can be incredibly useful for us when trying to unravel our own inner complexity. For example I consider myself to be empathic but I can struggle with understanding my own emotions, horses have helped me recognise what emotions I'm feeling and where they might have arisen from.

So how can EFL help you? People can have incredibly deep experiences through EFL, some might describe it as therapeutic although it's important to note that unless it is advertised as such, (usually as Equine Facilitated Therapy), it is not therapy. It can help you build and maintain healthy relationships, recognise and maintain healthy boundaries, recognise and process complex emotion, build confidence and self esteem, gain leadership skills, set and work toward specific goals, increase relaxation and lower blood pressure as well as lots more.

I hope this helped explain what EFL is and how it could help you 😁 please feel free to message me if you have any more questions. Cheers, Jamie. 🐎❤️