Equine Hanna Somatics (EHS) is an adaptation of Hanna Somatics for horses. Thomas Hanna, PhD (1928-1990) coined the word “Somatics” in the late 1970’s to define the approaches to mind-body integration. The word soma is Greek for the living body. Hanna redefined its meaning as the body experienced from within, where humans and horses alike experience mind-body integration.

Like humans, horses experience stress (physical/emotional) and develop chronically contracted muscles. These muscles can cause pain and fatigue from constant use, affect circulation, increase lactic acid, press on nerves, and reduce oxygen and blood supply to vital areas of the body. These muscular contractions become so deeply unconscious, that eventually horses no longer remember how to move about freely. This is what we term “Sensory Motor Amnesia” (SMA). SMA happens gradually and can begin at any stage in life. Horses habitually begin to hold themselves tightly in reaction to pain, injury or emotional stress. EHS is a hands-on procedure for teaching horses, horse riders, and horse handlers the voluntary and conscious control of the neuromuscular systems of horses suffering muscular disorders of an involuntary and unconscious nature.

Horses are prey animals, hard wired for the primitive startle response. When a horse is startled, a brain-stem reflex occurs, which causes muscles to contract, adrenaline to rise, and heart rate to increase. This is what’s known as the “Fight or Flight” response, which is frequently initiated from birth onwards and for horses it is a survival mechanism.

Since the domestication of horses, humans have somewhat taken away a horse’s ability to flee the scene and have therefore contributed to the levels of stress they experience. When horses are stressed, their muscles contract propelling them to move or run. Some of the muscles become stretched; the stretch reflex is triggered and the muscles are re-contracted. Over a period of time, horses become more and more chronically contracted.

Like humans, horses develop characteristic postures, movements and behaviours. These characteristics can arise from stresses such as injury, surgery, being forcefully ridden, poorly fitted saddles and girths, led from one side, inactivity, ill-fitting shoes and so on. Often they develop pain, discomfort and a restricted range of movement as a result. All of these conditions fall under the bracket of SMA, and the horse is left with an inability to relax specific muscle groups.

EHS is a natural, gentle and safe way to end chronic pain, relax contracted muscle groups, manage stress and restore freedom of movement. Horses find the work very relaxing and can gain numerous benefits.

Jonathan Hunt

What Can You And Your Horse Expect?
Each session typically lasts for around one hour and ideally should take place in a quiet environment, free from noise and distractions. Horses are very easily startled, and the more chronically contracted their muscles are, the easier it is to startle them.

Your Equine Hanna Somatics (EHS) practitioner will commence the session by assessing certain characteristics displayed by your horse, such as posture, body language and movements. Your practitioner will also use palpation as a tool to determine which muscles are more resilient to the touch. Imagine a five-minute boiled egg; this is what your horse’s muscles should feel like. This initial assessment procedure is vital for determining where your EHS practitioner will start each individual session.

During the session, your EHS practitioner will guide your horse through a series of safe, slow and gentle movements tailored to their specific needs. EHS practitioners use a special form of neuromuscular (mind-body) education known as “assisted pandiculation”. Pandiculation involves a technique of slowly performed full-body muscular contractions and elongations, which all healthy vertebrates are capable of performing.

Horses have many reflex patterns, but they do have voluntary motor control. Voluntary and involuntary movements are governed by different parts of the brain, and therefore all EHS movements are performed slowly to access the voluntary part of your horse’s brain.
This is what sets EHS apart from manipulative therapies; namely the horse performs all the movements and the EHS practitioner is there only to suggest and assist in the process. This truly unique method helps to quickly reduce pain, relieve tension, relax and lengthen muscles and give your horse a newfound sense of control and freedom of movement.

Horses often become very relaxed during and after a session. They stand quietly; their eyes glaze over; their lips hang loose; they yawn; they lick their lips; their ears relax and fall to the side and they may sigh occasionally! They also walk more easily and begin to glide across the floor picking up their limbs more efficiently in the process.
During subsequent riding sessions, they seem to respond more readily to their rider’s requests and riders also report an enhanced bonding with their mount.

We ask you to commit to three sessions during which you can usually expect to notice a significant improvement in your horse’s comfort, stress levels and freedom of movement.

At Somatic Living, our goal is to move you and your horse towards your own self-care program. You will be given specific Somatic movement exercises tailored to your horse’s needs that not only continue their improvement, but help to prevent the recurrence of any problems. These simple but very powerful movements remind your horse’s brain how to efficiently use their muscles with the minimum of effort. They help with your horse’s continued progress and are performed in sets of three, to provide a sense of completion.

It is very important to practise good equine/human safety. Horses should never be tied during a session. A flat and soft underfoot surface is preferable and always work in an area large enough for your horse to move about as required. Also, remember that too much external noise can be very disturbing for them.

After the Equine Hanna Somatics sessions we are confident that you will have a much happier horse; one that is able to lead a fuller and more pleasurable life.

Tel: 0208 5026552
Mobile: 07801 440729
Email:info@somanticliving.com