Mission/Philosophy

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission statement reflects our promise to all horses in our care. We continually strive to meet these goals on behalf of each horse.

Thou shalt fly without wings and be held in awe

Thou shalt live in your moment and be respected

Thou shalt speak your language and be heard

Thou shalt run free, breathe deeply and thrive in safety

Thou shalt graze in verdant fields and never be hungry

Thou shalt commune with your own kind and never be alone

Thou shalt trust in human touch and be comforted

Thou shalt find relief from your pain, healing in your sickness, and

in your own time release from your distress.

Thou shalt die with dignity in the presence of love and be returned to Mother earth.

Spirit of Equus Rescue is a horse-centered facility, that is, the facility operates from the perspective of the horses’ needs as primary. Decisions are made based on this premise, so the human endeavors of training, riding, etc. are considered secondary. A horse's emotional state, health and readiness for human partnerships are evaluated continuously.

The philosophy of the Director in the care and management of horses can best be summarized as natural and holistic and is continually evolving.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT We try to locate our horses in as natural environment as possible, with open pastures and varied terrain for space to run at a full gallop, graze and play as a herd. No horse is ever isolated from other horses.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Partnership techniques are valued over dominance techniques. The Rescue utilizes a combination of natural horsemanship principles and the prey animal and herd behavior characteristics they are based on and operant conditioning. Each horse is treated as a respected individual and the director builds partnerships with each horse by allowing the horse to teach her how he/she best learns and cooperates with human requests. Building trust and improving communication are core values. We listen to and observe our horses one-on-one and “in herd” to gain understanding of who they are as individuals.

In addition to the psychological aspects of the horse’s well-being, the physical, emotional and spiritual levels are addressed as well. The horses are checked for health issues and groomed daily, observed for their emotional requirements, and we even integrate meditation, music and aromatherapy into our program where appropriate.

A deeply centered, spiritual horse Sierra (see photo above) loves to hold her third eye against her handler's as they breathe deeply together. Exceptional moments like this can happen in this sphere of communication. We are continually striving to go deeper in our relationship with the horse.

FINALLY Creating a serene living space, eliminating sources of stress maximize conditions for self-healing. We emphasize socialization among the horses who interact as a bonded herd for several hours a day, 7 days a week.

We utilize bodywork and hands-on healing techniques along with animal communication to work with our horses' needs.

No bits, stud chains, whips, cross ties, spurs or other "heavy" devices are used at the Rescue. All horses are trained in and ridden in rope halters and light weight saddles. We also believe in matching the horse to the type of work they enjoy and have the physical aptitude to pursue. Not all of our horses are trained under saddle. Some of them make excellent therapy horses for EEL and life coaching groups.