Of Equines and Humans: Toward a New Ecology
Abstract
Since the domestication of the horse ∼6000 years ago, the equine–human relationship has played a crucial role in the evolution of humankind. Horses enabled the conquering of new worlds and civilizations, forging an intimate interspecies relationship that is complex and difficult to articulate. No longer used primarily as companions in battle and beasts of burden, horses are today predominantly visible in the Western world of competitive sports and pleasure riding. New fields have also opened up in the past two decades, where horses are being utilized as friends, teachers, and therapists—namely, therapeutic riding and equine-facilitated psychotherapy/learning. This article explores two dimensions of equine-facilitated learning: (1) ways in which horses communicate, and how the human perceives this phenomenon, and (2) ways in which horses help humans construct systems of shared meanings (i.e., community). Both of these dimensions may have important implications for understanding how horse–human encounters can promote emotional well-being and ecological awareness. Further, the study contextualizes this exploration by drawing connections to Gregory Bateson's thought on esthetics, grace, and ecosystemic health.
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Published In

Ecopsychology
Volume 2 • Issue Number 2 • June 2010
Pages: 85 - 89
Copyright
Copyright 2010, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
History
Published online: 27 September 2010
Published in print: June 2010
Accepted: 30 April 2010
Received: 15 September 2009
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No competing financial interests exist.
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