Pride Month with Pride Activity

Holding Space with Horses: Supporting LGBTQ+ Clients in Equine-Assisted Coaching

June is Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, honoring the fight for equality, and amplifying voices that have too often been silenced. As equine-assisted practitioners, our role is not to debate or define someone’s identity; it’s to create a safe, respectful, and healing environment where every client can show up fully as themselves.

That can be hard sometimes. Not because we don’t care, but because we may not fully understand. We may not share the same experiences or beliefs. And yet, this is the work: to hold space, not hold judgment.

Preparing Ourselves to Hold Space

Before we even begin this kind of work, it’s important that we, as coaches and facilitators, take a moment to ground ourselves.

This kind of identity-centered or vulnerable work can stir deep emotions, not just for LGBTQ+ clients, but for anyone navigating trauma, shame, grief, or rejection. It’s our role not to control that experience, but to create safety around it.

Before starting any session:

Take a few deep breaths and check in with your own nervous system.
Remind yourself that this session is not about your beliefs; it’s about your client’s experience.
Release the need to fix, explain, or resolve anything.
Ask yourself: Can I simply hold space and witness today, without judgment or agenda?

Coaching isn't about giving answers, it's about creating space for truth to emerge.

Holding Space Across Belief Systems

We know that for many of our readers and practitioners, faith is a central part of their life and their calling to serve others. We honor that.

We also know that moments like Pride Month can stir up internal questions about how to support others without compromising what you believe.

Here’s the truth we’ve found:

You don’t have to abandon your faith to coach with compassion.
You don’t have to agree with someone’s choices to offer them safety and dignity.
You don’t even have to understand them fully, because coaching isn’t about agreement. It’s about presence.

You can coach from your values —love, acceptance, truth, and peace —while still meeting people where they are.
You can stand on your faith and still stand beside someone in their pain or self-discovery.

And if you ever find yourself uncomfortable, that’s okay too. That’s part of the growth. Just keep choosing curiosity over judgment. Love over fear and relationship over righteousness.

We believe that’s how true transformation happens.

If Trauma Enters the Arena

In any coaching session, regardless of the client’s background, goals, or presenting issue, trauma may quietly enter the space.

Trauma responses don’t always look like emotional outbursts or dramatic behavior. They’re often quiet, subtle shifts in the body:

A client disconnects mid-sentence
Their breath shortens or becomes shallow
They go completely still or can’t seem to sit still
Their eyes glaze, dart, or drop
Their body collapses or tightens suddenly

These are all nervous system responses, automatic, protective reactions. When the body senses a threat (even if no real danger is present), it may respond with fight, flight, freeze, or fawn behaviors.

As equine-assisted practitioners, we must be attuned not only to the horse but also to the subtle cues in our clients’ bodies. Trauma doesn't always need to be discussed or named, but it does need to be honored.

Understanding the Nervous System in Coaching

At WISE Academy, we teach a simple, visual framework called the Floor–Window–Ceiling Model, inspired by Dr. Dan Siegel’s Window of Tolerance, a foundational concept in trauma-informed care.

When clients are in their window, they are grounded, calm, and emotionally regulated — able to think clearly, process emotions, and engage meaningfully.
When they dip below the floor, they may shut down, dissociate, or emotionally collapse (a freeze state).
When they rise above the ceiling, they may become agitated, anxious, hypervigilant, or overwhelmed (a fight-or-flight state).

Our job isn’t to force them back into the window — it’s to offer safety and presence until they naturally return.

This is where horses shine.
They often sense shifts in the nervous system before we do.
They mirror emotional states without judgment.
They invite co-regulation just by being fully present.

And so can we.

As facilitators, our own grounded nervous system becomes a steadying influence for clients. When we stay calm and attuned, we model safety and regulation — no words required.

If You Notice a Trauma Response

Slow the pace. You can pause or stop the activity.
Invite regulation. Suggest a walk, a grounding breath, or a gentle connection with the horse.
Stay grounded. Your calm, steady presence gives their body permission to settle.

You don’t need to interpret or intervene.
You just need to witness.
Let the horse and the nervous system lead the way back to safety.

The original Window of Tolerance model was developed by Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and founder of the Mindsight Institute.

A Tool to Deepen Reflection and Connection

During Pride Month and any time of year, it’s important to have tools on hand that help clients explore who they are, what they stand for, and how they wish to show up in the world.

The “Hello, My Name Is…” activity is one such tool.

It’s a simple yet profound exercise that invites clients to reflect on values such as resilience, visibility, love, advocacy, and empowerment, and to connect those values to both their identity and the presence of the horse.

Whether you're working with individuals, small groups, or mixed-identity populations, this activity provides:

A structured but open-ended space for self-exploration
A chance to support clients in naming and owning parts of themselves they may have hidden
An opportunity to foster empathy, inclusion, and shared humanity among participants
A gentle entry point into deeper conversations without pressure or expectation

It also enriches your program offering by showing that you are both trauma-informed and identity-aware, ready to support clients with compassion, even if their lived experiences differ from your own.

You don’t have to fully understand someone’s identity to create a safe space for them. You just need to offer tools that reflect back their worth, and let the horse help carry the message.

You can download the activity here → https://drive.google.com/file/d/190dOCv-MaI-bmkBHmTm4CSO379R...

Final Thoughts

Pride Month isn’t just a celebration, it’s a reminder.
A reminder that everyone is navigating an internal journey you may not see.
A reminder that your barn can be a sanctuary for those who feel out of place in the world.
A reminder that coaching with horses isn’t about changing people, it’s about helping them come home to themselves.

And you don’t have to have all the answers to do that well.

Want more tools like this?
Explore our full library of equine-assisted activities, trauma-informed courses, and wellness-based coaching tools, including our Floor–Window–Ceiling Model, inside the WISE Academy All Access Pass.

Here’s to coaching with compassion, this month and always.