Equine-Assisted Grief Curriculum: Moving Forward with Horses

This Equine-Assisted Grief curriculum, titled Moving On: A Grief and Loss Equine-Assisted Series, offers an innovative approach to supporting clients experiencing grief and life transitions. By combining structured activities with the powerful presence of horses, the curriculum creates a safe, reflective space for clients to process their loss, explore their emotions, and take meaningful steps forward. Ideal for equine-assisted coaches and facilitators, this series is designed to help clients gather strength, release guilt, and find new pathways through their grief.

Core Themes and Objectives

The curriculum is thoughtfully organized to address the unique challenges faced by those grieving, including feelings of guilt, difficulty moving forward, and the struggle to balance personal healing with caring for others. Horses serve as empathetic, non-judgmental companions, allowing clients to connect with their emotions and discover new ways of coping and thriving. The program’s primary goals are to support clients in:

• Embracing their grief while taking steps toward healing
• Exploring their story and experiences of loss with compassion
• Creating safe spaces within themselves to process emotions
• Learning how to move forward with renewed purpose and resilience

Program Structure and Activities

The curriculum is structured into sessions that incorporate the horses as partners in healing. Each session includes guided activities, reflective exercises, and opportunities for clients to connect deeply with both their emotions and the horses. Here is an overview of some key sessions in this program:

1. Tell a Story Through the Horses
   This opening session invites clients to share their personal story of loss with the horses, providing a powerful outlet for expression. Coaches can guide clients through this storytelling exercise, optionally using a rescue horse’s journey as an inspiring parallel. Clients are encouraged to journal and reflect, drawing insights from the horse's presence.

2. Creating Safe Spaces
   Clients build three distinct spaces within the arena—representing the past, present, and future. Guided by their reflections and the horses’ responses, clients are encouraged to explore each space with honesty and compassion. Through this exercise, clients can observe how their feelings shift, identify which “space” they currently inhabit, and envision the path to moving forward.

3. First Step Forward with Horses at Liberty
   This session empowers clients to visualize the act of moving forward by working with horses at liberty. Clients engage with the horses using body language, recognizing how even subtle movements signify forward motion. This activity is a metaphor for life’s progress, helping clients acknowledge the inevitability of change and the importance of resilience.

4. Wheel of Healing
   In this reflective session, clients assess various aspects of their lives affected by grief. The “Wheel of Healing” helps them identify areas that may need more attention, including relationships, health, career, spirituality, and self-care. Through this exercise, clients can set goals for their healing journey, with the horses offering grounding support as they move forward.

5. Tribute Activity
   As a meaningful close to the program, clients are invited to create a tribute to their lost loved one. This can be done by painting on a horse (using safe, washable paint), building a rock cairn, or creating an art project symbolizing their tribute. Clients release their emotions in a cathartic way, marking a powerful step toward closure and healing.

Unique Features and Tools

The curriculum also includes a set of Equine Assisted Grief Cards that serve as prompts for deeper reflection during sessions. These cards feature thought-provoking questions, each designed to spark conversation and introspection. Examples include, “What makes you feel most loved?” and “Who are you connected to, like a horse with its herd?” Coaches can incorporate these cards into grooming or journaling activities, or use them along a Grief Trail Course for a transformative experience.

Why This Curriculum Works

This program leverages the gentle, mirroring nature of horses, which allows clients to feel truly seen and understood. Horses reflect clients’ emotions back to them, enabling powerful insights and shifts in perspective. By working alongside horses, clients gain tools for processing their grief in a supportive, non-verbal environment, where they can explore their feelings without judgment.

Who Can Benefit from This Program?

Moving On: A Grief and Loss Equine-Assisted Series is beneficial for individuals facing a range of losses, from the death of a loved one to significant life changes such as illness, divorce, or career transitions. Each activity is crafted with sensitivity to the client’s unique grief journey, providing a compassionate framework for healing and growth.

This curriculum offers equine-assisted coaches a powerful resource for guiding clients through grief, utilizing the wisdom and grounding influence of horses. With Moving On, clients can move beyond the pain of loss and find strength, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose.