HERD it Here News
January - May 2023
Here are some reflections from Rhonda Fritzshall, our Co-Founder and Executive Director.
On our journey, we have learned that every connection has a season, a reason, or a lifetime. This propels us forward and challenges us to grow personally and professionally.
Horses are sentient beings, our partners in this journey. They are the catalyst that pushes us to be the best of who we are and to be present in all our relationships. Watching humans transform their lives by connecting with our herd has been life-changing for us. What surprised us most was that through helping others through the lens of equine-assisted learning we have experienced deeper connections and personal growth alongside our ever-growing HERD family.
HERD has seen many changes and much growth in its first four years. Currently, we offer four weekly learning tracks to Veterans. As we did in our humble beginnings, we continue to offer Freedom Patch 1 (FP1), an eight-week group for veterans learning horsemanship skills while growing their sense of connection and belonging. This is followed by Freedom Patch 2 (FP2), an eight-week group for graduates of FP1 where our veterans continue to practice learned skills in combination with learning new skills. We continue to offer Fall-in-Fridays, an ongoing group open to graduates of FP1 and FP2. This group fosters ongoing skills-building, fun, and connection. Finally, we have recently added Domiciliary HERD, a five-week group offered to participants in the DOM VA program. This group provides support, connection, and belonging to veterans experiencing homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse.
Going forward into our fifth year, the Board of Directors, along with program staff, has created a three-year strategic plan to carry us successfully forward. Early this year together, we determined our core values to be Integrity, Compassion, Honor, and Empowerment. Every decision we make on behalf of HERD is tested against these values. We are grateful to all that have joined us on our journey and want to thank you for being a part of the HERD.
This year we proudly prepare to celebrate our fifth-year anniversary. Like all good celebrations, there will be special events to mark this milestone year. We invite you to stay connected at the farm and through Facebook and our web page www.herdfoundation.org, to see what’s happening throughout the year.
Congratulations are in Order!
Congratulations to Facilitator Stephanie Kukich and Board Member Margaret Angarola on completing the Natural Lifemanship course. Natural Lifemanship is an approach to equine-assisted services based on the science of relationships.
When asked why she took the Natural Lifemanship (NL) course and what she gained from it, Margaret replied, “I initially decided to take the Natural Lifemanship Fundamentals Training course to understand the programs of the Herd Foundation better… I quickly realized NL provided so much more knowledge and insight than I ever expected. It gave me a deep-level perspective and understanding of the connection and relationship in horses and humans and, for me, all things in nature. The principles are relevant to every facet of life and resonate with my personal values and beliefs.”
Stephanie had a similar response saying, "I completed the Natural Lifemanship Fundamentals training shortly after I began working with the HERD Foundation because I was seeking a deeper understanding of how the horse-human relationship promotes healing and growth. During the training, I soon learned that Natural Lifemanship is more than just a therapeutic model— it is a way of thinking about life and relationships. Natural Lifemanship teaches a set of universal principles and science-based practices which promote the formation of deep, meaningful, connected relationships with self, others, and our horse partners. What I learned through the Natural Lifemanship Fundamentals training has not only transformed the way I approach working with our clients but has also permeated all aspects of my life, both personally and professionally."
Of Horse and Human Heart: How we Connect
-Tiffany Vanhille
At rest a horse's heart rate averages to be around 32-40 beats per minute, much slower than that of even a well-trained human athlete which may read as low as 40 beats per minute. The resting heartbeat of the average adult ranges between 60 to 100 beats per minute. The lower the heart rate the more efficient the heart function and cardiovascular health. Horses are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants, and because of this they generally tend to have excellent heart health. (Something for humans to consider when thinking about their own diets and heart health.) It is incredibly rare for a horse to suffer from a heart attack. Just spending time with horses can lead us to better heart health. Research shows that spending time with horses can lead to increases in beta-endorphins which can help lower blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels. An increase in beta-endorphins also has secondary effects like helping to increase feelings of confidence, patience, and self-assuredness.
Horses have a coherent heart pattern that is made up of a system that can adapt to and recover from stressful situations efficiently. Whether domesticated or in the wild, horses can synchronize their heartbeats with other horses to detect possible dangers. If we are connected and in sync with our horse we can become a part of that detection, feeling when a horse alerts to something in its surroundings. Additionally, studies show a human's heart rate variation (HRV) will sync to a horse’s HRV after 10-20 minutes of being with each other. A horse's heart rate can mirror human emotions when close together, leading both the human and horse feel more relaxed, calm, and joyful.
A horse’s heart is about 1% of its body weight and on average weighs about 8-10 pounds. A horse's heart is approximately 5 times larger than a human heart. Visualize the size of a football compared to a fist. An exception to this would be the great Secretariat’s heart which weighed 18 pounds, almost 2% of his body weight. Some contribute his athleticism to the size of his heart.
An energy force surrounding a horse is often talked about as well as the over-all heightened sensitivity. A horse’s heart has an electromagnetic field that extends up to ten yards. A human’s electromagnetic field only extends two yards. Additionally, a horse can hear the human heart from four feet away. A horse’s heart can detect a human heart long before we can detect theirs. This is how a horse initially assess our emotions and possibly our intentions at any given moment. A horse's heart has an electromagnetic field that extends up to ten yards. A human’s electromagnetic field only extends two yards. We often talk about entering another’s space or “bubble of energy.” At twelve yards away a human’s bubble and a horse’s bubble begin to merge. At this point the horse is assessing your intent, whether you are friend or foe, and whether they take flight or flight.