Robertson provides both equine counselling and corporate team building through her Taranaki-based business Hōiho Whakaora Tāngata. She works with three horses: a small pony, another larger one and a bigger, heavier animal she says is a gentle giant.
Since they are powerful beasts, horses can be daunting for those not used to handling them. But sometimes that sense of fear can be a helpful part of the therapy. “Obviously I’m not going to put clients in a situation that’s dangerous, but we can work with what the fear is about,” says Robertson.
Generally, an initial therapy session will involve a client spending 10 to 15 minutes introducing themselves to the animals. “The horses are in an arena and free to move as they like – they’re not wearing halters or tied up. If a client has a particular issue in mind, I ask them to take it in with them.”
Sessions tend to vary. A client might simply be with the horses, they might brush one or be asked to navigate an obstacle course with them. Some connect with a particular horse. Others worry the animals don’t like them. “Horses have complex herd dynamics and a sensitivity to body language. They give immediate feedback.”
In the course of working with a range of issues – anything from grief or anger to a history of abuse – Robertson has seen how the horses will do different things with different people. Often she is the observer and it is up to the clients to identify how an animal’s reaction to them could be a metaphor for something going on in their life.
“One woman I worked with had experienced the tragic suicide of her son some years earlier. She spent time with a particular horse and it kept leaning its head into her chest. The horse didn’t normally behave like that. I asked her why she thought it was doing it, but she didn’t know.”
