Helping hands: Let nature help heal during ‘Alchemy of Equus,’ Walk with Grief events

In the fall of 2023, a small group of local residents gathered at Buffalo Run Farm in Patton Township. This was “Alchemy of Equus,” an opportunity to deeply explore grief through experiential work with horses.

We came together in a circle outside the gate to the horses’ field. I invited everyone to share about the loss that brought them there. My co-facilitator, Erika Isler, a certified Equus coach, talked about how to interact with the horses and how to keep us all safe.

Erika opened the gate and we walked slowly toward the horses in the back of the field. The moment the horses noticed became abundantly clear. Before we knew it, they quickly surrounded us.

This was something Erika had not seen before. The horses didn’t usually engage that quickly. With Erika’s direction, we each started approaching the horses. We were all very present and engaged. Someone mentioned the belief that horses are messengers from the spiritual realm.

Over the next couple of hours, Erika invited us into interactions with the horses while also asking us how these interactions might mirror something in our lives. Everyone felt a connection. We talked about how grief can affect our way of being with others and how our expectations affect outcomes, to name a few. With this awareness, later interactions with the horses felt even more fulfilling.

We exited the horses’ terrain, sat down again in a circle outside the field, and debriefed about our learnings. The participants felt seen, accepted, affirmed and empowered. Someone said they learned that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.

And then something else happened that Erika had not seen before. When we were done talking, the herd of horses promptly headed out to an adjoining field. The gate to that field was open the whole time we sat there, and the horses waited until we were done talking to leave. That was new. It felt as if the horses knew their work was done. We were all forever changed.

You are invited to join us for another life-changing “Alchemy of Equus” on April 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nature heals. (Space is limited so please contact me directly to register. The fee is $75 per person.)

In addition, you’re invited to another kind of engagement with nature at our “Walk with Grief” series in partnership with Centre Region Parks & Recreation. These walks are held on Tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15 and 22 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at local parks. More information on both of these groups can be found on the Bereavement Gatherings and Events page under Resources on the Koch Funeral Home website.