As soon as I approach, she can sense my mood, regardless of the façade I’ve shown the rest of the world. She can feel any tension I’m holding in my body, even if I’m unaware of it. And without me uttering a single word, she hears me loud and clear. She isn’t my counselor, my life coach, my physical therapist or my bestie — at least not in the traditional sense. She’s Ethel, my 17-year-old Warmblood mare.
With 2026 being the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse (the first time in 60 years), equine infatuation is at an all-time high. Brands, artists, influencers and astrologers are getting in on the horse action, drawn toward a phase focused on freedom, momentum, courage and grace. These are all characteristics we have long associated with these magnificent creatures, which have mesmerized humans since our earliest interactions.
Photography by Shelley Paulson Photography
Our forebears were no doubt captivated by these animals’ capabilities and their implausible willingness to partner with us — providing their literal horsepower to accelerate human innovation, exploration and agriculture. Beyond those abilities, though, our ancestors also intuited what we now know to be fact: Horses heal us.
Studies show they support our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being in measurable ways. Simply spending time with horses can regulate the nervous system; ease anxiety and depression; boost self-esteem, focus and emotion regulation; and increase feelings of mindfulness, gratitude and social connection. Riding, of course, also has physical perks, like improved fitness, balance and coordination.
I have found all this to be true in my own equestrian experiences — and yet, so much of the way that horses have positively influenced my life is hard to quantify. The impact is both immediate and cumulative.
“In my own life, horses have taught me emotional control, patience, resilience, humility and self-awareness,” says Pernilla Nathan, PsyD, who specializes in sports psychology. “They have taught me how to handle fear, how to recover from mistakes, how to build trust and how to stay present.” In her work with equestrians, elite athletes, executives and entrepreneurs, she offers performance psychology coaching informed by neuropsych science.
Much of that hard-earned wisdom is a happy byproduct of horses’ strong survival instincts as massive prey animals that assess any given situation to determine if they should flee from danger. That’s why they can see right through us.
“Horses don’t care who you are, what your job is, how much money you make or what you look like,” explains Nathan. “They respond to your energy, clarity, body language, confidence and fear. When you’re around horses long enough, you realize that the more honest and authentic you are, the better things go. When you walk in your truth, horses respond to that.”
Photography provided by Paws Up Montana
Patricia E. Kelly has witnessed that transformation in herself and others. A lifelong equestrian and military veteran, she founded Ebony Horsewomen in 1984 to give urban youth and families greater access to the healing power of horses. The nonprofit’s Hartford, Connecticut–based center serves as a safe haven, offering camps, riding lessons, therapeutic services and professional development courses for kids, teens and adults. For her trailblazing work, she has been honored as a CNN Top 10 Hero and inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
“I’ve seen young women who came to us shy, withdrawn or burdened by trauma discover courage and confidence because a horse trusted them,” she says. “One teen who struggled with anxiety and school attendance learned to read her horse’s body language and respond with calm authority. She began to carry that same confidence into her daily life, standing taller in the classroom, speaking up for herself and setting goals she once thought impossible.”
For the underrepresented communities that Ebony Horsewomen serves, horses also offer a means of cultural reconnection. “For many of our African American participants, there’s a cultural reclamation — seeing themselves in a tradition where Black cowboys, Black women riders and African heritage in horsemanship are often erased from mainstream narratives,” Kelly notes. “That recognition can be profoundly empowering.”
But you needn’t be a seasoned equestrian to experience the magic. Horse-curious travelers can give it a try at properties like Miraval Arizona Resort and Spa. Located outside of Tucson, the posh property has garnered national acclaim for its horse programming, originally envisioned more than 30 years ago by horse whisperer Wyatt Webb (who earned even Oprah’s stamp of approval).
Today, Equine Manager Lucinda Vette oversees tailored equine experiences — think grooming sessions, arena work and even equine-assisted meditation — at the resort’s Purple Sage Ranch. “Horses are in constant conversation with the body and with energy — two things most of us have learned to tune out,” says the longtime horsewoman and former attorney. “You can’t be fully in your head and fully with a horse at the same time. They pull you back into what’s actually happening. And that turns out to be where the healing is.”
Photography by Shelley Paulson Photography
Among those studying the benefits of equine interactions is Nina Ekholm Fry, director of equine programs at the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection. She believes horses offer an increasingly rare opportunity to appreciate the interconnectedness between humans, other animals and the environment. “What we can learn from horses centers on finding our place of belonging in the larger biosystem of the planet, how to live with and compromise with the needs of others, how to share power, and how to appreciate the natural diversity within each species — including our own,” she says.
Even beyond the research of scholars like her, horse girls like me understand in our bones the healing nature of our equestrian lifestyle. In an era when we’re increasingly pulled away from the real world around us, these mystical creatures bring us back down to earth time and again. And in those quiet moments spent at the barn with Ethel, there’s no place I’d rather be.
