Ara Equus Horse Guided Wellness & Psychotherapy

02/23/2026

Happy Birthday Thunder! You are 18 years young today and can still outpace the young ones. Thank you to Kimberly Ann Hale at New Start Standardbreds for entrusting this boy to our care. He has been a great teacher, an excellent partner in our therapy programs at Ara Equus and a solid herd mate to the boys. From the racetrack to a new career start as a guide for those seeking therapy or to improve their mental well-being, you are one amazing horse and we love you to pieces.

01/29/2026

Putting words to what you may be feeling. The body knows.

"You cannot breathe your way out of patriarchy. You cannot cold plunge your way out of structural oppression. You cannot meditate, journal, or yoga your way out of conditions that were designed to dysregulate you.

This is not to say that nervous system regulation tools aren't valuable. They are. I use them. I teach them. I believe in the body's capacity to settle, to find ground, to return to itself.

But when regulation tools are offered as the solution to chronic activation without naming the cause of that activation, they become a form of gaslighting. They locate the problem in your body rather than in the conditions your body is responding to.

The message becomes: if you're still anxious, you haven't tried hard enough. If you're still activated, you haven't found the right technique. If you're still struggling, the failure is yours.

But what if your nervous system isn't broken? What if it's accurate?

What if your chronic activation is a correct response to living in a world where your body has never been fully safe? Where your rights can be legislated away? Where your value has been tied to your appearance, your compliance, your ability to serve? Where violence against women is endemic and normalized. Where the mental load is invisible and unpaid and never ending?

You're not dysregulated because you're doing something wrong. You're dysregulated because your body is reading the environment correctly.

This is the problem with nervous system work that doesn't include political analysis. It pathologizes accurate perception. It tells you to calm down when calm would actually be a form of denial. It trains you to regulate your way into tolerating conditions that should not be tolerated.

What if regulation isn't always the goal?

What if sometimes the goal is testimony?

What if your body's activation is not a problem to be solved but a truth to be witnessed? What if the shaking, the racing heart, the inability to settle is your body saying: this is not okay. This was never okay.

And I refuse to pretend it is.

There's a reason oppressed peoples have always used the body as a site of protest. The body that refuses to be calm is a body that refuses to comply. The body that stays activated is a body that is telling the truth about what it has survived.

I'm not saying don't regulate. I'm saying regulate with your eyes open. Know what you're regulating for. Notice if your regulation practice is helping you show up more fully for your life, or if it's helping you tolerate conditions you'd be better off changing or leaving.

There's a difference between settling your nervous system so you can be present and settling your nervous system so you can continue to be extracted from.

One is healing. The other is sophisticated dissociation.

Your body knows things. It knows what's safe and what isn't. It knows what's sustainable and what's depleting. It knows when you're in the wrong relationship, the wrong job, the wrong room.

The question is not how do I make my body stop reacting. The question is what is my body trying to tell me that I haven't been willing to hear.

Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is not calm down. Sometimes the most radical thing is to let your body speak. To let it be a witness. To refuse to regulate yourself into compliance with conditions that are slowly killing you.

Although you cannot breathe your way out of patriarchy, you can listen to the body that has been registering its impact all along."
—Ailey Jolie

Artwork by instagram.com/haisoohaisoohaisoo

01/19/2026

BLUE MONDAY
“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” AG

If you are feeling ‘down in the dumps’ today, know that you are not alone. With the holidays behind us, we are left in its wake with January’s dark, cold, endless days of never-ending snow removal that is getting hard to keep up with. It was fun at first but now exhausting. For some people, this time of year can put them in a real slump.
“Blue Monday,” the third Monday of January, has gained notoriety as the “most depressing day of the year” and it may be connected to rises in mental health referrals. It is thought to be related to variables like post-holiday debt, long days, failed resolutions, and general low motivation that bring on feelings of disappointment, stress, and seasonal sadness.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than the winter blues.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at certain times of the year, mostly in winter. Symptoms of SAD can include low energy, oversleeping, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, irritability, or sadness. For many, the lack of sunlight and shorter days disrupt circadian rhythms and reduce serotonin levels, leading to these feelings. Research from CAMH shows that around 60% of people in Canada experience “the winter blues,” with some developing more severe SAD.
It’s important to note that experiencing the winter blues doesn’t mean there’s something “wrong” with you or that you have clinical SAD. Feeling lower energy or less motivation during this season is a normal response to the changes in light and temperature. In fact, this experience aligns with the natural rhythm of winter, a time when nature slows down, rests, and prepares for renewal. Just as trees shed their leaves and animals hibernate, humans often feel a pull to conserve energy and turn inward during winter.

Distinguishing SAD from Winter Blues
Winter blues are typically mild and temporary, while SAD symptoms last for weeks or months and can significantly interfere with daily life.
While it’s common to feel a bit down or less motivated during the winter months, SAD can make it challenging to maintain regular tasks, healthy relationships, fun activities, or even get out of bed.
SAD often recurs seasonally, beginning in the fall and continuing through the winter, usually subsiding in the spring or summer. Winter blues are often linked to specific events or stressors and resolve within a relatively short period of time.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of SAD, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and there is support available. SAD can affect up to 2-3% of Canadians, with symptoms starting in the fall and continuing into winter.

Take care of yourself during this season
While Blue Monday is a symbolic day, it reminds us to prioritize mental health during the winter months. Here are some practical ways to care for yourself:
Let in the light: Spend some time outside in the sunlight or open your curtains and let it in.
Move your body: Even gentle movement or exercise reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, while increasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
Stay connected: Social connection is a powerful antidote to feelings of isolation.
Practice self-compassion: Allow yourself to feel your emotions without judgment.
Seek professional support: If feelings of sadness or hopelessness persist, reach out to a mental health professional for guidance and support.
It’s okay to take it at your own pace: The slower, quieter energy of winter can help you feel more aligned with the season. Use this time to reflect, rest, and nurture yourself as you prepare for brighter days ahead.

How Ara Equus Horse Guided Wellness & Psychotherapy® can help
We understand the challenges this time of year can bring and are here to provide compassionate, trauma-competent mental health support to individuals in distress. Whether it’s through in-person connections with the horses or virtual support, we help you navigate difficult moments by offering a safe space to explore your feelings, develop new insights and tackle mental health challenges.

If you or someone you know could benefit from our programs, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to walk alongside you through the darker days and beyond.
You are not alone.

Blue Monday may highlight the challenges of winter, but it’s also an opportunity to shine a light on mental health and the importance of seeking help when needed. Whether you’re feeling weighed down by the season, struggling with SAD, or simply navigating the pressures of the new year, remember that professional support is available, and brighter days are ahead.

01/12/2026

Discover the power of connection and co-regulation. Experience unique ways to heal from trauma, or any mental health challenge, in relationship with horses.

People don't want to be rescued, they want to be witnessed, to be seen, heard, felt and understood. A horse does not heal you. A horse holds space for you to regulate your nervous system, safely process and move through trauma without retraumatization, and rebuild a meaningful sense of self.

When we’re in a ventral vagal state (the most regulated and socially connected state of our nervous system), our body and mind are in harmony and can communicate with each other more effectively. This is where healing begins.

We are currently accepting new clients. Our services may be covered by your health insurance plans. Please feel free to reach out.

12/18/2025

Not sure what to give that someone special? How about the gift of mental health? Gift certificates available.

12/11/2025

Did you know there are 3 types of Burnout?
1. Overload Burnout: Toxic productivity leads you to believe that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get to everything on your To Do List. It is a relentless push to overachieve.
2. Underchallenged Burnout: Feeling stuck? Disengaged? Unfulfilled? This is when nothing you do seems to fill your cup.
3. Neglect Burnout: This is when you feel unsupported or undervalued and no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to be noticed.
Imagine what it would be like to reclaim your time and energy and lead a life that is more fulfilling. Learning to recognize negative emotional patterns, reflect on your perspective regarding achievement and create habits that are in alignment with your values can lead to reaching goals that are meaningful to you.

12/06/2025

Pop Psychology by unqualified practitioners is dangerous. "Let Them" is a myth that fuels the trauma cycle. At Ara Equus we help you find your voice in a way that honours the truth of your experience while preserving your integrity.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1357533189106110&extid=MSG-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&ref=sharing

12/04/2025

Breaking the silence and the stigma around mental health in farming!
To all our fellow farmers out there:
We see you.
We get you.
We hear you.
We feel you.
You matter. Life is messy. The daily grind of caring for your livestock in all sorts of unpredictable weather, tending to equipment costs and breakdowns, worrying about crop sustainability and unstable markets, taking care of your land as climates shift...
This life we love is also hard.
We are farmers too, sharing a real understanding of the toll of tirelessly taking care of so many things with little time or energy left to take care of ourselves.
But what about you?
Are you ready to make your mental health and well-being a priority?
At Ara Equus, social justice, trauma healing, and mental health are integral to resilience in agriculture.
Together, using a trauma-informed, agriculture-conscious approach grounded in neuroscience, consent, choice, voice, connection, co-regulation, truth, trust, empowerment, compassion, and anti-genderism we help you expand your window of tolerance and find your way through the storms. Gift yourself or a family member a therapy session, with or without the horses, virtual or in-person this holiday season. You are worth it!

12/04/2025

We offer rural mental health support because we understand just how vital rural and agricultural wellness is in our community. You are not alone and you do not need to suffer in silence. Call about in-person or virtual sessions, or to inquire about Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. You matter!

11/22/2025

We have only one rule on the farm and during sessions and that is that we create, cultivate and protect safety. The moment threat is present we stop and address it.

10/12/2025

In today's era, families are spread out. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins came together for a festive meal. It’s what gives many a sense of family that runs deep in their hearts. Hard choices have to be made for where to spend holidays and quite often people feel they do not have a choice.
Few people, for example, feel good about not having their parents, children, or siblings around. Yet, it is also common to dread going home for the holidays or not being able to say no and set boundaries. For some it can be a time where trauma is reenacted, where chaos lurks in unspoken words around the table or in words drowned by celebratory liquids that can shift moods and states. Our bodies may harden and contract in survival mode or soften and rest into social engagement and harmony.
Regardless of the situation, emotions are inevitably triggered this time of year because of the complex ties we have with family. Family gatherings can trigger emotions or sensations related to due to past abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, or the pressure of high expectations. For many who have no family, it can be further traumatizing and bring up feelings of abandonment or sense of not belonging.
Neuroception, the subconscious process of the nervous system assessing safety and danger, and Thanksgiving often intersect creating symptoms of anxiety and a state of ‘fight or flight.’
Gratitude, and the calming presence of horses, can help lower stress hormones like cortisol, which in turn can improve digestion and promote feelings of safety and social connection. This can in turn help you as you anticipate a potentially overwhelming or retraumatizing holiday. Horses are wonderful teachers. They help you set boundaries, find your voice, manage expectations and find calm in the chaos.
The body is the archive of our history. By partnering with horses, we can access things we already have in our physiology and tend to the feelings and sensations in our bodies in ways that make us feel safe. Our bodies validate our experiences, as do horses, when we listen to them and trust the insights they impart when we share time with the herd. This thanksgiving, honor yourself and thank your body for its truths. Our horses here at Ara Equus are ready to take you on the next step towards healing.

09/18/2025

Oh Gus, from the moment I met you, something inside me shifted. Knowing that you had been a stallion for 7 years, gelded only 2 short years later, and had very little handling I had serious reservations about bringing you home. With very little exposure to horses, I was as green as they come. And yet, your presence was undeniable. I remember thinking that you were lovely, but just not for me. That was perhaps my way of negotiating with myself. Thank God Susan was there. She saw something very different in that incredible and immediate connection between us. What in the world was I thinking? You were so big, so wild, so powerful and yet the look in your eyes was so soft. There was something about you that could only have been inspired by my big, bold, beloved parrot Bentley, who passed several years earlier. His spirit is embodied within your essence. You were mesmerizing and I wanted to know you. I decided to allow my heart to lead me and here we are 4 years later. You are my most trusted animal companion and I have learned so much about you and myself over that time. I carry you with me everywhere I go as the steady presence in a hustling world. To say I love you doesn’t come close to describing what it has been like to walk along side you. Your softness comforts me; your strength emboldens me. You helped me break down all my defences and rebuild parts of myself that feel grounded and genuine. Every day with you is a gift. I promise to never stop listening to your quiet promptings because it is in that realm where I am in touch with very essence of truth and wisdom.