M.E.E.T. hosted the team and 11 patients from the VA at the Northern Facility. There were 8 sessions over an 8 week period. The participants were given a pre-test and post-test. The VA team reported that “Ten of eleven veterans who came to the first session completed at least 6 of the8 sessions, a high compliance rate for vets with PTSD. Seven patients were rated b the VA as 100% disabled. Seven of nine patients had an improvement in the PTSD symptom scores; a very unusual occurrence in this population with PTSD for a number of years. Generally, social and personal life activities improved in seven, again unusual observations.”

Veterans Comments:

“This is the best therapy for my PTSD that I have ever had.”

“Even though we have been working with the mustangs, I am learning things that will help with relationships with people in my everyday life.”

“I have recovered feelings and understandings about myself as a child with horses that I never thought would happen. This is the best. I wish every veteran could have this opportunity.”

“The horse class helped me overcome a frustrating time I was having…I thank you and all of the horses for helping me see things in a different way. Life is not just about me. …If you want results fast, sometimes you have to go slow. I learned that you can"t push a horse or people to do what you what. Why should a 100-pound horse trust me?...I need to gain his trust by being in control of myself. I cannot be unpredictable. I need to have faith that the horse will want to be with me once I gain his trust through soft love.”

“Slow is fast. Baby steps. Teaching though soft love. People can work together without being mean. You don"t need total control. Learned trust, dealing with stress I life. The horse is a living spirit, teaches a form o bonding with a friend in unconditional brotherhood. Get things done in a gentle way.”

VA Team Comments:

These results are encouraging, given the very stable nature of these measures in this population. There was very high satisfaction with the program. The very positive evaluation of the program and the helpfulness of the group therapy experiences are significant and most encouraging. In the experience of the PTSD Team, this level of satisfaction has not previously occurred with patients. The VA team is very pleased with these preliminary results and is most interested in continuing this program for the VA.

Victim/Offender Mediation Trainings (An Exercise in Non Verbal Communication). Windhorse Relations Southern Utah Facility:

“The horses provide insight into human as well as animal interactions, help us observe our own behavior, and offer a beautiful metaphor about work with victims and offenders. The facilitators have great knowledge and experience to share. The training is also a powerful component to one"s personal inner journey.”

“Many of my clients are non verbal and are highly reactive to touch and to people being “in their space”. I learned “advance-retreat” techniques in the workshop. I was able to apply those principles immediately upon my return to the clinic. I found that I am able to more easily engage “join-up” with the clients who tend to respond aggressively or by running away using what I learned in the workshop. The therapy sessions have become more productive. I also suspect that if our society at large was aware of these principles, we would be a calmer, more peaceful group of people. We would be more able to communicate and cooperate in a non threatening manner.”

Windhorse Relations - Salt Lake Facility:

“The best part of the training was all of the interactive exercises with the horses. They demonstrated the power of sharing respect, and using a flexible approach with others.”

Building Resiliency in Youth:

"This was more than training for me; it was a life changing and growth experience."

“The best class I"ve ever had. I learn best in experiential, hands-on technique and this class more than met my needs and expectation. It will affect my continuing work as a therapist.”

“This course has taught me new skills and given me insight that I will definitely be able to apply to my work and personal life.”

Our Trainings provide strength-based, experiential opportunities for the participants for personal growth in:

Communication
Mustangs are not manipulative, cunning or wily. They are straight forward communicators. Their reactions and actions are directly responsive to one"s body language, expressions, mannerisms, and emotional energy. Horses, as both prey and herd animals, have survived by becoming highly attuned to the intentions of other species. Thus, their actions and reactions act as indicators as they mirror the fabric of one"s inner landscape.

Relationships
Participants are given the opportunity to interact directly with wild mustangs. In most cases an individual horse and an individual participant make a connection and begin the process of developing a one-on-one relationship. This relationship is based on connecting with the heart, non-verbally. One experiences the value of mutual respect, meeting half way, setting boundaries, appreciating others" perspectives, the futility of unrealistic expectations, and cooperating rather than controlling. One learns to evaluate and respond to "what is" rather than manipulating to accomplish a set agenda.

M.E.E.T. is the joyful experience of “hooking-on” and becoming one spirit with the horse. This is achieved without restraint, control, or manipulation. Traversing a maze of obstacles is one way for horse and human partners to demonstrate their connection. At this point in the workshop, it is obvious to the participants that their relationship with the horses transfers directly to their relationships with themselves and others.

Recognizing and Managing Emotions
Wild horses are innately peaceful, prey animals whose lives are simple. Horses, as both prey and herd animals, have survived by becoming highly attuned to the intentions of other species. Heightened blood pressure in an outwardly calm person, for example, signals an inconsistent intention and potential danger. The horse"s flight instinct is triggered. Their primary need is to survive. If given a choice, they will always flee, not fight. Their instinct for self-preservation is based on their ability to sense danger. Inflections and actions that are not congruent with emotions, intentions and affect are seen as dangerous and threatening. The wild horses act as biofeedback indicators of our most subtle intentions. Therefore, their interactions, reactions, and actions mirror the congruence of the human with whom they interact. As a person develops confidence, congruency and trust, the mustang will react accordingly. One experiences the power and impact of what is felt internally and how it is manifested externally. The mustang"s reactions can be valuable indicators of the human"s true inner landscape. By paying attention to the mustang, one is more able to recognize affect and identify and manage emotions. The wild horses act as biofeedback indicators of our most subtle intentions.

Leadership and Empowerment
Horses are herd animals. Members of the herd look to the leader for protection and leadership. In turn, the leader is responsible to keep the herd safe and to make decisions for the welfare of all. When one is established as the leader, the others willingly cooperate and accept directions from the leader. They trust in their guidance and benevolence. The participants are given the opportunity of establishing themselves as the herd leader and can experience the empowerment and responsibility of leadership and the joy of cooperation without manipulation.

Building Resiliency
Many emotional, mental health, addictions, compulsions, and adjustment difficulties can be exacerbated by the lack on one's resilience. Important components of resilience are having the necessary tools to manage emotions, and confidence in one"s ability to cope. M.E.E.T. is designed to build resiliency by “working the edge.” Trainings are formulated to provide participants with situations where they can manage and move through the emotional “edge”. This experience allows the participant to recognize his/her inner strength and to integrate coping strategies experientially. They experience working with "what is" presented rather that what is expected.

M.E.E.T. THE MUSTANGS offers:
Trainings for individuals and groups such as:

Introduction and Partnership Trainings
These trainings focus on creating willing relationships with the American Wild Horse. The marvelous, insightful mustangs will open your heart to an unforgettable experience of kinship. This experience is for individuals and groups interested in learning about:

• Creating a safe environment for communication
• Understanding the mustang"s language
• Changing fear into mutual trust and confidence

M.E.E.T. is the development of a relationship based on trust, willingness, and respect. Fear, terror, stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, and anger are replaced with peace, strength and emotional balance. This transformation occurs within the horse as well as the human.

In our M.E.E.T. programs, participants come to understand the horse"s perspective toward humans. They learn to observe the horse's nonverbal language and respond to a horse within the horse"s space instead of a human space.

Partnerships M.E.E.T. complements traditional therapy modalities with an experiential component. The client can actually practice various treatment plan tasks in a safe, non-judgmental environment. What could be more grounding and supportive than working with and accepting an animal who as four feet on the ground and a big heart in the middle as teacher and partner? Just looking into their eyes is a window to our own souls. M.E.E.T. partners with various counseling organizations, (residential, intensive out-patient, and out-patient) including but not limited to treatment focused on:

• General Mental Health Issues
• Addictions
• Domestic Violence
• Anger Management
• Family Dynamics

Specialized Trainings M.E.E.T."s specialized workshops, seminars and trainings are formulated to meet the needs of specific areas of interest. Some examples of the content of these workshops include exercises that focus on:

• Communication Skills
• Collaboration
• Compromise
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Problem Solving
• Relationships

These workshops are offered to a variety of interest areas such as:

• Continuing Education for Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors
• Staff Development
• Human Resources
• Management
• Graduate Studies
• Restorative Justice
• Corrections/Probation
• Youth at Risk
• Community Education

COME JOIN US AT BRIGHTON MEADOWS OR AT KAYENTA KORRALS AND DISCOVER THE POWER OF KINSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN WILD HORSE.

• Embrace the unbridled spirit of the American Wild Horse.
• Let these unforgettable mustangs guide you, one-on-one, on this special spiritual journey of the heart.
• Ignite your passion with the biggest hearts you’ll ever know.
• Partner with a mustang and experience the balance and harmony of nature.

• Seeing different perspectives
• Appreciating diversity
• Tolerating mistakes
• Listening with the heart

• Responding effortlessly
• Accepting direction
• Loving their jobs

• Actions
• Communication
• Kinship
• Mutual Benefits