The following article originally appeared in Essential Wellness.

By Lynn Baskfield and Ann Romberg

Maybe you plunged into panic and fear in these times of layoffs and pay cuts. Maybe you've adopted a different perspective: now is an opportunity to go deep within and rediscover what you love to do. You've decided that now is a time to reinvent yourself. A few folks are reinventing themselves with the assistance of horses.

For horses, knowing what is going on around them is a matter of life and death. An unfamiliar noise or a sudden movement puts a horse on the alert that something is amiss. Horses are so highly sensitive to inconsistencies in their environment that a passing mountain lion with a full belly stirs no unease. A hungry lion causes alarm.

Horses create an especially valuable mirror to humans (masterful as we are about thinking one thing and feeling another) who are looking to get clear about what has meaning for them and then act on it in way that is congruent with their truth.  

Horses look for clarity. You may be able to fool yourself, but you can't fool a horse. 

Through facilitated activities such as spending time with the herd in the pasture or leading a horse, you will find new ways to approach tough times and stressful situations. Horses respond when you tell the truth about what your soul longs for. You gain the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.

      So what can a horse teach you about reinventing yourself in this time of change and uncertainty?

1.     Horses don't feed on worry and fear. They trust their instincts to deal with danger when it comes. Meanwhile, they respond to life as it is. A fence is there, so they won't go beyond it. There's a lot of grass so they eat it now. That's all. What are you adding that isn't there? Where do you feed on worry and fear? Where do you deplete yourself by adding drama?

2.     Horses react as a team to danger. Faced with real danger, a herd will mobilize quickly and move to safer ground as a unit. Each member has a role, even if it is to follow. Who is your herd right now? What is your role in your circle of friends and family? Are you leader of a new conversation for what's possible or do you contribute to a victim mentality?

3.     In tough times, horses adapt. Their senses heighten to find what food is there. They may roam farther in the wild and seek new grazing land. Bands may change in size. In winter, they dig under the snow. What radical thing might you consider, even if just to see what options might emerge from the looking?

4.     Horses teach us to ground ourselves and live in our bodies. One client's dream was to take groups to Mt. Kilimanjaro.   When she came into the arena the horse coach, Hawk, was extremely agitated, reflecting how the client's mind and emotions were abuzz with why she couldn't do it.    Hawk ran loose in the arena while Lynn led the client in a meditation that involved breathing into each part of her body. By the time the client reached her ankles, Hawk settled down and stood quietly by her side.   Where do you become ungrounded?   How can you listen to your body even when you are abuzz?

5.     Horses respond to us just as we are. They see the good in us. They are forgiving and generous. One client went out into the herd, thinking that since horses mirror us so accurately, maybe they would run away from him. Instead, one horse followed him freely all over the pasture, showing him that he indeed was worthy. His new self-understanding helped him develop more effective relationships with clients and grow his business. If you were worthy, what bold step would you take right now?

"Horses help people find what they really want to do and then do it," says Romberg. "No matter how much or how little experience you have with horses," says Baskfield, "everyone is on a level playing field with the horses." And from a client: "It doesn't matter to the horse how much money you make or what your status is. It only matters that you are willing to see yourself as you are and take responsibility for your life."

Twin Cities-based Wisdom Horse® Coaching www.wisdomhorsecoaching.com facilitates the process at facilities around the Twin Cities and nation.  Owners Ann Romberg and Lynn Baskfield are both certified life coaches and long-time leaders in the Equine Guided Education field.  Their programs are grounded in connecting people and organizations to creativity and soul.  All exercises are done on the ground.

To rediscover what you love to do:  Contact Lynn Baskfield, 612-823-7022, or Ann Romberg, 651-766-8920 info@wisdomhorsecoaching.com