RESEARCH/THE SPACE-HOLDING PERSON
The space-holding person.
Someone is there with you during the whole experience. Their role is to hold the space: for you, for the horses, and for what happens between you.
A space-holding person…
- Listens. You can speak openly, in your own words.
- Gives you emotional safety. You can cry, feel angry, be confused or vulnerable, and that is welcome.
- Accompanies you through difficult experiences, without judging, rushing or pressuring you to change, and without giving solutions.
- Respects your pace. You have room to feel and understand in your own time.
- Stays present, also when emotions are uncomfortable.
- Lets you be yourself. You can show what you feel.
At the moment, this is Marzena. It can also be other people, depending on the experience. Some need more than one facilitator: when walking with the horses or grazing with them, a second person is there too.
They walk beside you, not ahead of you.
They cannot promise that a place with horses is safe. Before the experience, they warn you about the dangers and tell you what to pay attention to. They only guide you out when they see it is absolutely necessary. You are responsible for following the safety advice.
During the session they speak as little as possible, only what is necessary: to warn you, or when something very special is happening. They observe both: you and the horses. Sometimes they may write something down, or take a photo or a video, if you agreed to this before the experience. In some experiences, like grazing with the horses, the participants may talk with each other; the space-holding person still says only what is needed.
The facilitators
Marzena is the first of them. She holds the space in her own way, the way described on this page.
- Nobody tells you how to experience a horse.
- Nobody tells you what your experience means.
- The experience is yours.
