The powerful connection that occurs when a friendship is formed between a horse and a human is no secret. Horses, like all animals, don’t care about material values or outward appearances. Rather, they take us as we are and choose to only see our hearts. However, scientific research has shown that horses specifically, have a unique ability to feel empathy at an extremely deep level. A horse’s response to a human’s emotions is the true phenomenon that makes the connection so powerful. Horses mirror our own energy, even reflecting back feelings that we may not even be aware we’re feeling. Consequently, this helps to bring our self-awareness into perspective and may help heighten our emotional intelligence. Truly, the connection that happens between a horse and a human is the exact wonderment that has been the driving force of Main Stay’s mission since the very beginning.
Similarly, one does not need to be in a therapeutic setting to experience this connection. Sometimes, for people like Ryan Hinkle, it happens without even looking for it. In the Horse Nation article titled “Of Veterans and Horses, Part 3: Officer Ryan Hinkle” written by Aubrey Graham, Ryan, a police officer and U.S. Navy veteran, shares that the experiences from his childhood, the Navy and police work caused him to feel miserable. So much so, he began to accept that being unhappy was part of his everyday life. While this may have been his truth, Ryan explains in the article that it all changed after the Atlanta Police Department hired him for the mounted unit where he was assigned to a horse name Cody. Working side by side helped them to develop a wonderful friendship – a friendship that changed everything for Ryan. Cody challenged Ryan’s emotional state of mind and helped him embrace life in a positive way. He fully credits Cody as the force that shifted him to have a more positive outlook on life.

Ryan Hinkle’s friendship with his horse Cody runs parallel to the many friendships that are made here at the Farm. If you have a story about how a friendship with one of Main Stay’s horses changed your life or perspective in some way, we would love to hear it!
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