Horse Logic Equine Assisted Learning Centre

I am a first responder who was diagnosed with PTSD in December of 2016. I had never been around horse, only horse back riding as a child. My psychologist suggested I volunteer at a horse barn, which I did, only to find that it hugely helped me ground and was going to be a huge part of my healing. This past winter I went to my first EAL class through Wings of Change, there I met Maud. I reached out to Maud a few months later asking if she knew of anyone closer to me (I live in Mississauga) to assist me with some one on one horsemanship work. Maud suggested Christine Rozenburg, owner of Horse Logic. I contacted Christine and shortly after started weekly one on one horsemanship lessons. My goal was to learn more about horse, ground, build confidence and heal. Upon meeting Christine, I instantly felt safe (which is hard for me) and connected with her. I had the same reaction when I met her horse Poppy.

We started with basics, learning terminology and basic grooming. As my lessons continued we pushed the boundaries, doing things I didn’t think would be possible with my PTSD symptoms, for instance, doing tasks with the horse while I was blindfolded. Each time I went my body language dictated how Poppy reacted to me, and Christine gave me constant but much appreciated reminders to breathe and relax, which allowed Poppy to also react.

On one occasion I was having a really hard day, came to the barn in tears, no sleep and extremely triggered and on edge. She absolutely respected where I was at that day and we continued on with the lesson. Once I got into the arena with Poppy I started to ground and my mind was solely focused on Poppy (which is extremely rare for me to be able to focus without thinking of a million other things). This day was incredible for me…. I was at a real low… but during the lesson I was leading Poppy through some obstacles, where she was walking behind me and I had my eyes closed. All of the sudden I felt a huge heavy horse head resting on my shoulder and breathing into my neck and ear. It truly melted my heart and, in that moment, and that day it was exactly what I needed.

Whether you’re a first responder or just someone looking to learn more about horses, I highly recommend Christine, Horse Logic and Poppy. I can attest to the incredible power and ability that horses have to help first responders. Christine has a genuine passion for helping people and for animals, she has been understanding, supportive and a significant part of my journey and healing.