By Charlotte Murphy, IU Corps Intern
People and Animal Learning Services, better known as PALS, provides equine assisted programs, service hour opportunities, and educational initiatives. Their programs connect humans to horses to address the needs of each individual. Facilitated by certified professionals, PALS aims to ignite emotional, cognitive, social, and physical growth.
Rebecca Redfern, an equine assisted learning instructor, joined PALS after receiving a degree in human services. Redfern had previously been a yoga therapist and meditation guide and knew that she wanted to work with the symptoms of emotional dysregulation (an imbalance of your nervous system) to help the nervous system coregulate, downregulate, and upregulate. Now, she teaches horsemanship and Equine Assisted Learning.
“[My path here] wasn’t a very defined goal, but I told many people it was all going to come together,” Redfern said. “I had gone to University of Findlay as an equestrian major, and through my own giving lessons I would naturally take on an emotional support role. I didn’t formally know that EAL existed, but on my own and at my parents’ farm I was doing that but organically, and this showed up for me.”
The science behind Equine Assisted Learning and how horses can sense our energy is fascinating. Redfern explained how a horse’s magnetic field works, and how they correlate to learning.
“Horses have this enormous 15-feet magnetic field extending from their heart. In that field, our nervous system is affected by theirs,” Redfern said. “They experience our internal environment, and they take that reading and respond to it. Those responses are in their micro expressions. [At PALS] we teach people to read the horses’ micro expressions as well as what areas in their own body that are bracing. The horses read that bracing and brace as well. Everyone learns to read the horse in a much sharper, keen way. Doing that, they gain a better understanding of themselves.”
Equine Assisted Learning can help many different people, ranging from kids to adults. Redfern spoke about the different types of programming that assist all their different referrals. PALS currently helps with drug and recovery groups, mental health practices, veterans, juveniles, and more. People come from many different sectors to experience PALS.
“The referrals come from everywhere,” Redfern said. “We also have a dementia program where we provide an atmosphere where everyone can decompress and connect with interests that are present. The dementia client is present and allows the caretaker to connect with them in the moment.”
PALS has many different programs and curriculums to help so many people, but Redfern is working on creating even more. One of her current projects is a team building and conflict resolution curriculum specifically for emergency personnel. In the future, Redfern has plans to combine her love for yoga with PALS.
“My next curriculum that I’m putting together is a women’s retreat that will be offered in the warmer months, and it will have yoga,” she said.
If you’re interested in volunteering with PALS or learning more, check out their website!
Rebecca has a history of sharing her life’s
Passion of loving & caring for horses & people,
of bonding with them personally. Helping people with their body’s health & well being.
Now she’s guided herself to this place where she is in the spirit of healing horses & humans. She and the horses & the people she assists feel the experience together.
Rebecca is in my 💜 heart.
I’m aware of this caring growth for she is family.