The equine activities at Branigan Unbridled are centered around connections with a horse, and herd dynamics. Starting a connection program with me comes with apparent risks and questions. Here are the most common, and to help anyone coming to the facility feel welcome and at ease.
- “Is this mental health therapy?”
- No, this is an educational program where I help you learn to understand emotional regulation, stress relief, and spiritual connections with the assistance of an equine (or several). I utilize trainings from my Masters in Social Work degree to create a broader education, instead of diagnosing, assessing and charging you more money!
- “Is this for kids or adults?”
- This is for individuals who want a deeper understanding to their interpersonal journeys. It can be a private session, or I can do family groups, work facilitated groups, and small groups of teens or friend groups! Connection sessions will be catered appropriately to ages and dynamics.
- “… but what will I wear?”
- Being around horses, even miniature horses, has huge risks to feet and legs! Please wear closed toed shoes, comfortable pants, and appropriate tops that covers most of your skin. Horses have good sized teeth, so we don’t want nips or rubs on exposed skin. Kids under 16 are required to wear helmets inside the arena when around the horses, no exceptions. While accidents are rare with my trained horses, accidents can still occur.
- “Can I ride?”
- No, this is an on the ground program. If you want riding lessons there are plenty of riding barns that offer that in Oklahoma.
- “I am terrified of horses…”
- At my program, we take time to get to know each horse of all sizes. We have big horses, and small horses so you can pick depending on your comfort level. If you are still unsure, we can have connection sessions outside of the arena or pasture where we can observe behavior and discuss our own interpersonal relations with those behaviors.
- “What kind of horses are there?”
- I have several horses, and miniature horses too! One of our connection program sessions may include a small band of mustangs who are semi-feral from a reservation! This special time near the mustang allows us to reconnect with nature, and learn horse dynamics in real time from a wild herd.
- What does a connection session look like?
- Great question, and my favorite: they are all unique for the individual! I will have a blog post section describing exactly what sessions can look like.
- “Can I bring…”
- Please, invite any family members or friends to support you, but do not bring dogs, cats or other animals to the ranch. My animals on property already have an established ecosystem, and for safety, we do not want to disturb it. This is not counseling, but we can discuss deeper, harder conversations if you wish, so bring someone you are comfortable sharing your story around.
- “Is this confidential?”
- YES! I follow strict confidentiality, even though this is not therapy. You will share or discuss anything you feel comfortable sharing, but notes, documentation, or our sessions are not shared with any other party.
*This program is an educational program where I am not diagnosing, assessing or charging insurance. This is not a clinical program. There are inherent risks to be around horses, please advise to the rules, and I have risk liability forms for each participant who comes to the ranch.*
Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy
*the programs provided are educational only, there is no clinical data collection nor will there be assessments, diagnosis, or insurance charges for clinical practices. All Equine activities are protect by the The Oklahoma Livestock Activities Liability Limitation Act, 76 O.S. §§ 50.1–50.4*
