 Horses have long been regarded as one of the most intelligent and sensitive animals. Most of us are used to horses being utilized mostly for transportation, sports, agricultural uses, and recreational activities. However, there's more to horses than that. Recent studies have discovered that, horses have amazing healing abilities for mental anguish. Dorothy Turek discovered these facts after a personal experience through the interaction between a horse and someone who was going through a rough patch in life. Dorothy noticed how the equine friend absorbed and disposed of the negative feelings of anguish and sadness of the person interacting with it. That stirred a unique business idea in her mind. With a degree in animal behaviour and years of learning the techniques of equine-assisted learning (EAL) under her belt, she laid the foundation of a now renowned EAL business called 'Centaur Wellness'. Dorothy explains that because the horses' #1 priority in life is to feel safe (not food or water), they require people to step into their own power and become the leader for them both. What makes working with horses more effective in personal and team development is that you can't fool the teachers, unlike human coaches who always have some sort of human bias. Horses don't judge us and react to changes in our intentions and actions immediately which is what leads to our growth. "I don't offer therapy, but I offer people a way to develop life skills, improve their communication, and right their relationships." Dorothy works with individuals and teams providing transformative experiences and helps them clear the inner roadblocks utilizing the natural stress-relieving instinct of horses. Bullying is one of the most depression-inducing triggers. To that end, Dorothy provides anti-bullying EAL workshops. Another vital area of focus is women empowerment for women who experienced bullying, empowering them to lead a better life on their own terms. When the pandemic hit, families were forced to stay together for longer periods of time. Some families grew emotionally stronger, but others strived to remain on good terms with each other. This is where Centaur Wellness’s equine-assistance learning sessions came to the rescue of these families and helped them bond better and develop life skills together. The EAL sessions also assisted people that were forced to work in uncertain conditions during the pandemic. They were experiencing a great deal of pressure and stress, and Centaur Wellness helped them relieve their stress by fun filled learning sessions. Their main clientele are families and businesses. For families horses help families to bond better, strengthen their ties, and live a happier, more contented and connected lives. For businesses, the programs aim to assist them in team building and enhancing productivity. “My programs work on improving resiliency and team cohesion, which would ultimately affect productivity.” In future, Dorothy aims to hold more anti-bullying sessions for school-aged kids and corporate employees to help them get a clear vision of life and get past the trauma they experience due to bullying. Dorothy advises small business owners to be crystal clear of their vision and become more flexible and adaptable to every challenge that life throws at them.  |
