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In the spotlight
The Backyard Horse Enthusiast Interview
Horses Can Heal Human Trauma - Interview with Shania Hunnicut
Join Shania Hunnicut, Certified Equine Gestalt Practitioner and founder of Healing Through Broken Strides, as she shares her journey and the transformative power of Equine Gestalt Therapy. In this heartwarming interview, discover how horses play a key role in emotional healing and personal growth.
Learn about the principles of Equine Gestalt Therapy, Shania’s inspiration behind her practice, and how she helps individuals overcome life's challenges through deep connections with horses.
Beastie Bonds Interview:Heart Horse
In this special episode, Shania Hunnicut, an aspiring Gestalt Equine Coach, shares her transformative journey of healing with her horse, Shiner. Shania is combining her love for horses with her passion for helping people, using the Gestalt Equine Coaching modality to help clients overcome trauma and pain.
Shania’s powerful connection with Shiner first gained attention through a viral TikTok video, where Shiner comforted her as she cried. In this interview, Shania explains the unique healing abilities of horses and the profound impact they have in Gestalt Equine Coaching, developed by Melisa Pearce at Touched By a Horse.
Listen to Shania’s story and learn how horses, like Shiner, are helping people heal and grow in unexpected ways.
Ark Media: Horse Comforts Owner Crying
Shania Hunnicutt, a 26-year-old student at the Touched By a Horse, filmed a video at her Texas farm on November 10, 2021, sharing her emotional journey with her horses. Equine Gestalt involves partnering horses and nature to help individuals become aware of and process their emotional blockages, supporting personal growth during challenges like grief or transitions. While not considered psychotherapy, it can complement therapy to aid in healing.
Shania's horses, Shiner, a four-year-old Chestnut gelding, and Moonshine, a two-year-old Bay mare, seemed to intuitively understand her emotions. During a difficult time in her life, as she was going through a divorce, Shania filmed a vulnerable moment where Shiner comforted her, allowing her to express her pain and cry. Shania emphasized that horses, living in the present, have the ability to absorb and release our emotions, providing healing and reassurance.
Shania’s goal with her work and this experience is to show that expressing emotions is a sign of strength, not weakness. She wants others to understand the power of vulnerability and authenticity, and plans to partner with Shiner in her future work as an Equine Gestalt Coach, helping others heal through their connections with horses.
In the spotlight
EIM Newsletter
Outside the Office: A Highlight From Shania Hunnicutt By Emily Wheeler
We often highlight the amazing things our employees accomplish here at work, but what about the cool and meaningful projects they’re pursuing outside the office? This month, we’re excited to shine a light on Shania Hunnicutt, clinical procurement specialist, and the incredible work she’s doing through Healing Through Broken Strides. Shania is an equine gestalt coach, guiding people through a powerful blend of professional coaching and the healing presence of horses. Her work creates space for people to process, release and rebuild in ways that traditional approaches sometimes can’t. We reached out to Shania to learn more:
Q: What do you do at Healing Through Broken Strides?
A: At Healing Through Broken Strides, I hold space for healing, growth and finding your voice again. Through the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method®, I partner with horses to help people gain clarity, let go of past hurts and discover their next steps. My sessions range from one-on-one experiences with horses, to virtual coaching, group sessions and immersive workshops.
Q: What inspired you to pursue Equine Gestalt Coaching?
A: My journey stems from a deep desire to offer healing beyond traditional talk therapy. Growing up in the military community and later as a military spouse, I’ve seen how conventional therapy can sometimes fall short — even after years of effort. Horses offer something different: They mirror our emotions, they don’t judge and they don’t hold on. During my two years of training, I experienced profound healing myself, which made me passionate about sharing this work with others.
Q: What kind of transformations have you witnessed through this method?
A: I’ve seen people who felt stuck for years experience real breakthroughs. Clients often describe feeling lighter, more hopeful and truly seen after a session with the horses. Research also shows this — 93 percent of people report feeling better about themselves after just one session, and 98 percent say they’d come back again.
Q: How do the horses actually help in the process?
A: Each horse brings its own energy. Some act as mirrors, reflecting emotions back so clients can understand what they’re carrying. Others encourage grounding and release. What makes horses so powerful is that they don’t hold onto the emotions. They help people process, then they let go.
Q: How does this approach differ from traditional therapy?
A: Equine Gestalt Coaching isn’t therapy; it’s coaching rooted in the Gestalt modality, which emphasizes present-moment awareness. It’s experiential and somatic, meaning clients don’t just talk about what they’re going through — they feel it and process it in a safe, embodied way with the horses as partners.
Q: For someone who’s curious but unsure, what would you say?
A: If you’ve tried other methods and felt like something was missing, this might be the missing piece. As Melissa Pearce, the founder of the method, said, “When you stand in the presence of a horse, you stand in the presence of your truth.”
Shania is currently preparing to launch new group sessions and workshops this fall, creating even more opportunities for people to experience this unique path to healing.
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October 2025 Happenings
Welcome! Explore the healing experiences available this beautiful Fall season. If something catches your eye, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.