The Unicorns in my Life
By Soo Woods | Equine Therapist
From the time I was little, I felt different — misunderstood, even. I never quite knew where I belonged. But I always felt safe in nature, and with animals. They didn’t ask me to be anything other than myself. They didn’t judge or confuse me. They just were. That sense of calm and understanding was something I held onto — even before I could put words to why it mattered.
The “unicorns” — yes, the horses — came into my life when I was five. My mum thought a few riding lessons would be a fun little activity. Little did she know she was opening a door that would shape my entire life.
I didn’t get to own my first horse until I was thirty, but from that moment on, there was no turning back. Now, I share my life with a herd of fourteen therapy horses, and a second herd of retirees who live out their days with me in peace.
Horses have walked beside me through everything. They’ve supported me, challenged me, and taught me lessons that no human could. They’ve held me in moments of grief, made me laugh until I cried, and sometimes — when I didn’t want to listen — they’ve mirrored truths I needed to see.
They’ve been my teachers in the deepest sense of the word.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand that horses don’t just live with us — they live for connection. They feel us long before we speak. They sense the energy we carry, even when we’re trying to hide it. And somehow, they always seem to know what we need, often before we do.
That’s what drew me into this work nearly fifteen years ago. I wanted to offer others the kind of healing I had found — the kind that comes from being seen without words.
Today, as a trauma-informed somatic practitioner, energy healer, registered counsellor, and breathwork coach, I hold space for people who are ready to reconnect with themselves — supported by the wisdom of my herd.
When people arrive at the Highlands Centre for Healing, they often carry something heavy — grief, exhaustion, confusion, or a sense that they’ve lost touch with who they are. Sometimes they can’t quite name what brought them here. That’s okay. The horses don’t need an explanation. They meet you where you are, in your energy, in your truth.
Our sessions are all ground-based — no riding, no expectations, no performance. Just presence. We step into the paddock together, breathe, and allow whatever wants to arise to come through.
It’s in these quiet, unscripted moments that the magic happens. A horse might turn its head, take a step closer, or simply stand beside you — and something inside you shifts. The nervous system begins to settle. The mind softens. The heart opens.
Science is starting to explain what horse people have always known — that being close to horses changes us. Their hearts emit an electromagnetic field far larger than ours, and when we come into coherence with them, our stress levels drop and our bodies begin to regulate. But beyond the science, it’s something you feel — a deep, grounding peace that moves through you.
The horses remind us how to be in the present moment — not reaching, not hiding, just being. In their presence, we find parts of ourselves that we thought we’d lost.
Out here, healing doesn’t always happen in words. It happens in the wind, in the sound of hooves in the grass, in the silence between heartbeats. It happens when you realise you don’t have to try so hard to be okay.
This work isn’t about fixing anyone. It’s about remembering who you are — the part of you that is wise, whole, and waiting to be heard.
It brings me such joy to offer this space to others — a space I wish I’d had. A place where you can come exactly as you are, be seen, and begin to feel at home in yourself again.
If you feel drawn to the horses, I invite you to come and experience it for yourself.
Because when human and horse hearts connect — truly connect — something beautiful happens.
The horses are waiting. 🌿
