Welcome to Holistic Horse & Rider Therapy, located in the heart of England, Meriden, United Kingdom. My name is Emma Williams - I am a fully qualified psychotherapist and counsellor, and a fully qualified Equine Massage Therapist. I hold several qualifications in, and have several years’ experience working as an Equine Assisted Therapist. I have 20 years’ experience using natural horsemanship methods. Over the years I have studied many practitioners' styles, methods, practices and techniques. This journey began when I was about 7 years old, riding my sister's horse Connemara bareback and in a headcollar.  I didn't learn to ride in a traditional riding school, but instead learnt through 'working for my rides' at the weekend helping a local horse trainer to break horses to ride, and also into harness, cleaning all the harness and tack, and polishing the brasses. Then at 11 years I got my first pony, a 12hh section A Palomino mare called 'Cresta'. Me being me I spent my time asking far too many questions for my own good, through brute force and determination, reading lots of books, and falling off very many times, I began to understand something of the nature of the horse, their behaviours, and to discover the relationships we establish with them. I related deeply to the therapeutic value of the relationships I had with each one of the horses I owned or worked with.

Despite my love for horses, I went on to work with people, studying and training at The University of Warwick to become a person-centred counsellor and psychotherapist. For many years my focus has been helping people to help themselves move forward, and to live more functional and effective lives. In the background I’ve also had a strong desire to assist and encourage horse owners to seek harmonious connections with their horse through listening to the deeper unspoken language of their horses.

Along with our desire to connect, we must be a willingness to change and accept that if there’s a gap in the relationship then the answer starts with us, and NOT the horse. Only when we accept our need to self-reflect and change can we foster the teachable spirit in our horses. Our desire to understand our horses, and to understand the horse’s deep need for emotional safety, connection and leadership will grow as the relationship develops and deepens. My holistic approach fosters these principles and helps people to help themselves and help their horses to live more functional lives.

Equine massage therapy, and sports and rehabilitation massage play a key role in the biomechanical well-being of our horses, as well in the prevention of, and recovery from injury. This treatment is becoming more accepted and recognised worldwide by veterinary services and by the professional equine sporting community.  This intervention is also playing an important role in the development of our empathy for our four-legged friends, and certainly fosters our understanding regarding the need for partnership bonding and stronger relationships with our horses.  

The motivation for the HHRT approach to blend these interventions the way I have is to find a starting point. By initially increasing your horse's overall sense of well-being, increasing their mobility, flexibility, reducing any tension and trauma, encouraging physical healing, and increasing their proprioception. Massage therapy and bodywork enhances the horse’s sense of self and their feeling of wellness within themselves and increases their overall body awareness.

HHRT approach starts with the horse, then works with the human, AND then develops the partnership.

A holistic approach means 'encompassing the whole of a thing, and not just a part'.