THE MIND AND BODY ARE NOT SEPARATE...
Equine Hanna Somatics® (EHS) is the missing link
to working WITH a horse's brain vs. working ON a horse's body...
AS SEEN ON
Equine Hanna Somatics® (EHS)
is the missing link to understanding POSTURE and working WITH a horse's brain vs. working ON a horse's body...
AS SEEN ON
Developed in 1995 by Dr. Eleanor Criswell Hanna Ed.D,
Equine Hanna Somatics® Education is a revolutionary approach to creating Sound, Straight and Happy Horses - naturally.
Equine Hanna Somatics® Education (EHS) is a revolutionary approach to equine training and wellness based on proven neuroscience and the tendency of all animals to PANDICULATE.
EHS is a rapidly effective and gentle method of helping horses self-correct their habitual muscle tension so their nervous system can do its job of restoring and maintaining homeostasis and normal neutral posture without doing any manual manipulation, stretching, massage or supportive strengthening work.
This unique neuro-muscular restoration system relies on pure physiology to help the horse achieve optimum efficiency, balance and range-of-motion through enhanced brain-body integration that gently & naturally causes a normalization of resting muscle tone and POSTURE.
From owners who want a DIY solution, to trainers and competitors in every discipline, to Veterinarians, equine bodyworkers and alternative therapists, this work is increasingly used around the world for rehabilitation, performance enhancement and overall well-being.
Equine Postural Reflexes
Posture is an unconsciously mediated adaptive process of the nervous system that organizes the body as best it can to remain upright and in equilibrium against gravity and environmental factors, moment by moment, within the range of motion allowed by the current levels of myofascial tone.
This process is what creates the outline, or the shape of the body at any given moment, and either allows or limits movement.
Just like people, horses can get 'stuck' in one of three common postural patterns caused by the repetitive muscle contractions associated with the involuntary survival reflexes. Once these patterns become habituated (aka learned), they become part of the horses 'new normal' baseline and can persist for years.
Equine Hanna Somatics can quickly reverse and prevent this accumulated unconscious muscle tension.
Why horses need EHS...
According to a study* on horses competing in the FEI, 88% are clinically lame, and as you know, most treatments, corrective training or alternative methods only offer inconsistent or temporary results.
WHY? Because the mind and body are not separate, but too often they are treated as if they are. Typical lameness exams or alternative 'treatments' for horses are mostly body-focused, and the real 'root-cause' of most pain, posture issues or movement dysfunction is frequently misdiagnosed, or goes undiagnosed and remains a mystery - UNTIL NOW!
I think I know why you're here - you're passionate about helping horses, but nothing else is working as well as promised, OR you're looking to add a unique approach to your existing equine practice and you're ready to learn about:
the real 'root-cause' of most movement and somatic issues (HINT: it's in the brain) and how to fix it with the horses active help
where POSTURE comes from and how the nervous system causes bracing, pain, crookedness and compensatory movement
how muscles actually work and the truth about 'muscle memory'
how to access the exact part of the brain in charge of setting the baseline resting tonus (aka tension) levels in the skeletal muscles of every horse, naturally.
*Contino E, Daglish J, Kawcak C. The prevalence of lameness in FEI equine athletes and its correlation to performance. Proceedings of the American Association of Equine Practitioners 2023; 69: 369-370.
Horse owners, veterinarians & equine practitioners all over the world are using EHS to help horses.
Work somatically with your own horse, find an EHS practitioner, or get certified to upgrade your toolkit and take your professional equine practice to the next level...
DIY Instructional Video
Learn a basic full-body EHS session to help your horse. This is also the required prerequisite to the Professional Training Program.
Hands-on Guidance
Find a Certified or Student EHS Practitioner to work personally with you and your horse.
Professional Training
Bodyworkers/DVMs/industry pros: Learn how to become a Certified Equine Hanna Somatics® Educator (C-EHSE).
What makes EHS different?
Equine Hanna Somatics® (EHS) taps into the power of the horses own perfectly designed nervous system by using an innovative technique called Voluntary Pandiculation.
This work combines proven movement education with an experiential approach that restores balance and relaxation to the horse from within, by going straight to the root of most somatic issues - the brain - to help horses quickly return to and maintain soundness and immediately improve performance.
Equine Hanna Somatics is the only system that teaches you how to STRATEGICALLY harness the profound BENEFITS of Pandiculation to help horses effect rapid and lasting changes to their own baseline levels of muscle tension from the highest level of their Central Nervous System (vs. working on the tissues, working with the peripheral nerves, or spinal-cord level involuntary reflex arcs, all of which tend to create temporary results).
DIY INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO COURSE
Equine Hanna Somatics - Session 1
Watch a full-body Equine Hanna Somatics® session with a horse, and learn how to start doing EHS with your own horse! >>>
"The role of Equine Hanna Somatics® is to help a horse's brain recognize inefficient and unconscious muscle contractions so they can regain conscious control over their own muscles and, therefore, also regain access to their full range of motion, comfort, strength and endurance."
- Alissa Mayer EHSE-C
Get Hands-on Help
Find an EHS Practitioner to work with you and your horse 1-1, either IN-PERSON or REMOTELY via Zoom.
Same-Day Happy Horse Transformations
Professional Training
Go way beyond the basics by joining the 2-year ONLINE EHS Professional Training & Certification Program! Upgrade your toolkit to take your equine practice to the next level, for self-development or to start your career helping horses...
Meet your Instructors
FOUNDER
Eleanor Criswell Hanna Ed.D
(1938-2024)
• Creator of Equine Hanna Somatics®
• Creator of Canine Hanna Somatics®
• Originator of Somatic Yoga
• Co-Creator of Hanna Somatic Education®
• Former Director of the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training
"I developed Equine Hanna Somatics in 1995 after working somatically with thousands of people, and discovered that horses can benefit as much, if not more, than humans can..."
DIRECTOR
Alissa Mayer BSc(Equine) EHSE-C
• Director of the Equine Hanna Somatics Professional Training & Certification Program
• Certified Equine Hanna Somatics® Educator (2012)
• Founder of the Association for Equine Hanna Somatics Education
I have been obsessed with horses for as long as I can remember, and I always knew my career would be in the equine world. When I discovered Equine Hanna Somatics and how incredibly well it worked, it was like I had found my calling...
"It is the most advanced system known for relieving chronic disorders which, otherwise, are untreatable by either medical or traditional therapeutic means.”
- Thomas Hanna, Creator of Hanna Somatics (1990)
Get Started with EHS Today!
Equine Hanna Somatics® is the only system that teaches you how to harness the powerful natural reflex of Pandiculation to help horses effect rapid and semi-permanent changes to their own baseline levels of muscle tension.
Disclaimer: Equine/Canine Hanna Somatics is not bodywork or manual therapy, and is not a diagnostic or treatment tool. The information included on this website and in any affiliated programs is not meant to take the place of professional veterinary or medical advice, may not be current, and is subject to change without notice.
©2014-2025 Feel, Embodied LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Website by Alissa Mayer
The marks EQUINE HANNA SOMATICS®, CANINE HANNA SOMATICS® and the EHS Leaping Horse Logo are registered trademarks owned by Alissa Mayer. HANNA SOMATIC EDUCATION® is a registered trademark, and HANNA SOMATICS™ is a common law trademark, owned by Eleanor Criswell Hanna.