Humanship. It’s an idea that has been tossed around the horse world for a few years now. During the Cayuse Collaborative Clinic, for instance, we added a bit of humanship by having a noontime session with Trish Lemke on how to be the best person for your horse. It was an introduction to thinking about our intentions and peace of mind whenever we’re around horses. Now comes Astrid Larsen. Astrid is a college psychology professor in the Seattle area. We connected over the work I sometimes do around brain science, this article and this article in particular. Turns out we’re both pretty intrigued by how your past, which may include Big T trauma or little t trauma, can impact how you behave and interact with whoever, your horse, your friend, your partner, your coworker, and strangers. What we came to agree on, as we went back and forth via email and zoom, is that doing the work – which for many of us involves connecting with a therapist – is vital if you want healthy, positive outcomes. As Astrid says, you've got to do the work in order to do the work. This is a far-reaching interview and one that includes discussions of trauma, including intergenerational trauma and the impact it can have -- even on one’s DNA. We really really hope this will spur some conversations and feedback from you. So please hit that contact button at besthorsepractices.com