What can a 1,000-pound animal teach a human being about better communication skills and improving interpersonal relationships? A lot more than you might think, says Redwood Equine Partners’ owner, Vikki Bernstein-Gay.

As a former skeptic, Bernstein-Gay said she knows firsthand the power of equine-assisted growth and learning — she’s been witnessing it for 9 years now. “It’s really incredible,” she said. “When you come in, we tell you over and over again — there is no right way to do something, no wrong way, there is no one judging you and no ‘shoulds.’ Where else in life do you have that opportunity — an environment where you feel safe enough to explore,” she asked.

With 35 years experience in the health and human services industry, from working in probation, to counseling and social work, Bernstein-Gay said she has never seen the kind of dramatic results and personal breakthroughs that she regularly witnesses as director of Redwood Equine Partners.

“We’ve done work with couples who just want to look at their relationships, and do some work with some people with communication issues. We’ve worked with a myriad of individuals from very — I hate to say ‘minor’ because if its someone’s problem, its big — but from something fairly intense to not as intense,” Bernstein-Gay explained. The results, she said, are “powerful.”

“Even if you don’t like horses or are afraid of them, it will help your self-esteem and confidence. And when you figure out what works for you? It impacts your whole life,” she said.

The process is broken up into workshops for both groups and individuals, and a waiver is requested from clients coming from a mental health diagnosis, to make sure the equine-assisted growth is in line with an individual’s therapy plan. Sessions are facilitated by Bernstein-Gay and usually one other member of her staff — all of whom are certified by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association.

But the most important members of her staff participating in sessions are the four-legged ones, Bernstein-Gay said. They are the ones who have so much to teach.

There’s Cocoa, a mustang mare born in the Nevada Wild Horse Range and adopted by Bernstein-Gay and her husband Michael in 1990; Buddy, a Quarter Horse/American Paint gelding born locally in 1995; Jake, a half-Arab, half-Mustang gelding, the son of Cocoa and born in 1996 and Ms. Phoebe Snow, an American Quarter Horse mare born in Utah in 1994. All have photographs and biographies on the company’s Web site at www.redwoodequinepartners.com.

“Horses respond to respect, clear communication and honesty. Without those things, you’re not going to have trust,” she explained, and said that often the horses react in ways that are surprising to even Bernstein-Gay herself.

“A horse will go where it’s comfortable. It doesn’t mean that if someone has a lot of anger issues, they’re going to run and hurt that person, but they will respond differently ... It’s incredibly powerful. The things that happen to you in that arena — it stays with you forever and it might mean different things for different stages in your life.”

During a typical first session, Bernstein-Gay said “observing is a critical participant.” The second session is customized according to what occurred during the first session and includes being “confronted by emotions you’ve been asked to look at.” The third session involves “resolution that brings that package kind of to a close. If you come back a month later, other things are going to come up to look at because we have a lot of layers — most of us.”

Each session varies according to the participants and the horses; each bringing their own experiences to each exercise. The horses are not fed treats, “because it skews honesty,” Bernstein-Gay said, and everybody is asked to participate. “It doesn’t mean they can’t sit out, but they need to observe.”

Bernstein-Gay was certified through the OK Corral Series, led by EAGALA founder Greg Kersten, who will be teaching a workshop at the Ferndale Fairgrounds judging arena on Sept. 12. A free “demo day” will also take place at Redwood Equine Partners on Saturday from 10:30 to noon, to provide an opportunity for anyone interested in participating a chance to see how it works.

“I’ve had many humiliating and humbling experiences,” Bernstein-Gay said. “Every time I do an activity, it changes my life.”

For more information or for directions, phone 707-786-4158.

(Vivian Dunlap can be reached at 707-269-7449, or at vdunlap@eurekareporter.com)