Last month, I made a trip down memory lane and returned to the UK to offer a presentation on animal assisted services at my old school. I attended this establishment from the age of 10 to 18 and while my time there was certainly not all rainbows and unicorns, it did shape who I am today in so many ways. For those who know me well, it’s no surprise that I broke a lot of rules and had my fair share of sitting on the bench outside the principal’s office. But, I was also a nerd and a good enough student who managed to mostly not get caught doing things I shouldn’t be doing. I straddled the social chasms between the nerds and the rebels, not quite fully immersed in either, but thankful to have been included on the periphery by both. A few of my closest friends now are from my time there.
As part of my trip down memory lane, I had the opportunity to reunite with a few women whom I hadn’t seen in over three decades. I felt a strange heartache during our time together – a mix of warmth and joy of reconnection, and sadness of realizing how much time had passed. It wasn’t just nostalgia in the usual sense of sentimental longing. It was mixed with an embodied memory of not just who we used to be, but how we’ve become who we are. Hearing them all call me by my old nickname, the familiar sound of their voices and laughter, brought back feelings that I hadn’t even realized that I’d forgotten. I call this embodied nostalgia. It lives in us in how we laugh so freely, how we move intuitively, and in the sense of belonging we feel. Our nervous system holds onto those moments, storing them in muscle memory, in our breath, in the way we speak, and in the unspoken connections in between.
Looking at my schoolmates around the dining table, I was struck by both the familiarity and the novelty of each of these incredible human beings. There was Clare, who was always the social glue of the group, and who I remember as this witty drama kid full of existential angst with a heart of gold. Clare was instrumental in getting us all together and was beyond generous in hosting a couple of us at her beautiful cottage home, decorated just as I imagined it would be with her unique sense of style. I remember Lou as being wise beyond her years, leading our dance team with her incredible choreography and coaching us patiently through each performance. She’s now a school principal full of compassion and love for her students, still going above and beyond to support everyone around her. Stef, a driven and steadfast teen who encouraged us all to strive for more, gave up a lucrative city career to follow her passion and became an opera singer and coach. Amanda, who I remember as an independent, feisty, and rebellious “cool kid”, is now working within the national health service as a psychotherapist supporting other healthcare workers in crisis. And Becky, hands down the cleverest girl at school, whom I admired for her sunny disposition and innocent spirit, is now a professor at Cambridge University and still living life with a doe-eyed innocence and heart full of love. As the conversation flowed, I was struck by how the evening unfolded with such ease, allowing everyone to take up space in their own way, learning about and from each other. Honoring our collective experiences and sharing the joy of the present connection, I felt so much love for these women. My heart is melting a little as I’m recalling the experience. These beautiful souls, both then and now, are a part of my embodied being, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Of course, this all got me thinking about the work that we do with our horses. This embodied nostalgia doesn’t only happen with people, it’s present when we work with animals too. Reuniting with a horse you once knew can be just as powerful. They remember in their own way, responding to you with that quiet, knowing presence. Their distinct smell, the rhythm of their movement, the feeling of their breath on your hands—it can all transport you back in an instant. Just like old friends, horses remind us of who we used to be and the deep connections we’ve carried with us all along. Reconnecting with friends, human or equine, isn’t just a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It’s a way to ground ourselves, to remember the parts of us that have stayed constant through the years. When we let ourselves feel it fully—when we embrace that embodied nostalgia—we don’t just relive the past, we bring it forward, carrying those memories and that sense of self into who we are today in our relationships now.
Many of our HERD graduates will know this feeling when they reunite with their fellow cohort members at HERD events. We know what it means to share space and be seen for who we authentically are. It’s also why we’ve been working hard at HERD HQ to create more innovative programs to reunite our members to continue their learning journeys together. So, I am thrilled to be able to announce our newly revamped Equine Facilitated Learning Foundation 2 Certification! This is eligible to HERD EFL Foundation 1 Graduates only and is designed to deepen your practice. We will only be running one cohort this year, starting on August 1st with the in-person Practicum in Orlando, FL (December 2-5, 2025). You can click here for more information and to apply now. We can’t wait to continue your learning with you!
Warmly,
Veronica