Do I need any experience with horses to participate in a session?

No prior experience with horses is needed. Sessions at the Hillsborough barn are designed for people at all comfort levels, including those who have never been around horses before. The equine partners involved in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method are not ridden or handled in a traditional equestrian sense. You will be guided through the process by Sarabeth Weber, a Certified Equine Gestalt Coach, and the focus is on your emotional and somatic experience rather than any horse-handling skill.

What should I wear or bring to a session at the barn?

Closed-toed shoes are required for all sessions. Sandals and open-toed footwear are not permitted for safety reasons. Sessions take place outdoors under a covered barn, and while fans and heaters are provided, you are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear layers. Arriving prepared for the conditions helps you stay comfortable and present throughout the session.

How is the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method different from talk therapy?

The Equine Gestalt Coaching Method is a somatic, body-based approach developed through the Touched by a Horse® program, founded by Melissa Pierce. Unlike talk-only therapy, it works with the body's physical and emotional responses by incorporating equine partners whose intuitive, non-judgmental presence helps clients access awareness that conversation alone often cannot reach. It is coaching, not clinical therapy, and is particularly suited to people who understand their patterns intellectually but find themselves still repeating the same cycles.

What should I expect when I arrive for my first appointment?

Sessions are held by appointment at the Hillsborough, NC location. When you arrive, park in the designated area and a staff member will meet you and escort you down to the barn. To ensure your session starts on time and you have a chance to settle in, plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment.

How do private sessions and group coaching compare in format and focus?

Private Equine Gestalt Coaching sessions are 90-minute one-on-one appointments focused on individual healing and somatic awareness. Group coaching is an ongoing weekly format, approximately three hours per session, with a maximum of 10 participants. Group sessions center on shared healing, community connection, and support for those who feel disconnected or lost. Both formats use the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method but serve different needs and goals.

What does the three-month transformational package include?

The three-month transformational package is designed for sustained progress and deeper integration. It combines equine coaching sessions with weekly phone calls and ongoing coaching work across the three-month period. This format suits people who want more than a single session and are ready to commit to consistent, structured personal development work.

Who tends to benefit most from equine-assisted coaching?

This work tends to resonate most with adults who feel stuck in repeating cycles despite having done significant personal or therapeutic work. Common groups include stay-at-home moms, empty nesters, parents of high-level athletes, and people who feel disconnected from who they used to be. It is also well suited to those who have completed talk therapy and feel they understand their history but have not been able to translate that understanding into lasting change. Sessions are available privately or in small groups of up to 10 people.

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As Touched by a Horse® founder Melissa Pierce has said, "You never forget the lessons learned alongside a 1,200-pound animal." Horses are not passive participants in this work. They respond honestly, without judgment, and their feedback bypasses the mental defenses that often keep us stuck. At our Hillsborough barn, that intuitive presence becomes a catalyst for the kind of awareness that office-based sessions rarely reach. This is equine therapeutic coaching rooted in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method®, a somatic approach that addresses what the body holds long after the mind has moved on.

Sarabeth Weber spent 13 years as a stay-at-home mom before earning her certification as an Equine Gestalt Coach through the rigorous two-year Touched by a Horse® program. Her background in education and her own experience navigating life's crossroads give her a genuine understanding of what it feels like to look in the mirror and not quite recognize yourself. That lived experience shapes every session she leads. Sarabeth is an active member of the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce and has been featured in the Orange County newspaper. She works by appointment at her peaceful barn in Hillsborough, NC, where the setting itself is part of the healing process.

Why Somatic Equine Coaching Works

The Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ was developed by Melisa Pearce, a core founder since 1989 of the horse-human healing movement. The experiential nature of the method involves the horse as an active partner with the coach in the client’s exploratory process. The integrative approach of the equine’s interaction combined with positive coaching, somatic awareness guidance and Gestalt methodology, assists the client in examining their life and choices made with a focus on designing a positive future.

Why Somatic Equine Coaching Works

Do I need any experience with horses to participate in a session?
No prior experience with horses is needed. Sessions at the Hillsborough barn are designed for people at all comfort levels, including those who have never been around horses before. The equine partners involved in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method are not ridden or handled in a traditional equestrian sense. You will be guided through the process by Sarabeth Weber, a Certified Equine Gestalt Coach, and the focus is on your emotional and somatic experience rather than any horse-handling skill.
What should I wear or bring to a session at the barn?
Closed-toed shoes are required for all sessions. Sandals and open-toed footwear are not permitted for safety reasons. Sessions take place outdoors under a covered barn, and while fans and heaters are provided, you are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear layers. Arriving prepared for the conditions helps you stay comfortable and present throughout the session.
How is the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method different from talk therapy?
The Equine Gestalt Coaching Method is a somatic, body-based approach developed through the Touched by a Horse® program, founded by Melissa Pierce. Unlike talk-only therapy, it works with the body's physical and emotional responses by incorporating equine partners whose intuitive, non-judgmental presence helps clients access awareness that conversation alone often cannot reach. It is coaching, not clinical therapy, and is particularly suited to people who understand their patterns intellectually but find themselves still repeating the same cycles.
What should I expect when I arrive for my first appointment?
Sessions are held by appointment at the Hillsborough, NC location. When you arrive, park in the designated area and a staff member will meet you and escort you down to the barn. To ensure your session starts on time and you have a chance to settle in, plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
How do private sessions and group coaching compare in format and focus?
Private Equine Gestalt Coaching sessions are 90-minute one-on-one appointments focused on individual healing and somatic awareness. Group coaching is an ongoing weekly format, approximately three hours per session, with a maximum of 10 participants. Group sessions center on shared healing, community connection, and support for those who feel disconnected or lost. Both formats use the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method but serve different needs and goals.
What does the three-month transformational package include?
The three-month transformational package is designed for sustained progress and deeper integration. It combines equine coaching sessions with weekly phone calls and ongoing coaching work across the three-month period. This format suits people who want more than a single session and are ready to commit to consistent, structured personal development work.
Who tends to benefit most from equine-assisted coaching?
This work tends to resonate most with adults who feel stuck in repeating cycles despite having done significant personal or therapeutic work. Common groups include stay-at-home moms, empty nesters, parents of high-level athletes, and people who feel disconnected from who they used to be. It is also well suited to those who have completed talk therapy and feel they understand their history but have not been able to translate that understanding into lasting change. Sessions are available privately or in small groups of up to 10 people.