In this episode of Taking Back the Reins, host Dina Shale explores how emotions serve as vital information—guiding us toward what feels right or wrong, when to act, and when to rest.

Through the lens of trauma-informed equine facilitated learning, Dina explains how horses naturally read emotions as cues for survival and connection—and how we, too, can tune into that same emotional intelligence.

Drawing from her experience as a somatic experiencing practitioner, Dina shares how suppressing emotions disconnects us from our inner wisdom, and how reconnecting with our “felt sense” helps us make aligned, confident decisions.

You’ll also hear a powerful personal story where trusting emotional intuition helped her avoid a life-changing mistake—and how emotions, when understood, can become one of our greatest guides.

Whether you’re healing from trauma, working with horses, or simply learning to listen to your body’s messages, this episode will inspire you to see emotions not as weakness, but as wisdom.

00:00 – Introduction and welcome back to Taking Back the Reins

00:25 – Emotions as information: learning to listen to what feelings tell us

01:15 – Why most of us were never taught emotional awareness

02:25 – How horses read emotions through energy and body scanning

04:10 – Fear, anger, sadness: decoding emotional cues for humans

05:00 – Tuning into emotions when working with rescue horses

06:30 – Understanding somatic experiencing and emotional disconnection

07:45 – Story: when listening to emotions prevented a major mistake

10:45 – Trusting your intuition and building confidence in decisions

12:30 – Realizing emotions never lie — they guide us to truth

13:50 – Processing emotions vs. retelling the story of trauma

14:45 – How emotional awareness deepens connection with your horse

15:40 – Big Harry: the horse that taught emotional wisdom

16:10 – Closing reflections: feel, listen, and process—don’t fix or bury emotions

16:45 – Invitation to join the Highway to Healing community