ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses how Operation Centaur moved beyond the traditional forms of relating with horses through conservation and heritage to therapeutic work with communities, individuals and organisations. It focuses on the methodology of deploying horses by offering three main things: a radically different perspective; an opportunity to connect and re-connect from this different perspective; and the evaluation of the relationships and the roles. The book develops the themes outlined in the notion that the horse has a technological function in the therapy or coaching. It addresses the notion of the role in de-centring the human subject. The book also addresses interconnectivity, or how individuals do not make sense outside of a context. It considers the functions of work, and how work is one of the core predictors of positive mental health.
