Equine-Assisted Therapy

Horsing Around

It may seem like a silly premise but equine assisted therapy works. It is not that it is better than traditional therapy but it works when others may not. Equine assisted therapy uses horses as therapeutic tools to reach children and adolescents who cannot or will not talk about their problems. Horseback riding is not involved. Rather, the interactions with the horse provide an avenue for kids to be able to express their concerns verbally or nonverbally without feeling like they are talking about themselves. It is interacting with horses that allows mirroring behavior with the child. All families deal with a lot and often struggle. Kids can benefit from equine assisted therapy when talk therapy does not work. It may even be your first choice to address adjustment problems, fears about safety, academic issues and numerous behavioral problems related to the usual stressors in families.

Why horses? Horses give kids motivation to tackle issues. Harmony with a large animal promotes a feeling of "I can do it!" It allows kids to become empowered and take on responsibility. Horses are sensitive to nonverbal communication assisting kids in being aware of their own nonverbal communication often reported as "attitude." Human-animal interaction has long been known to reduce anxiety. Interacting with horses help kids overcome anxiety. Impulse control is often a concern of parents. Children or adolescents who are acting without thinking learn the literal consequence of poor impulse control in equine assisted therapy and can then begin to improve and inhibit wild and erratic behavior elsewhere. It is important for all to have self-acceptance and adolescents are especially vulnerable to experiencing poor self esteem and sometimes self loathing. Family members experience stress differently. Some kids may have difficulty accepting comfort from parents. In the equine environment kids observe and are comforted by the horses and interactions with them. Horses help kids improve assertiveness and learn to express their needs in other relationships. Boundaries are discovered in equine assisted therapy as kids learn a respectfulness of the horse and the horse's boundaries.

Therapy with horses! Not a novel idea. In fact, several military installations and treatment facilities are already using equine assisted therapy with soldiers suffering from PTSD. But it's for kids too. For more inforamtion call 931-538-8674 or send an email query from this website.