Psychotherapy Through Horses

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The Healing Power of Horses
Stephanie Haynes AVS 466 Spring 2008
Stephanie Haynes AVS 466 Spring 2008
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Equine Assisted Therapies and Activities

• Rehabilitation Therapy
• Behavioral Disorder Improvement
• Troubled Youth Counseling
• Individual, Family and Group Psychotherapy
• Special Needs Development
• Rehabilitation within the Penal System

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From an article by Franklin Levinson
Horses are like magnets for humans. People of
all ages have drawn to the horse because of their
beauty, grace, power, majestic stature and the
mystery of their noble being. Its been that way
throughout recorded history. In modern times, it
has been clinically documented that just being
around horses changes the brain wave patterns of
humans. We calm down and become more centered and
focused in the present when we are with horses.
We are transformed in a very positive way when in
the presence of horses. It is no wonder that the
beneficial effects of positive and appropriate
interaction with horses should prove therapeutic
to grownups and children alike. Equine
Facilitated Learning By Franklin Levinson
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Who Benefits From Horse Therapy

• When guided appropriately through their
  interactions with horses, personal healing
  occurs.
• People of all ages with behavioral or emotional
  issues that may be attributed to any of the
  following
• -depression, anxiety, low self esteem, abuse of
  any kind, ADHD, autism, anti-social behavior
  disorder
• People who are handicapped or have been
  physically injured in an accident.

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Who Is Involved

• The North America Riding for the Handicapped
  Association (NARHA)
• Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association
  (EFMHA)
• Both are non-profit organizations in the US
• EAGALA -- Equine Assisted Growth and Learning
  Association
• Many other non-profit organizations

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Special Needs Development

• We dont call it handicapped we call it
  handi-capable.-One Step Closer program director
  Landa Keirstead
• Handicapped children and adults improve
  coordination, balance, and gain a sense of
  accomplishment.
• Physical limitations of a rider may diminish or
  disappear when the rider and their horse move as
  one.

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Therapeutic Riding

• The idea of therapeutic riding was conceived in
  the 1950s when Liz Hartel competed in the
  Olympic Games in Dressage. Liz had polio.
• At a walk, a horse moves its rider forward and
  back, side-to-side, and rotates the pelvis with a
  stride length similar to that of a human. A
  person sitting on a horse that cannot walk, or
  has minimal use of their legs, receives the
  benefits of walking while riding instead.
• This improves a riders muscle tone, balance,
  posture, coordination, and motor planning.
• For a rider who is normally not vocal, the
  different movements he or she experiences at a
  trot may cause excited sounds or even speech.
  Therefore, some speech therapists use 15-20
  minutes of riding before their speech therapy
  sessions in order to improve the client's ability
  to vocalize sounds.

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Individual/Group Therapy

• Psychotherapists all over the country teach
  clients to heal themselves through horses
• Various mental health issues
• Substance abuse
• Victims of physical abuse
• Violent crimes
• Eating disorders
• Marriage counseling
• Parenting
• Corporate communication skills
• Team building workshops for business executives

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Rehabilitation Within the Penal System

• Some prisons are given wild horses, which the
  inmates can train and gentle, in order to
  eventually adopt them out.
• Inmates are shown training techniques
• How to gently communicate with a fearful horse
• How to develop the trust needed to help the horse
  accept human contact and interaction.
• The inmates discover that respect, gentleness,
  mindfulness, compassion and kindness go a lot
  farther than brutality, dominance and force.
  These programs are so successful that they have
  become the single most effective form of
  rehabilitation for the penal system today.
  -Franklin Levinson

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Horses for Africa

• Horses for Mozambique aims to use the power of
  the natural and truthful relationship offered by
  horses to reach out to the children of
  Mozambique, some of whom have been rescued from
  devastating pasts. Using a method of natural
  horsemanship, the project aims to offer the
  children both a chance of rehabilitation and the
  opportunity to grow and develop mentally and
  emotionally.
• -www.equinetourism.co.uk

www.equinetourism.co.uk
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Troubled Youth

• Troubled youth may have emotional, psychological,
  or behavioral disorders.
• While working with horses, they learn to channel
  their frustrations into a productive and
  rewarding task, and learn the skills of
  horsemanship.
• Troubled teens learn trust and gain confidence.
• Teens from abusive homes can learn trust and to
  be assertive through interactions with horses,
  who are much stronger and more powerful than they
  are.

www.healingheartswithhorses.com/hhh/wp-conten...
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References

• http//www.birf.info/home/library/recreation/recho
  rse-therapy.html
• www.drchirovet.com/images/horses.jpg
• EAGALA -- Equine Assisted Growth and Learning
  Association
• Equine Facilitated Learning, Franklin Levinson
• Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association
  (EFMHA)
• www.equinetourism.co.uk
• www.healingheartswithhorses.com/hhh/wp-conten...
• The North America Riding for the Handicapped
  Association (NARHA)
• www.rockycreekhorseshelp.org/testamonials2.JPG