Equine Therapy
--Brenna Mantz
Equine Therapy is a type of therapy that
helps people with emotional and mental issues by letting them interact with
horses. This therapy helps children and adults with Asperger’s, autism, bipolar
disorders, ADHD, and ADD. Equine Therapy also helps children and adults in overcoming
drug addictions, and helps prevent people from committing suicide, as it
changes people’s lives. Equine Therapy has been offering relief from problems
for years and it now helps about forty thousand children and adults worldwide (Gilbert).
For example, Equine Therapy is a long part of the rehabilitation that has been
offered across the United States, according to Holloran and Werstine, who are
spa owners. Most of the people who participate in this therapy are not actually
riding the horse but they learn how to achieve their own personal goals and
they learn how the horses behave by taking care of them (Allen 2012). This is a
good thing and parents should think about this therapy. Equine Therapy could be
used by parents to help their children who have emotional and mental problems.
There
are children in this world who have severe emotional and mental issues. Equine
Therapy has been helping children learn about themselves for a while now.
Children in this modern time can interact with horses to learn social skills,
self-confidence, and learn how to trust others.
For example, the horses react as if they were a mirror when a human is
with them, one on one, according to Franklin Levinson who is an Equine
Therapist. The horses want to feel safe and secure. They are also on the
lookout at for any predators that are dangerous. If someone is aggressive,
loud, rude, or being a control freak, the horse will become frightened.
Children who have mental and emotional problems can handle a horse faster than
adults can. Horses are good for children in this type of therapy (Brown 2011). Equine
Therapy can also be used to help disabled children. Disabled children who are
doing Equine Therapy are learning how to groom the horse, lead it with a
halter, and they are learning a lot of social skills.
For
example, there is a child named Teddy Sargent who has severe autism and he is
also developmentally delayed, as well. He is a bright, loving, and an amazing person.
Teddy loves sports but he was never popular at all. His parents, Rebecca and
Dan Sargent, were struggling for a pretty long time to help their son control
his violent rages. They were also trying to help their son experience the
happiness of joy and to communicate with the outside world. Teddy’s parents
were very concerned that he was getting worse. Within time Teddy had gotten so
out of control with his violent rages there was no happiness or joy in his
life. Then his mother, Rebecca, decided to try Equine Therapy to help him with
his mental problem. When they started, Teddy was nonverbal at the time. Then,
within time, he learned to express his happiness and he would be whinnying,
snorting, or laughing to show it. The parents of Teddy can tell it was helping
him to feel better about himself. Equine Therapy was one of the biggest
benefits for Teddy and he enjoyed being around horses, and riding them as well
(Therapeutic Riding).
Parents
have a hard time when their kids are teenagers because they make poor decisions
and usually end up getting into trouble. Teenagers may want to experiment and
see what drugs and alcohol would be like. These types of issues can be caused
by living in an unsafe home, living in an unstable life, or hanging out with
the “wrong crowd”. Parents would become worried if they found out their child
is addicted to drugs and alcohol. The child would become dangerous to her or
himself, also to family members and their friends, as well. For example, a girl
named Susan Smith, a sixteen year old troubled teenager. She was attending the
Copper Canyon Academy (CCA). Basically, her problem was that she had a hard
time controlling her anger. Susan was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and
ADHD. Susan was having a hard time sitting still because she has ADHD, which
caused her to have more problems. In the
past, doctors had tried to adjust her medication and they were hoping it would
calm her down. She had been going to therapy since she was six years old and after
ten years it got boring for her (Copper Canyon Academy).
The
solution to Susan’s problems started as she began to use Equine Therapy. When
Susan was doing Equine Therapy it turned out to be a great learning experience
for her. While Susan was doing Equine Therapy she would play with the horses a
lot and work with them, as well. So even though Susan was getting therapy since
she was six it was not helping her at all, but with an animal it is different.
Susan was also playing a lot of games in Equine Therapy and she was enjoying
it. Susan had the chance to ride horses and she also took riding lessons, as
well. What Susan learned from Equine Therapy was body language, which she was
having a hard time understanding for quite long time. Then, one day, Susan
returned home because she did not have enough money for the program. Susan had
really enjoyed doing the Equine Therapy Program at the CCA. It had helped her
to become a better person and she feels a lot calmer than she did before. Later,
on Susan began working with horses near her home and she still enjoys working
with them (How Equine Therapy Helped).
Equine
Therapy has helped adults, as well, who have emotional, mental, and physical
challenges. When adults have depression, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, bipolar
disorder, or Asperger’s, then adults also look for therapy that might help them
with their problems. Adults need to see if Equine Therapy is the type of
therapy that would help them with their challenges. For example, a woman named
Rebecca Sargent, who has multiple sclerosis, was having a hard time finding the
right treatment that would work best for her. Rebecca wanted a treatment that
would help her treat the illness that she would have for the rest of her life (Therapeutic
Riding).
The
solution to Rebecca’s problem was using Equine Therapy to help her with the
illness that she has. She would do her exercises to work her muscles. She would
have to do cantering, posting, or doing dressage exercises. Rebecca would go
through the exercises to prevent her muscles from going stiff and becoming more
painful to her body. When Rebecca is doing Equine Therapy it helps build her
self-esteem and she has learned to be more positive. She felt that Equine Therapy was the best way
to help her illness as she also has a love of horses. The greatest thing about
Equine Therapy for her was that she did it with her son, Teddy. Adults like
Rebecca need to take a look at how Equine Therapy can change a lot of people’s
lives. It’s amazing that horses can feel what humans can feel (Therapeutic
Riding).
In conclusion, parents who have children with severe
emotional and mental issues should use Equine Therapy. Also, adults who have
emotional and mental problems should use Equine Therapy, as well. Equine
Therapy has been proven to help children, teenagers, and adults who suffer with
emotional and mental issues. The horses are good to use in therapy to help
people overcome challenges. Horses are good at detecting how people feel,
whether they are happy or sad. If the person is happy, the horse will come to
them, but if they are mean and rude they will back away. Therapists who are
involved in Equine Therapy recommend that their patients use Equine Therapy to
help them with their problems. Equine Therapy can be a hugely positive
influence in people’s lives.
References
Allen,
E. “Finding Inner Peace, Not Your Inner Cowgirl” nytimes.com
New York Times News Paper. 13, July 2012. Web. 4 Apr 2013
Aspen Education Group equinetherapyprograms.com “Equine Therapy for Children with
Asperger's and Autism.”.n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2013.
Brown.
J. “Horse Therapy-Changing Lives” Way of
the Horse. Franklin Levinson. 2011. Web. 4 Apr 2013.
Copper Canyon Academy equinetherapyprograms.com “How Equine Therapy Helped A Troubled Teenage Girl” .n.d. Web. 5 Apr 2013.
Gilbert.
C. “Equine Therapy: Healing Horses” promises.com
Promises Treatment Centers n.d. 7 Apr 2013
Human-Equine
Alliances for Learning (HEAL). Human
Equine Alliance “Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy” Web. 4 Apr. 2013
Institute of Developmental
Psychology equinetherapyprograms.com “Animal Assisted Therapy for Troubled Teens”.n.d.
Web. 5 Apr 2013.
Therapeutic
Riding
equinetherapyprograms.com. “Mom and Son Find
Help through Therapeutic Riding” n.d. Web. 7 Apr 2013.
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