Horses provide special therapeutic treatment
March 15, 2003
By Kelly Fox
Journal Editorial Assistant
Cortez Journal
 CASEY RUCKER pauses with his mother to hug therapy horse, Lucy, after a therapeutic riding session last summer at Medicine Horse Center in Mancos. Along with therapeutic riding services for physically challenged children and adults, the center is developing an equine assisted psychotherapy component to help therapists and mental-health professionals connect with their clients. |
Therapists and mental-health professionals have long known the benefits of using animals to aid in the therapeutic treatment process. Horses are now being recognized as an important tool in the treatment of physically and emotionally challenged individuals.
The Medicine Horse Center in Mancos offers therapeutic riding services to children and adults with physical, cognitive, emotional or age-related challenges.
Staff and volunteers at the 210-acre facility, established in 1999, work in partnership with physical, occupational and speech therapists, to plan goal-oriented sessions specific to each rider.
"We use horses as a walking, living therapy tool," Lynne Howarth, program director, said.
The purpose of the riding sessions is to conduct therapy with the rider. Some participants obtain riding skills, but the objective is usually for physically challenged individuals to improve balance, cognition, sensory and motor skills.
"We make it fun, and it is because you use horses," Howarth said.
Each rider is evaluated by a therapist to determine the goals and objectives of the one-hour lesson.
The center’s instructor, Allison Klein, certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, creates a plan for the session and selects the appropriate horse, equipment and volunteers to participate.
"We are fortunate to have a really great instructor," Howarth said. "The kids and adults will do anything for her. She brings out the best in people. It doesn’t feel like therapy."
Participants meet their equine partner for the session and use a wheel chair-accessible ramp to mount. Volunteers include a leader and two side-walkers to ensure the safety of the rider.
Equipment typically consists of a surcingle and pad so riders don’t have the confines of a saddle. Some students even ride in a prone position — actually lying on the horse’s back.
"A therapy horse has to put up with a lot of pressure and discipline. They have to be well-behaved," Howarth said.
The center uses four full-time therapy horses. Each prospective therapy horse is thoroughly evaluated and receives intensive training.
A typical therapy horse is well trained, usually with a trail-riding background, and must be gentle and unflappable.
"These horses just mellow when they’re on the job," Howarth said. "When they’re tacked up in therapy gear, it’s kind of like a guide dog that knows it’s time to work when he has a vest on."
The dedicated staff and volunteers witness heroic efforts and challenges overcome by students, who rely on the patience and gentleness of their four-legged facilitators.
"The horses make people blossom — people with amazing challenges in their life, whether rider or volunteer," Howarth said. "For me, it’s humbling and joyful at the same time.
"When I give talks about Medicine Horse, I find myself crying."
In addition to therapeutic riding services, the center is developing an equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) component to aid and enhance the traditional psychotherapeutic process.
The center’s staff partners with therapists and mental-health professionals to provide valuable adjunct therapy to help "stuck" or hard-to-reach clients.
Interacting with horses and therapists accelerates learning andhealing, according to Nancy Schaufele, MS, a volunteer and 20-yearpsychotherapist helping develop the EAP component at Medicine Horse.
"This (EAP) has been clinically proven," Schaufelesaid. "The studies are behind it that this works."
EAP, an interactive psychotherapy, makes use of the uniquefeedback the horse provides about relationships and effectiveness in the world.
A credentialed mental-health professional, working with a staffriding instructor, facilitates exploration of feelings and behaviors as well asclinical interpretation.
Clinical evidence suggests EAP may help depression, lowself-esteem, learning disorders, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder, substanceabuse, body image disorders, eating disorders, brain injury, memory impairment,sensory deficits, autism, Tourett’s syndrome, schizophrenia and post-traumaticstress syndrome.
An EAP session is primarily ground work, learning about spaceand boundaries and interaction skills. How a client works with a horse canreflect how he or she works with life in general.
"A client projects what’s going on with them,"Schaufele said. "Horses bring personal awareness in the arena, which willbring awareness in personal life."
During an EAP session, the therapist observes the horse’snon-verbal signals and uses that information to connect with the client.
"Horses are teachers, healers and mirrors," Schaufelesaid. "They are completely honest.
"Humans exist unconsciously and horses respond to that. Itteaches personal awareness."
Through EAP, clients can learn emotional integrity.
A survivor of sexual abuse or trauma, for example, who issuppressing emotions, cannot hide those emotions from a horse. The therapist canobserve a horse’s reaction when the client approaches and interacts with it,then use this information to open a new dialogue with the client.
"The whole thing about equine-assisted psychotherapy is tobuild self-esteem and self-confidence," Schaufele said.
Medicine Horse Center will offer EAP workshops and programs thisspring and summer.
"Horsing Around for Women" is a four-week experientialgroup offered for women who have either limited or no experience with horses buthave always wished for the opportunity. This workshop connects women with womenin a safe and fun environment using the magical world of horses.
"Horsing Around" will be offered for children andteens as well. Teens will explore new life skills through interaction andcommunication with horses. The children’s workshop will focus on safety andself-awareness skills, and help to build self-esteem and self-confidence.
In addition, an "Introduction to Equine-AssistedPsychother-apy" workshop will be offered for mental-health professionalsand caregivers in the community. The half-day session will introduce the conceptof EAP and how it can aid and enhance the traditional therapeutic process.
For more information on EAP programs or the Medicine Horsetherapeutic riding programs, contact Howarth at 882-4081, or Schaufele at 565-8386.