Hold Your Horse Equine Therapy 1.94

Equine therapy, also known as equine-assisted therapy (EAT), is a treatment that includes equine activities or an equine environment to promote physical, occupational, and emotional growth in persons with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, autism, cerebral palsy, dementia, depression, developmental delay, genetic syndromes (such as Down syndrome), traumatic brain injuries, behavioral issues, abuse issues, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health problems. Since the horses have similar behaviours with humans, such as social and responsive behaviours, it is easy for the patients to create a connection with the horse. Riders with disabilities demonstrate accomplishments in national and international sport riding competitions.
Equine therapy can involve more than just riding the horse. In some sessions, a client might not even touch the horse at all. Often the mental health professional leading the session will set goals for the client to complete, such as leading the horse to a designated area or putting a halter on the horse. The client will complete the task to the best of their ability and then discuss the thought process, ideas and problem solving used to complete the task. Discussing what the client is doing at a given time allows them to improve language skills. Listening to the instructor helps improve the individual’s ability to listen and follow directions, ask questions, etc. Not only is there communication between the rider and the instructor, but also between the rider and the horse.