Horses Can Help You!
Emotionally (unmounted)
Horses are authenticity experts-they teach us, mirror our emotions and guide us to our own truths.
As prey animals, horses live in the present moment and have evolved to be extremely sensitive to their environment. They are highly attuned to human emotions and offer us non-judgmental and honest feedback. They teach us to be more aware of our mind, body, and emotions. This allows us the opportunity to make contact with ourselves and our environment and to relate to others in a different way. The ways in which humans approach horses is often how they approach relationships and other important areas of their lives. Once theses valuable insights are realized and understood they can be applied to other areas of our lives.
Physically (mounted)
The movement of the horse simulates the way we walk. The physical cadence of a horse can stimulate the muscles and spine, significantly improving the balance, fatigue, motor function, and spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis and other movement disorders. Just sitting on a horse can stretch hip joints and reduce pain in leg muscles.
Neurological and developmental disorders (unmounted and mounted)
Horsemanship and horseback riding has been proven to reduce irritability, hyperactivity, and improve communication with people with neurological and developmental disorders, including people with autism.
For many children with autism, their communication issues can cause struggles to form social bonds. This can make eye contact or expressing their feelings difficult. Brushing and petting horses can help them to associate these feelings and acts of care with affection, leading them to develop emotional bonds. This often transfers to their interactions with other people, including friends and family members.
Many children with autism experience issues with sensory processing. While riding a horse, their senses will be soothed by the rhythmic experience leading to reduced irritability and improved mood.
Horses help humans:
- Improve emotional engagement with others
- Increase self-awareness
- Implement and respect boundaries
- Increase assertiveness and ability to take control
- Improve confidence and self-esteem
- Increase awareness of non-verbal communication
- Recognize unhealthy life patterns
- Address fears and deep seated traumas
Equine Assisted Growth and Awareness can be beneficial for people with a wide range of conditions, including:
- PTSD
- Movement disorders.
- Autism
- Depression/Anxiety
- Grief
- At-Risk Youth
- Substance Abuse Recovery