Healing With Horses
Since long, animals have been known to bring about positive emotions. Animals help in building confidence, providing emotional support, nurturing compassion, and reducing negative emotions, just by being non-judgmental, affectionate, and attentive. With dogs being the most common, there has been widespread use of animals, including cats, pigs, guinea pigs, fish, and horses, in animal-assisted therapy.
Equine-assisted Therapy
Horses are social and intuitive animals. They connect with human body language and reflect human emotions. The benefits of the healing power of horses have been known since 400 BC. The Greek father of medicine, Hippocrates, often spoke about the connection that horses have with human emotions.
Studies at the University of Arizona reveal that equine therapy can lower blood pressure and heart rate and regulate the nervous system. Equine therapy, or equine-assisted therapy, is a discipline that involves horses in the treatment of physical, mental, and emotional conditions. Although not backed by scientific research, occupational therapists prescribe spending time with horses to people with autism and cerebral palsy. There have been positive outcomes for veterans, people with anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and corporate leaders dealing with problem-solving and stress management issues.
Horses do not judge people and accept them for who they are. They are empathetic and can sense when people are feeling down or struggling, providing them with reassurance. Horses are loyal, which shows their sense of trustworthiness and helps in forming strong bonds. This holds importance in today’s corporate world, where trust, team building, and creating strong bonds at the workplace are crucial.
How Does Equine-Assisted Therapy Work?
Being herding animals, horses rely on an acute stream of sensory data to sense safety or danger. They can hear the human heartbeat within four feet, and research on heart-rate variability indicates that horses have a profound ability to synchronise their own heartbeat with that of human beings. When people are introduced to the herd environment for therapy, horses respond within the same spectrum of physical and emotional responses that govern their own behaviour, allowing the therapist an insight into the inner psychology of the client.
Manjeev Chaudhary, the founder of MNH Farm and Asia’s only Monty Roberts-certified instructor, offers natural horsemanship and equine-assisted therapy. Manjeev says, “In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, an age-old bond between humans and horses offers profound insights into the powerful tools this therapy offers. Equine-assisted therapy is evolving as a new method for healing people with anxiety, stress, addiction, and neurological issues and also helping the business leaders of tomorrow.”
Talking about his module for professionals in corporations, Manjeev adds that horses, by nature, are highly sensitive and intuitive creatures. During therapy, horses act as mirrors, reflecting the rider’s emotions and behaviors. When business professionals engage with horses, they confront their fears, insecurities, and leadership styles head-on. The immediate feedback provided by the horse's reactions allows for deep introspection and growth.
Methods To Suit Individual Needs
There are various tailor-made methods and techniques for achieving individual therapeutic goals. Ground-based activities like leading, bonding, and grooming involve interacting with horses while staying on the ground. The focus is on developing trust, communication, and establishing a connection with the horse. Riding and equine-assisted activities involve mounted sessions where people ride horses under the guidance of a certified therapist.
The rhythmic movement of the horse provides physical benefits like building strength and balance and improving spatial awareness, while the interaction with the animal promotes emotional well-being. This includes basic riding skills, trail rides, or obstacle courses. Therapeutic horsemanship involves teaching people basic horsemanship skills, such as grooming, tracking, and basic riding techniques. This process fosters responsibility, empathy, and self-confidence as individuals learn to care for and connect with the horse. Both riding and caring for the horses are helpful for enhancing physical endurance and dexterity, which is a common occupational therapy goal.
With 55 million people suffering from anxiety and 18 million diagnosed with autism in India, equine therapy presents a therapeutic way of healing. It has proved beneficial in varying degrees for people with amputation, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, emotional or behavioural difficulties, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, spina bifida, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and visual and auditory disabilities. It helps people become better in tune with their emotions, strengths, and vulnerabilities. It further helps in building self-confidence, setting clear goals, and taking on new challenges.
