Equine Assisted Therapy

By Region Two Director Ashley Hamling
December 6, 2011

Ashley Hamling, Region 2 Director

 Two teams, both consisting of five members, were given what seemed to be a simple task. Both teams had to get a horse to jump over a board in between two buckets in the middle of the arena.
 Then the team members were told the five aids they couldn’t use to help complete their task. The team members couldn’t touch the horse, bribe the horse, use any objects from outside the arena, use a halter or a lead rope, and they couldn’t talk with their team members when performing the task. These five conditions obviously made the task more challenging, but the team members were still willing to try and thought they could finish their task without a problem. The directors of this exercise emphasized the fact that these were only five things and that there were many other ways to finish the task.
 The teams strategically planned and discussed their method of fulfilling their task while they still could, before they entered the arena. When it was the first team’s turn, everyone stood in a specific place, some of the team members waved their hands, some even tried whistling. It was obvious they were struggling and the horse was unresponsive to their efforts.
 The second team’s strategy basically consisted of the same ideas, but they added a few things like clapping and trying to chase the horse. Their efforts also failed and the horse was uninterested.
Both teams were given another chance, but they both used the ideas from their last try. With no luck, the team members became frustrated. How were they supposed to accomplish this? Many of the team members thought the task was stupid or they blamed the horse.
The directors of this exercise told the members to stop and think about their mistakes. The teams were getting the same results, but they were also using the same input. Finally, the team members realized they were focused on the things they couldn’t do, instead of what they could do. They could get help from others standing in the arena, they could move the horse to the round pen which was a part of the arena, they could set the jump in front of the round pen gate, and many more simple things.
This exercise was used as a demonstration about equine assisted therapy. To be successful in this activity, the teams needed to use teamwork, break things down into smaller parts, change things because of mistakes, and most importantly, have a positive attitude. This demonstration showed how horses can twist our way of thinking and teach us life skills at the same time. By using horses as a therapy, the therapists are indirectly approaching people’s problems and teaching a person how to apply these skills to interpersonal relationships.
As AQHYA members, most of us have our own horses: we know what it’s like having a connection with our horses. The special bond we build with them comes from respect and our attitude. Horses have the ability to mirror the rider’s actions, which makes it a great way to provide safe context for addressing emotional blocks for the therapy patient.
I think it’s amazing that the Quarter Horses we all love can also help people emotionally. By teaching the therapy patient how to communicate with the horse, they can learn to apply it to their own lives. Horses give the patient a happy place to go to where they can forget about their problems and interact with the horse. Equine therapy has helped people with ADD/ADHD, depression, anorexia, bulimia, anxiety phobias, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, low self-esteem and separation/loss.
Equine assisted therapy is a great way to reach out to people; it’s special to see the patient connecting with the horse. In my opinion, horses are amazing: they not only help the patient get away from their problems but they also create a loving bond.