How Does the Therapeutic Equine Program at My Father’s Arrows Help Children Heal?
A therapeutic equine program uses the connection between people and horses to enhance physical or emotional healing for individuals with various mental health challenges. Goals include helping people develop skills such as emotional regulation, self-confidence, and responsibility. Children and teens can experience a therapeutic environment that can feel less threatening and more inviting than a traditional talk therapy office. Therapeutic riding can help children and adolescents cope with their experiences and feelings, and shows promising results with a variety of conditions or disorders including:
- Substance Use Disorders
- Depression / Anxiety / PTSD
- Stress
- Trauma
- Eating Disorders
- Behavior Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Learning Challenges
- ADD/ADHDAutism/Asperger’s
- Down Syndrome
What Are the Benefits of Equine Therapy for Children?
In interacting with the horse, children may learn more about themselves, tap into internal resources, and gather a greater sense of strength and self-empowerment. The movement of the horse and the soothing sensory input it provides can also help calm the amygdala and reduce stress. Therapeutic riding can complement other therapies and is often used in partnership with other therapeutic interventions. A recent article in Psychology Today discusses a number of ways people benefit from a therapeutic equine program:
- Increased trust
- Reduced anxiety
- Less feeling of depression and isolation
- Increased self-esteem, self-acceptance, and social skills
- Better impulse control Increased problem-solving skills
- Improved communication skills, including non-verbal
- Better understanding of healthy boundaries and the importance of assertiveness
- Learn to get outside own negative, self-absorbed thoughts and nurture another creature
