EQUINE ASSISTED GROWTH AND LEARNING
FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
WHY HORSES
NTELLIGENT PREY ANIMALS Horses are prey animals, so in order to survive, they instinctively analyze and react to their environment. Horses sense and respond to a person’s intentions, emotions, thoughts, and body language, and so become instant mirrors and non-judgmental feedback mechanisms for humans. Through the experience of observing a horse’s response to their requests and directions, each person learns how to communicate more effectively, face their fears and manage their emotions, and become more consistent and congruent within themselves and their actions.
LARGE AND POWERFUL Horses are powerful animals. It's hard to ignore a horse with their size and presence and we can't easily control them.. Approaching horses helps us reflect on how we approach our lives and relationships, and how we can face other big or overwhelming things in our lives.
HERD ANIMALS WITH DISTINCT PERSONALITIES Horses are social animals with defined roles within a herd. They have distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. They could be stubborn or they could be playful. In other words, horses are a lot like us. Through observation of herd dynamics and one-on-one interaction with individual horses, attendees learn new relationship-building skills and become more aware of patterns that may be standing in their way.
LARGE AND POWERFUL Horses are powerful animals. It's hard to ignore a horse with their size and presence and we can't easily control them.. Approaching horses helps us reflect on how we approach our lives and relationships, and how we can face other big or overwhelming things in our lives.
HERD ANIMALS WITH DISTINCT PERSONALITIES Horses are social animals with defined roles within a herd. They have distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. They could be stubborn or they could be playful. In other words, horses are a lot like us. Through observation of herd dynamics and one-on-one interaction with individual horses, attendees learn new relationship-building skills and become more aware of patterns that may be standing in their way.
HOW DOES IT WORK
THE EAGALA MODEL is a team approach that includes a licensed, credentialed Mental Health Professional/ Coach, a qualified Equine Specialist, and horses working together with the client.
All the work is done on the ground with the horses front and center, deliberately unhindered and allowed to interact with the client as they wish. In this approach, horses are never ridden.
This creates the space for the client, with the support of the professional facilitators, to reflect, project, and make deep connections. It allows for insights and learning.
All the work is done on the ground with the horses front and center, deliberately unhindered and allowed to interact with the client as they wish. In this approach, horses are never ridden.
This creates the space for the client, with the support of the professional facilitators, to reflect, project, and make deep connections. It allows for insights and learning.
EQUINE ASSISTED GROWTH AND LEARNING
FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLECENT WITH:
FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLECENT WITH:
- ADHD- Horses are mirrors and give immediate feedback. Therefore, by observing and interacting with horses, children and adolescents with ADHD learn to focus and manage their energy more effectively.
- ANGER- As much as horses do not respond well to anger, interacting with them can encourage a person to take a look at themselves and see what could be leading them to anger and what they can possible do to avoid and manage it. To get the desired result from the horse, they need to behave in a way that will help them acquire their desired outcome.
- ADDICTION- Horse therapy helps people overcome any kind of addiction. It helps them focus on something else, get out of their own heads and into their bodies and emotions. It does not allow them to over-analyze or intellectualize everything.
- ANXIETY- Equine Assisted coaching helps you take your mind of things that are worrying you. That feeling of uneasiness and stress can be dealt with when completing the task given by the facilitator with horses.
- TRAUMA- Horse are not judgmental, they help victims of trauma rebuild trust and confidence and also help them deal with their traumatic experiences.
- LOW SELF-CONFIDENCE- Horses are mirrors and reflect what transpires, with each and every task completed. Equine Assisted coaching encourages you to challenge your fears and uplift your confidence.
- DEPRESSION-Equine assisted coaching can be both fun and beneficial. When you are suffering from depression horses help you shift your focus on something positive and create a sense of accomplishment through challenging activities that you are invited to participate in.
- SOCIAL ISOLATION- When you are suffering from depression, you feel isolated, different and rejected by the society or your peers. The horse’s unconditional silent acceptance brings the children and adolescence back into positive social interactions. That play a major role in reducing depression and isolation.
BENEFITS OF EQUINE ASSISTED GROWTH AND LEARNING INCLUDE:
- Trust- Trusting in the horses and getting the horses to trust you is very powerful in terms of development and restoration of trust for those whose ability to trust has been violated by difficult life experiences.
- Anxiety Reduction- Research based findings indicates that interaction between human and horses can significantly reduces physiological anxiety levels. With the facilitators support and the horses genuineness and affection children & teenagers are able to find ways to interact with the horses that diminish anxiety.
- Mindfulness- Horses are able to pick on the child's emotions and reflects these feelings in mirroring ways to the child. A child learn to stay calm, focused, learn new positive ways of life, to be present in the moment and be fully engaged. This has a significant impact on most of mental health issues.
- Self-Esteem- When a child challenges him/herself to learn and master new skills with no one to judge, and compete with them, without a doubt their confidence, self assurance and self-esteem will improve.
- Impulse Regulation- For children suffering from irritability, agitation, and impulsivity, equine assisted coaching increases cooperation, emotional regulation, capacity for delayed gratification, and behavioral control. Communicating with horses promotes emotional awareness and self control.
- Self-Efficacy- When you succeed in something that you thought you might not, you automatically detach from the feelings of low self esteem, helplessness and demotivation.
- Communication- Horses’ sensitivity to non- verbal communication assists children to develop greater awareness of their emotions and creates self awareness.
- Positive Identity- The healthy and positive relationship between a child and the horse encourages the child's identity and self-definition. Through developing a relationship with horses children gradually develop a sense of of acceptance which enhance the child's positive self-concept and identity.
- Growth With Nature- Having sessions outdoors with the horses in a more natural, peaceful environment greatly enhances the therapeutic benefits for children and teenagers. Feeling of joy and connection is often discovered as a child experience nature’s beauty in a renewed way.
- Self-Acceptance- In therapy when children are learning about and interacting with the horses, they discover that progress is a journey, and self-acceptance of every phase of that journey is critical to resilience. They learn that every individual has their own equine experience and they learn to accept themselves for who they are.
- Social Skills- Equine Assisted coaching supports children in learning appropriate non-verbal and verbal communication, that is very powerful in moving children to a more open, positive, and appropriate social platform.
- Assertiveness- Equine assisted coaching sessions are the foundation for children to learn how to be more assertive, clear, and directive. Effective communication and taking part in exercises that are challenging with a horse encourages a child to demonstrate all important skills that enable them to express their needs and feelings more effectively in relationships.
- Boundaries- Through interacting with horses children who may have experienced controlling, traumatic, conflictual, or untrustworthy relationships learn that even though horses are physically bigger and more powerful, they operate within certain boundaries of safe and mutually caring relationships.
- Creativity and Spontaneity- Children and teenagers who can not realize their fullest range of potential and who can not live life as fully as possible are likely to have lost some sense of spontaneity. The activities done in equine sessions help a child to bring back spontaneity, creativity, and ability for healthy recreation and play.
- Perspective and Giving- A healthy relationship with a horse is a wonderful thing for a child to experience because of horses caring and nurturing nature. Activities with the horses assist children to be able to learn to give, connect, and not to focus on their struggles, self-defeating thoughts, negative, sad emotions, but instead direct their attention and thoughts externally toward safe and caring interactions.
Copyright © 2015