Winston Churchill once said,” There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of Man.” Animals have been utilized in therapy treatment all over the world. Horses have been utilized in therapy sessions for dysfunctional families, high risk children, autistic children, soldiers with PTSD and many other physical, social and psychological problems. Horses have also been used in corporate leader training sessions. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) has blossomed over the years with a lot of Soldiers returning from combat operations and diagnosed with PTSD. Exploring EAP will enhance therapy for high risk children, families and individuals. We spend a lot of time trying to label a behavior with a theory and…show more content… “The horse is non-evaluative, a feature of a person-centered approach. The horse does not lay any categorizing eye upon the symptoms of psychic, mental or behavioral disorders, whereas these are usually condemned in the child’s family life, at school, and in society at large”. (Chardonnens, 2009) This idea gains the trust of the child, they will not be judged. It is up to them to gain the trust of the animal. This entails a series of controls from physical to emotional. Physical control of the child’s movements is critical because, at first, the horse will respond to quick fast movements as dangerous and possibly threatening. Emotional controls, because the horse will sense the emotion the person is trying to hide. A person must approach the animal with a clear mind free of negativity. The focus must be on the animal and it’s response not the human. This teaches the child to be genuine and not try to attempt to hide their emotions. The hidden emotion of the child, whether it is fear, aggression, anger or contentment, will be clearly evident in the horse and the horse will respond to the emotion.
Numerous articles have been written about the success of equine assisted psychotherapy. Each article closes with similar conclusions. EAP has enabled the building of self confidence, self esteem, and self- efficacy. EAP has also been attributed to building a sense of empathy, opening…show more content… The animal doesn’t judge, react or does it repeat. A young girl named Emma found security in the horsemanship program. She said, “You can tell them your secrets.” , another example of bonding.
The research conducted in the articles spanned across genders, ages and issues. “Queen of the World” had seven participants, five girls and two boys with ages ranging from 11-16. “Whispering to Horses” included 15 children ages 8-11, 15 adolescents ages 12-17 and 14 adults ages 19-50, and “Equine assisted Psychotherapy” studies 63 children. Every age group showed improvement and increased progress and the greatest improvements were measured in the youngest of participants.
The studies have shown that this is a viable avenue for treatment in the juvenile delinquency arena. The therapy reinforces the components of the Social Control Theory and therefore teaches social skills that allow the youths to identify with others as well as their environment and reinforces the importance of self control as well. Lacking either one or both is a major contributing factor to delinquency in children. There are plenty of equine rescues out there and plenty of children that need rescuing. It’s not a bridge to far to suggest bringing them
