While the popularity of equine therapy has been increasing dramatically, in has expanded into many different settings. Equine therapy can now be found as part of veterans rehabilitation programs, outpatient therapy offered to children with developmental disorders as part of a hospital’s treatment model, and even surprisingly, part of the required curriculum for Stanford Medical students.
As this expansive development has occurred, many in the psychotherapeutic field have also wondered where the research to support this new treatment approach is being published. Some journals have produced articles supporting equine therapy, much research has been funded by the Horse and Human Research foundation, and some researchers have chosen to conduct and publish their own research independently.
Carol Cohen, second from left, won the breeding to World Champion Totilas during the Equestrian Aid Foundation/Palm Beach Dressage Derby ‘Inspection Reception’ auction. (Photo courtesy of Mary Phelps)
Wellington, FL (March 27, 2012) – The fourth annual Equestrian Aid (EAF) Palm Beach Dressage Derby “Inspection Reception” Fundraiser exceeded expectations, showing just how generous the dressage community is to their fellow equestrians. The evening of bidding raised just over $35,000 for the EAF, and included some of the most spectacular and unique auction items to date. The Equestrian Aid Foundation’s purpose is to help equestrians who have fallen on hard times, and the auction took place Thursday, March 1st at the beautiful Equestrian Estates show grounds immediately following the FEI Jog for the famous Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI.
“The Palm Beach Dressage Derby kickoff party is a long standing tradition, with history going back over fifteen years,” said Mary Phelps, one of the key organizers and promoters of the event. “Four years ago the kickoff party was turned over to the Equestrian Aid Foundation, and we want to thank all who have contributed to its success over the years.” Items were on display in the elegant “Beer Garden,” a new addition to the historic show grounds. The Equestrian Aid Foundation has delivered financial assistance to equestrians, horsemen, and equine professionals who are suffering from catastrophic illness or injuries throughout their time of need and relies on the generous funding of the equestrian community.
A study recently conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that 74 percent of dog owners, 60 percent of cat owners, and 45 percent of bird owners considered their pet as a child or family member. Sixty two percent of cat and dog owners said their pet helped them relax and relieved stress. Further, 59 percent of dog owners and 37 percent of cat owners thought their pets were not only good for their health but would help them live longer.
However, when the person is placed in a position of service, such as in a guardianship position, it was demonstrated that those who guard over a dog are more likely to survive after a heart attack. One hundred percent of the dog guardians polled said that they turn to their animal companions for emotional support, sometimes instead of friends. Further, 100 percent talk to their pets, and 97 percent of animal guardians think their pets understand what they are saying.
The other day, a client in my office brought up an interesting issue. From the time she was young, she recalls being a “dog person”, and always finding great joy and comfort in their presence. However, recently, she has noticed that the mere sight of dog hair in her house can send her into a fit.
After assessing, and ruling out any OCD diagnosis, and looking back into her history to determine exactly when this frustration started, what became clear is that around the time her first child was born (she has two — ages 5 and 7), she began to resent the dog hair in the house.
So I asked her about how the process of maternal bonding had gone. Pausing, she related that actually she had struggled mightily with the bonding process, and at times had to force herself to hug, comfort, and console her young boy. Given that we had already discussed her fractured relationship with her mother who could be overbearing, critical, and downright nasty, we concluded that the development of oxytocin (which typically happens during the mother-child bonding phase) had also suffered.
While there are numerous complaints clients can present with and probably an even greater abundance of ways to treat these ailments, the majority of practitioners would most likely agree that the majority of them stem from the relationships that people find themselves in. Or perhaps, these present relationships are reflections of the more formative earlier ones. In either case, there is no shortage of methods to help people better understand themselves and their relationships.
One of these methods of fostering self-awareness is equine therapy. And like many other forms of treatment, working with horses has taken many forms. While some organizations focus solely on creating and implementing exercises for clients to perform with horses, others attempt to generalize the client’s behavior with the horse to other, more fractured areas of their life. The thought in both cases in that if the client can learn how to alter his/her behavior across a multitude of situations, the outcomes will be different, and hopefully, more satisfying.
While those in the world of mindfulness may be well aware that empathy toward others is a recipe for a feeling of well-being within oneself, for many people, just how to increase a sense of empathy can be a challenging subject. This of course is complicated when many people struggle with feeling empathetic toward others. To be sure, when empathy isn’t expressed, it isn’t gained either. So if this is the case, how does one go about increasing empathy? And further, is it possible that animals, namely horses, can help us to feel more empathetic toward one another?
To answer this question, let’s first take a look at how empathy is defined, and what factors in human relationships can facilitate it.
When kids have secure attachment relationships (so that they know they can count on their caregivers for emotional and physical support), they are more likely to show sympathy and offer help to other kids in distress (Waters et al 1979; Kestenbaum et al 1989).
Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center partners with Central Kentucky Riding for Hope on innovative program that needs support
Lexington, KY (March 2, 2012) – “Beautiful.” “Balance.” “Strength.” “Friend.” “I trust you.” These are just a few affirmations written in chalk that appeared last fall on the shiny coats of the horses of Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH) at the Kentucky Horse Park. The words were written by survivors of rape and childhood sexual abuse who participated in a unique pioneering collaboration between CKRH and the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center.
Called the BRCC/CKRH EAST Group, the innovative experience built upon the existing eight-week BRCC Building Blocks Group curriculum and provided equine-assisted skills experiences that capitalize on the long-established horse-human bond to promote healing. The name EAST (Equine Assisted Survivors of Trauma) fits perfectly with the collaboration’s objective to provide survivors of sexual violence a new day filled with hope and promise.
WESTPORT, CT – March 2, 2012 – Who better to judge the professional riders participating in the Fete Cheval than McLain Ward? Ward set the standard in the Ride-Off at the first Fete Cheval in 2005.
The Fete Cheval, presented by Spy Coast Farm to benefit The EQUUS Foundation, will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Cocktails, dinner and exclusive ringside seating will be held in the International Club starting at 7 p.m. before the revelry begins at 8 p.m. The deadline for dinner reservations is Sunday, March 4, 2012!
The riders vying for the top honor are Max Amaya, Derek Braun, Saer Coulter, Nick Dello Joio, Hillary Dobbs, Jimmy Fairclough, Brianne Goutal, Weston Gracida, Patricia Griffith, Ashley Holzer, Charlie Jayne, Paige Johnson, Kris Kampsen, Laura Kraut, Marcia Kulak, Anne Kursinski, Alexa Pessoa, Rodrigo Pessoa, Brandon Phillips, Kim Prince, Havens Schatt, Louise Serio, Jessica Springsteen, Scott Stewart, Shane Sweetnam, and Jimmy Torano, representing Dressage, Eventing, Hunter, Jumper, and Polo.
Equine therapy studies are hard to find. And perhaps even more challenging to find are studies that utilize sound research protocol. Of course this leaves many well intentioned mental health practitioners to question the validity of equine therapy. On the other hand, there are many potential recipients of equine therapy who wish that there insurance company would cover equine work so that they may partake in it.
So, that being said, let’s take a look at a few good equine therapy studies:
Looking at the outcomes of 31 participants in an equine-assisted experiential therapy program, this article describes the intervention and the psychological measures that were completed prior to treatment, immediately following treatment and 6 months after treatment. After discussing the results of the study, the article also delves into the clinical implications and limitations of the study, and makes suggestions for further research.
Aiken, SC – February 28, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that Phillip and Evie Dutton will be hosting their fourth annual Olympic Gala in Aiken, SC on Friday, March 16, 2012 at 7 pm at Bridle Creek, their winter training facility. The night will bring the Aiken community together to enjoy cocktails, a buffet, dancing, and a silent auction while supporting the U.S. Eventing High Performance programs with a portion of the proceeds going to the USET Foundation.
“We are very excited to be hosting the benefit again for the Eventing Team with the lead up to the London Olympics,” explained Evie. “It’s a great night out for the Aiken community and a lot of fun for everybody while supporting a great cause.”
The event features top event riders Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin as the Celebrity Hosts. Starting at 7 pm, guests can enjoy the open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres as they partake in the raffle and silent auction while also dancing to the music of Preston and Weston.
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Lexington, KY (March 2, 2012) – “Beautiful.” “Balance.” “Strength.” “Friend.” “I trust you.” These are just a few affirmations written in chalk that appeared last fall on the shiny coats of the horses of Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH) at the Kentucky Horse Park. The words were written by survivors of rape and childhood sexual abuse who participated in a unique pioneering collaboration between CKRH and the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center.
