Equine Therapy

I'm happy to say I might be able to get my PT for my physical disabilities (from birth) at a hippotherapy facility. :3 I will get to meet a lot of lovely equines and apparently there is pool noodle vaulting (expert edition) so that's adorable.

Anyway! If it turns out I can't get a scholarship or whatnot, a friend I made through rabbit showing has offered me her old, old palomino Quarter Horse mare, steadfast and stable, for me to get back into the saddle on. So we're still good to go. I've dearly missed horseback riding since my other friend moved to Mississippi (she is back now yay!). Though I am heartbroken to say she is back without "my" riding horse, a black Arabian gelding named Shitaan. :c

A good few years ago I tried equine therapy for my anxiety disorder. It wasn't a terribly good experience.

First off, without knowing my experience with horses (thankfully I've worked with them for years, but for all they knew I've never seen one before) they dumped me in a small pasure with three horses I didn't know while they stood outside chatting it up. Red flag #1.

They didn't tell me what to call the horses. They told me to make up names for them. Not really horrid, but I'm not a decisive person... So I just called them by their colors.

Their exercises involved me trying to basically herd all three horses to one small area of the field WITHOUT using my voice (no talking, no kissy, no clucking, noouth sounds whatsoever) and without using touch or my arms/hands in general. Obviously that didn't work because these horses didn't know who I was or what I wanted them to do and I am not a person to use my predator status to stare down three 1,000# prey animals.

And when I couldn't do it they basically said the horses wouldn't move for me because they could sense that I'm a bad person. And overall they talked to me (18-19 at the time) in a really condescending way... Like how you'd speak to a small child.

That's just one place vos.

Cspr I hope you have a great time. I just saw a video from dressage therapy. It looked so amazing. Keep us updated!
Happy Easter.

I wasn't generalizing?

Physical therapy using equines is generally far better, because people don't go in there for mental health problems and subsequently get treated like dirt. I used to volunteer at the National Center for Therapeutic Riding before it shut down (they couldn't afford to keep renting the property... it was a great place). It was really cool helping and watching kids with everything from minor injuries to cerebral palsy get up and get riding.

I have taken classes and participating in activities like you did vos. For me, that activity was most useful. It tought me to relax and be patient. We put a bunch of horses in an arena together. (herd friendly of course) and practiced moving each horse by use of body language. We could speak to the horse, but only in a calm and encouraging manor(no kissing, clucking etc.) we could not touch the horse in any way but through use of body language, we could move them. I have never felt so much like a horse in my life. 😂 I was put (of course being a red head, our personalities matched pretty well) with the boss mare. A small, poa mare about the age of 14. She was challenging, she would not accept the fact that I was now the boss mare. She pushed me by pinning her ears, swishing her tail, etc. I learned to bow my core to show I was no threat, similar to how horses lower their head to the mare. I pushed my energy from my core to move her from one way to the other, getting her to keep her eye on me. Once we astablished this, in a pattern of moving back and forth, I would ask her to move on. Again, I would bow my core and push towards her, asking her to back up without use of physical pressure. This discovered a whole new side of me. On the other hand, equine therapy can be extremely helpful to some, just depends. The program I worked with once upon a time, worked with wounded veterans. I have never seen such big smiles on a man's face. To see the independence gained from these men. Those men had been through hell for us and it cost them. To see them hug that horse's neck is truly a sight you must see. I guess my point is, horses for therapy is better for me than any other treatment. I hope you feel the same. :) due keep us updated on how it goes! Happy Easter!!!!

Last edited on 2016-03-27 at 16:28:11 by Silver

The exercise was supposed to somehow help my social anxiety, which I don't get. I was already pushed to my limit just because of being around two strangers (the women who ran the therapy thing). I'm fine with animals... it's PEOPLE I'm terrified of. I don't know how it should have helped me. These people were just horrible, the horses were great. I don't mind just standing around while they're grazing... why do I need to move them around?

It was more the comments these ladies made when I was trying to do what they said...

"You're doing it wrong."
Well, thanks, you never told me how to do anything here.

"Stop being so timid."
Sorry if I'm not comfortable in close quarters with strange horses?

"Don't touch them."
I'm 5 feet away and my arms are pinned at my sides... HOW am I touching them?

"Are you stupid?!"
For what? Not being able to round them up in a group in 30 seconds? Thanks.

Yeah, literally. They said that... they said, "Are you STUPID" to someone with social anxiety disorder that they were supposed to be helping. If I could remember the name of this place, I would totally give them a terrible review...

Mm my daughter is high functioning autism. Social, emotional and balance issues. Oddly she is shorter on one side then normal. Hipparherepy has done wonders for her. She can not read humans but the horses offer her an escape as they don't lie. So for mental issues it can work. Not everyone is the same. For myself they are an escape from my anxiety issues as well as emotional. They also make me feel safe so it is one of the few times I can go out and not be judged because I have a service dog.

I am actually getting certified through PATH to be abled to teach Disabled and Therapy lessons! I love volunteering and seeing both kids and adults benefit is just amazing.

@ Vos - That makes me so angry, sad you don't remember the name of that place lol I want to call them up and abuse them on your behalf (I've never had social anxiety, but I suffer from generalized anxiety and know the pain).

It was sadly people like them who put me off riding - condescending and cliquey, give a kid who has never been around horses a task (I know you had exp. luckily) and expect them to know how to do it without ever being shown (and then put them down for failing!).
I don't know what it is about horses but they seem to attract those sorts of people.