A Report On The Group

Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT), specifically, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy/Learning is a type of therapy that is primarily solution-focused and client-centered. The heart of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy/Learning is captured within the EGALA system (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association). According to Hayley Sumner who is published in the US Newswire, “EGALA has set the standard for horse-related therapy including both equine

As of 2011, it has been reported that there are 650 million disabled people in the world (“Disabilities”). Though this number is high, it is greatly underestimated because disabled people are commonly isolated and stigmatized by their community (“Disabilities”). After hearing of this extremely high number of disabled people, I then ultimately decided I would write my research paper on ways to help the disabled. Therapeutic riding has been actively helping individuals with disabilities for decades, and can benefit these unfortunate people physically, mentally, and emotionally. “Therapeutic riding, which originated in Europe, has been actively helping individuals with disabilities since the 1950's” (Shepard). Through equine-orientated

In this experience we had the chance to learn and experience new skills and capabilities. The

Walking into the sunlit barn hallway, the musky scent of hay and horse fur overwhelms my senses. I see a chestnut-colored horse stick his head over the wooden stall door to greet me. As I look around, I notice other volunteers getting horses saddled up and ready for the next lesson. Turning around I smile at a young student entering with her mom, ecstatic at the prospect of being able to ride a horse despite being in a wheelchair. Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy, located in Gretna, makes dreams possible. People of all ages have the opportunity to learn how to ride a horse despite their physical or mental disabilities. After volunteering at HETRA for five years, the organization has made significant impacts on my personality, interests, and maturity.

Throughout high school, I volunteered at a reputable childrens therapy facility called Equi-kids. Equi-kids is a nonprofit organization that teaches disabled children how to interact with animals and build core strength on horseback. I have volunteered as a horse-walker and side-walker for thousands of lessons and watched each student gain remarkable confidence. Even some of the most severely disabled riders have found comfort alongside the helpful staff and loving animals at the farm.

On observation, Chloe presented with limited knowledge and insight relating to equine and horsemanship skills. For example, she asked for a halter to assist with connecting to the horse and when provided with one, she was unable to independently place the halter on the horse’s head. She asked if the horses were wearing shoes, rather than investigating herself. On

I completed my service learning hours this semester in the organization called Personal Ponies Ltd. This is a charity dedicated to providing pony visits to hospitals, schools with exceptional education programs, foster care homes, veteran hospitals, and learning centers. The charity also provides a private farm where adults and children with special needs can fully enjoy feeding and grooming horses. Sandra Seiden, Florida state director, according her personal experiences, firmly believes that this type of psychotherapy positively enhances mental development of the child. Angela Masini, the author of the article “Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Clinical Practice,” also shared the healing effects on a child through a close interaction

I facilitated in the middle face in the 3rd-week of the group sessions the group members are from different cultures and ethnic, the number member in my group are 8 people including me, there are 6 women and two men, the name of the group are Ivonne Carrillo, Javier Gomez, (was missing the day) Yadira Lara, Sandra Sanchez, Janneth Quevedo, Vanessa Rios, Terence Sinabajije, and me, Rocio Mendoza. The date when I lead the group was November 7, 2016, and I made a facilitator plan for 40 minutes. The plan for the day that I facilitated was focused on the topic that we choose in the preliminary phase which was culture gender and values. The theme that I choose to talk about in my session was about Gender Stereotype discussion. At the beginning part of the group for the first 10 minutes, I started by introducing myself and explaining confidentiality, then I use the Sessional Turning In skill. According to Shulman (2015) explain that “The leader attempts to develop anticipatory sensitivity before each meeting, to themes that could emerge during the session.” (p. 487). First of all I talk about confidentiality than I started doing a review of the previous session, in which Yadira was the facilitator and she talked about gender role and traditions.

Two Methods for Handling Difficult Team Members and Method used in my Decision making Process.

I always prepare for my groups well in advanced; having my writing utensils, worksheet or movie, and follow up questions helps my stay organized and not get overwhelmed if the group goes a different way then excepted. I believe I have the skills and knowledge of when to end a group for safety reasons because I have had to do it many times at Sheppard Pratt. I have had to stop groups due to patients becoming aggressive towards each other, overall negativity or disrespect for the therapeutic environment and others, and many other reasons. When the group is no longer focused on the task at hand, I try to redirect everyone back to the focus of the group with stimulating questions about the topic or ask the participants how it going. The group dynamic can be a difficult one to understand, but I believe I have a good overall

Horses have been a major part of my life since the moment I could walk. I have shown horses for fifteen years and could not imagine my life without my horses. I have known many people who have said horses have changed their life for the better and has saved them. Horses have been there for people when people are not there for others. Horses have a rare connection with people and can help heal those hurting in ways people cannot. I believe this project is important to help children who do not have a chance to participate in extracurricular activities due to cost, these children deserve the opportunity to take part in something fun but allow the parents not to worry about cost and financial standpoints. It is important for every child growing up to have the opportunity to participate in an activity that allows them to make new friends and to feel special.

Dusty Riders provides at risk children to interact with horses and nature. Dusty’s Riders takes children out of their present environment and exposes them to opportunities for individual personal growth. Through this interaction the clients will build self-esteem and self-awareness. The clients will also get educated about horses and how to take care of them by interacting with Dusty’s and then riding a horse.

The Academy of Equine Assisted Learning’s program emphasizes its “Building-Block”™ curriculum of facilitating life skills through positively reinforced interaction with horses. Exercises

(2004) exposes the existing language system of nonverbal communication that exists among horses and humans through the use of the body as the vehicle of expression. Through an intersubjective and subjective approach of 25 in-depth interviews and observations Brandt explores the process of human horse communication through the use of symbolic interactionism. The ethnographer argues that humans and horses create a shared meaning of a language system by using the body which enables the two to experience a successful partnership and rewarding interactions. The ethnographer asks the questions: what is the possibility of symbolic interaction on a nondiscursive basis, how can the body be a vehicle for symbolic interaction and that through the application of symbolic interactionist theoretical approaches to non verbal communication in animal and human relations rendering all a lingual beings being seen as alike. The feminist approach allows the investigator be intimately involved, and by being a known observer, full participant, and a complete member with the added research role it provided Brandt with the insider knowledge and entrance to the context. This allows the ability to see the horse behavior and their unique way of relating to the world in a different way. During these interviews the ethnographer took notes on how the women used their body and voices to convey their intentions and in turn how the horses reciprocated this interaction. These observations showed

I was supposed to write this project about my relationship with a human, but instead, I am going to explain my relationship with my best friend, my horse. It might sound a little strange but we're a team. When I am feeling down, he brings me up. In my opinion, he has a stronger personality than any human I have ever met. He has a heart and sometimes an attitude, which means he’s not always the best, but who is? Sometimes I cant stand him, throwing his head knocking me to the ground, losing patience, kicking and even getting a little too frisky around the mares.