Horse Assisted Therapy Persuasive Essay

Riding horses can be used in many spectacular ways. Horses can be used for therapy with special needs children. Horses can help ease soldier’s minds. Riding horses helps with emotional issues, diminish post-traumatic stress disorders, and allow children with special needs to have fun.

Animal Assisted Therapy also known as animal-assisted therapy has been formally introduced to the world in the last ten years or so. Although animals have always been a place of comfort for a lot of people, scientists just began to realize the impact animals have on society. The world has begun to experiment with what animals can do to benefit human health. The most common type of animal-assisted therapy is equine-assisted therapy. Equines are horses. Equine-assisted therapy 's impact on minors who have mental health issues have led to a successful new type of therapy that includes multiple benefits. Equine-assisted therapy has worked well in is treating adolescents and children how to communicate and connect with others. Two big issues that animal-assisted therapy has been known to help is Autism and kids with attachment and social problems.

“The horse acts as the teacher and unlocks the client. The animal facilitates emotional breakthroughs, and the effect, therapists report, can be magical” (Hayley Sumner).

I was astonished to find out that disabled people can greatly benefit from their therapeutic riding, even when outside of the arena. The idea of someone being with an animal to improve his or her people skills is intriguing. My research suggests that disabled riders may possibly gain better people skills and sensations by being with a horse, rather than talking with a sophisticated human being. In my research, I found that www.sire-htec.org had a great description of how a disabled person would feel on top of a horse. It stated, the horses “rhythmic movements help stiff or spastic muscles to relax, much like rocking soothes a crying baby” (“Benefits”). This information was very helpful when discussing the

If you’ve ever owned an animal, you know that being around them can be extremely therapeutic. After a stressful day at work or school, it is always nice to come home to your pet and feel comforted by them. Many dog owners even claim that their dogs can feel their pain. However, if you speak to anyone who has been spent their life around horses, they’ll tell you that the connection between horse and rider is unlike any other. Norwegian researcher Anita Maurstad explains in a recent article, that over time horse and rider can become so attuned to each other that they develop a state of co-being. Maurstad also found, through research, that horses appear to learn to relate to humans in ways that provide them with a good quality of life. A recent study from Washington State university has concluded that kids who work with horses have significantly lower stress levels. In addition to these, there have been numerous other studies that show that working with horses decreases blood pressure, reduced feelings of anger, tension, and anxiety. Riding horses also allows you to gain feelings of self esteem, empowerment, patience, and trust. Because of the overwhelming positive effects that horses seem to have, horses are no longer being used just for recreational or agricultural

Before we jump into the main question, let's jump back to where it all started. Horse therapy dates back to around 600 b.c when the greeks rode horses for therapy. Later, in around 1946 equine therapy then was introduced in Scandinavia. Which then led to the North Americans beginning the handicapped riding which started around 1969. They soon recognized that riding horses or just being

Equine Therapy is a proven treatment for PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety, and can help with self-esteem, trust, and communication issues. This alternative approach is a little different, veterans with PTSD don’t look at it like going there for treatment, they are going to help tame wild mustang horses. The beginning of this process they have earned the trust of the horse before they can even start to work with them. The same time it is helping the veteran is learning to trust again. As they are taming these horses over a twelve-week course, the veteran becomes aware and learns how to control their impulses. It is very important that the veteran controls their impulses because horses understand body language. If the veteran isn’t aware of their impulses, the horse might interrupt it wrong, and the veteran could be hurt. The veteran learns to be aware of their body language and others.

The Ismael Pinto Association of Equine Therapy in Madrid summarizes principles and concepts relating to how equine therapy is beneficial. Horses transmit heat and rhythmic pulses from within their lumbar and ventral muscles that conduct

Each 12 months, greater than 100,000 American horses—operating, racing and associate horses and even children’s ponies—are inhumanely conveyed lengthy distances in cramped

Equine-assisted therapy. The use of equine-assisted therapy has been proposed as a method for facilitating positive sensory experiences for children with autism. A doctoral dissertation by Stickney (2010) finds that “the consistent, rhythmic movement of the horse as well as its warmth, appearance, smell, and furry coat sends an array of sensory signals to the central nervous system, affecting motor, visual, proprioceptive, tactile, and vestibular systems that are necessary for development of motor control” (p. 33). Preliminary research studies indicate that the experience of riding a horse can improve motor function, posture, balance, and reaction time. This can encourage positive sensory experiences, which causes the brain to release chemicals

Considering the advances in technology in the past decade, it is not difficult to see how technology will affect equine practice in the coming years (Ramey and Baus, 2012). Over the years, the reasons for keeping horses have changed. They are kept for various reasons and have become ever more popular in sports and recreation. The economic value of the equestrian sector stands at £4.3 billion of consumer spending across a wide range of goods and services each year. This has increased from £3.8 billion in 2011. (Beta-uk.org, 2017). Not only are the horses that are being kept for leisure purposes, but also those employed for sport being sold on due to undesirable behaviours. Ridden behaviour problems are prevalent in the UK leisure horse population

Therapeutic horse riding is a program that benefits children and adults who have challenges wither is physical or emotional. Some of the program's most common challenges are a variety of special needs relating to cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, and autism to stroke recovery and learning disabilities. The program helps increased balance and muscle control, improves concentration and short-term memory, and enhances their confidence and self-esteem. Research into animal-assisted therapy is fairly new; however, even among professionals who believe more research is in order, there is a general consensus that therapy animals can be a highly beneficial addition to treatment programs for children with autism or Asperger's.

“ Therapeutic riding horses also help increase a person’s self-esteem (Nichols 4).” Recreational riding- are people riding a horse that has a trained or certified therapeutic riding instructor (Scott 8). There are so many different hazards when interacting with horses vs. riding horses. Horseback riding is the most dangerous recreational sport. Horseback riding is popular with the therapeutic riding program (Hausberger 5). Horseback riding also helps people with disabilities by improving their balance and coordination (Nichols 11). To make horseback riding more exciting they make up games and activities for the lesson. The client will have to come in for an orientation that way the horse leader can determine which equine therapy the client needs. Most clients that do horseback riding or equine therapy do not like the change of a horse or any change at all. “Hippotherapy” is treatment with help of a horse. Hippotherapy help with both the children and adults with mild Neromusclarskeletsal Dysfunction. Hippotherapy helps improve the functional limitations (Scott 15-16). “ Some horses are trained for vaulting.” Vaulting is a type of therapy, in which the riders stand, kneel, sit, or even lay down while the horse is moving.” Humans get more of a connection while caring for the horse than you can horseback riding (Hayes 9). You are around the horse with content daily which was a great impact on the human and horse interaction (Hausberger 1-2). To do an educational benefit, they play a game with the clients. The client in the book pulls leaves while riding the horse to twist and stretch (Scott 6-7). Miscommunication with the rider and the horse have more consequences with the relationship. The most complex for the rider is to remain calm, alert, and positive at all times through the horse ride. The riders need to have their body and mind in the state of equilibrium state

Winston Churchill once stated,“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man,” that statement certainly rings true when discussing the topic of Equine Assisted Therapy. Since Ancient Greece, people have been using horseback riding as a form of therapy to help people who are disabled to improve their lives physically, mentally, and emotionally. Despite the fact that horseback riding is typically dismissed as a form of physical therapy, the physical, mental, and emotional benefits prove that therapeutic riding is a valuable form of therapy.