Why Partner Horses
What is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
EAP enjoys a rich history based upon the special relationship between humans and horses. Although now-a-days modern city dwellers may have little or no experience with horses that has not always been the case. Horses have played an important role in our history. During antiquity people living in the Arabian deserts brought their horses into their tents at night where families slept. In places like Germany and Spain horses were trained to assist soldiers in war. In the United States horses carried the belongings of nomadic native Americans and later toiled in farmer’s fields and provided transportation.
It has only been recently that it has been discovered that horses can provide an innovative form of experiential therapy. Although EAP can simply be seen as activities with horses the process of establishing a healthy, positive relationship with a horse can promote many positive developments for the human client.
EAP has been shown to help clients achieve improvements in the following areas:
- Communication Skills Assertiveness
- Empathy
- Impulse Control
- Problem Solving Skills Stress Management Emotional Awareness Trust / Trustworthiness
- Anticipation of Consequences
- Willingness to Follow Directions
Horses are prey animals and their survival in the wild depends on their ability to identify danger and quickly decide upon appropriate actions. It can be said that when a horse meets a unfamiliar person the horse must quickly determine if that person wants to eat them. Horses don’t have any preconceived notions about people – about how they dress, how they talk, what they say etc. Horses care about how people act and they are very perceptive. And, a person’s actions are very revealing. Those actions provide much material for therapeutic processing.
Many clients want to know if they need prior experience with horses and/or if they will get to ride. Prior experience is not necessary. Clients are provided information to support their relationship with the horse. Activities like grooming the horse, feeding the horse, haltering the horse and leading the horse all help the client and horse get to know one another. Should that relationship prosper the client will probably get to ride the horse.
EAP has been successful with client issues such as: mood disorders, substance abuse or addiction, abuse, anxiety, trauma, abandonment, bipolar disorder, PTSD and ADHD. All new clients are given an assessment to determine if EAP is indicated.