"Talking Horses"

Mental Health Today  - Feb 2008

Exerpt:

"Pet therapies that use dogs or cats to calm people with high blood pressure, or simply to cheer up and stimulate elderly people in residential care, are now widely accepted as a valid form of health treatment. But what about horse therapy? An increasing body of evidence is showing that people with mental health problems – especially those who struggle with more orthodox talking treatments – can be helped by non-verbal interaction with horses."

"Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an emerging specialism offered by a small but growing number of specialist practitioners. It involves a trained and licensed EAP therapist and a horse professional working together with the patient and horse to help the patient tackle issues such as lack of confidence, poor body image, addictive behaviours, and poor communication skills. The belief is substance abuse, anxiety, communication needs, and abuse issues, and EAP providers are increasingly keen to encourage the NHS to recognise the benefits for patients on their paths to recovery."

"Ruth McMahon took early retirement from her job as senior occupational therapist with the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Care Partnership, an NHS foundation trust, and in 2006, with riding instructor Nicky Welton, developed her Equine Assisted Therapy programme at Croft Farm Riding Centre in Filby, near Great Yarmouth. Their clients include referrals from mental health trusts, charities, local private mental health organisations and organisations like Independent Living Norfolk, which channels government funding to individuals for activities that they feel will be of therapeutic value to them."

"Working with horses ‘raises genuine emotions that you are unlikely to get in normal therapeutic settings,’ says Wendy Powell that people can learn about themselves by carrying out set tasks and role-plays with the horses and then processing and discussing with the therapist their feelings and behaviours, and any repeated patterns. The role of the therapist is to act as a guide; the horses are the teachers."