- Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) use horses for emotional growth and learning. The collaboration between therapist, equine professional and horse helps participants learn about themselves and others by completing specific activities.
- EAL treatment program uses horses as a tool for emotional growth and learning, creating a short-term collaborative approach among the participants. Learning is achieved during EAL when participants process feelings, behavior and patterns while learning about themselves and others.
- EAL produces endless experiences and situations for discussion, analysis and learning. In addition, it has proven to be very effective in building confidence, improving communication skills, and providing personal insight that give participants fresh and effective problem-solving tools.
- Non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative problem solving, leadership, work, taking responsibility, teamwork, relationships, confidence, and attitude are some examples of the tools utilized and developed by EAL activities. By working with a large powerful horse, participants are able to develop confidence and overcome fears, allowing them to take new skills into intimidating and challenging situations in their everyday life.
- Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) incorporates horses experientially for emotional growth and learning. It is a collaborative effort between a licensed therapist and a horse professional working with the clients and horses to address treatment goals. Because of its intensity and effectiveness, it is considered a short-term, or “brief” approach.
- EAP is experiential in nature. Participants learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses, and then processing (or discussing) feelings, behaviors, and patterns. This approach has been compared to the ropes courses used by therapists, treatment facilities, and human development courses around the world. But EAP has the added advantage of utilizing horses, dynamic and powerful living beings.
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WHY HORSES
Working with large and powerful animals helps participants overcome fear. Accomplishing tasks involving horses, in spite of this fear, creates confidence and helps the participants deal with other intimidating situations in life.
Life humans, horses have distinct personalities. They provide opportunities for metaphorical learning. Using metaphors is an effective technique when working with even the most challenging individuals or groups.
Horses can mirror human body language. Participants learn if they change their behavior, the horses will respond differently.
Horses are honest, which makes then especially powerful messengers.
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Confidence:
Enhances individuals’ confidence in their ability to tackle new projects, such as recovery, and leads to improved self-esteem.
Self-efficacy:
Learning to communicate and achieve harmony with a large animal promotes renewed feelings of efficacy. A motivated “I can do it!” replaces feelings of helplessness and motivation, empowering the person to take on challenges in other areas of their lives.
Communication:
Horses’ sensitivity to non-verbal communication assist individuals in developing greater awareness of their emotions. The non-verbal cues that they may be communicating, and the important role of non-verbal communication in relationships.
Trust:
Learning to trust an animals such as a horse aides in the development, or restoration, of trust for those whose ability to trust has been violated by difficult life experiences such as physical or sexual abuse, abandonment, neglect, or marital infidelity.
Perspective:
Through grooming activities and other types of care for a specific horse, individuals are able to put aside the absorbing focus of their mental illness, such as depressive ruminations, and instead to direct their attention and interests outwardly toward safe and caring interactions.
Anxiety Reduction:
Many studies of human-animal interaction indicate that contact with animals significantly reduces physiological anxiety levels. Some individuals are initially afraid of horses, but horses’ genuineness and affection ally these fears, helping individuals to embrace exposure to therapy for their anxiety issues.
Decreasing Isolation:
For many individuals with mental illness, there is a long-term or recent history of feeling rejected by, and different from, other people. Mental illnesses are intrinsically isolating experiences. The horses’ unconditional acceptance invites individuals back into the fellowship of life.
Self-Acceptance:
Many individuals are initially concerned that they will do something embarrassing while learning about horses. Yet individuals quickly learn that the other participants are engaged in their own equine experiences, and they observe the comfort of the horses in their own skin. Fear of embarrassment in public are thereby often reduced and self-acceptance increased. |
