Equine Therapy Research Paper

What is The answer for Children with Special Needs?

Equine Therapy 1

Imagine being a 2 year old again, and not being able to express your feelings and communicate to the people that you loved. Being the parent of that child, you are looking for anything that will be of benefit to your child. You feel hopeless and frustrated and want to find something that will help bring your child out of their shell. There is a similar story of a young boy named Isaiah. Isaiah was diagnosed at 2 with Autism and he had difficulty communicating and connecting with others. His parents struggled to find something that would work. Isaiah’s breakthrough was a small chestnut mare. He had an instant connection with her. This breakthrough came in the form

The rider begins to focus on the slow and deliberate movement of the horse, which is relaxing. The owners of Children’s TherAplay say, “horses create a dynamic, three-dimensional movement that cannot be reproduced in a traditional clinic setting. The gait, or stride of the horse, coupled with the animal’s warmth, provides numerous benefits.”

Finally, there is even a therapy where a small pony is taken to a nursing home and the residents get to pet and talk to the pony. Senior citizens who experience memory loss can also benefit from equine therapy. There are many people young and old, who benefit from equine therapy both mentally as physically. In addition, equine therapy is not just useful for special needs individuals, but it is helpful for kids having trouble in school, kids with behavioral issues and people who have experienced a loss. The background and everything that goes into the equine therapy session is expansive. The therapy session is tailored to meet the individual needs of the child and the disability. It may include playing games on the horse such a “around the world” where the child will start in front of the saddle and have to turn around in the saddle, hence why it’s called ‘around the world.” Red light, green light, or Simon says may also be positive for children with attention disorders. It teaches them to listen and when it is the right time to go (green light) to go or when to stop (red