When you hear the term 'equine therapy retreats', you might think of a hospital for horses, a place where animals are sent to recover from injuries or illnesses. Well, nothing could be farther from the truth. At an ETR, the horses are just fine. It's the people who need help.
There are over 250 centers with certification for this kind of therapy in North America. The program incorporates great natural beauty and a farm or ranch experience with sessions when people work with horses in controlled circumstances. Both individuals and groups can schedule retreats. Working with horses helps people resolve personal issues, face hidden fears, and learn to work to their strengths.
Therapeutic riding began in the 1960s as a way to help people with disabilities, both adults and children. Riding helps improve core strength, posture, and balance for someone who has limited capabilities. The walk of a horse moves the rider's spine like walking on two legs does - which is an amazing thing for someone confined to a wheelchair. Being on a horse lets a crippled child see the world from a 'normal' perspective. Autistic children open up around a pony.
It didn't take therapists long to realize that the mental and emotional benefits were as profound, if not more so, than the physical. This truth existed before, of course. An old saying states that 'The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man'.
People build walls against a hurtful world. They hide behind social or professional masks. They fail to try because of past failures. Horses seem to intuitively respond to the real person, to hidden tensions or fear or to aggression, and people have to change to succeed with them. Horses are also willing to forgive and quick to react to firm kindness. Successfully guiding a horse is a wonderful experience to someone who lacks self-confidence.
Anxiety, depression, self-doubt, inability to relate, and even despair yield to an atmosphere of peace and the presence of horses. Horses are prey animals, so they have to be alert and sensitive to their surroundings. However, they choose to trust people, and this can have a profound effect on someone who has closed the door to human relationships and lost hope in the future.
Business executives who are overwhelmed by the challenges they face can gain perspective to make a new push. People can get to know themselves better by working with a horse. Some retreats include meditation in their therapy, while others use the simple skills needed to care for animals in ways that reveal hidden issues that people have. Psychology employs the intuitive understanding that many horses have to help people find emotional balance, release, and refreshment.
The science of 'hippotherapy' is fascinating. Horses, who are prey animals and naturally would rather run than fight, have chosen to trust the people they encounter and seem to welcome the interaction that helps so many find balance and rest. A stay at a retreat is a chance to forget the past and the daily grind and live in the present, enjoying peace and equine companionship.
There are over 250 centers with certification for this kind of therapy in North America. The program incorporates great natural beauty and a farm or ranch experience with sessions when people work with horses in controlled circumstances. Both individuals and groups can schedule retreats. Working with horses helps people resolve personal issues, face hidden fears, and learn to work to their strengths.
Therapeutic riding began in the 1960s as a way to help people with disabilities, both adults and children. Riding helps improve core strength, posture, and balance for someone who has limited capabilities. The walk of a horse moves the rider's spine like walking on two legs does - which is an amazing thing for someone confined to a wheelchair. Being on a horse lets a crippled child see the world from a 'normal' perspective. Autistic children open up around a pony.
It didn't take therapists long to realize that the mental and emotional benefits were as profound, if not more so, than the physical. This truth existed before, of course. An old saying states that 'The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man'.
People build walls against a hurtful world. They hide behind social or professional masks. They fail to try because of past failures. Horses seem to intuitively respond to the real person, to hidden tensions or fear or to aggression, and people have to change to succeed with them. Horses are also willing to forgive and quick to react to firm kindness. Successfully guiding a horse is a wonderful experience to someone who lacks self-confidence.
Anxiety, depression, self-doubt, inability to relate, and even despair yield to an atmosphere of peace and the presence of horses. Horses are prey animals, so they have to be alert and sensitive to their surroundings. However, they choose to trust people, and this can have a profound effect on someone who has closed the door to human relationships and lost hope in the future.
Business executives who are overwhelmed by the challenges they face can gain perspective to make a new push. People can get to know themselves better by working with a horse. Some retreats include meditation in their therapy, while others use the simple skills needed to care for animals in ways that reveal hidden issues that people have. Psychology employs the intuitive understanding that many horses have to help people find emotional balance, release, and refreshment.
The science of 'hippotherapy' is fascinating. Horses, who are prey animals and naturally would rather run than fight, have chosen to trust the people they encounter and seem to welcome the interaction that helps so many find balance and rest. A stay at a retreat is a chance to forget the past and the daily grind and live in the present, enjoying peace and equine companionship.
About the Author:
You can find details about the benefits of receiving equine therapy and more info about equine therapy retreats at http://www.horsesenseandthehumanheart.com right now.
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