Hippotherapy...Equoterapia...Therapeutisches Reiten
What do you get when you combine a quadrupedal animal, a therapist, a rider living with some mental or physical impairment, and lots of smiley volunteers?
That's what I'm trying to figure out.
There's something about horses that seems to make folks happier, a little more self-aware, and even heal faster. It's been documented over and over in a few scientific studies, but mostly in client testimonials. The papers' results sections are unbelievable, and there's plenty of criticism within the scientific community about the validity of methods, data collection and analysis. But I suspect the critics have never stood alongside a horse when a nonverbal rider learns a new sign to get her horse to trot, and the huge grin that results, or a wheelchair-bound child get to fly, or a teen classified as "troubled" finally have someone trust him or her. For me, the scientific evidence and sentimental testimonial support and compliment each other. They are both saying the same thing: horses have the ability to heal.
I'm going to four countries to work at therapeutic riding facilities and live in the culture in which the riders live. Though I can't enter their psychosocially atypical world, I can try to observe it. The first stop is Brasilia, Brazil for the Federation of Riding for the Disabled International Conference. After the week of conference events, I'll stay on with the national organization of Therapeutic Riding, also in Brasilia, and move about the country visiting farms. After that I go to Australia, Singapore, and Germany and try to be good about updating!
Be a responsible citizen - Educate yourself!
www.frdi.net - FEderation of Riding for the Disabled International
www.narha.org - North American RIding for the Handicapped Association
there are a ton of therapeutic riding facilities and smaller associations too - check them out!!
Therapeutic riding is used for riders with mental and/or physical disabilities as part of a therapeutic program. Hippotherapy is a specialized fraction which involves a trained therapist in the riding arena. These programs are used for riders with autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, grief and emotional trauma, etc. Riders are not just kids, either, they are anyone able to sit atop a horse.
I'm interested not only in how therapeutic farms function internally, but their place within a society. How does it fit into treatment programs? How do riders feel about their lessons? How do traditional farms interact with therapeutic farms? How are horses trained specifically for this purpose? What do the doctors think about sending clients to a smelly barn instead of a sterile room? How do families pay for the therapy? Why does the staff keep doing what they're doing?
The first stop is Brasilia, Brazil where I'll be working with ANDE-Brasil, the National Therapeutic Riding association, then traveling around. Maybe I'll even get to hop on a horse sometime!
That's what I'm trying to figure out.
There's something about horses that seems to make folks happier, a little more self-aware, and even heal faster. It's been documented over and over in a few scientific studies, but mostly in client testimonials. The papers' results sections are unbelievable, and there's plenty of criticism within the scientific community about the validity of methods, data collection and analysis. But I suspect the critics have never stood alongside a horse when a nonverbal rider learns a new sign to get her horse to trot, and the huge grin that results, or a wheelchair-bound child get to fly, or a teen classified as "troubled" finally have someone trust him or her. For me, the scientific evidence and sentimental testimonial support and compliment each other. They are both saying the same thing: horses have the ability to heal.
I'm going to four countries to work at therapeutic riding facilities and live in the culture in which the riders live. Though I can't enter their psychosocially atypical world, I can try to observe it. The first stop is Brasilia, Brazil for the Federation of Riding for the Disabled International Conference. After the week of conference events, I'll stay on with the national organization of Therapeutic Riding, also in Brasilia, and move about the country visiting farms. After that I go to Australia, Singapore, and Germany and try to be good about updating!
Be a responsible citizen - Educate yourself!
www.frdi.net - FEderation of Riding for the Disabled International
www.narha.org - North American RIding for the Handicapped Association
there are a ton of therapeutic riding facilities and smaller associations too - check them out!!
Therapeutic riding is used for riders with mental and/or physical disabilities as part of a therapeutic program. Hippotherapy is a specialized fraction which involves a trained therapist in the riding arena. These programs are used for riders with autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, grief and emotional trauma, etc. Riders are not just kids, either, they are anyone able to sit atop a horse.
I'm interested not only in how therapeutic farms function internally, but their place within a society. How does it fit into treatment programs? How do riders feel about their lessons? How do traditional farms interact with therapeutic farms? How are horses trained specifically for this purpose? What do the doctors think about sending clients to a smelly barn instead of a sterile room? How do families pay for the therapy? Why does the staff keep doing what they're doing?
The first stop is Brasilia, Brazil where I'll be working with ANDE-Brasil, the National Therapeutic Riding association, then traveling around. Maybe I'll even get to hop on a horse sometime!
posted by Sarah at 9:18 AM
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