Equine therapy programs are healing techniques offered by a number of facilities to provide therapy for persons with different physical and mental disabilities using a horse. Most facilities offer therapeutic horseback riding guidelines for children, adults with special needs and to disabled persons. The results provided by horse therapy programs are hardly duplicated by typical treatment programs and medications.
The program uses the rhythmic motion of riding a horse to provide therapy to children with Asperger’s syndrome and autism. The horse’s motion allows the young patients to focus on the movement which in turn teaches the child to indirectly focus better. The treatment may also be followed by a calming effect of riding.
A bond should first be established between the horse and the child before the successive sessions can result in stimulating tactile senses of the kid, development of motor skills and finally improvement of child’s ability to interact in a social manner.
Here are some of the facilities that offer equestrian therapy programs.
Falcon Ridge Ranch
The Falcon Ridge Ranch is a girls-only facility that is led by a clinical director who is both a Level 3 EAGALA certified therapist and a horse specialist. The facility has a beautiful and majestic horse therapy ranch located in the south of Utah. Cure, guidance, care to troubled girls aged 12 to 17 are provided not only through equine therapy but also with professional therapeutic services and academic excellence. The facility boasts of a one of a kind specially designed equine assisted psychotherapy that provides the girls with the oppurtunity to take care of the horses and experience therapeutic interaction with the horses.
PATH International
The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International introduced the “Horses4Heroes” program to provide alternative therapy to soldiers and combat veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, as well as traumatic brain injuries through equine-assisted psychotherapy. The therapeutic riding program is free of charge and offered throughout the United States in facilities such as Houston Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Heartland Equine therapeutic riding academy in Nebraska, Pikes Peak therapeutic riding center in Colorado to name a few.
Utah Facilities
Facilities in Utah offering equine therapy are the Life Enhancement center which provides individualized treatment for those suffering from mental health and addictions, the Sovereign Health Alternative to Incarceration treatment facility that provides equine treatment programs for those who are dealing with legal issues such as DUI, DWI, and the Talboat Recovery Solutions treatment facility which helps people living close to the edge or those who are one step from disaster to name a few.
To learn more about the various equine therapy programs available for individual with special needs, read the articles below.
- Horses4Heroes Program Locations in the US
- Hippotherapy for Children with Special Needs
- Equine Therapy for Special Needs
- Therapeutic Horse Riding for Cerebral Palsy
- Horse Therapy and Troubled Teenagers
- Equine Therapy for the Elderly
- Equine Therapy for Asperger’s and Autism
- Equine Therapy for Wounded Soldiers
- Equestrian Therapy for Children with Disability
- Equine Therapy for Autism