THERAPY & ASSISTED LEARNING | My Equine Connection

Therapeutic Riding
Interactions Include Riding the Horse

Balance & Coordination

Therapeutic Riding

Catching, Grooming, Saddling

Obstacles and Patterns

Trust

Equine Assisted Learning

Catching, Grooming, Leading

Join Up Exercises

Direction Following

Therapeutic Riding

Challenges and Games including: poles, cones, barrels, balls, hoops, noodles, stuffed animals

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Equine Assisted Learning

Navigating and Completing Obstacles with and without ropes and physical contact

Each participant is paired with a horse that best suits their needs.
A certified animal assisted therapy instructor plans and personally implements every lesson.
Accommodations and adjustments are made throughout the session to ensure the individual has a good experience.
Sessions are one-on-one and designed specifically for the individual.
The facility has an indoor and outdoor arena to accommodate year-round learning.

During a session individuals play games and engage with the horse to practice skills such as:

Instructor greets the student.
Student catches and leads the horse to the grooming area.
Ground work including round pen, basic handling skills, leading through obstacles.
Student grooms (curry, brush, pick feet) horse.
Saddling, bridling, mounting.
Depending on participants skill level games, patterns, and challenges are completed by the student directing the horse.
Untacking is completed in the grooming area.
Student leads horse back to stall.

What Is the Length of Participation?

Session length depends on the student and their abilities. Sessions are typically 30 minutes to one hour.
Students can progress as far as their interest allows.
Additional opportunities are offered as student progresses in ability. Opportunities include but are not limited to:
- trail rides
- horse shows
- playing games
- riding with a game partner
- riding at larger off-site facilities.

What Are the Benefits?

A recent article in Psychology Today discusses a number of ways people benefit from Equine Assisted Activities:
- Increased trust
- Reduced anxiety
- Less feeling of depression and isolation
- Increased self-esteem, self-acceptance, and social skills
- Better impulse control
- Increased problem-solving skills
- Improved communication skills, including non-verbal
- Better understanding of healthy boundaries and the importance of assertiveness
- Learn to get outside own negative, self-absorbed thoughts and nurture another creature
Skills practiced during every session
- physical communication (brushing, patting, leg movements, hand movements)
- verbal communication (whoa, walk, trot, clicking, stand)
- non-verbal communication (posture, tense muscles, eye and ear movements)
Emotional bridges are built as students associate the care they give the horse with the feelings felt while with the horse.
Your child will be better able to remember and grasp directions due to the movement of the horse and the fun activities. The movement also acts as a motivation to encourage communication as your child is continually communicating directions to the horse
The balancing and spatial orientation that happen during riding a horse helps stimulate the vestibular sense organs, which makes therapy exciting and motivates your child to continue to be engaged.