Being a Therapeutic Recreation major and a fan of animals, I have looked into several different ways to combine those two interests. I came across a website called PALS, which stands for People and Animal Learning Services Inc. This organization has therapeutic horseback riding for several different populations such as people with autism, amputations, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cognitive disabilities, speech impairments, learning impairments and youth at risk.
Therapeutic horseback riding can provide many benefits for several different people. For those with physical disabilities, the movement and warmth of the horse during the ride can stimulate joint and muscle function, relax spastic muscles, and increase strength. It also has many psychological benefits and can increase a person’s self esteem and confidence. It also helps with communication skills and building positive relationships since the rider and the horse create a special bond between them. Saddles and riding can also be adapted for people who have physical disabilities and need more support and assistance when riding.
This activity could be facilitated by providing supervised horseback riding for participants or you can do variations using other animals for therapy such as having people work with dogs, cats, or other tame animals. Participants can do things as simple as sit with the animal or they could play with them and take them for walks. Also, people with disabilities could get a chance to train animals if possible such as going through simple dog training with a therapy dog. By teaching and helping an animal learn a skill, they could enhance their own confidence and feel an even stronger bond with their therapy animal. Another variation would be having animal shows such as a dog, cat or horse show. The participant could walk around with their animal, dress it up, and show it off to a crowd of people. This is a fun way for participants to gain confidence and work on social skills. Again, this activity could be facilitated with several different populations. There are many considerations such as if the participant is allergic to certain animals or has any medical or social reasons that would have them not want to work with animals. Safety should also always be considered and supervision should take place during all animal assisted therapy. Animals should also be trained extensively to make sure they have a very mild temper and will obey and act accordingly. During therapeutic horseback riding, helmets should be used in case of accidents so the rider remains protected.
Working together with an animal can be very therapeutic and beneficial. The animal does not judge or criticize the individual and working together creates a bond that is both meaningful and inspiring. It can help the individual gain better social skills, confidence, and patience. Between the physiological and psychological benefits, Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) and other types of animal therapy create an overall well being for the participant.
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