What is equine therapy?
Equine
therapy (therapeutic horseback riding) is a rehabilitation practice of treating
severe psychophysical disorders. It’s successfully used to address the
following impairments:
- infantile autism,
- Down syndrome,
- infantile cerebral paralysis,
- locomotor system dysfunctions,
- scoliosis,
- intellectual disability,
- speech disorders,
- attention deficit disorder (ADD) /
hyperactivity disorder.
This
rehabilitation method is widely known and used in Europe and North America.
Many health care centres specializing in the treatment of such diseases usually
have several horses to exercise equine therapy with their patients.
Effects of therapeutic horseback riding
Equine
therapy shows many positive effects. A horse moves slowly, at the speed of a
leisurely walking man. The child sitting on its back receives the motion
impulse through the base of the
vertebral column. It has proved to be very effective in managing locomotor
system dysfunctions. Moreover, equine therapy stimulates all sets of muscles of
the rider, thus positively affecting muscle tonus.
Horseback
riding improves:
- flexibility,
- posture,
- sense of balance,
- mobility of the patient.
Interaction
with horses - strong, gentle creatures - is good for the psycho-emotional state
of the children. It helps to manage their mood swings, and kids become calmer.
They feel joyful and are ready to establish new contacts with the world around.
Kids feed the animals, caress them, and horses respond with kindness. Such
interaction with a horse helps such children to improve their social behavior
and develop communication skills, and all in all has a positive therapeutic
effect on the little patients.
Where?
In 2010
on the territory of one of the rehabilitation centres of St Elisabeth Convent
there appeared a stable with a couple of horses. This rehabilitation centre is
situated about 30 km from Minsk in a village called Lysaya Hara (Bald
Mountain). As of today more than 10
equines live in the spacious stalls of the stable. Two of them - Purga
(‘Blizzard’) and Begonia, mares of average height and quiet tempre - are used
for therapeutic horseback riding.
For Whom?
For more
than 20 years sisters of the Convent have been taking care of the children with
psychoneurological disorders. As soon as the horses made their home on the
territory of the Convent’s rehabilitation centre, it was decided to start
equine therapy lessons with special kids. Thus, in June of 2013 the first
sessions were held.
Presently
about 25 children take therapeutic horseback riding lessons on the premises of
this rehabilitation centre. Some of them come from boarding homes for the
orphaned kids with special needs. Some live in the families and come with their
parents. These equine therapy lessons are free of charge and are to remain so.
It’s incredible how much joy the children get from communicating with horses
and riding on their backs!
Who are the Therapists?
Equine
therapy sessions are conducted by certified specialists. They’ve undergone
training led by Irina Urushadze, a well-known specialist and head of Ridemed
(equine therapy centre in Tbilisi, Georgia).
All of
the equine therapists in St Elisabeth Convent truly believe in what they are
doing and confirm: it all works for the benefit of the children’s health.
Difficulties
In order
for the equine therapy to show distinct improvements in the condition of a
patient, the sessions should be held regularly. Each case should be dealt with
on an individual basis. It may be enough for some to train once a week from
time to time, while the others need regular therapy sessions over the span of
several years.
Unfortunately,
in case of the roofless riding ring in the rehabilitation centre of St
Elisabeth Convent, weather conditions dictate how regularly equine therapy
lessons can be held. Training stops when it’s too hot or too cold outside. The
bodies of the children with special needs are not strong enough to endure harsh
weather. That is why an idea came up to build a proper riding hall in St
Elisabeth Convent. We are collecting donations for its construction on a
crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, because we believe that together we can do
anything.
If you are interested in supporting this project, click here
https://www.gofundme.com/steedsforspecialkids.
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