It is fairly well known that horse riding and dealing with horses gives disabled children and young people a lot of fun. But it is less known that horses also achieve positive results in psychological and orthopedagogical care. If your child has problems on a psychological or social-emotional level, it is not inconceivable that you have already had and/or still have to undergo many examinations. Maybe there is already a diagnosis, but maybe not. Even if there is already a diagnosis, this does not mean that you will immediately find the right treatment. A unique concept can offer a solution: diagnostics and assistance using horses. Horses have a special gift when it comes to sensing what is going on in a person. When people come into contact with horses, they can discover themselves. Horses can also have a strong educational effect on children and young people. Through their contact with horses, they can promote their development and get out of trouble at the same time.
Horse therapy
Horse therapy uses contact and movement with horses effectively to achieve therapeutic effects, both physically and psychologically. Equitherapy, as therapy with horses is also called, means that the horse’s specific social learning and movement capabilities contribute to systematically helping children and young people with, among other things, psychological or orthopedagogical problems or to promote their development. The horse is therefore the co-therapist.
Horse therapy is suitable for children and young people from 4 to 18 years old. There does not necessarily have to be a connection with horses, but if there is an aversion or fear of horses, this form of therapy is not recommended.
We work with animals in practice, but no regular riding lessons are given. Children, young people and possibly their parents work according to different methods, learn how to handle horses and may occasionally sit on a horse, but they do not take riding lessons!
Possibilities of therapy with horses
You can go to equine therapy for, among other things:
- testing and diagnostic research
- orthopedagogical treatment
- first-line psychological care
- individual treatment of children and young people
- social skills training and resilience training
- parent guidance
Target audience
Equine therapy is aimed at different target groups:
- children and young people from 4 to 18 years old
- parents and their child(ren)
- parents
- teachers
- first responders
Problematic
Therapy with horses is suitable for, among other things, determining a diagnosis and/or treating:
- ADHD
- ADD
- PDD-NOS, Asperger’s or classic autism
- NDL
- behavioral problems
- school problems
- fear of failure, social fear of failure and school anxiety
- low self esteem
- not sufficiently resilient
- not enough social skills
- problems surrounding forming one’s own identity
- attachment problems
- educational problems
- eating disorders
- addiction problems
- depressions
- traumatic experiences
Forms of diagnostics
Equine therapy makes various forms of diagnosis possible:
- ability and IQ research
- research into school problems
- research into the educational situation
- research into social-emotional developments
- research into behavioral problems
- diagnostics for a DSM-IV classification
- descriptive diagnostics
The diagnostic process
Before the diagnostic process is started, a number of research questions are first formulated. Based on these questions, an investigation package is put together that will be used together with the client and any other parties involved. The image that is ultimately given emerged from several research contacts. Not only are answers to the research questions provided, but also tools that can help make the desired changes. Every effort is made to provide solutions that suit the client and those involved. This increases the chance that changes will actually occur and that they will persist. This may apply at home, at school, or in another form of guidance.
Using descriptive diagnostics, which shows how the client functions in his own environment, both the important positive factors and the factors that can cause problems can be described.
Purpose of treatment
Equine therapy is a first-line psychological treatment. Within this treatment, we work on the predetermined goals that were determined during the intake.
Children and young people can learn, among other things, the following:
- relax and let yourself be carried
- standing up for themselves and setting boundaries
- making and maintaining friendships
- take responsibility for someone else
- gain more self-confidence
The following themes may become central during the treatment:
- self-experience
- how others experience you
- what are your strengths and areas for improvement
- at what times does it become difficult and how can you change that?
- how do you set boundaries for yourself and others
- how do you convey a message to someone else as clearly as possible?
Structure of the treatment
During the therapy sessions, we work according to a fixed structure. First the horse is cleaned and then it is prepared for the final therapy session. This mainly involves working with the horse from the ground up. Clients only come on horseback if it fits into the therapy process, but not to learn how to ride a horse.
The role of the horse
During the therapy session, the horse, as co-therapist, has the role of mirror. It reflects what the client experiences and responds to it. It is very important that it has no value judgment and responds to the right instructions.
Accompaniment
There are various forms of guidance for those involved in the client:
- parent guidance
- guidance of teachers
- guidance of care providers
Reimbursement of therapy with horses
In many cases, equine therapy can be reimbursed by health insurance, provided it is necessary. It is wise to first request information from your health insurance company. There may be a limit on the reimbursement of first-line psychological care.
If the client has a PGB (Personal Budget), there are also options to pay for equine therapy from this. my view on