EQUINE THERAPY
and youth, with 70 children currently part of the program. One of the early success stories is 11-year-old Vashana who has Tourette’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Before she began working with Rehab4Rehab, Vashana was not coping at school, and she couldn’t hold a pencil or sit still. Vashana’s tics couldn’t be controlled by medication and she was never further than arm’s length from a parent or carer. But Vashana has learned to plait the mane of a horse, has been able to chop carrots to feed horses even though a knife would usually be too risky for her to handle, and when she is with the horses, she is still. She recently rode for the ǻVWXXMQI 8LILSVWIWEVIEGEPQMRKMRǼYIRGISRGLMPHVIRERH]SYRKTISTPI[MXLQIRXEP illness including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, issues of self-harm, and disengagement from school. The young clients are referred by WGLSSPWTEIHMEXVMGMERW3).2IHMGEVIERHTEVIRXW8LI]HSHMǺIVIRXXLMRKW during their session – from picking feet and grooming to leading a horse, preparing feed, or simply just being in a horse’s presence. “The horses are happy in their own skin and when you put them together with the children, magic happens. Children are taken outside of the treatment room and put in an environment that makes them feel good. They develop JVMIRHWLMTW[MXLXLILSVWIƹWEMH,VMǽXLW “You can have a retired racehorse with an unclear future and a kid who feels down and who doesn’t want to do anything. Then you bring them together and something happens that makes both of them feel better. I cry every day!”
by Sarah Marinos
This story featured in the recent edition of the VRC’s Equine Welfare Bulletin. To stay informed visit [[[ǼIQMRKXSRGSQEY equine-welfare-bulletin
"IT’S POWERFUL WHEN YOU CONNECT PEOPLE WITH HORSES"
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