Willow Farm Therapeutic Riding
Horses
For over 40 years, horses have been recognized and used extensively
in Europe for their therapeutic value in helping people of all ages.
Horses are responsive animals with awareness and sensitivity to their
surroundings and people. Like people, each horse brings his own
personality into a relationship, along with his own limitations and
abilities. A person is accepted on that person's level of trust,
confidence, awareness, and interpersonal skills. Therefore, a horse will
often teach us what we need to learn to change to succeed in personal
relationships. A horse builds a person's self-confidence and
self-esteem as the relationship between horse and person deepens.
Horses give us immediate and honest feedback about ourselves by
reading our verbal and non-verbal communication. They often "mirror"
back to us our feelings of anxiety, sadness, happiness, trust and a
variety of other feelings. Whether working on the ground with a horse,
grooming him, or riding through a series of challenging exercises, the
horse is constantly reading our emotions. There are many ways to
relate to a horse. Tactile and touching - by grooming or giving him a
massage; verbal - the way you talk to a horse can reveal how you
relate to people; riding and ground work - leading the horse from the
ground or in the saddle can reveal your sense of power or
helplessness you feel in your world. As all this transpires, the licensed
professional counselor is working with you side-by-side and helping you
process feelings and offer insight.
Horses offer hope and encouragement. All ages of clients, whether
they are having trouble with relationships, trouble with school, or
trouble with life, see something with horses many have never
experienced before - love and acceptance. Almost everyone walks
away having learned lessons in hope, trust and respect that can be
applied to everyday life and relationships. Horses are large and
powerful, which creates an environment for a person to overcome fear
and develop confidence. Accomplishing a task involving a horse
provides a person with tools that he or she can take into the "real
world" when challenged with other difficult situations in life.
in Europe for their therapeutic value in helping people of all ages.
Horses are responsive animals with awareness and sensitivity to their
surroundings and people. Like people, each horse brings his own
personality into a relationship, along with his own limitations and
abilities. A person is accepted on that person's level of trust,
confidence, awareness, and interpersonal skills. Therefore, a horse will
often teach us what we need to learn to change to succeed in personal
relationships. A horse builds a person's self-confidence and
self-esteem as the relationship between horse and person deepens.
Horses give us immediate and honest feedback about ourselves by
reading our verbal and non-verbal communication. They often "mirror"
back to us our feelings of anxiety, sadness, happiness, trust and a
variety of other feelings. Whether working on the ground with a horse,
grooming him, or riding through a series of challenging exercises, the
horse is constantly reading our emotions. There are many ways to
relate to a horse. Tactile and touching - by grooming or giving him a
massage; verbal - the way you talk to a horse can reveal how you
relate to people; riding and ground work - leading the horse from the
ground or in the saddle can reveal your sense of power or
helplessness you feel in your world. As all this transpires, the licensed
professional counselor is working with you side-by-side and helping you
process feelings and offer insight.
Horses offer hope and encouragement. All ages of clients, whether
they are having trouble with relationships, trouble with school, or
trouble with life, see something with horses many have never
experienced before - love and acceptance. Almost everyone walks
away having learned lessons in hope, trust and respect that can be
applied to everyday life and relationships. Horses are large and
powerful, which creates an environment for a person to overcome fear
and develop confidence. Accomplishing a task involving a horse
provides a person with tools that he or she can take into the "real
world" when challenged with other difficult situations in life.
 | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Sonny
Hazy
Dutch
Taffy
