Horses that Heal Trauma...Why Horses?
Spring Reins of Life (SRoL) is a non-profit 501c3 organization. We are an EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) Model program offering Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) which incorporates the use of horses for therapeutic intervention toward promoting emotional growth and healing. Our program is a team approach featuring a licensed Mental Health Professional (MHP), a certified Equine Specialist (ES), and Horses specifically selected for their capacity to work with individuals who are troubled or suffering. We do not offer any riding or mounted work in our program. While there are many physical benefits to horseback riding, the EAGALA model is a solution focused base that enhances the emotional benefits of behavioral rehearsal and experiential component that is displayed when observing the horses in free will interacting with clients.
Animal assisted therapy with horses combines the positive emotional effects gained from the human/horse bond with opportunities to challenge and explore one's thoughts and internal struggles during activities with an equine partner. It is a therapeutic intervention that defeats the stigma often associated with traditional counseling, but more importantly, it is an intervention that works.
Spring Reins of Life provides services to those populations who have the least access to equine therapy yet are the same individuals who would derive the greatest benefit. Currently, we offer our services to veteran and youth trauma survivors. Namely combat veterans with PTSD, at-risk and high-risk teens, and young children in bereavement. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about our innovative and effective program promoting positive growth and healing.
WHY HORSES:
The size and power of the horse can be naturally intimidating to many people, this alone can create a perfect opportunity to overcome fear and learn confidence. To accomplish a task with the horses despite of these fears creates resilience and provides wonderful metaphors to fall back on when dealing with other intimidating or challenging situations in life.
Horses are very much like humans in that they are social creatures and have very well defined roles within their herds. They would generally rather be with their peers. Horses have distinct personalities, attitudes and moods – what works well with one horse may not work at all with another. They like to have fun, they are curious, and are very expressive physically.
Horses provide vast opportunities for metaphorical learning.
Horses have no agenda with us, no hidden motives. They simply reflect the strength of our character, our heart, our commitment, our internal congruence and our self-limiting perceptions and beliefs. Horses have a distinctly amazing ability to mirror and reflect the exact internal landscape of our intentions on a moment to moment basis derived from what our human body language is telling them. The horse’s willingness to trust humans arises out of their keen ability to read authenticity, silently measuring the coherence between our inner thoughts and outer actions. The horses pick up on what is actually happening internally with the humans and then will physically reflect this reality in a way for us to understand. The horse does not speak our words or listen to our convincing tone; they pay most of their attention to the part of us that is true and present at that moment. The horses are flexible in their perception because as the situation changes, so do they. For example, if you are angry and pretend not to be, the horse will only react to the anger that it sees. Change your internal state and you will see a different response in the horse. Within minutes a client is willing to trust and accept the feedback from the horse, as opposed to weeks or months with a human coach or therapist. This is because the client views the horse’s feedback as genuine and constructive and often will demonstrate a desire to achieve or embrace the situation for the horse’s sake.
