Why Horses?
There is worldwide recognition of the merits of horses in development and learning. The Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) is a non profit organization with over 4,000 members in 49 countries.
Benefits of horse involvement include:
Time effective
Challenges students in a non-threatening manner
The horse is a non-judgmental, honest friend
Promotes a motivating learning environment
Enhances problem-solving skills
Provides immediate cause-and-effect situations
Decreases feelings of hopelessness
Stimulates creativity
Encourages responsibility
Captivates and holds attention
Helps teach empathy
Empowers and gives a sense of control over self
Develops social skills and better communication skills
Promotes both teamwork and individual leadership
(Retrieved from http://www.nationalyouth.com/equineassisted.html)
Essentially, horses have evolved to be extremely astute, sensitive and intuitive creatures. Their survival depends on their abilities to sense non verbal cues and their reaction to our cues provides insight to ourselves that we cannot ignore or dispute. They are non judgmental and react to every moment instinctively and honestly. As extremely large and powerful animals, there are definite, perhaps indescribable rewards from being able to communicate and connect with them.
The whole experience provides relief from everyday challenges and a positive focus for channeling energy in a truly rewarding way . |
In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, "There's something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man".