Horses are animals that have established a very special connection with man through riding. Therapeutic horses have been used to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Horseback riding therapy has a positive effect on their communication, motor skills, and social skills. Children with autism have trouble to handle their senses, horseback riding helps them to focus completely on one task. Alexandra Dingman states “ the patience, loyalty, and quiet responsiveness of a horse frequently engender positive feelings in a child, making a relationship with a horse especially helpful to a child who is having difficulties in life ( Harris,2010,pg.10)‴.
I have always wanted to be a Special Education teacher. I started deciding what I wanted to do in the eighth grade. This was also around the time I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is an autism spectrum disorder; people with it show difficulties in social interactions, and reading body language. For me, I have trouble making friends and having age appropriate conversations. It is difficult to read people’s emotions, which sometimes gets me into trouble. I have been given the gift to be able to help teach other children with special needs how to ride horses, and also learn about how the horses communicate with these riders differently then a “normal” person. Through working with Ian I have been able to obtain a better understanding of my career goals.
Equine-assisted therapy, also known as equine therapy or equestrian therapy, is a type of animal-assisted therapy intended to teach, counsel, and/or rehabilitate people with disabilities. This type of experiential therapy includes activities such as: grooming and caring for, haltering and leading, tacking up, and riding horses. Each of those activities foster interactions between the rider or patient, and horse, building a bond between the human and horse. In a typical equestrian therapy setting, usually a dedicated therapeutic barn, a mental health professional and/or an “equine therapist can observe and interact with the patient in order to identify behavior patterns and process thoughts and emotions” (“What Is Equine Therapy?”). In some
As of 2011, it has been reported that there are 650 million disabled people in the world (“Disabilities”). Though this number is high, it is greatly underestimated because disabled people are commonly isolated and stigmatized by their community (“Disabilities”). After hearing of this extremely high number of disabled people, I then ultimately decided I would write my research paper on ways to help the disabled. Therapeutic riding has been actively helping individuals with disabilities for decades, and can benefit these unfortunate people physically, mentally, and emotionally. “Therapeutic riding, which originated in Europe, has been actively helping individuals with disabilities since the 1950's” (Shepard). Through equine-orientated activities, therapeutic riding is used to contribute to the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well being of people with emotional issues and disabilities (Shepard). I was astonished on how many ways therapeutic riding can benefit disabled people.
Equine veterinarians are animal doctors who provide medical care for horses. They examine, test and occasionally operate on or euthanize the animals. Travel to ranches and farms is often necessary, and equine vets have to work outdoors in various types of weather conditions. Being an equine veterinarian is a pleasant career choice because of great interactions with varied types of horses and their owners , the basic information, and the pros and cons of an equine veterinarian.
For decades, Scientists have contemplated the idea of using horses for the personal gain of children and adults with needs such as autism, heart conditions, anxiety, stress, and other disorders that have yet to be curable. Horses such as Chester, a twenty year old gelding has encouraged more young riders who face difficulties such as social skills, behavior skills, and those who are physically indisposed. The phrase confidence is key, becomes important when people of all ages interact with a horse. Learning confidence may not be as easy as it sounds but is a necessary step to bond with a horse; without it, there can be no trust and most importantly, no bond between the equine and its rider.
Every year doctors diagnose thousands of adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Due to the growing awareness of autism and recent developments in technology, scientists and doctors can now discover and observe the effects of autism on society, and people. Starting with its discovery, researchers have been able to diagnose people more effectively. Doctors are beginning to discover what causes this disorder, and are currently trying to find ways to prevent and treat it. Many places have opened their doors to people with this disorder, creating autistic friendly environments where people are patient and understanding. Schools have also become accommodating to autistic children and adults. Autism also puts great strain on family and home lives.
Equine-Assisted therapy so far has shown commendable results. “Equestrian Therapy” acknowledges that “it is a fairly new technique for autism and other disorders that has been providing promising results such that many are consistently utilize therapy animals in their treatment programs and only for autism but also for people with Asperger’s syndrome. Equine therapy for special needs is an animal-assisted therapy that helps children with a wide variety of disabilities. This type of therapy makes use of riding horses as an effective way of providing physical and emotional therapy as well as psychological benefits” (“Equestrian Therapy”). Equine Therapy helps develop the motor skills of a child while they learn to ride a horse. The calming
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears within the first three years of a child’s life. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Autism affects 1 out of 68 children. It is also the fastest growing disability in the United States. There are multiple types of Autism, some children are considered high functioning, and some are low functioning. “High functioning” is when a child with autism can function in life, and completes jobs, and chores with little to no help. “Low functioning” is when a child with autism cannot complete simple daily tasks without help, and (or) constant supervision.
Any good horseman should know that there are three very important steps to take into consideration when preparing to ride your horse. The following three steps; grooming, tacking up, and warming up, if done properly should lead to a trouble free enjoyable ride.
Training a horse to ride is hard work, it involves ground work, riding, and in both patience is very important. In the next few paragraphs I will be explaining the steps needed to train a horse.
Autism, or a disorder of social and functional challenges (‘Facts about ASD’), affects about 1 in every 68 children in the world today (‘Facts about ASD’). More than 3.5 million Americans have some form of the disorder, although autism only takes up 1 percent of the world (‘Facts and Statistics’). The cause of autism has not yet appeared to scientists, but they have developed different ways of living for the mother to do before she gets pregnant, after she gets pregnant and after the baby’s birth to prevent autism arising in a child (‘Can Autism Be Prevented?’). Autism robs children and adults of the rights they have to walk, talk, and think like normal humans do every single day. My personal experience with autism showed me what the condition
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), which can be provided in a group or individual settings, is designed to promote improvement in a human’s physical, social, emotional, or cognitive function. An article by Chitic, Rusu, and Szamoskozi (2012) provides an analysis in order to determine the value of AAT. Both dogs and horses that were trained for AAT were examined and studied to determine their effectiveness in treating patients with psychological disorders. The results showed that both therapy dogs and horses were valuable aids to the therapeutic process. The analysis suggests that proper training and repeated sessions were necessary for proper treatment of patients. In addition, certain disorders may benefit more than others in regards to AAT. For example, a child with ADHD may not benefit from a therapy dog’s presence, for it may worsen the hyperactive symptoms. On the other hand, a patient with depression may benefit greatly from the same animal (Chitic, Rusu, Szamoskozi, 2012). These findings are a perfect starting point to answering the research question: Do patients who engage in AAT display a betterment in their overall emotional well-being, as well as show improvement in their interpersonal interactions...
One of every 68 children are diagnosed with autism in United Sates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Autism is a mental condition characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people. Autism can be also associated with mental disability, struggle in motor coordination and attention. Autism appears in early childhood between 2 and 3 years of age. There is no cure for autism but early intervention can improve outcomes. Music has positive effects in children with autism. Even though there is no known ‘cure’ for autism, music may enhance socio-emotional development, improve communication skills, promotes cognitive development and contribute to emotional gratification.
Equestrian Riding, also known as horseback riding is a sport. Some people may argue that is not because they think the horse is doing all of the work. However that is not true. People do not realize that it takes a lot of to ride a horse and the rider does a lot of work as well and its good exercise too.