THE HEART OF A HORSE
When your day seems out of balance
and so many things go wrong...
When people fight around you
and the day drags on too long...
When the grown-ups act like children,
And you're off your spiritual course
Go out into the pasture...
and wrap your arms around your horse.
His gentle breath enfolds you,
and he watches with those eyes
He may not have a Ph.D.,
But he is, oh so wise!
His head rests on your shoulder.
You embrace and feel his might.
He puts your world in balance,
and makes it seem all right.
Your tears they soon stop flowing.
The tension is now eased.
The garbage has been lifted,
and you're quiet and at peace.
So when you need the balance
from circumstances in your day...
the best therapy that you can seek
is out there eating hay!!
Author Unknown
All About HATS:
Horses and humans have a long history and natural affinity. H.A.T.S. takes the horse and human bond in a new direction, using our equine friends as a tool to help people in their everyday lives. Both the therapeutic riding and EAGAL programs are based on "learning by doing," using specially-designed "hand and hoof" activities in a structured environment.
Therapeutic riding has many proven benefits for physical health. A horse's movement is three-dimensional. The horse's moving pelvis precisely mirrors the movements of the human pelvis. In a walking gait, the human pelvis rotates from side to side. The pelvis tilts laterally to the side, then it comes front and back in an anterior and posterior tilt.
When a person sits on the back of a moving horse, these three human pelvic movements are duplicated naturally without effort on the rider's part. This natural horse power has great benefits for a person who cannot walk.
By having the horse's movement duplicate the motion of the human pelvis, the disabled rider's stomach and back muscles are aligned, strengthening posterior control within a 30-minute session. Thus therapeutic riding is a powerful technique for building strength, balance, co-ordination, muscle control, improving posture, range of motion, and stimulating the vestibular nervous and circulatory systems.
Therapeutic riding's greatest benefit is a gift of freedom. Riding is a freedom taken for granted by others. To the disabled, it takes them from the confines of assorted assistive devices.
Riders become aware they can be mobile and independent of other people and mechanical aids: they are able to show their skills and not their limitations.
On horseback, everyone is special.
Individuals can thrive in a therapeutic riding setting. A sense of overall well-being can spill over into all aspects of a person's life. Therapeutic riding improves attention span and listening skills, enhancing the person's ability to integrate socially. A sense of pride can develop as horse skills increase, leading to greater self-esteem and self-confidence. Finally, what better way to experience the great outdoors than on the back of a horse!
EAGAL programs: Horse power has been helping humans in various ways for thousands of years, in farming, wars, transportation, sports and recreation. In EAGAL programs, horse power is being harnessed in a brand new way, to help human beings develop to their full potential.
Humans have long recognized that their equine friends can influence them in powerful ways. In horse-to-human interactions, horses naturally provide their human partners with a variety of benefits, from building a work ethic to improving inter-personal skills such as communication, assertiveness, and healthy relationships.
EAGAL is an emerging field in which horses are used to promote emotional growth and learning.
H.A.T.S. instructors are qualified EAGAL facilitators, conforming to the professional standards developed by EAGALA, the American-based Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).
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