Equine Assisted Learning
Equine-assisted learning (EAL) is an experiential learning approach that promotes the development of life skills for educational, professional and personal goals through equine-assisted activities. Healing Hooves incorporates horsemanship, equine science, socials skills and riding to assist client’s in reaching their goals.
Benefits include:
- Safe experiential learning environment
- Identify patterns and consider their usefulness
- Invitation to practice new behaviors and receive real time feedback
- An opportunity to explore new ways of healthy self expression
- Development of life and communication skills
- Reciprocity and warmth as a result of relationship building with our herd
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs are being used across the country as an adjunctive therapy for individuals:
- Recovering from trauma
- Substance Abuse Programs
- Psycho-educational Groups
Equine Assisted Learning programs are being used across the country as an adjunctive therapy for individuals . EAL is an experiential education process based on the belief that horses can help us learn new, more innovative ways of thinking about behavior and how we interact with others. Through a collaborative experiential learning process, participants use past experience, trial and error, reflection, generalization and metaphors to facilitate learning. Participants then take their experiences and the insights they have developed and bring them back to their therapists in the treatment center.
Who Can Benefit?
Individuals of all ages and levels of cognitive development can benefit from EAL. Clinical studies suggest that EAL is effective in treating:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Behavioral problems
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Autism
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Conduct disorder
- Aggression and Substance abuse
In addition, clinical studies suggest that individuals suffering from chronic medical illnesses may benefit from EAL. With any medical illness emotional, cognitive and psychological issues may facilitate or impede compliance with and response to medical treatment. Diagnosis of medical illness is often associated with feelings of loss, depression, anxiety and at times confronting death and dying issues.
The unique relationship found between the client and the horse often leads to benefits including:
- Greater sense of self
- Feeling less frazzled
- More clarity on how to support your family and not lose yourself
- Being re-energized
- Increased ability to ask for what you need and want
- Deeper understanding of self
- Better prepared to balance responsibilities
- Vision about what they want for their life
- Finding your voice
- Feeling acceptance/belonging
- Development of trust
- Building social skills
- Increased assertiveness
- Decreased aggressiveness
- Enhanced motivation
- Improved problem solving skills
- Improved concentration
- Increased self-esteem and confidence
- Improved communication skills
- Improved listening skills
- Improvements in self-control
- Learning to master fears
- Fun
Because the gait of the horse resembles the human gait riding may have physical benefits including improved balance, coordination, muscle strength and flexibility.
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