Today, people suffering from a variety of conditions take part in equine therapy to discover some type of mental respite, strengthen their resolve, and find spiritual empowerment, notably among those who suffer from addiction.
Those battling an addiction might benefit greatly from equine therapy at a luxury rehab in South Africa to regain control of their lives.
In many cases, those who have been afflicted by addiction lose their self-confidence, making it difficult for them to engage with others and sometimes leading to isolation.
Using horses as a living biofeedback machine can help them learn how to open up and manage their impulses.
In addition to the numerous ways horse therapy may benefit a person, it is extremely good for developing interpersonal skills. Learning to create trust with a horse may help you in your everyday interactions with others.
Added to this, there are numerous other ways in which equine therapy can benefit participants and allow them to rediscover trust and self-identity as part of their recovery.
Equine therapy builds trust
Horses are extremely intelligent and intuitive, and are able to respond to different behavioural tendencies in a teachable way.
As such, horses will not blindly accept aggressive or unstable behaviour, so that those who interact with horses have to become aware of their own behaviours in order to establish trust.
This natural quality of openness and dependability creates a wonderful environment for developing self-awareness, and allowing participants to learn about the value of a trust-based relationship.
Equine therapy helps participants overcome their fears
The natural size and power of a horse can evoke emotions of inadequacy or lack of control in people. Participants learn to accept and analyse their emotions instead of reacting in their customary way, which is to run away or defend themselves.
With practice, they become more confident in their abilities to conquer obstacles. At first, many individuals are afraid and apprehensive. Because of their closeness with their horse, they are able to assimilate these sensations rapidly.
Having overcome one fear, people may have the courage to face more. These teachings are then applied in the real world.
Equine therapy teaches participants about boundaries
Working with a horse can reveal certain individuals’ behavioural patterns. Simple lessons like how much room the horse needs to feel at ease may be quite instructive. Horses are able to make it apparent when someone has exceeded their limits without using any words at all.
A horse will not be tamed or dominated if you try to do so. Similarly, it might be difficult to guide a horse if you take a distant or passive attitude.
As such, working closely with a horse and establishing boundaries in this intuitive way, free of manipulation or word-play, teaches participants about respecting the boundaries of others and how to establish safe ways to interact.
Equine therapy creates new avenues for communication
People learn about their own social style by interacting with horses. Horses cannot communicate verbally, but they can communicate nonverbally. Understanding horse behaviour can help individuals better comprehend how their own actions affect others.
Learning to treat others with respect and awareness may be learned via basic activities such as haltering and grooming.
Final Thoughts
The size, power and intuitive nature of a horse can be a meaningful way to drive recovery through learning boundaries, discovering your own behavioural problems, and learning to communicate in a safe and acceptable way.
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