How could spending time at Horses Helping People help you?
Therapeutic horsemanship has many benefits, improving mental and physical wellbeing in a number of ways. It can help people from all kinds of backgrounds and with many types of challenges.
Here are some of the ways it can help….
Confidence
Interacting with horses provides plenty of opportunities to explore, learn and grow. Overcoming obstacles and facing fears, whether small or large, contribute to a sense of achievement. Building the confidence to work with a large horse can help you feel you can acheive anything!
The reactions of the horses helps to highlight how we react when faced with different situations, giving us greater self awareness and the chance to explore different behaviour.
With growing confidence comes improved self esteem, enhanced by discovering our individual strengths.
Social Skills
Building a partnership with a horse allows us to practice the skills we need for building relationships with other people. This includes trust, empathy, negotiation, compromise and boundary setting. People are often more willing to engage in a non verbal relationship with a horse. The reward of getting a horse to understand you is a motivation to develop better communication skills.
Stress reduction and relaxation
Horses give us the opportunity to experience non-demanding physical contact. Just being around horses and stroking them can reduce stress levels and increase a sense of wellbeing. A calm and peaceful environment helps to decrease anxiety.
Physical Skills
Working with a horse on the ground develops body awareness and coordination. Groundwork uses both sides of the body, as well as different parts of the body simultaneously, requiring balance and precision. As a prey animal, a horse is acutely aware of its surroundings and responds instinctively to changes in its environment, demanding that humans remain focused and ready to react, while staying calm.
Activities with the horses involve exercise without being forced to go to the gym!
A sense of community
The responsibility of caring for a horse, and putting its needs first, encourages nurturing skills and self discipline. United by looking after the horses, participants begin to look after each other and themselves. Many of the activities encourage teamwork to get tasks completed.
Learning new skills
Participants learn in a supportive atmosphere, giving them the confidence to achieve beyond their expectations.
Having fun
Time spent in an enjoyable activity can help to increase wellbeing. This can continue beyond the stableyard, as people enjoy their new interest through books, films, artwork etc at home, or by being inspired to start a new hobby or voluntary role.
Connection with nature
Spending time in an outdoor environment brings a sense of peace and connection with the natural world, which many people find themselves increasingly removed from with the stresses of modern living. Horses and nature can provide a remedy to counteract the effects of time spent using phones and computers.
Learning about the horses brings an awareness of the environment and our role as caretaker.
These benefits and skills can help people with the challenges of everyday life, coping better with social situations including school and work, and in relationships. Read our case studies to see real life examples of how our horses have helped people.