photo by Marie Josée Hull - wreath created by Susan Cressy
Seasons Greeting to all our readers!!
EFW-CAN wishes to send all of you the warmest wishes for this holiday season. As we prepare to spend time with our four legged and two legged loved ones, we hope that this December issue of the newsletter finds you all well, and that you enjoy the two chosen articles.
We are pleased to present you the first of ten articles in Sue McIntosh's Frequently Asked Questions Series. Sue McIntosh is the founder of Healing Hooves in Cremona, Alberta. She is a tri-certified EFW-CAN professional, mentor and trainer. Sue has been providing EFW services since 1999. Thank you, Sue, for sharing your wisdom and experience with us!
OurSecond article in this December issue is written by Rebecca Garber. Rebecca wrote about her own heart warming healing journey with EFW-CAN professionals from Generations Farms, Deborah Marshall and Fira. Rebecca's article was published in the Globe and Mail on October 26 2018.
EFW-CAN wishes to send all of you the warmest wishes for this holiday season. As we prepare to spend time with our four legged and two legged loved ones, we hope that this December issue of the newsletter finds you all well, and that you enjoy the two chosen articles.
We are pleased to present you the first of ten articles in Sue McIntosh's Frequently Asked Questions Series. Sue McIntosh is the founder of Healing Hooves in Cremona, Alberta. She is a tri-certified EFW-CAN professional, mentor and trainer. Sue has been providing EFW services since 1999. Thank you, Sue, for sharing your wisdom and experience with us!
OurSecond article in this December issue is written by Rebecca Garber. Rebecca wrote about her own heart warming healing journey with EFW-CAN professionals from Generations Farms, Deborah Marshall and Fira. Rebecca's article was published in the Globe and Mail on October 26 2018.
Q1: What is Equine Therapy?
by Sue McIntosh
In this first post in our FAQ series for people starting out in Equine Therapy we cover some key terminology and clarify what we mean by Equine Therapy.
As noted in our introduction, for each question I have a quick answer for those of you who are super busy or prefer to skim, and a more in-depth answer for those of you looking for that. If you like this series and find the information helpful, please share it!
As noted in our introduction, for each question I have a quick answer for those of you who are super busy or prefer to skim, and a more in-depth answer for those of you looking for that. If you like this series and find the information helpful, please share it!
The Quick Answer
The relationship between client and horse is an important part of most EFW programs and approaches
Equine Therapy can mean many things and be described with a multitude of other terms, which can make your initial explorations into this field a little overwhelming. In some cases, Equine Therapy refers to therapy provided to a horse, such as equine massage. In other cases, it refers to physical or recreational therapy provided to a person with special needs, usually through riding a horse. Finally, Equine Therapy refers to incorporating interactions with horses into approaches to help humans learn, heal and grow emotionally, developmentally and relationally. It is this latter definition of Equine Therapy we explore here and both practice and teach at Healing Hooves. The term we use, and feel more accurately describes this aspect of the Equine Therapy field, is Equine Facilitated Wellness.
The Longer Answer
'Equine' Therapy refers to work with horses, donkeys and mules
One of the challenges arising out of the great flexibility and recent explosion of programs and resources in this field is the wide variety of terms, and associated acronyms, that have been created. Love them or hate them, we need to use them, so I will define the key ones here. I will also identify the leading professional bodies (and their acronyms) that we will refer to in future posts. If you are looking for definitions in the broader Animal Assisted Therapy field I recommend the blogs created by Eileen Bona of Dreamcatcher Nature Assisted Therapy and the definitions from Pet Partners.
Equine Facilitated Wellness (EFW): This is the umbrella term, used mainly in Canada, to describe approaches to human emotional, cognitive and relational wellness, healing and growth that incorporate interactions and relationships with horses into the approach.
Equine Therapy: An even broader term that incorporates EFW but can also be used to refer to therapeutic riding and to therapy for the horse, such as equine massage.
Equine Facilitated Mental Health (EFMH): EFW that is facilitated by a certified mental health professional, often with clients with mental health diagnoses and areas of need, following a treatment plan and specific therapeutic goals. Examples could be incorporating horses into a treatment plan for someone struggling with depression, or group programs with horses for survivors of sexual assault or for people struggling with addictions. In each of these cases the facilitator should also have experience and training with the specific client population being served.
Equine Facilitated Counselling (EFC): Similar to EFMH, when EFW is facilitated by a certified counsellor with counselling goals incorporated into the client work. Diagnoses and mental health needs are likely to be less complex. An example could be marriage counselling, supporting a child and his/ her parents through separation anxiety, or a school group for at risk kids with horses built into the treatment plans.
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP): Variations of the above theme which are more popular in the US. The term psychotherapy implies that the service is delivered by a credentialed mental health professional but psychotherapist is not yet a regulated term in all Canadian provinces, so this may not always be the case.
Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL): EFW that is facilitated within a non mental health context with clients who do not have mental health diagnoses, trauma or high risk factors. Facilitators may be educators, life coaches or corporate coaches, and clients could be working on goals within areas such as life skills, literacy, team building or personal growth. Examples could be a school group (with less complex and non high risk kids) building skills in the areas of understanding body language, boundaries and social skills, a self awareness or personal empowerment group for women, or a corporate team building workshop, all built upon experiential activities with horses.
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL): This is the same as EFL, and is a term popular in the US. The US organisation PATH defines EAL as: “an experiential learning approach that promotes the development of life skills for educational, professional and personal goals through equine-assisted activities”.
Therapeutic Riding (TR) or Hippotherapy: Physical rehabilitation, recreation and physical therapy through horseback riding. Clients usually have physical or developmental disabilities.
Equine Facilitated Wellness (EFW): This is the umbrella term, used mainly in Canada, to describe approaches to human emotional, cognitive and relational wellness, healing and growth that incorporate interactions and relationships with horses into the approach.
Equine Therapy: An even broader term that incorporates EFW but can also be used to refer to therapeutic riding and to therapy for the horse, such as equine massage.
Equine Facilitated Mental Health (EFMH): EFW that is facilitated by a certified mental health professional, often with clients with mental health diagnoses and areas of need, following a treatment plan and specific therapeutic goals. Examples could be incorporating horses into a treatment plan for someone struggling with depression, or group programs with horses for survivors of sexual assault or for people struggling with addictions. In each of these cases the facilitator should also have experience and training with the specific client population being served.
Equine Facilitated Counselling (EFC): Similar to EFMH, when EFW is facilitated by a certified counsellor with counselling goals incorporated into the client work. Diagnoses and mental health needs are likely to be less complex. An example could be marriage counselling, supporting a child and his/ her parents through separation anxiety, or a school group for at risk kids with horses built into the treatment plans.
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP): Variations of the above theme which are more popular in the US. The term psychotherapy implies that the service is delivered by a credentialed mental health professional but psychotherapist is not yet a regulated term in all Canadian provinces, so this may not always be the case.
Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL): EFW that is facilitated within a non mental health context with clients who do not have mental health diagnoses, trauma or high risk factors. Facilitators may be educators, life coaches or corporate coaches, and clients could be working on goals within areas such as life skills, literacy, team building or personal growth. Examples could be a school group (with less complex and non high risk kids) building skills in the areas of understanding body language, boundaries and social skills, a self awareness or personal empowerment group for women, or a corporate team building workshop, all built upon experiential activities with horses.
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL): This is the same as EFL, and is a term popular in the US. The US organisation PATH defines EAL as: “an experiential learning approach that promotes the development of life skills for educational, professional and personal goals through equine-assisted activities”.
Therapeutic Riding (TR) or Hippotherapy: Physical rehabilitation, recreation and physical therapy through horseback riding. Clients usually have physical or developmental disabilities.
Equine Facilitated Wellness Canada (EFW-Canada): Canadian certifying body for all aspects of EFW. Healing Hooves staff are all certified with EFW Canada and our training workshops meet the training requirements of this leading national organisation.
Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA): Canadian certifying body for therapeutic riding instructors and programs.
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH): US certifying body in therapeutic riding and EFW.
Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals (CBEIP): A US based certification body that certifies EFW professionals through an exam based process.
Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA): Canadian certifying body for therapeutic riding instructors and programs.
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH): US certifying body in therapeutic riding and EFW.
Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals (CBEIP): A US based certification body that certifies EFW professionals through an exam based process.
If you found this article helpful, please share it or go visit more of Sue McIntosh’s articles by visiting her website !
A horse named Fira helped me heal
from emotional trauma
Wenting Li
After a particularly difficult session, my therapist took me for a walk around her farmyard. I was physically exhausted, emotionally drained and discouraged by high anxiety and debilitating depression. But I walked. The place was abuzz with insects, horses, a cat, braying donkeys, rabbits and a riot of midsummer plants in bloom. She coached me to focus on my body in the environment – to pay attention to the sun on my arms, the earth under my feet, the air wafting through my hair.
One of the realities of my recovery from severe early life trauma is that I retreat into my mind and disconnect from here-and-now sensations. So, when I met a horse named Fira, I expected nothing and received everything.
After a particularly difficult session, my therapist took me for a walk around her farmyard. I was physically exhausted, emotionally drained and discouraged by high anxiety and debilitating depression. But I walked. The place was abuzz with insects, horses, a cat, braying donkeys, rabbits and a riot of midsummer plants in bloom. She coached me to focus on my body in the environment – to pay attention to the sun on my arms, the earth under my feet, the air wafting through my hair.
One of the realities of my recovery from severe early life trauma is that I retreat into my mind and disconnect from here-and-now sensations. So, when I met a horse named Fira, I expected nothing and received everything.
As we neared Fira’s stall, Deborah coached me on our approach: notice her ears flicking, the pause in her chewing and her changing body movements. When I reached her, the large Arabian nuzzled her nose into my chest putting a gentle pressure over my heart. Something happened inside me: I felt as if she had reached a wellspring of past hurts, fears and failings. My inner sludge melted away and I couldn't believe it.
We stood with Fira for a while; then I patted her velvety nose, ran my hand along her strong neck and played with her mane. I breathed in the horsey smell of her. In those moments, I didn’t have to concentrate on feeling better; Fira helped me feel loved and safe.
How is it that a horse, one I had just met, reached in and touched my deepest emotions? Those who study psychoneuroimmunology have shown that emotions are not just part of the imagination, or “all in our heads.” Rather molecules carrying emotional information (known as neuropeptides) are produced throughout the body – especially in the heart and the gut, as well as in the brain. Horses, with their large hearts and guts, seem particularly good at noticing and responding to the cues.
Over the coming months, I worked with Fira, learning rudimentary communication and leading techniques to work in tandem with her. Initially, I was skeptical of equine-assisted therapy. I wasn’t sure exactly what one would do with an animal weighing over 1,000 pounds besides riding it. But I knew that Fira had touched me in an uncommon way and had made me feel better in a short period on a very bad day. She met me the only way she knew how – by responding to my emotional state and reflecting it back to me in an open, affectionate way. She didn’t require anything from me that I wasn’t offering. I had found a four-legged friend and guide.
Each time my therapist and I entered the round pen, Fira would eventually wander over. She stood very near; just stood. Close, but eschewing touch. If I touched her too much, as I was wont to do, she walked away. But Fira would come back and stand, and I took immense comfort in her presence. It was astounding to me that it mattered, her standing there.
Some researchers have suggested that just being around horses changes human brainwave patterns, that they calm us down with their natural empathy, that we become more centred. In my sessions with Fira, I found that I lost my usual self-consciousness and revelled in inner freedom. With Fira I was engaged, I could focus on communicating whether we would walk forward, turn left, turn right or stop. It was an intuitive process, an expectation of her compliance with my unspoken commands. I felt consumed by my connection with this beast towering at my shoulder, all sinew and muscle and ready for movement.
What did Fira teach me that I was having so much difficulty with? First, I learned to live in the present, to focus on what was happening this day, in this moment, in this place. I learned to forget the past, with all the hurt and angst, and the way it weighs me down. I learned to forget the future, which hasn't happened yet and is unworthy of my worry.
As prey and as herd animals, horses must use their highly developed nervous systems to acquire information that enables them to survive and thrive. In part, that means living in the moment. They are natural masters of the mindfulness practice that is now a recognized strategy for living positively with stress-related illnesses. Horses naturally possess the unity of mind and body. While humans can find themselves undone by unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours that undermine optimal health, horses handle body behaviour and feeling behaviour simply as “information” to monitor and respond to. Unlike humans, they have not been taught to hide, analyze and twist the truth of their emotions. When you stand beside a horse, you immediately become part of her “herd.” You exist completely in the moment. You seek a relationship and own your own emotions and intuitions. You recognize that “being,” is more valuable than achieving.
Standing alongside Fira, I could let go of my judging mind that leapt to conclusions. With Fira at my side, I had glimpses into a life in which trust comes first, and compassion follows. I could take back into my daily life, into my own “herd,” a willingness to experience, to suspend judgment, to ignore the old interpretations that put stress on me.
With Fira, I felt camaraderie, purpose and empowerment. I found a deep peace in leading her through an obstacle course and holding her lead, but using my own power of intention to indicate start, stop, left or right. I felt greater quietude – and often elation. My work with this horse was part of an intensive therapeutic journey out of a very dark night of the soul.
Rebecca Garber lives in Nanaimo, B.C.
We stood with Fira for a while; then I patted her velvety nose, ran my hand along her strong neck and played with her mane. I breathed in the horsey smell of her. In those moments, I didn’t have to concentrate on feeling better; Fira helped me feel loved and safe.
How is it that a horse, one I had just met, reached in and touched my deepest emotions? Those who study psychoneuroimmunology have shown that emotions are not just part of the imagination, or “all in our heads.” Rather molecules carrying emotional information (known as neuropeptides) are produced throughout the body – especially in the heart and the gut, as well as in the brain. Horses, with their large hearts and guts, seem particularly good at noticing and responding to the cues.
Over the coming months, I worked with Fira, learning rudimentary communication and leading techniques to work in tandem with her. Initially, I was skeptical of equine-assisted therapy. I wasn’t sure exactly what one would do with an animal weighing over 1,000 pounds besides riding it. But I knew that Fira had touched me in an uncommon way and had made me feel better in a short period on a very bad day. She met me the only way she knew how – by responding to my emotional state and reflecting it back to me in an open, affectionate way. She didn’t require anything from me that I wasn’t offering. I had found a four-legged friend and guide.
Each time my therapist and I entered the round pen, Fira would eventually wander over. She stood very near; just stood. Close, but eschewing touch. If I touched her too much, as I was wont to do, she walked away. But Fira would come back and stand, and I took immense comfort in her presence. It was astounding to me that it mattered, her standing there.
Some researchers have suggested that just being around horses changes human brainwave patterns, that they calm us down with their natural empathy, that we become more centred. In my sessions with Fira, I found that I lost my usual self-consciousness and revelled in inner freedom. With Fira I was engaged, I could focus on communicating whether we would walk forward, turn left, turn right or stop. It was an intuitive process, an expectation of her compliance with my unspoken commands. I felt consumed by my connection with this beast towering at my shoulder, all sinew and muscle and ready for movement.
What did Fira teach me that I was having so much difficulty with? First, I learned to live in the present, to focus on what was happening this day, in this moment, in this place. I learned to forget the past, with all the hurt and angst, and the way it weighs me down. I learned to forget the future, which hasn't happened yet and is unworthy of my worry.
As prey and as herd animals, horses must use their highly developed nervous systems to acquire information that enables them to survive and thrive. In part, that means living in the moment. They are natural masters of the mindfulness practice that is now a recognized strategy for living positively with stress-related illnesses. Horses naturally possess the unity of mind and body. While humans can find themselves undone by unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours that undermine optimal health, horses handle body behaviour and feeling behaviour simply as “information” to monitor and respond to. Unlike humans, they have not been taught to hide, analyze and twist the truth of their emotions. When you stand beside a horse, you immediately become part of her “herd.” You exist completely in the moment. You seek a relationship and own your own emotions and intuitions. You recognize that “being,” is more valuable than achieving.
Standing alongside Fira, I could let go of my judging mind that leapt to conclusions. With Fira at my side, I had glimpses into a life in which trust comes first, and compassion follows. I could take back into my daily life, into my own “herd,” a willingness to experience, to suspend judgment, to ignore the old interpretations that put stress on me.
With Fira, I felt camaraderie, purpose and empowerment. I found a deep peace in leading her through an obstacle course and holding her lead, but using my own power of intention to indicate start, stop, left or right. I felt greater quietude – and often elation. My work with this horse was part of an intensive therapeutic journey out of a very dark night of the soul.
Rebecca Garber lives in Nanaimo, B.C.
