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ESCARPMENTMAGAZINE
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CA
SUMMER
2016
Theword “magical”gets thrownarounda lot,
but for the
hundredsofadults, teensandchildren (and thepeoplewhocare for them)
thatvisitHopeHavenTherapeuticRidingCentreeachyear, the resultsof
equine therapy is nothing short ofmagical. This spring I had the fortune
of touring the facilitywith ExecutiveDirector ThérèseDefoy. Agrowing
rehabilitation field, animal-assisted therapyhas provenpsychological
healthbenefits. Iwas intriguedby the idea that interactingwithanimals
canheal brokenminds andbodies. I discovered thatwhile some riders
benefit from the emotional connectionwith the horses, others benefit
physically from themovements;buildingcorestrength,bodyawareness
andmusclememory.Since2011HopeHavenTherapeuticRidingCentre
hasbeenprovidinga transformativeexperience for childrenandadults
with special needs,and their families. The resultsare simplyastounding,
and formanyparticipants, lifechanging.
HopeHaven,whichsitson142acresofbeautiful farmlandnearMark-
dale in theBeaver Valley, is comprisedof twobarns, an indoor riding
arenaandanoutdoor ring. Thenature trails thatmeander through the
fields andwoodedbushareas areperfect for riding, hikingand snow-
shoeing,offeringyetanothersourceof therapy for thesoul.HopeHaven
operates year roundwith thehelpof aBoardofDirectorsand thededi-
cationof invaluable volunteers. This initiative ismadepossiblewith the
generosity and help from community donors. Even the eight beautiful
horses that resideatHopeHavenweredonated to theprogram.
“WeofferavarietyofprogramsatHopeHavenwith therapeuticriding
being themainstay, it’sourprimary focusasacharitableorganization,”
Thérèseexplained.“Weareanaccreditedcentre throughCanTRA,which
is theCanadianTherapeuticRidingAssociation.”
Equestrian therapy isespeciallybeneficial for individualswithanxiety,
autism,dementia,anddelay inmentaldevelopment,aspergersyndrome,
downs syndrome, cerebral palsy,ADHD, depression, traumaandbrain
injuries, behavior andabuse issues andothermental health issues. The
highly skilled certifiedCanTRA instructorsatHopeHavenquicklyassess
the individual needsof eachparticipantand tailora ridingorhorseman-
shipprogram to complement theunique challenges theparticipantsare
facedwith. Here, individualswith varyingdisabilities canexplore their
potential inanenvironment thatencourages them to trynewexperiences
whileenjoying the learningprocess. Fundamental to the success of this
program is the importanceofhelping theriderbuilda trustingrelationship
with the horse, instructor and Hope Haven’s amazing volunteers. To
begin, participants areassistedby the instructorwhoguides thehorse
whileoneor twoassistantswalkalongside tophysicallysupport therider,
ifneeded.
