The Horse as Therapist
Part 3
By Ingrid Edisen
Excellence
is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others
think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more
than others think is possible.” –Stable Life Solution’s motto
“The mission of SIRE is to improve the quality of life for people with
disabilities using horseback riding and related therapeutic activities.”
“With hippotherapy the horse controls the rider; with therapeutic riding,
the rider controls the horse.” –as related by the program director
of ROCK
Imagine for a moment that you have been trained to help people with either physical
or mental “handicaps” and know of horses that need a job to do.
Put that together with a healthy slew of volunteers and other therapists and
you have a huge synergy of a win-win situation. Such is the case with three
horse-related programs in the state: SIRE (Houston area), ROCK (Austin area)
and Stable Life Solutions (San Antonio area).
SIRE stands for Self Improvement through Riding Education. ROCK denotes Ride
on Center for Kids. Stable Life Solutions turns its attention to more of the
psychotherapeutic end of the spectrum. SIRE and ROCK are not-for-profit (501(C)(3))
organizations. Stable Life Solutions is a for-profit organization and does offer
a sliding scale payment plan.
“SIRE does not really focus mostly on the physically handicapped. We serve
those with physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral disabilities, “
said Program Director Joelle Devlin. It has two locations, she explained.
One is in Hockley, northwest of Houston, and serves 120 riders
per week with 16 horses; the other is in Spring, north of Houston, and serves
30-35 riders weekly with six horses. Both sites have covered arenas and both
have earned the Premier Accreditation status from NARHA (North American Riding
for the Handicapped Association).
“Of thirty-five practicing NARHA Master Instructors across the nation,
we have two at SIRE,” Devlin noted. “We also have four Advanced
Level Instructors and five Registered Level Instructors. Of the total thirteen
certified instructors, five are licensed physical or occupational therapists.”
SIRE’s program serves clients riders ranging in age from three to 73.
“Sixty-eight percent of the client riders are under eighteen years of
age,” she observed. “For some, independent riding will be their
goal and for others, it may be sitting erect, or maintaining balance.”
“We focus on the ability, not the disability,” she said. “There
are a wide range of abilities that would be worthy of a Gold Medal, such as
many win in competitions such as Regional and State Special Olympics.”
During the Regional Equestrian Special Olympics held this spring in Madisonville,
SIRE took twenty-four riders and they brought home thirteen Gold Medals and
several Silver Medals and Ribbons. SIRE staff and volunteers also took several
riders to the State Equestrian Special Olympics held May 15th in Waco.
SIRE has three major fund-raising events annually and also depends on foundation
grants, corporate and individual contributions, as do most of the other therapeutic
riding centers. Devlin briefly read the “Wish List” for SIRE and
items ranged from things as small as a can of Farrier’s Formula supplement
for horses and adult Western tapadero stirrups to a much needed cover for another
arena. Of course, there was everything else in between on the list, such as
English and Western tack, office supplies, the need for a flatbed trailer; horse
trailer, etc.
Meanwhile
in the Central Texas area, ROCK has been quietly working on its $600,000 fundraising
campaign. Currently the program uses approximately one hundred volunteers a
week and serves 74 riders. ROCK is also a NARHA premiere center and has two
physical therapists on staff. The six other instructors are NARHA-certified.
“Some riders don’t need side-walkers,” explained Joan Schroeder,
the program director. “Some are very independent while others need three
assistants.”
ROCK is located in Georgetown, directly north of Austin and has an outdoor arena
with plans to build a cover as soon as it can be obtained. The Junior League
of Austin, Southwestern University, and the University of Texas is where the
group gets some of its support and volunteers. It has ten horses on regular
staff and four on trail. Three miniature horses, also “on staff,”
are used in educational programs for the Georgetown Independent School District
that ROCK organizes. ROCK does a program for youth with the Williamson County
Juvenile Justice System as well. One huge donation of twenty acres was given
to ROCK last June.
If you were looking more for personal or relationship development, then Stable
Life Solutions would fill the bill. Maryann Bell, a licensed professional therapist
with a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, linked up with Tina Gary,
owner and head instructor of Azgard Farm who is an Equine Behavior Specialist.
Both of them are EAGALA certified. EAGALA stands for Equine Assisted Growth
and Learning Association. Stable Life Solutions offers experiental therapy for
individuals, families, couples or groups.
“What we watch for is the interaction between the horse and the individual(s),
and also the interactions among group members. Tina focuses more on how the
horse is responding, and I look more at what is going on with the individual(s).
All this feedback gives us clues as to what is really going on inside with their
thoughts and emotions and also how they relate to other people,” she explained.
Since both Bell and Gary are pretty much “on the same page” they
do not need to take breaks during sessions but keep the sessions flowing as
they do therapy in a private arena located on Gary’s Azgard Farms location.
Some of their program goals are to change self-sabotaging behaviors and create
healthier relationships. Stable Life Solutions offers private sessions and workshops
on issues related to marriage, women, parenting and corporate team building.
Currently, Bell is working on getting insurance boards to recognize and pay
for this type of therapy if so warranted.
Bell noted that recently they worked with a mother and two kids who were having
parenting issues. This type of therapy
was more productive versus the kids doing “talk therapy,” she said,
as the kids really get into the activity while engaging with the horse.
“Horses give immediate feedback,” Bell said. “It’s always
the same—how the people interact in life is shown as they work with the
horse. Horses are naturally very sensitive to emotions and body language, and
by their responses. They give immediate feedback about what is really going
on inside the person and how they behave in relationships with other people.
The person can instantly see the outcomes of the choices they make by how the
horse responds. We then help them relate the experiences they are having right
now with the horse to other people and other issues in their lives,” she
noted.
The two have a nickname for their program—”Extreme Life Makeovers”
and have access to 35 head of horses and eight to ten interns/volunteers. Ninety
percent of their therapy activities takes place “on the ground”
and is not mounted. Its focus is on solutions for life issues and horse experience
is not necessary. (Obviously, with ROCK and SIRE, horse experience is not necessary
either for the clients.)
These organizations can be contacted as follows: Joelle Devlin of SIRE:
SIREoffice@aol.com (Be sure to put “for program director” in the
subject line.); (281) 356-8946; Joan Schroeder of Ride On Center for Kids at:
joans@thegateway.net; (512) 930-7625; Maryann Bell of Stable Life Solutions
at: txmabell@hotmail.com; (210) 496-3716/ cell: (210) 386-8910. Or you may also
type in their group’s name into your search engine as well.
Call these organization if you have a donation or would like to volunteer!
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