The Benefits of Therapy Horses
Animals have been used as a form of therapy for many years. While many animals have the potential to calm and relax those with anxiety and disabilities, horses are especially renowned for their healing effects. Here, we’ll look at why horses are often used in therapy and how you can set up your own horse therapy business.
What makes horses perfect for therapy?
In terms of therapy animals, horses are considered to offer more scope for behavioural changes.
Their size alone can prove intimidating at first. However, this is part of the therapy for many people as overcoming the initial fear can really help to boost confidence. Horses are also herd animals, which means they love company. They enjoy making bonds, whether it’s with other horses, animals or humans. They have a desire to be led and often mirror the behaviour they see. So, if you go near them with a calm, confident attitude, they’ll respond in the same manner. This means they can help people to reflect on their behaviour and challenge how they meet and respond to different situations.
What can horse therapy be useful for?
Horses can be used as therapy for a number of conditions. Those suffering from anxiety, addiction, low self-confidence and autism especially benefit from horse therapy.
As horse therapy is quite physical, it really helps people to get out of their own heads and focus on something other than their issues. Horses are commonly used as therapy for those with disabilities, both for improving their mental health and for helping them to develop fine motor skills.
Setting up a horse therapy business
Starting a horse therapy business can be rewarding yet challenging. You will need some qualifications to show you can safely work with horses. You’re also going to need quite a lot of money to get started. As well as the horses themselves, you’re going to need a lot of equipment too, as well as insurance. It’s well worth doing as much research as you can before setting up this type of business.
Overall, horses have proven to be extremely effective therapy animals. Watching how much they can change a person’s life is remarkable. Those with anxiety and behavioural problems end up gaining substantial levels of confidence and calmness through interactions with the horses. So, if you’re looking for a rewarding business venture where you’ll greatly help others, a horse therapy business is a great idea.
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