Equine Therapy for Children with Autism

The playful nature of horses has been found to be helpful in treating children with autism. This article provides a bird's eye view of the potential of the underrated equine therapy or horse therapy in helping autistic children. Discover how horses can help special kids get moving and have a breath out of their own world.

The New Role of Horse Therapy for Autistic Children

Parents of autistic children have had many therapies and medications tossed their way, with hopes of reaching their children on a whole new level. Many parents are now looking after the potential of alternative methods for their children's condition despite all the promises of many therapies and medications. Even though the autistic aware community has become increasingly focused on horse therapy, this is still considered a new but promising therapy model for children with all type of disabilities especially autism.

Horses are of course majestic animals that carry with them a fabulous tale of potential, wonder, and amazing feats. However, their new role as a therapy model for autistic children has come under great scrutiny from some more clinically disposed experts. Most physicians, psychiatrists, and other experts believe that horse therapy only introduce an additional stimulus into the mix. There are others who believe that horse therapy holds great potential for those well trained and great potential for failure for those who believe they can just stick an autistic child and a horse in the same area and wait for a miracle.

The Horse Communicator

There have been movies made and books written about the possibilities horse therapies present. In fact, some of the great myths and legends of Native American origin include horses that can ultimately reach the unreachable, guide the blind and grace the deaf. These myths and legends make fantastic movie material, but those with disabled children live in the real world. Is it possible that a horse can help bring a child to a new level of communication? Of course it is. Those who have experienced success state rather emphatically that the therapy is not for all autistic children or all horses. Just like people, dogs, and cats, some horses have a higher degree of sensitivity. Some autistic children are looking to be reached while others are not. The right child paired with the right horse is the magic combination, according to those who have successfully helped autistic children communicate and reach out through horses.

Hopes, Dreams, and Realism

Many therapies that come along in hopes of helping autistic and otherwise disabled children, all of which are heavily publicized and turned into the media spectacle of new hope and promise. Those who have received proper training and have participated in case studies want parents to completely understand that horses are incredibly sensitive and can possibly stimulate a child's communication skills; thus because of this horse therapy has intentionally stayed as far from the media spotlight. Horses, just like all other experimental therapies and treatments, have successfully reached many children in ways that their parents and other clinical experts have not been able to. However, not every disabled child will look toward a horse just as not every disabled child will respond the same way toward medication and other therapies.

Not Just Any Trainer

The neighbor down the road who owns a horse or that farm that you pass on the way to the beach that has horses running around is not likely to be the place to introduce a disabled child to the horse. Horses that have proven to work effectively with disabled children have undergone some amount of training to help make them less intimidating. The trainers have gone through extensive training in order to understand how previously successful sessions have worked. Parents should be strongly cautioned against anyone making significant claims, advertising the services of their horse, or anyone offering to treat the child that offers up no credible form of proof of education and certification. People will prey on the desperate, and horse therapy is no different. The right trainer and the right horse are strictly required in order to involve a disabled child in horse therapy.

Article Tags: Horse Therapy, Autistic Children, Disabled Children, Disabled Child