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Saanich News
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 A9
Brain injury survivors harness power of equine connection Horses teach connection and communication in new program Nina Grossman News Staff
With a gentle sniff, kind eyes and flicker of her fuzzy ears, Fanny’s calm, inquisitive demeanour is infectious. Fanny, a bay Shetland pony, is one of four equine participants in this Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) session at Heart Lake Farm in Central Saanich. She’s led through a small obstacle course by her two handlers, who provide ample affection after she calmly follows their directions over the poles.
B.C. opens vaccination bookings for those over 80
A partnership between the Victoria Brain Injury Society, Heart Lake Farm and Humbles Hooves – a Cobble Hill-based horse wellness and therapy rescue farm – EAL is a non-riding life skills program rooted in the healing power of equine connection. Participants – brain injury survivors and their family, friends and supporters – are invited to work in teams of two, with one horse or pony, to tackle different activities. “I think horses have a very unique way of communicating,” says Tammera Merkins, Humble Hooves owner and operator. “Because they’re prey animals, they mirror what’s going on around them, and so they kind of ask humans to show up in a certain way – to be calm or have leadership.” Merkins says participants have reported feeling a sense of calm from the horses and have grown more confident
being around them. “We’re seeing these skills they’re learning here in the arena transfer over into their everyday lives.” While grooming a horse named Gina, participant Joan Davy says that since her brain injury, light, sounds and sights can become overwhelming. “Often with brain injury, words are … too much and so (I’m) learning to be with a being that is more about reading gestures and responses,” Davy says. “They are very sweet.” She says isolation has been the norm for her – long before COVID-19. “So I’m really grateful to have a new experience and probably the only social experience in months and months and months,” she says. The session is the last in a Ruth Bartesko gives some love to Fanny the Shetland pony during an Equine Assisted Learning session at Heart series of workshops, but a 10- Lake Farm on March 8. Bartesko is one of several participants from the Victoria Brain Injury Society to take part week program begins in April. in the new program. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)
Tom Fletcher Black Press Media
B.C. public health officials are accelerating their mass COVID-19 vaccination of older residents in the community for a second time, with bookings for 84-year-olds starting on Monday.
Those aged 83 and over could book an injection starting Tuesday, followed by 82 and over Wednesday, 81 and over Thursday and 80 and over on Friday. Dr. Penny Ballem, executive in charge of B.C.’s vaccination program, said appointment bookings have been going well since the eligible age group
was extended last week from 90 and up to 85 and up. That allows the clinics to accommodate an additional 105,000 people between 80 and 85 who have not yet been vaccinated. “We ask that family and friends of seniors in these age groups have only one designated family member or support person call to book appointments
for people in this age group,” Ballem said in a statement released late Sunday afternoon. Call centres for each Health Authority are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. PDT seven days a week. Phone numbers and booking details are available at www.gov.bc.ca/bcseniorsfirst. vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca
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