Being around horses on a regular basis can benefit emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, occupational, and nutritional wellness. BY DEBBIE ELLIOT
PHOTO: LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN
We all often feel that sense of calm and clarity when we get to the barn. Being around horses helps us relax, regulate our heart rate, ground ourselves, and focus on what really matters. While horses have benefited people for their physical strength, endurance, and athleticism for thousands of years, the holistic value of spending time with horses is a more recent discovery. In 1780, Joseph Clément Tissot, a French physician and military surgeon, described horseback riding, especially at the walk, as a potentially beneficial form of treatment. The first recorded examples of animal-assisted therapy occurred in 1796 at the York Retreat in the U.K., when domesticated animals were incorporated into therapeutic treatment with the goal of creating social and benevolent feelings in patients and reducing isolation. The modern form of hippotherapy, also known as equine-assisted services, was first developed in Europe in the early 1960s and then spread to the U.S. later in the decade. The benefits — including adaptive riding, mental health, trauma treatment, and veteran services — are vast, and the industry is growing. More than 71,300 participants are served each year through Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) member centers worldwide. However, there are countless ways that horses help humans become the best and happiest versions of themselves in everyday life outside of equine-assisted services programs. Horses can support our overall wellness, from emotional health to physical fitness, and even our sense of purpose, said Dr. Pebbles Turbeville, CEO of the Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF). She breaks wellness down into eight pillars: emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, occupational, and nutritional. EMOTIONAL WELLNESS Emotional wellness relates to how we manage our emotions, cope with stress, and build emotional resilience. “Interactions with horses stimulate things in people that no other sport or activity can,” said Dr. C. Mike Tomlinson, DVM, MBA, Director Emeritus at HHRF. Unlike playing basketball, golf, or tennis, you are building a partnership with a sentient being and working towards a common goal. Horses can undoubtedly make us feel calmer, less anxious, and happier, but they can also improve self-esteem and build confidence, especially in young people. “Confidence with horses is rarely given; it is built. Each small success, whether catching a difficult horse, improving a transition, or asking a horse to accept a rug for the first time becomes evidence of capability, and that is where genuine self-esteem begins,” said Dr. Helen Sharp, PhD, founder of Groundwork Equine Assisted Services. Equestrian activities also teach us goal setting, and the patience and resilience to reach those goals, as nothing with horses comes quickly.
Everyday interactions with horses are beneficial for all eight pillars of wellness.
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