Book by hasmik galstyan

Equine Therapy at Westwind

Hasmik Galstyan

Equine Therapy at Westwind

Hasmik Galstyan

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would like to dedicate this book to children in the Westwind 4H program. They are all such wonderful kids and it brings joy to me to see them enjoy and have fun at the program the way they do. I would also like to pay tribute to the therapy horses at the program who are all very kind and well behaved. I’m thankful that they work so well with the children and volunteers, and the program wouldn’t be complete without them. Finally, I would like to dedicate this book to my sister, who came along with me and stuck alongside me, even when I wanted to stay longer to take more photos.

(left) Kevin Bacon, the pig at Westwind Community Barn

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I wouldn’t be able to create this book without the help of...

Freestyle Academy, Nancy Couperous, founder of Westwind 4H, Roxanne Raksnys, instructor for the program, All the leaders and volunteers at Westwind, And horse lovers all around the world.

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Contents Preface Introduction What is Westwind?

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How Equine 21 Therapy Helps

11 Conclusion

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Works Cited

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History of 17 Equine Therapy

Preface

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’d have to say that of all the projects I’ve done here in Freestyle, the Documentary Project was the hardest project but also the one that I’m most proud of. The project itself challenges juniors to find an interesting idea, person, or place to do a documentary book. When starting this project, I knew from the beginning what I wanted my topic to be for the documentary. Even back when I first heard about the project from my upperclassmen, I already set my sights on Westwind Community Barn, specifically their 4H program. I have been volunteering for the program for about half a year now, and I was really looking forward to documenting this place. I suppose the major challenges when writing my book were my interviews. I got through my first

interview just fine, but when it came to my next few interviews, I was having trouble with the scheduling. Not only were the volunteers there usually busy, but whenever I scheduled to come in to do the interview, it would always start raining. Three times this happened to me!

I swear, it’s like Mother Nature was trying to hinder me in my work, but in the end, I was able to get all my interviews together. Besides that, the rest of this project went quite well. Since I already volunteered there, I could show up with my camera to the sessions to take photos of the children, the horses, and the location in general. In conclusion, I have had a lot of fun volunteering at Westwind, and I wanted everyone else to know what an important place it really is.

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Introduction

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os Altos Hills—it almost feels like you are no longer in civilization. Bright green hills roll for miles. As you drive by, fence posts surrounding a wide open pasture that look like it stretches on forever.

Stallions and mares graze on a soft green grass, looking so at home and at peace. Just beside the field stands a large barn. Dust and dirt cover the ground beneath your feet. As you close your eyes, you can feel the cool breeze brushing against your skin. You can hear the sound of children laughing excitedly as their parents try to keep them calm before the fun begins.

Welcome to Westwind Community Barn, a 15 acre land full of history and life. Originally owned by the Countess Margit Bessenyey, the barn was (left) Libby, a therapy horse at Westwind

used as a breeding facility and training center for her Hungarian horses before she donated it to the Town of Los Altos Hills. This is where the Victoria Dye Equestrian riding programs were born, allowing people to take lessons in learning how to ride horses. However, this is so much more than just a place to board and ride horses.

This is also the location of the Westwind 4H program, also known as Westwind 4H Riding for the Handicapped. Here is where calm and well-behaved horses assist in something known as equine therapy. Equine therapy is a unique form a therapy which uses horses to help people with disorders such as autism, helping them to develop enduring life skills.

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What is Westwind?

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efore getting into more complicated details, let’s get to know the ranch first. You may of heard of the 4H programs before, but for those that haven’t, 4H is “America’s largest youth development organization—empowering nearly six million young people across the U.S. with the skills to lead for a lifetime” (4H). The program here at the Westwind Community Barn is known as Westwind 4H Riding for the Handicapped. Nancy Couperus, one of the founders of the this program, has been a part of it since the very beginning until now.

“The program started back in October of 1978… It was actually an effort to convince the city council that this barn was worth saving, ‘cause that had been an issue whether the town should hold onto it or bulldoze it and put houses here… We’re very fortunate that our first instructor had been an instructor at Westwind previously, had worked with handicapped children, and in fact was fostering at that time 4 children with severe handicaps. He always wanted to do a program, a year-round riding program, so when we called him up, he was delighted to participate and said that the only thing that he would ask is that his 4 children would be able to participate in the riding program.”

(left) Roxanne Raksnys, instructor for Westwind 4-H program, and Steele (her horse), a therapy horse at Westwind

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The program runs four times a year, a couple weeks for every season, although due to the any extreme weather, such as pouring rain and high winds in the winter or intense heat in the summer, sometimes the class may need to be canceled. But before the children even arrive, there is still much to do to prepare the horses. First, they need to get the therapy horses from their stalls and prepare them for the riders. The horses all need to be groomed, saddled, and walked, and with usually four to five horses per session, that can take a while. For every child and horse, there is a person leading the horse along with two sidewalkers on either side of the animal for the child’s safety. Their purpose is to ensure that the rider is sitting up straight and doesn’t lose their balance when riding the horse, although since some children have better coordination than others, it varies how much the sidewalkers should help out the rider.

Once the children arrive and get their gear on, the horses are then led into an arena where they have fun playing games and going through simple obstacle courses, or they head out on a nature walk on a nearby trail. Both of these experiences individually improve the children’s happiness and well(left) Cinders, a therapy horse at Westwind

being, something that can clearly be seen in the smiles on their faces. “The kids look like they really enjoy the sessions. Something about just being on the horse brings a smile to the children’s faces, and in turn, the horses seem to enjoy the program just as much as the children do. It improves the children’s self-esteem and by the time they leave, they may be feeling even better than when they arrived” (Galstyan).

The horses rarely ever complain when it comes to the lessons, and many of them are very eager to work with the children.

“We have horses that are senior horses, so they have an opportunity to live out a pretty nice life up here” (Couperus). These horses were all given to the program by generous donors, one of these people being the current instructor for the program, Roxanne Raksnys.

“I think the best part is seeing how beneficial riding the horses are to the students... To me, it gives everybody in their position a chance to be equal” (Raksnys). Each horse is specific to every child and usually that child stays with that horse throughout the entire season.

This allows the child to form a more close relationship with their horse, which helps both the child and the horse feel more relaxed throughout the session.

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“Something about just being on the horse brings a smile to the children’s faces, and in turn, the horses seem to enjoy the program just as much as the children do.�

History of Equine Therapy

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umans and animals have coexisted together for thousands of years years; in fact, the domestication of animals began 15,000 years ago.

“The therapeutic potential of animals was first recognized in the late 1800s, when Florence Nightingale… observed that small pets helped reduce anxiety in children and adults living in psychiatric institutions, and she wrote in her book Notes on Nursing that being with small animals helps patients recover” (Ernst). But during this time, only a few animals, such as

farm animals, were considered to be used in mental institutions. It wasn’t until the late 1900s that therapy through the use of animals started to become more recognized and respected.

The first case of animal-assisted therapy, or AAT, became a reality in the 1930s. A man named Sigmund Freud began to use his dog, Jofi, in his psychotherapy lessons. “Freud believed that dogs had a special sense, and he thought that Jofi could signal a patient’s level of tension by how close the dog stayed to the patient… He found that many patients initially felt more

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comfortable talking through Jofi, and that this interaction served as a stepping stone until they felt comfortable speaking directly to him.

However, Freud’s view on animals’ therapeutic potential did not become apparent until almost two decades after his death, when a series of books were released that included translations of his letters and journals” (Ernst). To be clear, AAT isn’t just “hanging out with animals,” there’s so much more to it. It utilizes the animal-human bond as part of a treatment process. It allows a human to feel truly connected to an animal, developing an important relationship between them built on trust and friendship.

But then what started the idea of using horses of all animals for therapy? “Equine therapy certainly isn’t a new concept, with the Greeks noting the therapeutic value of horses in 600 BC. In the 1800s, horses along with other animals were used to treat neurological and stress disorders” (Chung). Then, later in the mid tolate 1900s, therapeutic riding centers had been established across the world, originally starting in Europe in 1952. A woman named Lis Hartel won a silver medal in Grand Prix dressage at the Olympics, all while suffering from polio. She was the one who introduced the idea of therapeutic riding. Concurrently, new organizations such as North American Riding (left) Trinity, a therapy horse at Westwind

for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) were established. Now known as Path Intl., it was originally formed in 1969 by just 23 individuals who “recognized the need for an organization to spread helpful information about therapeutic riding” (Horses of Hope, Inc.). As time passed, the small group of people grew bigger and bigger, and now they have more than 8,000 members all around the world who supports thousands of people facing both physical and mental challenges using EAAT (equine-assisted and therapies). “The goal of PATH Intl. is to be a resource for those who need one” (Path Intl.)

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How Equine Therapy Helps

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here are people with all kinds of disabilities out there in the world, whether it be physical or psychological. Improvements in medicine have allowed for better treatments to emerge that help people cope or overcome their disabilities, such as autism. “When a child is diagnosed with autism, they are often referred to receive behaviour analytic interventions, speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. However, Hippotherapy [another word for equine therapy] has been making waves as a treatment tool to help individuals accomplish therapeutic objectives” (Special Learning Inc.).

But why do horses make great therapy animals, maybe even better than other conventional animals, such as dogs? “Because horses are prey animals, they always need to be very aware of what’s going on around them.

They can tell if you’re not feeling well, and they may not be as gregarious as they would be other times. If somebody just needs to stand there and hug them for a while, they’ll do that, even though they might rather be off running with their friends” (Staricha).

They are able to pick up on emotions better than some other animals out there, which is useful to therapists when they work with patients who have difficulty maintaining or

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expressing their emotions. They react in turn to a person’s feelings. If someone is feeling angry, the horse may yank its head back and try to pull away. If a person is feeling happy, the horse will feel much more relaxed. Horses help people identify their emotions and help work through them to build a close trust with with the animal and also the people around them. “A lot of those students have PTSD or other kind of psychological things going on. It brought out their emotions. People were upset and crying. It’s like the spirit of the horse just really brought their feelings out, and they just felt comfortable enough to like work out their problems there” (Raksnys).

Not only does it help people emotionally but it also helps them mentally. “Those who have autism, especially children, have difficulty communicating with others… With equine therapy, children feel more motivated

to communicate with the horse by brushing or petting them, or by helping direct the horse which way to go” (Galstyan). Not only will they have a better understanding of their own emotions, but the person will also feel more inclined and motivated to communicate not just with the horse but with other people as well. This also stimulates their senses, specifically their balance and spatial orientation, making riding the horse seem more exciting and helps them stay engaged in the program. This includes playing games such as throwing plush balls into baskets and weaving through poles, and by the time the session ends, the children might not want to leave because they’ve had so much fun with the horse. They are able to form a bond with another living creature, and that is something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

“It’s like the spirit of the horse just really brought their feelings out, and they just felt comfortable enough to like work out their problems there.”

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Conclusion

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eing in contact with horses benefits people in many ways, regardless of ability. The horses are supporting the riders both physically while they’re riding them, and also mentally by helping build coordination, awareness, and most importantly, trust.

Westwind 4H strives to help children develop these skills that they will use even when they’re adults. Now reaching their 40 year anniversary, the Westwind 4H program has grown significantly since its beginning in 1978. The program has children of all ages, from kindergarteners to high schoolers, that come up to Los Altos Hills to ride, and every single one of them have enjoyed and benefited from this program. They hope to have the program continue to improve as time goes on and help fund other programs and ensure that the barn lives on for many generations to come. As Nancy Couperous put it, “We know the program is worthwhile by the smiles on faces of the kids and the volunteers when a child overcomes the barriers of his or her particular handicap.”

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Works Cited

Chung, Sophia. “The Benefits of Equine Therapy .” Can Horseback Riding Help Children with Autism?, 5 Sept. 2017, blog.stageslearning.com/blog/can-horseback-riding-help-children-withautism, 6 April 2018.

Couperus, Nancy. Personal Interview. 8 February 2018.

Ernst, Lorraine. “ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY: AN EXPLORATION OF ITS HISTORY, HEALING BENEFITS, AND HOW SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES CAN SET UP PROGRAMS.” Managedhealthcareconnect.com, Oct. 2014, www.managedhealthcareconnect.com/article/ animal-assisted-therapy-exploration-its-history-healing-benefits-and-how-skilled-nursing, 25 March 2018.

Galstyan, Diana. Personal Interview. 15 April 2018.

“History of Westwind 4-H.” Westwind 4H Riding for the Handicapped, www.westwind4h.org/ westwind-history/, 28 April 2018.

Path Intl., “What is PATH Intl.?.” PATH INTERNATIONAL, www.pathintl.org/what-is, 21 April 2018.

Path Intl., “Company.” PATH INTERNATIONAL, www.pathintl.org/132-general/company, 21 April 2018.

Raksnys, Roxanne. Personal Interview. 13 March 2018.

Staricha, Sandy. Personal Interview. 12 April 2018.

“The Benefits of Hippotherapy for the Autistic Population - Special.” Special Learning Inc, www.special-learning.com/article/benefits_hippotherapy, 6 April 2018.

User, Super. “The History of Therapeutic Riding.” Horses of Hope, Inc., www.horsesofhope. org/about-us/the-history-of-therapeutic-riding, 19 April 2018.

“What Is 4-H?” 4-H, 4-h.org/about/what-is-4-h/, 21 March 2018.

“What Is Equine Therapy?” CRC Health Group, www.crchealth.com/types-of-therapy/what-isequine-therapy/, 21 March 2018.

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About the Author Her name is Hasmik Galstyan. She is a 16 yearold junior attending Los Altos High School, along with Freestyle Academy. She was born in London, UK, and her family has traveled to several other parts of Europe, such as Russia and Armenia, before deciding to settle here in the US. Here at Freestyle, she works on writing, designing, and animating, which are some of her personal passions and the reason she came to Freestyle in the first place.

She may not be the most extroverted person when talking with others, but whenever she’s working on a project that she really enjoys, she’ll put all my heart into it. She has done a lot of volunteer work throughout her time in high school, especially with children, including at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. In the future, she hopes that she get to work in designer, preferably designing video games or maybe even advertisements. She’s a very creative person and has a lot of fun creating and designing unique characters and illustrations that would catch a person’s eye. In this ever growing world that we live in, she hopes that she can make something of her own that will help her stand out from the rest of the crowd.

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Equine Therapy at Westwind

Hasmik Galstyan