The Georgian Riding Association for Challenged Equestrians has launched a new program to help anyone with communication or mental health issues.
Their Equine Assisted Learning program allows individuals or small groups to work through things like social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or want to work on family communication or team building.
Kathleen Hunter, who is a certified facilitator in EAL, says that incorporating horses seems to help people, even if the program isn’t an official therapy program. She says that they offer appointments for individuals, but they usually do group work. This is especially helpful for people working through interpersonal issues who are trying to build communication skills.
“For the individual or the group to brainstorm, and come together and find solutions that work for everybody… it’s about the dynamics of [the] group, it’s about [the] thought process, it’s about how you’re communicating.”
She says that it’s important for students of their program to make sure they’re in a calm mindset when doing their work because horses will give back the energy they get.
Hunter says that “A horse is incredibly sensitive to energetic, emotional, and physical changes. Because they’re prey animals, they are very attuned to their environment, and changes to that environment. And that environment includes those who are near to them.”
GRACE is also happy that they were able to get a grant to help lower the costs of the programming for anyone who wants it.
If you’re interested in signing up to volunteer with GRACE or to take part in the EAL program, you can contact them through their Facebook page or by calling 519-372-2721.
