Therapy sessions involve a combination of activities which include preparing the horses, warm up activities (stretching and games), working on the practice barrels and mechanical vaulting barrels, vaulting on the horses, cool down stretches, horse care, and debriefing.
Physical Benefits
Improved Balance
As the horse moves the vaulters balance is constantly changed, requiring the vaulters muscles to contact. Even though vaulting is exercise, it’s perceived as enjoyment, therefore the participant relax in an attempt to re-balance. This exercising is similar to physiotherapy, reaching the deep muscles, but making the therapy more enjoyable and fun. The three-dimensional rhythmic movement of the horse is similar to the motion of walking, teaching rhythmical patters to the muscles of the legs and trunk, by placing the vaulter in different positions on the horse (therapeutic vaulting) different muscles are worked. Stopping and starting the horse as well as changing the speed and direction increases the benefits. By getting into a range of vaulting man-oeuvres participants can challenge their balance in a large variety of ways with varying degrees of difficulty to match the participant’s physical and psychological strength and weaknesses.
Strengthened Muscles
Strength training during warm-up helps develop muscle strength. Muscles are strengthened by the increased use involved in practicing vaulting maneuvers. Participants have increased tolerance and motivation to lengthen the period of exercise, because they are having fun, setting goals and focusing on their performance .
Improved Coordination,Faster Reflexes and Better Motor Planning
Vaulting on a horse requires a great deal of coordination in order to get the desired response from the horse. Since the horse provides instant feedback to every action from the vaulter, it is easy to know when you have given the correct cue, landed too hard and become unbalanced. Repetition of the patterned movements required in controlling the human body to complete vaulting moves on a moving horse, quickens the reflexes and aids in motor planning. Participants in vaulting sessions have an increased motivation to plan what they are going to do with their bodies in order to move around the horses in the softest, kindest way to ensure they are being respectful to their horse.
Stretching of Tight or Spastic Muscles
Sitting on a horse requires stretching of the abductor muscle of the thighs. This is accomplished by pre-stretching exercises prior to mounting and by starting the vaulter on a barrel before mounting the horses. Gravity helps stretch the calf muscles when the rider sits on the horse without stirrups. Stomach and back muscles are stretched by encouraging the rider to maintain an upright position against the movement of the horse. Arm and hand muscles are stretched by the act of holding the handles. The rhythmic motion and warmth of the horse aids in relaxation,particularly of the legs. Sitting astride the horse helps break the ex-tensor spasms of lower limbs. Holding the handles break the flexor spasm patterns of upper limbs. Fatigue helps to decrease spasticity by producing relaxation.
Increased Range of Motion of the Joints
As spasticity is reduced, range of motion increases. Range of motion is also improved by the act of mounting and dismounting, preforming vaulting maneuvers, tacking, grooming and exercises during the lesson.
Improved Respiration and Circulation
Equestrian vaulting is a great cardiovascular activity, moving around into different positions and trotting and cantering increase both respiration and circulation.
Improved Appetite and Digestion
Like all forms of exercise, riding stimulates the appetite.
Sensory Integration
Vaulting stimulates the tactile sense both through touch and environmental stimuli. The many sounds of the outdoor farm situation help to involve the auditory system. Vaulting also increases proprioception and vestibular inputs through using kin aesthetic sense.
Psychological Benefits
General Sense of Well Being
Exercise in the fresh air of the country away from hospitals, doctors offices,therapy rooms, home often helps to promote a sense of well-being.
Increased Interest in One’s Own Life
The excitement of vaulting encourages the vaulter to speak and communicate about their activities.
Improved Self Confidence
Confidence is gained in mastering new skills normally performed by able-bodied people. The ability to control an animal much larger and stronger than oneself is a great confidence builder. Given that vaulting looks difficult to people who have not participated in a vaulting session, participants gain confidence that they can do things that many people believe they would not be able to do, increasing their confidence and sense of achievement as well as giving them something’s to talk about with pride.
Emotional Control and Self Discipline
Equestrian vaulting helps to develop:
• Respect for self and others
• Improved communication and social skills
• Boundary setting
• Empathy towards others
• Self-control and confidence
• Responsibility and accountability
• Problem solving and cooperation
• Honesty and trust
• Overcoming challenges in a non-threatening atmosphere
Therapeutic Effect of the Horse
Those who are familiar with horses recognize and understand the power of horses to influence people in incredibly powerful ways. Developing relationships, training, horsemanship instruction, and caring for horses naturally affects the people involved in a positive manner.
The benefits of work ethic, responsibility, assertiveness, communication, and healthy relationships have long been recognized. Horses naturally provide these benefits. The use of horses is growing and gaining popularity with the rise of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning. So therapeutic equestrian vaulting is only one of the therapeutic activities that use the benefits of the healing and benefits that occur when working with horses to help people develop. Vaulting on a horse rather than participating in psychotherapy alone allow participants to develop a greater sense of the need to trust the horse. As well as a greater emphasis on the effects of showing respect, trust and confidence in yourself, your team mates and your horse in order to grow, develop and achieve goals.
Naturally intimidating to many, horses are large and powerful. This creates a natural opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. Working alongside a horse, in spite of those fears, creates confidence and provides wonderful insight when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life. Performing vaulting moves on a horse allows participants to take overcoming fear and developing confidence to a more advanced level.
Like humans, horses are social animals, with defined roles within their herds. They would rather be with their peers. They have distinct personalities, attitudes and moods, an approach that works with one horse won’t work with another. At times, they seem stubborn and defiant. They like to have fun. In other words, horses provide vast opportunities for metaphorical learning, an effective technique when working with even the most challenging individuals or groups.
Horses require us to work,whether in caring for them or working with them. In an era when immediate gratification and the “easy way”are the norm, horses require people to be engaged in physical and material work to be successful, a valuable lesson in all aspects of life.
Most importantly, horses mirror human body language. Many complain, “this horse is stubborn”. That horse doesn’t like me”, etc. The lesson is that if they change themselves, the horse responds differently. Horses are honest, which makes them especially powerful messengers.
For parents sometimes setting boundaries and limits then trying to decide what the best type of consequences are appropriate leaves many feeling inadequate as parents much of the time. Sometimes having someone from the outside offer suggestions in a non-threatening non-blaming manner is what it takes, for participants to see a new perspective that participants usually have not seen before.
All of the exercises are presented in a manner that seems fun, but always have significant meaning behind them.
Utilizing horses to support therapeutic processes for individuals and groups promote insight in a new and exciting manner.
Social Development
Friendship
Vaulting is a team activity that promotes communication, trust, encouraging others,recognizing strength and having fun with other participants,allowing meaningful friendships to develop.
Physical Benefits
Improved Balance
As the horse moves the vaulters balance is constantly changed, requiring the vaulters muscles to contact. Even though vaulting is exercise, it’s perceived as enjoyment, therefore the participant relax in an attempt to re-balance. This exercising is similar to physiotherapy, reaching the deep muscles, but making the therapy more enjoyable and fun. The three-dimensional rhythmic movement of the horse is similar to the motion of walking, teaching rhythmical patters to the muscles of the legs and trunk, by placing the vaulter in different positions on the horse (therapeutic vaulting) different muscles are worked. Stopping and starting the horse as well as changing the speed and direction increases the benefits. By getting into a range of vaulting man-oeuvres participants can challenge their balance in a large variety of ways with varying degrees of difficulty to match the participant’s physical and psychological strength and weaknesses.
Strengthened Muscles
Strength training during warm-up helps develop muscle strength. Muscles are strengthened by the increased use involved in practicing vaulting maneuvers. Participants have increased tolerance and motivation to lengthen the period of exercise, because they are having fun, setting goals and focusing on their performance .
Improved Coordination,Faster Reflexes and Better Motor Planning
Vaulting on a horse requires a great deal of coordination in order to get the desired response from the horse. Since the horse provides instant feedback to every action from the vaulter, it is easy to know when you have given the correct cue, landed too hard and become unbalanced. Repetition of the patterned movements required in controlling the human body to complete vaulting moves on a moving horse, quickens the reflexes and aids in motor planning. Participants in vaulting sessions have an increased motivation to plan what they are going to do with their bodies in order to move around the horses in the softest, kindest way to ensure they are being respectful to their horse.
Stretching of Tight or Spastic Muscles
Sitting on a horse requires stretching of the abductor muscle of the thighs. This is accomplished by pre-stretching exercises prior to mounting and by starting the vaulter on a barrel before mounting the horses. Gravity helps stretch the calf muscles when the rider sits on the horse without stirrups. Stomach and back muscles are stretched by encouraging the rider to maintain an upright position against the movement of the horse. Arm and hand muscles are stretched by the act of holding the handles. The rhythmic motion and warmth of the horse aids in relaxation,particularly of the legs. Sitting astride the horse helps break the ex-tensor spasms of lower limbs. Holding the handles break the flexor spasm patterns of upper limbs. Fatigue helps to decrease spasticity by producing relaxation.
Increased Range of Motion of the Joints
As spasticity is reduced, range of motion increases. Range of motion is also improved by the act of mounting and dismounting, preforming vaulting maneuvers, tacking, grooming and exercises during the lesson.
Improved Respiration and Circulation
Equestrian vaulting is a great cardiovascular activity, moving around into different positions and trotting and cantering increase both respiration and circulation.
Improved Appetite and Digestion
Like all forms of exercise, riding stimulates the appetite.
Sensory Integration
Vaulting stimulates the tactile sense both through touch and environmental stimuli. The many sounds of the outdoor farm situation help to involve the auditory system. Vaulting also increases proprioception and vestibular inputs through using kin aesthetic sense.
Psychological Benefits
General Sense of Well Being
Exercise in the fresh air of the country away from hospitals, doctors offices,therapy rooms, home often helps to promote a sense of well-being.
Increased Interest in One’s Own Life
The excitement of vaulting encourages the vaulter to speak and communicate about their activities.
Improved Self Confidence
Confidence is gained in mastering new skills normally performed by able-bodied people. The ability to control an animal much larger and stronger than oneself is a great confidence builder. Given that vaulting looks difficult to people who have not participated in a vaulting session, participants gain confidence that they can do things that many people believe they would not be able to do, increasing their confidence and sense of achievement as well as giving them something’s to talk about with pride.
Emotional Control and Self Discipline
Equestrian vaulting helps to develop:
• Respect for self and others
• Improved communication and social skills
• Boundary setting
• Empathy towards others
• Self-control and confidence
• Responsibility and accountability
• Problem solving and cooperation
• Honesty and trust
• Overcoming challenges in a non-threatening atmosphere
Therapeutic Effect of the Horse
Those who are familiar with horses recognize and understand the power of horses to influence people in incredibly powerful ways. Developing relationships, training, horsemanship instruction, and caring for horses naturally affects the people involved in a positive manner.
The benefits of work ethic, responsibility, assertiveness, communication, and healthy relationships have long been recognized. Horses naturally provide these benefits. The use of horses is growing and gaining popularity with the rise of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning. So therapeutic equestrian vaulting is only one of the therapeutic activities that use the benefits of the healing and benefits that occur when working with horses to help people develop. Vaulting on a horse rather than participating in psychotherapy alone allow participants to develop a greater sense of the need to trust the horse. As well as a greater emphasis on the effects of showing respect, trust and confidence in yourself, your team mates and your horse in order to grow, develop and achieve goals.
Naturally intimidating to many, horses are large and powerful. This creates a natural opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. Working alongside a horse, in spite of those fears, creates confidence and provides wonderful insight when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life. Performing vaulting moves on a horse allows participants to take overcoming fear and developing confidence to a more advanced level.
Like humans, horses are social animals, with defined roles within their herds. They would rather be with their peers. They have distinct personalities, attitudes and moods, an approach that works with one horse won’t work with another. At times, they seem stubborn and defiant. They like to have fun. In other words, horses provide vast opportunities for metaphorical learning, an effective technique when working with even the most challenging individuals or groups.
Horses require us to work,whether in caring for them or working with them. In an era when immediate gratification and the “easy way”are the norm, horses require people to be engaged in physical and material work to be successful, a valuable lesson in all aspects of life.
Most importantly, horses mirror human body language. Many complain, “this horse is stubborn”. That horse doesn’t like me”, etc. The lesson is that if they change themselves, the horse responds differently. Horses are honest, which makes them especially powerful messengers.
For parents sometimes setting boundaries and limits then trying to decide what the best type of consequences are appropriate leaves many feeling inadequate as parents much of the time. Sometimes having someone from the outside offer suggestions in a non-threatening non-blaming manner is what it takes, for participants to see a new perspective that participants usually have not seen before.
All of the exercises are presented in a manner that seems fun, but always have significant meaning behind them.
Utilizing horses to support therapeutic processes for individuals and groups promote insight in a new and exciting manner.
Social Development
Friendship
Vaulting is a team activity that promotes communication, trust, encouraging others,recognizing strength and having fun with other participants,allowing meaningful friendships to develop.