Operation WE CAREOperation WE CARE is Trinity's Veterans program offering equine assisted therapy at no cost to returning and recovering veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other combat related issues. This program is at no cost to qualified military individuals and their families. Please call Toni at 715-828-6784 or visit www.trinity-ec.com for registration information or more details. Thank you for all you do and have sacrificed for all of us.
EAP for VeteransUnderstanding the strategies for combat survival as well as what symptoms might be exhibited in post war veterans upon re-introduction to civilian life is what makes this form of therapy so effective. The issues that EAP is particularly effective for are PTSD, depression, addictions, grief issues, identity problems, panic at-tacks, sleep disorders and religious or spiritual problems. The EAP experience allows an immediate forum to explore different ways to address and help begin to solve these concerns by:
Click Here to see how Therapeutic Riding can aid Wounded Veterans'
In There Own Words?Many Veterans have said, “We don’t just sit around and talk about our fears. Here we actually get to do something about managing it.”
What is EAP?Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) incorporate horses experientially for emotional growth and learning. It is a collaborative effort with a treatment team of three: a licensed therapist, an equine specialist and a horse. Horses excel as co-therapists. Their sensitivity, intelligence and social nature make them uniquely effective in animal-assisted therapy. Horses provide rich metaphors that relate to clients' lives, allowing them to relate their interaction with horses to their own life experiences. It allows them to share their feelings and issues in a way that is both dynamic and less threatening than traditional therapies. Unlike traditional office sessions, which rely almost entirely on self-report, equine facilitated sessions allow for direct observation of behaviors, emotional responses and patterns, in real-time situations. The experiential nature of EAP allows a therapist and client to practice new behaviors in a dynamic situation with a living creature. Equine therapy is similar to “role-play”, but with the added benefit of authentic reaction from a living animal who exercises choice. Rather than discuss a new behavior in an office setting, clients can try a new behavior with the present support of their therapist, and process the results of taking a new action. EAP is a powerful and effective therapeutic approach that has an incredible impact on individuals, youth and families. It addresses a variety of mental health and human development needs including behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders, abuse issues, depression, anxiety, relationship problems and communication needs. EAP on Dr. Phil!Click Here to view the incredible EAP video.Why a Horse?No one who knows horses can deny that they have a full range of feelings, attitudes, preferences, and personalities. It’s easy to assume that horses are less intelligent than humans, because they don’t hold board meetings, play the stock market, or score well on the SATs. Horses display their intelligence, logic, and intuition in many ways that we don’t recognize because we speak a different language. Just like us, horses feel fear, anger, grief, relaxation, happiness, and affection. They play, fight, and communicate in relationships which share many of the same dynamics of our own: Trust, Respect, Boundaries, Mutual Support & Affection
Far more than most people know, horses are social and emotional animals in that they react and respond. A gelding in the field will call enthusiastically to an approaching friend. A mare whose foal dies will grieve. A horse abused by a human will develop fear and distrust. Just like us, horses are motivated to seek relief from pain, fear, and emotional pressure. They seek creative solutions to meet their needs, and like us, if they cannot find successful solutions they will express that pain outwardly. Horses too, can experience depression, anxiety attacks, attachment disorders, behavioral issues, post traumatic stress, learned helplessness, and emotional shutdown. They can also demonstrate and teach such healthy behaviors as honest communication, trust, healthy boundaries, leadership, patience, assertiveness, affection, and nurturance. Pairing a person and a horse with similar backgrounds, feelings, and behaviors creates a powerful non-threatening mirror in which a client can see themselves with compassion, understanding, and objectivity. By relating their horse’s experiences with their own, a client is able to get in touch with their feelings, “own” their behaviors and beliefs, and explore new choices. Learning empathy for the horse is the beginning of looking on themselves with the same acceptance and unconditional love. To be trusted by a horse, you must be trustworthy; to be respected by a horse, you must first give respect. As prey animals horses are brilliant observers of nonverbal communication, and like humans, react negatively to disrespect, impatience, and lack of self-control. Even our most veiled intentions are easily detected by horses and responded to accordingly. The lesson learned by the client is that by taking responsibility and making new choices, the horse responds in a more positive manner. There are infinite possibilities to include horses for emotional growth. The greatest benefit is that through learning with the horses, positive behaviors are not only taught, but experienced. It’s a unique encounter where clients are able to immediately integrate the learning they have directly experienced. How EAP Works?EAP is an experiential program, meaning clients learn about themselves through taking part in activities. Prior to the first session, a treatment plan and goals are set. Each session may include basic horse activities such as grooming, feeding, and ground training as well as more strategic equine experiential activities that help to focus on the predetermined treatment goals of each independent client. Clients take part in an equine assisted activity, and then discuss feelings, behaviors, and patterns. Remember, the horse becomes a mirror of the feelings and behaviors the client brings with them. Often clients lack language for how they are feeling or awareness of their emotions and behaviors. Interacting with the horses gives them an opportunity to safely put words to their emotions and own their behavior. Within the interaction between a client and a horse, the client is provided opportunities to become more self-aware through understanding the metaphor of how the horse relates to them, their herd, and their environment, and how they relate to the horse. The opportunities for experiential metaphors are almost limitless. Nearly anything found in our relationships with other people, our family dynamics, emotional reactions, behaviors, and choices can be played out in an equine learning or therapy session. The horse’s response to the client can provide valuable insight into the client’s behavior, emotions, and approach. By understanding how their behavior affects their horse, a client can begin to see how their behavior affects others, and ultimately, how it affects others response to them. Through exploring new ways to interact with their horse, they can begin to learn new constructive ways of interacting with the people in their lives. The mental health professional helps relate and apply this learning to the client’s own life and relationships beyond the barn environment by sharing insights and asking questions. While the facilitator makes every effort to remain non-directive, they may gently probe and ask questions to help the clients reach their own solutions. Forms
ProgramTrinity Equestrian Center's Healing With Horses is a member center of NARHA, which provides structured horseback riding sessions to children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Our instructors are nationally certified in therapeutic riding through NARHA and our volunteers and horses have been carefully selected and trained for their roles. Healing With Horse's mission is to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities through therapeutic horseback riding and related activities. What is Therapeutic Riding?Therapeutic Riding, also known as Equine Assisted Therapy, Equine Facilitated Therapy, and Riding for the Disabled, is the use of the horse and equine oriented activities to achieve a variety of therapeutic goals, including cognitive, physical, emotional, social, educational and behavioral goals. BenefitsDepending on the disability, benefits of horseback riding include improvement in joint mobility, balance and coordination, relaxation of spasticity, increased muscle tone, self-confidence through enhanced self-image, improved learning, concentration, spatial awareness, and motivation to set and achieve goals. Riders also benefit emotionally, through the unique bonds they form with their horses and our incredibly dedicated volunteers. Most important is that riding a horse is fun! From the beginning, riders learn balance, coordination and self-assurance while receiving therapeutic muscle stimulation. As a result of carefully planned lessons, poise posture, strength and flexibility improve. A strong sense of responsibility develops as the rider learns to take part in the care of the horses and equipment. What's the science behind the therapy...? "It's about Neurology and Bio-Physics and how our brain is constantly communicating with our body. The brain is always assessing it's surroundings, making adjustments and compensating. Sometimes thru injury or illness, those assessment and compensation pathways are impaired or changed and don't work right... creating a disability. Those pathways need to be strengthened and rehabilitated. Why a horse...? It's because a horse has a very unique walking gait. In fact, it's a movement that most closely resembles that of a human. So when you put a person with disabilities on a horse, the movement, motion and rhythm of a horse's walk IS therapy to those damaged pathways and the body begins to change. It starts with relaxing and strengthening the muscles and improving balance and coordination. Then it begins working on the spirit and attitude. Riders begin to have a sense of empowerment, self-confidence and a renewed sense of ability and hope! Their view of themselves changes...that's life changing." Toni Mattson The Horse is a Great Equalizer For a Rider
Riders are encouraged to participate as much as they can in grooming, saddling and guiding the horse. Praise and encouragement are constant from the volunteers. Riders' successes are acknowledged no matter how small. Additional benefits for the riders while participating in therapy riding classes include: strengthening cognitive and sequential thinking, problem solving, confidence and self esteem building, exposure to positive role models and mentors, and movement toward achieving individual goals set by schools and therapists. Therapeutic riding also promotes socialization. Instructors, therapists, volunteers, parents and riders get together. Often the social interaction becomes as important as the riding lesson. Friendships are made, acceptable behaviors are reinforced and unacceptable behaviors are discouraged. A human-animal bond develops between riders and their therapy horses as riders discover that the horses are gentle, friendly, accepting, and do not see disabilities.
For more information on therapeutic riding: ClassesClasses are held on Mondays & Thursdays from 4 to 5 PM and 5:15 to 6:15 PM as well as Saturdays from 11:00 AM to Noon and run for one hour each. Classes take place in an environment that emphasizes ability, not disability. There is a NARHA certified instructor that conducts the therapy session and depending on the rider's individual needs, there may be up to 3 assistants per rider. Therapeutic riding lessons may be private or a group of 5 or less. All potential participants undergo a comprehensive in-take process that includes completion of registration forms, which includes a physician's release form and an evaluation. Horses and students are matched to compliment both personality and ability. Individuals interested in Therapeutic Riding may contact Trinity Equestrian Center's Healing With Horses by calling 715-835-4530 or emailing the director, Toni Mattson. An evaluation and registration process must be completed before the therapy can begin. RidersWho can ride? For the well being of our horses, we currently have a weight limit of 200 lbs. This may change as we get horses that can carry a heavier rider. We accept riders with all disabilities with a doctor signed release indicating, in his or her opinion, riding would be indicated for this person. What happens after the Initial Evaluation? What is a typical lesson like? How do I sign up? CostWhat does it cost to participate? Testimonies I was at this week's session on Monday, and I witnessed the beginning of a miracle with my son, Eric. He was sitting on Gambler, and as they walked the arena, I saw ALL of the tension, leave his body. His arms relaxed, his shoulders dropped, and with a peaceful confidence - he had a look of enjoyment and satisfaction I have never seen before; but this is only part of it... When Eric was a small child, he had a giggle,and a smile that could not be put into words. When he and Gambler trotted, I finally heard that giggle again, after many years. I brought a tear to my eye, as I watched my misjudged, and misunderstood child feel whole again. He had confidence. He believed he was valuable and competent!!! Thank you for Healing with Horses. You may have seen Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer? it appears to me that at least for Eric ~ Gambler is the Child Whisperer... May you be richly blessed in your endeavors to touch, inspire and enrich the lives of others.
Toni, I just wanted to tell you what a wonderful time Ryan & I had today @ Healing with Horses. It was an absolutely amazing experience for him and I. I'm still seeing his smiles and hearing his laughs while he was on Fancy. What a gentle and beutiful horse she is. I've never really experienced horses, but I must tell you it was very profound looking in her eyes... it was a feeling I've never felt before and will never forget. I think it was probably evident by my phone calls to you that I was so excited about today! It far surpassed any of my expectations. As a mom of a child with special needs those are the moments you so desprately want for your child and cherish like no other! I am so thrilled to be able to bring Ryan back the week after next for the remainder of the lessons! I think that this experience will not only help Ryan "heal" but it will help me "heal" as well. So ultimately, I just want to say thank you for doing what you do!
 "Alyssa began therapeutic horseback riding when she was four years old. She is now almost ten. Alyssa began with Healing With Horses in the summer of 2008 at the Trinity Equestrian Center. The staff, volunteers, parents, and other riders have been wonderful. They are kind, caring, and are an inspiration to talk to. The horses used for the program at Trinity are so mild mannered, that Alyssa loves talking about them and riding them! Alyssa was diagnosed with apraxia, dysarthria, low muscle tone, and severe sensory issues when she was a baby. She didn't know where her body was in space, and her balance was almost non-existent. Therapeutic horseback riding has given Alyssa so much. For starters, it has given Alyssa a sport she can participate in despite her disabilities. We have watched her go from needing two people walking on either side of the horse, to Alyssa independently trotting on the horse. It is truly amazing! The horseback riding has done so much for her disability too. It has helped her balance tremendously. She went from consistently falling over while walking, to now independently running. It has helped with her speech and coordination of all of her muscles. Her low muscle tone in her trunk has increased dramatically. In fact, one of Alyssa's first phrases that she learned was "walk on." There is not one other therapy out there that can do so much for a child, and at the same time not be seen as therapy by the child. Alyssa spends a lot of time talking about her horse Dancer, and loves every minute she gets to spend with her. Horseback riding gives a child with a disability a chance to be like their peers, which is something every parent hopes for. To see the smiles, to see the confidence it gives them, and to see them interact with the horse, volunteers, and their peers is a wonderful gift. Over the years, we have started and stopped speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy often, but the one consistent therapy we have kept intact is the horseback riding. So thank you to Trinity for allowing Alyssa the chance to ride. VolunteeringWho Can Volunteer?Volunteers are the heart and soul of our therapeutic riding program and all that we do at Trinity! Anyone at least 14 years old can volunteer at Healing With Horses. There are many opportunities for volunteering in our program including help riders participate in classes, groom and tack horses, assist on a committee such as fund raising, special events, long range planning, take pictures at classes and events, and help with the newsletter and many other tasks! Knowledge of horses or disabilities is not required. Training is required and provided.Volunteer Information Form What Do Volunteers Do?Volunteers aid the riders in mounting horses and help provide support to the riders, called side-walking while doing exercises, play games, going through obstacle courses, and other riding activities. The volunteers also give emotional support to the riders for their efforts. Many volunteers assist with tack and grounds maintenance as well. Volunteers with equestrian experience or those who want to learn may help to groom and tack horses, and serve as horse leaders. Fund-raising, grant writing, or serving on a committee are some other ways to volunteer. How Do I Get Started Volunteering?he first step is download and fill out our Volunteer Application and Emergency Information Sheet. All forms must be completed and a mandatory training session attended before volunteering with Healing With Horses. Please contact our Karen Supple our Volunteer Coordinator via email to find out when our next training session will be held. DonationsHealing With Horses relies on donations, foundation and corporate grants, and rider tuition fees to provide programs. Rider fees cover less than half of the cost of services. The difference comes from fundraising, and the support of generous members, sponsors and donors like you! Your donations go to support and provide for the program, the horses and the specialized equipment needed to provide an effective and safe therapeutic riding lessons to our riders. All donations are tax deductible as Trinity Equestrian Center Kids Kamp, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Forms
InstructorsWhat can Therapeutic Riding do for you?
Sarah A. — Healing "Trinity's Therapeutic Riding Program has been wonderful for riders, volunteers, and instructors. As an instructor, I really value the positive emotions and new-found confidence that I see after a rider has learned a new skill or played a fun game on horse-back. Riders gain that confidence through the partnership they develop with their horses and the energy of good volunteers. The best thing about this program is that the skills learned on horse back transfer to every other aspect of the riders' lives. I have seen more confidence, better attitudes, and better physical improvements with every rider that has come through the program. Not every person is able to connect to an animal the way this program allows and the results are amazing. I love coming to the lessons every week and seeing what can be accomplished in such a short amount of time with a caring attitude and the help of our wonderful horses!" What can Therapeutic Riding do for you?
Karen Rushmore — Healing "I was blessed to be born with a passion for horses. As I became older, I realized that passion grew to include working with adults and children with mental and physical challenges. It was a wonderful thing to learn that I could combine both passions when I became a volunteer for a "We Can Ride Program". What a terrific experience. Since then, I have pursued my passion by becoming a therapeutic riding instructor at Trinity Equestrian Center. What a beautiful facility with simply awesome students. Speaking of the students, WOW! What can I say? They are fantastic individuals with a wide range of challenging opportunities. I once had a student who was not only afraid of horses, but was terrified to ride, being totally unsure of himself. After completing several 5-week sessions, he not only saddled his own horse, but groomed and cleaned the hooves as well and rode totally on his own, asking to be challenged even more. He has since graduated from our class and is taking regular riding lessons now. We are all so proud of him. One of our students who experienced trouble focusing on an individual task, is now able to do exactly what they are asked to do and that is a huge step. Another student who could not speak understandably, is now making perfect sense to those she is speaking to. The changes, some subtle and some dramatic, are all amazing and extremely gratifying to the staff and students alike. The smiles, the sense of accomplishment, the laughs and the high-fives make it all worthwhile. I am so pleased to be part of this program." What can Therapeutic Riding do for you?
Amy Pranger — Healing "Hi, my name is Amy Pranger and I am Healing with Horses' latest addition to the Instructor lineup! When I first considered getting involved with the therapeutic riding program at Trinity, I did it with less than optimal enthusiasm. Before the first session, all I could think was 'There's no way I can do this well, and even if I can, how much can it really do for the rider?' I learned fast in that first hour that I was so far off base in every aspect of my assumptions. It took my rider about 2 minutes to work his way into my heart, and it only took his horse about one minute to begin to affect him. This program can have a profound effect on the mentality of both the rider AND the volunteer within the first 2 minutes, not to mention the remaining 58. From then on, I've come to Healing with Horses with more than optimal enthusiasm, and a grateful passion. As I am sitting here writing, I am trying to find the right word to describe the riders, but am at a loss. They each leave their marks on our hearts. It's a privilege to be able to watch the transformation the horses bring on, physically, mentally, but most of all emotionally. I have enjoyed volunteering since 2007, and returned this October from Free SPIRIT Riders in Fond Du Lac, WI with my Instructor Certification. I am looking forward to many more years of enjoying the students and their stories in the making. The person running the session may be called the 'Instructor', but I can vouch for the fact that there's a much more valuable instructor on the back of each horse in the arena." |
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