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Equine Assisted Activities
What are Equine-assisted activities (EAA) ?
EAA encompass a range of programs that involve interactions between humans and horses for therapeutic benefit and personal growth. EAA are utilized to support growth and development with an emphasis on promoting emotional well-being and can help develop skills such as:
- Connection: Building healthy relationships with peers, adults, the community and animals.
- Social Skills: Understanding non-verbal behaviors, healthy boundaries, confidence, and respect.
- Awareness: Understanding one's internal state as it is seen by others, and how overt actions affect others.
- Resilience: Learning from mistakes and the grade of being able to reenter and repair challenges.
- Empathy: Understanding how to acquire information about others emotional state and attempt to relate to the situation and emotion of others.
- Self- Regulation: Learning to identify ones internal states, and manage ones own energy, and responses in relation to the situation and environment.
- Communication: Clear and effective communication is essential in directing a horse during groundwork and liberty exercises. This practice can enhance social reciprocity, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills.
- Cooperation: Many EAA activities require working in teams, which can improve cooperative skills and the ability to work effectively with others and the environment.
- Conflict Resolution: Participants may encounter situations where they need to negotiate with the horse or adjust their approach, mirroring real-life social scenarios where conflict resolution is key.
- Relationship Building: In essence, EAA act as a mirror for human emotions and social interactions, providing a unique and immediate way to practice and enhance these skills in a non-judgmental environment. The lessons learned through these interactions with horses can be invaluable in personal development and in fostering better human-to-human relationships.
It’s important to note that while these activities build skills and are beneficial, they are not covered by medical insurance. Participants seeking to join these programs should consider this aspect when planning their involvement with the Risewell Foundation’s Equine Assisted Activity offerings. Risewell offers sliding scale and scholarships to equine assisted activities as funding is available.
Equine Assisted Social Groups
What are Equine-Assisted Social Groups:
These unmounted groups are designed to foster social interaction and communication skills through activities with horses. Participants engage in group unmounted (non- riding) exercises that may include grooming, leading, and games, which can enhance teamwork, empathy, and emotional awareness. Social Groups provide a supportive, affirming, and structured setting where individuals can learn from encouragement, experience, and practice. They are particularly beneficial for those who may struggle with social interactions, such as neurodiverse and or neurocomplex individuals (autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorder, delayed social entry, limited social opportunities, and/or social anxiety.)
Our social groups are designed and facilitated by an Occupational Therapist with advanced training in relationship development intervention, sensory integration, the use of skilled equine movement an interaction into practice.
Come join us in a safe place to share challenges, build support, gain skills, and form friendships. Many neurodiverse children and adolescence struggle to connect to others their however but find a great sense of community and connectedness within the neurodiverse community. Join Risewell in a safe affirming environment to explore horses, team building and emotional regulation while making friends.
Requirements:
Participants able to use the restroom independently, communicate basic needs independently (hunger, pain, discomfort) and feed themselves independently, or restroom, communication, and feeding assistance must be provided by the camper’s family for the duration of the camp..
Risewell staff are unable to help with restroom use or provide feeding assistance due to restriction of our liability insurance. Contraindication and additional support needs will be assessed once the intake packet is complete and received. If their is a concern or a need to create program adaptation or support a member of our staff will call to discuss how best to support your camper prior to sending the enrollment link.
* Risewell Foundation prioritizes safety for clients, staff, and equines. If we can’t support your child safely now, we’ll do our best to help find other programs and keep you on our waitlist for future expansion