- The child who has never spoken a word and struggles to look his parents in the eye, transforms when he hugs the family dog;
- The teenager who storms out of the psychological assessment her parents spent a fortune on, is able to engage when her new ‘counsellor’ turns out to be a horse;
- And the middle age adult carrying the weight of years of trauma, convinced ‘nothing can help me’, softens as the kitten on her lap starts to purr.
Why?
What is it about animals that helps us feel safe, encourages us to express ourselves and somehow teaches us about relationships, life and ourselves; even – possibly especially – when nothing else seems to be working?
And it’s not just during time of challenge in life when the human animal bond pulls us close. Pet ownership in Canada is on the rise, with over 40% of Canadian households now including at least one dog, and close to 40% including at least one cat. Source: Canadian Animal Health Institute Horses are a little less accessible to the average person, however the most recent statistics in Canada (from 2010) showed close to a million horses and horse enthusiasts in our country despite a 70% increase in horse keeping costs over the prior seven years. Source: Canadian Equine Industry Profile Study Results
What draws us to being with animals?
This increase in wanting to connect with and learn from animals is also extending into many fields of human healing and wellness. At first consideration incorporating animals, particularly horses, into a wellness or therapy approach, may simply seem to complicate things, for both the service provider and the client. There are increased risks, additional training and certification requirements, potential for allergies, and a myriad of other considerations.
And yet the fields of equine and animal assisted therapy continue to grow in popularity, credibility, availability and public awareness.
How can animals help those we care about and work with?
Over a series of blog posts we will aim to shed light on all of these questions and more; hopefully gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of why and how interacting, developing relationships and simply being with animals – be it in our home, within a therapeutic environment or elsewhere – can benefit us in multiple ways.
This series will explore the following:
- What the research has to say about the human animal bond.
- How animals can provide people with the motivation to seek out help.
- Why many of us feel safer in the company of animals and how this can be drawn upon within a healing approach.
- How animals can help create three key conditions shown to be necessary and conducive for healing and growth to arise: genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard.
- Why both what we have in common with animals, and how we differ, allows us to turn to animals as role models, and to learn about ourselves from watching and interacting with them.
- What animals have to teach us about both play and rest.
- How incorporating animals in to a therapeutic environment can help us create the conditions of true play, and why this may be the greatest way to achieve emotional wellness, healing and growth.
- How animals can invite us to understand, feel and express our emotions in a healthier way.
I look forward to taking this journey with you!
I really enjoy your blog posts Sue. They are clear and easy to read and for the people who are curious about equine facilitated wellness, they provide comprehensive answers that paint images that can be understood. Thank you!
Susan Cressy, MA, EFW-CAN
Highlands Gate Wellness
Thanks Susan!
Hi Susan,
I would have to agree with you. From the first moment I walked into Healing Hooves, I have continued to enjoy the way in which Sue presents information!
I wonder if for many people easier to connect with animals then humans at times! ‘they’ say we need human connection but our social relationships can also be the biggest stress inducer…might be why I have so many animals?!. lol
Thank you for this great introduction to animal assisted therapy (equine therapy) Sue. I also look forward to taking this journey with you and the horses.
Great intro! I am really looking forward to the rest of this series.
Looking forward to the rest of the series! Love working with animals, especially horses!
Great intro information for people to begin the process of understanding this field of work.
This is a very important series to cover! Lots of people ask – well why horses? Why dogs? Why cats? etc. We might know from personal experience, though in order to explain this to others, the supporting research and information will help provide an educated response.
Looking forward to this series! I happen to also be taking an Introduction to Animal Assisted Interventions with Dreamcatchers and I’m really enjoying how all these ideas are linked together 🙂
I couldn’t agree more – animals make a difference in our lives: around feeling safe, loved, seen… it’s good to learn so many people are recognizing that and welcoming animals into their lives.
Looking forward to this series. I see connection/bond with animals regularly and look forward to exploring the why behind this.
I’m really looking forward to covering these topics, and gaining the knowledge to promote the biophylia hypothesis. You do an incredible job of presenting the information in a manner that is clear and concise Sue. Thank you!
Great examples showing the ability of animals to connect with people that struggle with connection!
The power of animals is amazing when all they have to offer us is their presence. But through that connection they offer a lot more.
Looking forward to this next step in the learning journey.
Very curious about the “conditions of true play!”
we have a section on this coming up in the training!
This is wonderful Sue! Even though we may know the benefits from personal experience with animals, this helps to explain when we are asked, “What exactly is it that you are doing?”
I get the answer to “Why Horses” every time I am able to spend time with my horse and a client. It is so powerful in so many ways!