Majestic Therapy Horses Programs
Seniors
This program is designed to enhance the health and wellness of our senior population by bringing the miniature horses to residential care communities and facilities such as assisted living, memory care, adult family care home, and senior community organizations. You will experience the positive impact of mental, physical, and emotional connections for your residents. Sensory connections are accomplished through the up close and personal encounters with our little horses and their gentle eye, soft hair, warm sweet smell of the fresh grooming, and the gentle sound of their breathing and steps, but most of all—their appearance as they are adorned in bows and ribbons appropriate for the season.
Each participant will get the chance to pet and brush the horse as well as interact by sharing experiences from their past with horses and asking questions. Therapy horse visits differ from other animal visits such as therapy dog visits, because the horses offer calm and tranquil interaction which brings comfort and an environment that encourages one-on-one conversation, enhancing communication even with the introverted. These visits almost always bring special joy to those seniors who once owned or participated in horse related activities at some time in their life. Smiles are abundant when the horses are present!
Education
We have three types of education programs.
The Start Smart program is designed to build confidence and leadership as well as learn more about horse safety, care, and responsibility. This program is offered at the barn where the horses live. There is no riding in this program, but it can be a segue to continuing to an appropriate riding program.
Our Equine Assisted Learning Program is designed to provide the participant with individualized instruction, time to bond with the horse and the opportunity to experience the tranquility of the horse-human connection. Research has shown that Veterans, children, and adults with all abilities, including those with physical, mental, and sensory disabilities and PTSD often benefit from equine facilitated learning. Horses are excellent animals for providing immediate feedback communicating the effect the human’s behavior or mannerisms are having on the horse. This allows the participant to learn to be tuned in and adjust their behavior accordingly and see immediate results. Horses are partners in the process and through interaction and learning to communicate with them, life skills such as self-regulation, leadership, self-confidence and trust improve. This program is facilitated by a retired educator and is not a counseling or psychology/psychiatric program.
School and Community Education Program offers many educational topics to support curriculum and organizational goals. Location of the program can be determined at booking depends on the size of the group, frequency, and topics/goals to be addressed. School groups (including homeschool cooperatives), camps, scouts, pre-schools, and residential treatment and learning academies are all examples of applications of this learning program which the horses have served.
Literacy
This program is designed to inspire reading for all ages, especially children. We partner with local libraries to develop and support a program for participants to learn about the many horse books available for check out. Our visit is a motivator for the participants to attend, learn, read, and interact with the miniature horses.