Therapy
Horses Everywhere Agree – “This stuff really works!”
equine bodywork for balance, LLC
Interactive Therapy
Equine Assisted Services
Therapy horses have an important job that they diligently do when asked. At an Equine Assisted Services (EAS) program the therapy horse may be used for multiple activities including riding, driving, vaulting and groundwork. The challenges of these activities are physical and psychological in nature. Participants will learn how to apply some of the very basic principles and techniques of Bodywork using The Masterson Method. The participant is guided in giving a Gift of Bodywork to their therapy horse. This Gift will help the horse release tension and ease soreness within their body.
Interactive Horse Therapy
Dawn uses an Interactive approach to Therapeutic Bodywork. Participants are made aware that they are giving a Gift to the horse. She will explain, the Why of wanting to give a Gift to the horse, and the How of performing the basic skills of The Bladder Meridian. The participant will learn to look for the horse’s responses to their touch, i.e., Listening Through Touch. During this technique, participants will deepen their connection and awareness with the horse. Along with building confidence, participants will gain the satisfaction of knowing that they are giving a Gift to their therapy horse.
Masterson Method Equine Specialist
Masterson Method says this about their Equine Specialist course, and it’s use in an EAS program – “Doing this bodywork has a meaningful and often powerful impact on the people who are practicing it. We recognize how subtle changes in your body impacts the horse’s body, and how sensitive horses are to touch”. They go on to say, “Those practicing this bodywork (technique) on horses can improve their connection with the horse, develop greater self-awareness, and deepen their quiet, mindful presence”.
Therapeutic Riding & Bodywork
As a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Master Method Equine Specialist, Dawn is uniquely qualified to guide participants in the application of bodywork and/or other activities with the horse. Locally, Dawn has worked with Inspiration Stables Therapeutic Riding Center, and with Military Veterans at her and her husband’s property near Dubuque, Iowa.
PATH International
According to PATH Intl (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International), Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) help individuals, “gain strength and independence through the power of the horse. EAS benefits people from all backgrounds and all walks of life in a variety of ways, including increasing strength and flexibility, improving motor skills, promoting speech and cognitive reasoning, and building relationships and social skills”.
“There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man” (Winston Churchill)