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Equine assisted therapy essay
Equine assisted therapy essay
Equine assisted therapy essay
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Did you know that horseback riding is the fifth hardest sport, according to TheTopTens.com? If so, why do people say it is easy, and that equestrians don’t work hard enough to do their sport? More importantly, horseback riding is misunderstood and an underestimated sport.
People who are misunderstood about horseback riding think that it is easy. Many people think all they need to do is sit there and steer the horse. Truth is, it isn’t that easy. +78,000 people have visited the emergency room since 2007, and that 75% of head injuries occur while physically mounted on a horse, according to ridersforhelmets.com. To be an equestrian, a person who rides horses, it takes skill to control an animal than is 1,000 pounds or more. Focus is key, because horses have a mind of their own, and are unpredictable. Balance is also needed. Horses can go up to 20 miles per hour, and the rider needs to be able to sit balanced, keep their equitation, the proper way to sit mounted on the horse, correct, all while controlling the horse properly and stay safe. If people were to understand this, equestrians would be more respected.
Equestrianism has been featured in the Olympics since 1912, and in every one ever since. So why do people still think it isn’t a sport? According to cbssports.com, the activity has to meet six standards to be considered a “sport”. The first standard is athletic ability. Yes, athletic ability is needed to ride and care for your horse. The rider needs to have strength, to control the horse and post. Posting is where the person sits and stands every beat at the trot, which can be very tiring if you do not have the muscle, which leads to the second standard, strength. Standard three is endurance. Most professional equestrians t...
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... Therapeutic Horse Riding Program, which provides disabled people with a horse that can be their companion and be cared for by them. It is proved that horses can help with physical, emotional, and social skills, according to povatrc.org. If this was more widely recognized, more money can be invested in this program and help it thrive into a bigger, more better service.
On the other hand, horses themselves have benefits, too. Their manure can be used as a non-toxic fertilizer for plants and crops. Plants would have a safer, less harsh fertilizer at almost no cost if people were more knowledgeable about this.
Horseback riding is much more than just sitting there, asking the horse to go, and holding on. “It gives kids confidence to do things when they can handle a 1200-pound animal,” Richardson said, from oregonlive.com. No one can do much without a little confidence.
Once you get them to settle down and get there mind focused on just walking and the rider then you know the bond with the rider and horse are strong. When it is time for the second run of the night you want to warm them up again but not as hard this time because he or she has already been warmed up once before this, so just a little warming up won’t hurt. When it is that time for the second run the rider will bring the horse him a set him or her up for their first barrel and make the most of the race. If you see the rider smiling then everyone knows she has done her job with this horse. The rider can make an automatic barrel horse where that horse know his job and she barely has to ask the horse for a turn or touch his face to go around that barrel. When the rider gets a horse to be like that everyone can tell they spent hours and days together. The rider worked with that horse but never made him sour or hate coming into the arena. They spent time working on flexing the horse and making sure he knew when to tuck his nose and leave it for an extra second. They will all see when they are running home how much they spend time they spend together if they are fast and smooth through the pattern and don’t have any blow ups before or after coming in and out of the arena. After the race is over and the announcer say who
fun with and enjoy your horse. To start you should have your horse groomed and in the cross ties.
What exactly determines whether or not an activity is a sport? The term sport is defined by The Free Dictionary as: A physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively, an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively, or an active pastime; recreation.
Hippotherapy, a specialized form of equine therapy, “is a physical, occupational or speech and language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement. Hippotherapy literally means ‘treatment with the help of the horse’ from the Greek word, "hippos" meaning horse” (“Hippotherapy.”). Equine therapy is an all-encompassing type of therapy that includes riding horses, learning about the horse as a creature, the physical activity involved in horseback riding, and much more. Hippotherapy also requires a licensed, specially-trained therapist to teach and oversee lessons because of the hands-on nature of this method while therapeutic riding only requires a professional horseback-riding instructor, typically with some background in physical or occupational therapy Hippotherapy riders usually have more severe deficits and, therefore, hippotherapy is a little bit more intense than physical therapy. Both hippotherapy and therapeutic riding can utilize the unique movement of a horse to “assist in meeting therapy goals.” The horse’s gait mimics that of a human, and for that reason, horses can aid in the treatment of patients with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy and the rehabilitation of injured people such as
Horse racing, with chariots as well as riders, was an early form of competition in the early Olympic games in Greece. As well as the Greeks, the Roman empire enjoyed watching horse races. This sport became widely popular around the rest of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa as well. In the 18th century, the first open field races were held for the public to see. In the United States, as horse racing became more and more popular, weights the horses could carry were standardized to the age of the horse. This assured that the younger horse with less muscle would not be carrying as much weight as the 5 year olds with a much larger muscle mass. Racing soon evolved from these long 4-12 mile races, to dash races where the horses were raced for shorter distances. Thus came the triple crown which included the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness Stakes, and arguably the most recognizable modern race, the Kentucky
Young, Rhoria Lee, and Maggie Bracher. "Horsemastership part 2: Physical, psychological, educational and social benefits." International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation 12.3 (2005): 120-125. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
From my personal experience I have known a lot of individuals that don’t believe supercross is a sport because it doesn’t require any physical effort or any particular natural skills; it is a big argument if they don’t know anything about it. Most of the individuals claim that the bike does all the work and the only thing you have to do is hold on to the handlebars. On top of th...
Therapists such as Natalie Norrell believe that horses play a key role in the process of healing people with special disorders and
When riding a horse you don’t just sit there and do nothing, You work hard to control a 800-1000 pound animal. You have to push your horse and yourself to the greatest you can be. It is a lot of work, it is just like any other sport. You have to go ride your horse at least 4 times a week, you practice in the wind, rain, snow, when it’s hot out, and event when it is freezing cold.
Riding encourages a child to work with their hands, exercise, and connect with horses and people of all ages, gain confidence, and learn new skills. Courtnee Niggel, an instructor summarizes how “A six year old child was told she will never walk again but after years of equine therapy she is now able to walk with a walker or by holding on to the sides of walls” (Niggel 1). Equine Therapy leaves a child with amazing results and changes their life drastically all the way from growing social skills to helping with motor skills, even to
Any good horseman should know that there are three very important steps to take into consideration when preparing to ride your horse. The following three steps; grooming, tacking up, and warming up, if done properly should lead to a trouble free enjoyable ride.
Training a horse to ride is hard work, it involves ground work, riding, and in both patience is very important. In the next few paragraphs I will be explaining the steps needed to train a horse.
Some people think of them as animals. Some people think of them as objects. Some people think of them as friends. Then there are the few who think of them as family. Horses have always been like family to humans, except sometimes closer. There are many benefits to owning or being around horses. They come in many different colors. There is a multitude of breeds, also. Additionally, they have a long history with humans. Horses have unique behaviors. Showing horses has been the past-time or even career of many people. Furthermore, caring for horses can be a handful, but is definitely rewarding. Finally, riding horses is not just a hobby or a sport, but an action of your heart. Horses are wondrous creatures that have lived with man or thousands of years.
A lot of people do not understand the hard work and time it takes to train a horse, as well as compete in competitions or shows. I personally know a lot about horseback riding because I grew up riding horses. It really makes me mad when someone comments “that is not a sport”. Well, yes they can state their opinion but I don’t have to agree with them and vice versa.
Horseback riding is not an activity most people think of, but it is a great escape for some people. Horseback riding is not just saddling up and riding, people have to have a passion for horses and riding. Some things to keep in mind when riding is balance and knowledge on how to keep the horse under control. People can be told how to ride, but each person will have to find a style that works for them. When riding a horse the concept of time, destination and worries do not exist.