Two of the horses Rosie and Solo
Jodi Bryant visits an equine therapy paradise where hooves and hearts unite.
Meet Rosie; a six-year-old rescue who now plays a key role in people’s mental health and wellbeing journeys.
The Kaimanawa 14hh mare is one of a team of 11 horses co-facilitating therapy through a new venture launched in May.
Therapy Trails was born after Whangārei psychologist of 20 years Bronwen Wood had the idea of combining her passion for horses with her trade. She found local social worker Gail Panoutsos and the two joined forces, teaming with Coastal Riding’s facilities and horses situated at Whangārei Heads.
“I grew up with horses and used to spend school holidays in South Africa at horse camps,” says Wood, who has lived in New Zealand for 20 years and specialises in mental health and addictions. “I come with a history of understanding the benefits of having horses as therapy partners.”
Research shows that people experience many psychological and physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including: lowered blood pressure and heart rate, decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of tension and anxiety, uplifting mood, improved social functioning, increased feelings of empowerment and boundary setting and increased trust, patience and self-worth. Their gentle nature and calming presence offer a unique therapeutic experience, boosting mental well-being and emotional balance.
After completing a further qualification as an Equine Interaction Experience Practitioner (EIEP) and gaining ACC approval, coupled with Panoutsos’ experience, her qualification as a Rewilding Retreat facilitator and completion of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy qualifications, one year later, their dream of equine-assisted therapy was up and running.
The programmes are designed to provide an effective approach to physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing and include team-building wellness days, retreats, a skills group or tailored individualised sessions. They cater for adults, teens and young children and clients can be referred or self-refer. No prior experience with horses is needed – all work is on the ground building connections with horses with no riding involved.
Therapy Trails’ services include: one-on-one psychology/counselling; Equine Harmony team building, fostering collaboration, communication, and leadership; a horse wisdom programme, supporting skill-building, including managing stress, emotional regulation, empathy, social skills and boundary setting; a half-day retreat combining therapeutic interactions with horses and holistic wellness activities; Stable Stars, creating enriching equine-assisted experience for kids, helping foster confidence, empathy and emotional growth; and Teen Heard Healing, elevating teenage mental wellbeing through the therapeutic bond between adolescents and horses, fostering resilience and emotional balance.
Wood explains the horse’s role as co-facilitator:
“Horses are beautiful, intelligent, sensitive and strong beings who can evoke strong feelings in clients or engage clients in the learning process. Horses can assist in co-regulating a client’s nervous system, can model healthy living and expression of feelings, as well as offering non-judgemental safety and trust. They can offer unique biofeedback and hold clients in a way traditional therapy environments cannot. Horses can sense our nervous system and by being in the present, grooming horses allows practice to regulate your nervous system reducing stress or anxiety. Horses regulate by doing a deep sigh out, yawning or shaking it off when there is no danger.
“Equine Assisted Therapy is partnering with the horses to learn the wellbeing skills you would in a therapy room by applying psychology or counselling skills in partnership with horses. This includes awareness of your thoughts, feeling and understanding your nervous system, learning to regulate, be assertive, set boundaries, and making space for emotions and skills to face life challenges.
“It’s about building a bond with the horse and, in terms of PTSD, it can be hard to trust or there’s an avoidance of building relationships, but they build a mutual trust and connection that can grow from there.”
The natural tranquil environment can also contribute positively to therapeutic outcomes for clients.
Though riding is not part of the therapy sessions, if a client desires a ride afterward, they can do so through Coastal Riding. As well as 14hh Rosie, the team of co-facilitating horses includes mares, geldings and ponies ranging in height of up to 16hhs (hands) named: Kudos, Solo, Wizz, Aria, Ziggy, Red, Molly, Cheyenne, Cadet and Bella.
Explains Wood: “The advantage of them being with (Coastal Riding owner) Carol is the horses are already desensitised after being around people for years. They have been trained to make sure they are safe to work with. There are always variables but we cover the safety stuff.”
Equine specialist, Panoutsos’ experience as a social worker involves working with children and adolescents and clients from a range of backgrounds. She has lived alongside horses for many years and long believed in and drawn from the immense peace and wisdom they offer.
“When Bronwen called me out of the blue to join her with this venture I said yes immediately. Bronwen is just absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t recommend her highly enough. I’m very excited about Therapy Trails.”
So far the response has been, “really inquisitive and interested”, says Bronwen. “I think a lot of people don’t know what equine assisted therapy is but the feedback from our first group we had was, ‘I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did about myself’, and, ‘I feel more confident, assertive’.”
She describes a lot of “ah-ha moments” with clients from their sessions as they see results, solidifying Wood and Panoutsos’ passion for Therapy Trails.
More information can be found at therapytrails.co.nz or follow Therapy Trails on Facebook.
One adult died at the scene and three people suffered minor to moderate injuries.