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The Dance Equine Therapeutic Center plans a successful, sustainable, self-sufficient organization offering a wide range of therapeutic activities and alternative information resources with networking enhancements for children and adults from all walks of life. The vision is a center of connection where children and adults connect with themselves, each other, their families, and nature by interacting with horses and the great outdoors. It will be a sanctuary and a safe haven for both people and horses.
The Dance Equine Therapeutic Center is organized to help horses that may become displaced by owners who can no longer care for them and rehabilitate abused horses so they can be trained to work as therapeutic horses, providing a healthy retirement home where they are given an opportunity at a new life. Through outreach many will find loving adoptive homes for those that are not suitable for therapy sessions. It is said, that one of the most powerful things witnessed in these programs is how people heal and feel while nurturing and caring for animals that have been abused, neglected or relinquished.
The purpose of The Dance Equine Therapeutic Center will be to provide, promote, and support the positive intervention of equine therapy for the purpose of contributing positively to the emotional, cognitive, physical and social well-being of children and adults with chronic and life threatening illnesses, emotional challenges and rehabilitation from physical accidents. Growing interest and inquiries suggest it will be a resource that will continue to inform the public and health professionals about the benefits of using horses in assisted activities.
The Dance Equine Therapeutic Center will provide equine therapy to children and people with the intent to enhance and build relationship skills, develop trust, gain confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem, and to teach respect for self and others, promote empowerment, and healthy touch and feelings of achievement. This therapeutic riding approach allows healing and change to occur naturally and more freely in an atmosphere where the body responds based on experiencing moments of connection with another aspect of life. Dependent on each individual, therapeutic activity will be adjusted based on needs and abilities. Examples of activities and methods would be watering, feeding, grooming, petting, and horseback riding. Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy used by physical, occupational and speech therapists to address specific impairments for improving the client’s functions of balance, body awareness, and muscle tone in the rider by responding and interacting passively to the horse’s movement. It is very similar to therapeutic riding with slightly different approach.
Proponents of equine therapy programs believe that there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man, woman, and child. As hearts start to mend and learning becomes successful, people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds begin to rebuild their shattered lives. Equine specialized therapy is fun, builds a sense of renewal, hope, and connections that heal the human spirit. Lives change for the better thanks to the healing and loving presence of a horse.