Horse Boy Method
Sandra is a qualified Horse Boy Practitioner, and we offer tailor-made Horse Boy Sessions - either one-to-one or for the whole family.
Horse Boy Method is an effective six stage process to address a combination of difficulties in the areas of behaviour, education, stress-management, emotional regulation, communication and relationship building - as often experienced by persons with ASD, ADHA, Anxiety Disorder, Seonsory Integration Disorder.
The Stages used in the Horse Boy Method are:
Horse Boy Method is an effective six stage process to address a combination of difficulties in the areas of behaviour, education, stress-management, emotional regulation, communication and relationship building - as often experienced by persons with ASD, ADHA, Anxiety Disorder, Seonsory Integration Disorder.
The Stages used in the Horse Boy Method are:
- Setting up the right natural environment (no bad sensory triggers) and the right human environment (trust, tribe) – we always work with as many family members as possible, not just the affected child.
- Working directly on sensory issues body to body on the horse to calm anxiety
- Riding with the child to create the rhythms that aid communication (leading a horse destroys these rhythms – the horse must be ridden or driven in long lines for create them)
- Perspective-Taking and Rule-Based Games on horseback to re-pattern the brain
- Academics on horseback (yes you can teach the whole national curriculum up there)
- Self Advocacy: When the child is ready we get them to teach us about what interests them – helping them find their voice, and begin to think about livelihood, job and future
An essential element of The Horse Boy Method is the back-riding.In back-riding, a trained and experienced rider, usually the Therapeutic Riding Coach, is seated behind the child on horseback.
The child experiences the highly beneficial rhythmic rocking motion of the walking horse through his hips and back as well as through the back-rider. The deep pressure applied by being held tight in one of the back-rider's arms is appreciated especially by some children with Autism. It can have a hugely calming effect.
The child experiences the highly beneficial rhythmic rocking motion of the walking horse through his hips and back as well as through the back-rider. The deep pressure applied by being held tight in one of the back-rider's arms is appreciated especially by some children with Autism. It can have a hugely calming effect.
In the Horse Boy Method, not only horse-riding is used to the benefit of the participant, but also a variety of other activities to promote learning and exploring, rule-based game playing, turn-taking, communication and stress reduction.
At Hairy Henry's, we use a combination of games, moving freely in our natural environment and exploration through play, as well as calming activities.
Here a slide show of some Horse Boy activities at Hairy Henry's:
At Hairy Henry's, we use a combination of games, moving freely in our natural environment and exploration through play, as well as calming activities.
Here a slide show of some Horse Boy activities at Hairy Henry's:
Images and text: Copyright Sandra Schmid 2016