Equestrian Network Magazine



	"Stinkin' thinkin'!" "Peer pressure!" "Dishonesty!" A group of teens is learning to ride horses while naming obstacles to maintaining their sobriety from drugs and alcohol. It's a group exercise to practice directional control on horseback and help the teens to plan relapse prevention strategies at the same time. A psychotherapist and certified riding instructor are working together to help the teens simultaneously learn how to ride horses and how to live clean and sober lives.

	An eighty-year-old man with developmental disabilities smiles broadly as he greets "his" horse at the mounting block. He trades in his favorite cowboy hat for a helmet and slowly climbs the stairs with assistance. Riding his horse is the highlight of this man's week. He reminds the staff once again that he is a "cowboy."

	A woman who was battered in a violent relationship works with a horse on the ground. As she learns how to understand horse behavior and body language, and how to safely lead a horse, this woman also learns how to set boundaries and create safety for herself. She learns how to say "stop it" to a pushy horse and to the pushy people in her life.



	A group of small boys practices teamwork, taking turns and concentrating as they boost each other up onto the vaulting pony. Each of these boys has been diagnosed with ADHD and has great difficulty waiting and standing still. So the vaulting instructor keeps the boys moving and focused by changing activities frequently. She understands their difficulties and sets up the vaulting lesson so the boys will succeed, have fun, and stay out of trouble.

	What do these scenarios have in common? What do young boys with ADHD, teens with drug and alcohol problems, adult women who have been battered and senior adults with developmental disabilities have in common? All of these individuals love horses and are learning about themselves in the company of horses. They are all participating in Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Learning programs at a barn near you! Their instructors and therapists are members of the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA).

	In February 2006, the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA) will celebrate ten years of service devoted to bringing humans and equines together in mutually beneficial ways. EFMHA is a section of NARHA (the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) and is the oldest non-profit organization in the world devoted to Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Learning (EFMH & L).

	Riding instructors, equine professionals, educators, therapeutic riding volunteers, mental health professionals and everyone who is interested in Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Learning are welcome to join this national, membership-driven organization. EFMHA does not have any full-time paid staff. Their Board of Directors and committees are staffed by deeply committed volunteers who are passionate about their work with horses and humans.

	Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Learning (EFMH & L) programs and services are offered around the country and around the world by mental health professionals, educators and equine professionals who work with persons of all ages and with almost every kind of human problem or challenge. EFMH & L activities may benefit children with learning disabilities, seniors coping with issues of aging, couples struggling with relationship problems, teens learning leadership skills, parents learning parenting skills and many, many other human challenges and problems. EFMH & L programs are taking place in corporate leadership seminars, behind prison walls, in residential treatment programs, on school grounds and at a barn near you.

	In the past ten years, interest in the field of EFMH & L has exploded. Equine Assisted Activities have been featured in popular books and movies. Part of the Mission of EFMHA is to train and educate all who are interested in the field. To accomplish this Mission, EFMHA holds conferences and trainings around the country. A Pre-Conference Workshop is held each November before the NARHA National Conference, and EFMH & L seminars are scheduled during the NARHA National Conference. EFMHA produces a newsletter for its members three times each year. This newsletter contains a wealth of information about the field and a schedule of educational opportunities around the country.

	In 2005, the first Equine Specialist Pilot Workshops were held, to train equine professionals in the specific skills needed to work in the EFMH & L field. More Equine Specialist Workshops are scheduled for 2006. EFMHA also produces a bibliography of books and articles relevant to the field. The EFMHA Bibliography is currently being revised and updated for the third time. It is available to students, professionals and all who are interested in academic research involving horses, humans, healing and personal growth.

	EFMH & L activities may include ground work, grooming, round pen work, horseback riding, vaulting, driving and other activities with equines and humans. They may also include art projects, journaling, book reports and educational projects. EFMHA does not specify to its members what activities or exercises they should use. There is no EFMHA curriculum or "approved" list of activities. Rather, EFMHA has written and field tested standards of practice for Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Safety Guidelines for all NARHA programs. These standards of practice and Psychosocial Safety Guidelines are intended to provide physical and emotional safety for the human and equine participants, as well as guidelines for all professionals working in the field.

	EFMHA is currently in the process of developing the only competency based, independently tested certification for mental health and educational professionals working with equines in the world. This certification and testing should be available within the next 1-2 years.

	So what kinds of equines excel in EFMH & L activities? All kinds! Mini’s and drafts, Morgans and mustangs and mules, "go" ponies and "whoa" ponies, from Appaloosas to Welsh ponies, all kinds of horses and long-ears partner with humans in EFMH & L programs. If you have a horse you think would work well in this kind of program, contact a NARHA center near you for more information or their donation guidelines.

	If you would like to learn more about EFMHA, visit http://www.narha.org and click on the EFMHA information at the bottom of the page. Or post your questions on the EFMHA Listserve (EFMHA-Open@yahoogroups.com).

	Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Learning is an exciting and rapidly growing field. Equestrian Network Magazine salutes EFMHA for ten years of leadership, promoting healing within the horse and human bond.



	Do you have a club or organization you would like to tell us about? All clubs or organizations should not be a business or for-profit organization. If your article is chosen to be published, your club or organization will have national exposure on Equestrian Network Magazine. Please send your article to info@equestmagazine.com and write "Club or Organization" in the subject line. All stories must be less than 800 words and have no typographical or grammatical errors. Who knows, your story may get published and your club may be featured like Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA).


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