Animal Assisted Therapy?
The path of training I've followed began around 30 years ago along a fence line between a rehabilitation centre and a field of horses. The people who spent time hanging out near the horses seemed to move through their recovery journey more easefully. Curious, the owner of the horses began investigating with cursory human-horse interactions. Psychology researchers got involved and over many years developed a toolkit of the most effective methods of horse-human engagement aimed at promoting and supporting a person's healing journey.
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What do you do in a session?
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This question is asked a lot!
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To an onlooker it can appear as though a person stands or sits by an animal in a reflective pose.
Based around mindfulness techniques, self awareness is directed towards physical sensations and listening in to messages that arise from the mind-body to complement our more cognitive thoughts based in our heads.
Essentially opening the door into more feeling and less thinking.
Credit Charlie Mackesy



Sessions usually begin away from the animals where you can openly talk through any issues you may want to focus on. This frames which techniques you will be working with for your session. We then spend most of our time with the animals with me closely guiding you, before closing the session again away from the animals.
During a session you might take part in either 'active' or 'inactive' techniques and experienced facilitators will draw forwards the most appropriate approach for your session, depending on what you're exploring or what comes up for you while in the presence of an animal.
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Customers are carefully guided through the different techniques so they feel safe and supported.
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Active techniques can involved loose work in a small enclosure where you ask a horse or pony to move gently around, or to visit objects laid out in a space. You might do this by leading a horse during a session. Each activity is fully explained and all training in any animal handling is given.
The alpacas only engage 'inactively' during therapeutic work. If you would like to lead them please look at the 'Alpaca and Felting Workshop'.
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Based around the work of psychologist Paul Gilbert, compassion sits at the heart of the therapeutic approach, as well as unconditional respect for the animals and humans involved.
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Although people have described their experiences as spiritual, magical, soul-connecting, enlightening and life-changing, it really does depend where you are on your personal journey, and how open you are to the experiences being presented to you in the moment.
Outside of more 'formal' therapy sessions, interacting with and being around animals can bring us out of our worries, regulate our anxiety levels, soothe grief, lower blood pressure and make us smile.
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Riding does not form part of these experiences. If you would like to ride then why not try a Taster Session at the Exmoor Pony Centre - no experience is needed.
