They tell us to write on subjects we're passionate about when posting our daily blogs here at K945. As you know, I'm passionate about horses. They have pure souls and it's been said, "Horses are cheaper than therapy!" That is SO TRUE! Horses are therapeutic in many, many ways! I decided to do some research and I found that equine therapy is used around the world. It's not only used to help those with physical issues, but psychological and mental, as well. According to an article about Equine Therapy,

There are many physiological and psychological benefits documented in people during interactions with animals. These include lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased beta-endorphin levels, decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning, and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-esteem.

The more I read, the more I found my love for horses justified. I still remember the first time I saw horse therapy in action. I don't think I was even 10 years old yet, but my riding instructor, 'Mrs. Sig' North at Double Rainbow Equestrian Center in Haughton, LA, also specialized in therapeutic riding. She allowed me to come 'help' her at the Equestrian Competition for Special Olympics. (Mrs. Sig still teaches lessons, I'm not that old after all, but she mainly works with hunter/jumpers now) You can't imagine the smiles on the exhibitors faces. It was fantastic! Horses truly are special. They've been proven to help troubled teens, people with anxiety, depression and addiction, children with autism and more. You can find tons of literature about Equine Assisted Therapies on the internet. If you do a GOOGLE search, you'll find way more than you bargained for, so I'll give you some helpful links at the bottom of the post. But mainly, I wanted to give 'GREAT', a local equine assisted therapy program, some exposure.

GREAT stands for Great Results Equine Assisted Therapies, Inc. and is a program offered through The Arc of Caddo-Bossier.  While The Arc receives funding from the United Way of Northwest Louisiana, they are still in need of funds and volunteers! The Arc of Caddo-Bossier's purpose is to meet the unique needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families. They have multiple programs, but GREAT is the one that really works on my heart. It takes a lot of money to run a facility like GREAT and  they would love your support... in the form of time or money!

GREAT is located in Greenwood on Greenwood-Springridge Road. Stop in to get some information or give them a call at (318) 938-9166. They'd love to hear from you!

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Helpful Links to Learn More About Equine Assisted Therapy:

Using Horses in Therapy with Troubled Teens

Using Horses in Therapy for Children with Autism/Asperger's

Using Horses in Therapy for Addiction

Make a Donation to GREAT via PayPal by clicking HERE.

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