Equine Assisted psychotherapy & attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder tendencies
For those who live with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) tendencies and for their loved ones who are affected by the related symptoms and behaviors, time spent with horses is often something that is sought after.
Engaging with equine partners is stimulating, with lots of moving pieces. For someone who struggles with impulsivity, inattentiveness, or hyperactivity, pulling up to the farm is an ultimate thrill, as the energy and excitement that the farm brings feels like a big playground filled with new smells, sights, feelings, and time spent with equine partners who harness their own personalities and social structures!
But wait.
The therapeutic benefits that our horses bring to our table go so much deeper than that. When developing a relationship with a horse, your emotions, your body language, and your thought processes must match, to build trust with your equine partner. Being congruent in this way, is something that those who experience ADHD often struggle with.
One's mind may be focusing on one outcome of completing the grooming process, while their emotion may be that of determination, while their body language and energy may be fast-paced and quick. The quickness of their body language and movements may create an uneasy horse, where pacing, pawing, and anxiety may begin to show. The client may be unable to complete the grooming process due to the horse’s movements, and then the emotion may turn to frustration or defeat, as the excitement or determination wears off. The client may wonder what could be going on with the horse? Why is their equine partner pacing and seemingly nervous? Why are they resisting to lift their hooves for a good picking?
This is a perfect therapeutic teaching moment where this clinician would work with the identified client to take a pause. To explore congruence and incongruence, and how if we match our thoughts, emotions, body language, and behaviors, our equine partner will respond to us in a different way, and we can complete the task at hand.
Although I have been a clinician for many years, my horses have a way of showing me things before I observe them myself. Over the winter, Romeo and I (see EAP featured horse of the month for March on Reins of Heart Wellness Center, PLLC’s social media!) were working with a lovely client who could not contain their excitement about being up close and personal with their equine partner. As we discussed horse and barn safety, this client became impulsive, and approached Romeo at his haunches, moving fast, and unable in that moment to slow down and connect. Romeo, sensing the shift in energy, watched my movements and scanned my energy and body language as I stepped toward our client, to keep them safe. Watching me, Romeo shifted his weight to his left side, and swung his rear end in the opposite way, to create more space for our client.
As we stepped away from Romeo together, to review safety expectations once again, Romeo with a gentle eye, and a relaxed stance, took a deep breath. As he let it out, our client followed suit with a deep and cleansing breath, a pause, and we waited until we felt congruent and calm before we approached Romeo again for our activity.
This idea of non-judgmental instant feedback, helped our client manage their behavior and take a pause before approaching the situation again. It is this clinician’s hope, that this client was able to take this experience with their equine partner, and utilize it outside of the magic of the barn, while in real-world time, with family members or peers. That this activity created some sort of social awareness about this client’s physical body in their social environment, and how their body language affects others.
Some common themes that I have seen over the years working with clients who experience behavior traits and feelings related to ADHD/ADD are low self-esteem and confidence, impulsivity, inattentiveness, difficulties communicating, the need to fidget, anxiety, difficulties matching emotional intent with physical body language presented to others, and hyperactivity related to an extreme difficulty with calming the physical body.
The intense struggle with regulating their body to the social environment can lead to much distress in a person who experiences ADHD. Our equine partners are able to provide three key factors to the treatment of ADHD. They are able to provide that relational connection and social relationship, they are able to provide immediate feedback in a completely non-judgmental way, they are able to love unconditionally, saying ‘hey, we can try this as many times as we need to, I am here. I am still here.’
Gabrielle Johansen, LICSW, ESMHL